I started out by asking my students what they knew about Orange Shirt Day. No one really knew anything except for one student. His brother had read something about Orange Shirt Day and he had quite a lot of knowledge. I started off by telling them that this was historical fiction. The characters in this story might not be real, but what happened to them was real. As we read the story my class became more and more troubled. We have been learning about integrity and how to stand up for something when no one else does. Learning about racism, segregation and residential schools is troubling but necessary. Like Number the Stars as a great way to introduce WWII, the holocaust and all that happened then, this is a similar gentler way to introduce the topic to children.
Goodreads says:
When a young girl helps tend to her grandmother's garden, she begins to notice things that make her curious. Why does her grandmother have long braided hair and beautifully colored clothing? Why does she speak another language and spend so much time with her family? As she asks her grandmother about these things, she is told about life in a residential school a long time ago, where all of these things were taken away. When We Were Alone is a story about a difficult time in history and, ultimately, one of empowerment and strength.
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