Things you use for references only use what I provided
Read: the War diary of Nina Kosterina, from Stolen Voices, pp. 41 – 72.
Read: The war diary of Piete Kuhr, from Stolen Voices, pp. 3 – 37.
For this exam, you will submit a word document that answers TWO of the following questions. Each answer should be approximately 2 – 3 pages (500-750 words each) for a total exam length of 4-6 pages.
Please use the length provided. Since you have three pages per question available to you, there is a
certain amount of depth, explanation, and examples that I am looking for. Although quantity does not
necessarily mean quality, since you have all your materials in front of you, I do expect a well-organized
the argument that rests on solid evidence.
Generally speaking, you should have supporting evidence in every paragraph. However, you should refrain from simply typing in big block quotes! Use evidence from the texts we read, but interpret and explain it in your own words, using the evidence to support the
argument you are making in response to the prompt. Make sure that you organize your answers – one
clear topic per paragraph – in a logical progression, with your most important points first. Proofread and spell check your work so that your writing is clear and the style easy to read. These are the categories
on which we grade your response: 1)Argument or thesis, 2)supported by strong evidence from the texts 3) in clear connection to the prompt. Ideas are 4) well organized in paragraphs, and 5) written in a clear grammatical style.
Number the questions as they appear below (so we know which ones you are answering). Use a standard font and margins, use page numbers AND spell-check and proofread your essays! *You must also cite your sources.* For the texts we read in class, you may use an informal in-text citation, such as (Patri, p. 100). For any additional sources you use, you must provide a full citation in either MLA or Chicago format. While it is fine for you to include outside research, it is not required. **Obviously, you may wish to revisit the Discussion Boards to refresh your memory about our readings. Of course, it’s fine if you learn things from your classmates, but do not plagiarize their contributions. If you see that
someone made a really good point about, say, Inge Pollack’s diary, go back to the text, review the
passage and reframe the point in your own words.
Good Luck! Your exam is due on Friday, October 28
at 2 PM. Please be on time, as late exams will be penalized.
1. Compare and contrast the experience of
the young diarists we read about (Inge Pollak, Piete Kuhr, and Nina Kosterina). Using at least two of the
three diaries (you may discuss all three if you like), discuss how these young girls relate to the “loss of
their childhood” during wartime. Do they mourn about their lost childhoods or celebrate their experience of accelerated maturity during wartime? What do they see as the benefits and costs of their status?
What do you think accounts for their differences in perspective?
2. Picture books serve as both
entertainment and education for young children. But how can picture books be used to introduce
children to difficult topics? For this question, analyze The Man Who Walked Between the TowersActions. What lessons are being depicted about September 11th, however obliquely? Why do you think the
author chose this story to tell in order to raise the topic of the destruction of the twin towers? You can, and should, discuss and describe the illustrations and colors, image depiction, and mood. You can also
discuss the text and the interrelationship between images and text to formulate your answer. ** You
MUST use and properly cite both Module 4’s lecture AND the supplemental reading by Perry Nodelman.
3. We have repeatedly seen how nations attempt to instill patriotism and nationalism in their citizens
during times of war. What are the mechanisms that countries use to instill patriotism and nationalism in
children? How are these messages sculpted for children, and how do children respond to them? You
could speak about both the image of mobilized childhood seen in propaganda as well as children’s
actual experiences in schools and youth organizations among other topics. In this question, be sure to
speak specifically about at least two different nations. (You may use all lecture material and readings as evidence, but NOT the diaries.)
4. Youth experience childhood differently at different ages. This is a truth so obvious that it feels almost foolish to state it, yet sometimes scholars lump “children” altogether. However, several of our
readings – in Module 4 and Patri’s text in Module 6, among others – draw a clear distinction between young people of different ages. Using evidence from at least two of the Modules, analyze how older
adolescents and young children reacted differently to similar events, or how adults made different
assumptions about children’s “duty” and their feelings.
