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Lesson 1 (from Chapter 1, "As a Kid I was the Youngest")

Objective

In the first chapter, Kurt Vonnegut briefly describes his upbringing during the Great Depression. The Great Depression was an important time in American and world history, and it shaped Kurt's outlook on life greatly.

Lesson

1 - Class discussion: What was the Great Depression? When did it start and end? What ended it? What would it have been like to grow up during this time period? How did the Great Depression influence American and world history? According to Kurt, what was popular during the Great Depression?

2 - Brainstorming: As a class, brainstorm a list of important events that Kurt Vonnegut would have witnessed during his lifetime, given that he was born during the Great Depression.

3 - Creative writing: Each student writes a short story about a fictional character growing up in the Great Depression. Encourage student to use humor in their story.

4 - Journalism: Each student researches...

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