The Egypt Game

Is it just a game, or magic?

When April moves to live with her grandma she thinks it will be a horrible change from the Hollywood lifestyle she was used to with her mother. When April meets Melanie they discover that what the two of them have in common is a fantastic imagination. They begin a game in the back yard of an antique store. Their enthrallment with Egypt leads to costumes, goddesses, altars, and even oracles. Soon their Egyptian crew grows to six and the fun and magic continues to grow. But with there having been a murder in the neighborhood and the owner of the antique shop, the professor, being accused of this murder, and when the game starts to take on a mind of its own it is questionable if the game can continue. Can the crew clear the professors name? Will their game be over forever? Find out in Zilpha Keatley Snyder's Newbery Honor book The Egypt Game.

Teachers... Here are some resources and ideas to help you teach this novel.

Web Resources:

• Comprehension Questions
• The Egypt Game Wiki: Includes overview, chapter outline, etc.

Vocabulary: Lots of the vocab for this novel are connected to ancient Egypt, so if the students enjoy this book, they may want to learn more about ancient Egyptian culture. Here are some vocab words: vague, pert, lotus, archaeologist, tenants, caper, pharaohs, monoliths, mummies, hieroglyphics, leer, papyrus, altar, omen, fink, oath, rendezvous, oracle, temple, consternation, grotto, incense, cinch, incredulous, alibi

Activities:
Before Reading:

• Create a KWL chart about what students know, want to know (and after reading), have learned about ancient Egypt.
• You may want to explain to your students that this is a fictional story despite there being many true facts about Egyptians within the novel.

During Reading:

• Write journal entries pretending to be April. Discuss how she feels living in a new home and talk about how she feels about her mom, expanding on what Snyder tells the reader.
• Make a map of the Egypt game's play area using what you know from reading. Be sure to include placement of A-Z, each altar, statues, etc.

After Reading/Research:

• Finish the KWL chart about ancient Egypt.
• Create your own hieroglyphics alphabet.
• For students who really enjoyed learning about ancient Egypt through this novel, a great expansion activity would be for students to do research on ancient Egypt and find different aspects the Egyptian crew could have added to their Egyptian game.

Across the Curriculum:
Social Studies/History: Use this novel to teach students about Egypt if Egypt or ancient civilizations are in your curriculum.

Snyder, Z. K. (1967). The Egypt Game . New York: Atheneum. 

Happy Reading (&Running) =)

Devil's Arithmetic

 This isn't your typical Holocaust Story...

The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen is a unique historical fiction about the Holocaust. Hannah doesn't want to go to her family's Seder gathering. She is embarrassed and irritated by her family and doesn't understand why her best friend Rosemary gets to eat jellybeans and other treats when she does not. Hannah does not understand her family's past and why it is important to continue the old traditions. But when she is asked to open the door for the prophet Elijah, she finds herself transported to a Polish village in 1942. She has no understanding of how she got there, and when she is dragged off to a concentration camp, she is forced to forget her past (or is it her future?) and try to live, like some of her family members had.

Teachers: Here are some resources & ideas for this novel...

Web Resources:

• Holocaust Remembrance Day: This website provides a fabulous interactive that discusses and teachers students about the holocaust. In each section there are journal entries for students to fill out and additional activities at the end of the interactive.

• Background Knowledge: This site has a bunch of links to sources such as the one above and many others that will help to build students' background knowledge of the holocaust.

Key Vocabulary: These words may need to be pre-taught, many are connected to Jewish culture: unleavened, Passover, Seder, Haggadah, Yiddish, bris, gutteral, steerage, yahrzeit, matzoh, kosher, rabbi, Sabbath, shadchan, shtetl, Torah, slovens, privy, plaits, yarmulkes, rendar, schnorrers, yeshivah, kiezmar, badchan, shul, dour, synagogue, billeted, desecrate, crematoria, bissel, impudent, runnels, vehemence, amphitheater, mikvah, shorn, ingrate, elusive, preamble, raucous, midden, ominously, sonorous, shtetl, portents, stacatto

Activities:
Before Reading: Make a KWL chart to find out what students know and want to know about the Holocaust through reading The Devil's Arithmetic. By discovering what students already know, you can help clear up any misconceptions the students may have. Also, you will discover what students want to know which will be helpful for any extension activities you choose to implement during or after reading.

After Reading/Writing:

• Fill in the L section of the KWL so students can visually see what they have all learned. 
• Have students write a journal entry taking the role of one of the characters from the novel. They should express how they felt in the camp, some details about what happened and what types of work they had to do they may also choose to predict what happened to the character after Hannah returns back to her real life. 

Across the Curriculum:
Social Studies/History: This book can be used in conjunction with a social studies lesson about the Holocaust.

Yolen, J. (1988). The Devil's Arithmetic. New York: Scholastic Inc.

1989 National Jewish Book Award

Happy Reading (& Running) =)