A Critical Engagement with Everyday Life in the Second World War—Write with Us!
Teaching Units
Unit 1. Spring 1938
Unit 1 focuses on the story of Hilde and Roland in the Spring of 1938. Officially, Germany is still at peace. Sometime in April 1938, Roland was reassigned to teach in a village school on the other side of Saxony. After hearing of his departure during choir practice at church, Hilde resolved to write him in person to confess her love and initiate a correspondence in the hope of arranging a private meeting. Over the course of the Spring, they begin a courtship, get to know one another, their hopes and dreams, and their attitudes about love and family. In this unit, students will explore the identities of protagonists, their social context, the setting of the play, and the letters as sources for history and as a trope in the play.
Unit 2. Summer 1938
Under construction
Unit 3. Fall 1938
Under construction
Unit 4. Advent 1938
Under construction
Unit 5. Winter 1939
Under construction
Unit 6. Spring 1939
Under construction
Unit 7. Summer 1939
Under construction
Unit 8. Fall 1939
Under construction
Unit 10. Winter 1940
Under construction
Unit 11. Easter 1940
Under construction
Unit 12. Spring 1940
Under construction
Advanced Teaching Units
Advanced Unit 1. Transnational & Intergenerational Dialogue
This unit is designed for more advanced students who have already completed the other units. In it, students will be asked to reflect on the intercultural meaning of the letters in a transnational and intergenerational context. They may invite a member of the FAG transcription group to meet with them in person to discuss the different meanings of the letters for elderly and young Germans and/or they may watch a selection of American reactions to the play from 2016 in order to discuss the different meanings of the play for Americans and Germans. Contact bergersona@umkc.edu for more information.
Advanced Unit 2. Collaborative Virtual Research
This unit is designed for more advanced students who have a solid foundation in either German culture or history but also language. In it, students learn how to read the old German script used by Hilde and Roland, and how to work with other volunteers around the world to crosscheck their letters on TranskribusWeb, accessible through the web. This unit may be added to an existing curriculum or taken on an individual basis as an internship with T&S. Contact bergersona@umkc.edu for more information how to organize the latter.
Advanced Unit 3. Collaborative Curricular Design
This unit is designed for more advanced university students who have a solid foundation in either German culture or history but also language and curricular design. In it, students take responsibility for drafting a curriculum unit for T&S based on the existing models. After review and revision by the editorial staff, the unit may be published here on our website. Contact bergersona@umkc.edu for more information how to organize this unit.
Advanced Unit 4. Continuing Education for Teachers
Working teachers who are interested in a project in continuing education may also lead or participate in these advanced units on an independent basis. Contact bergersona@umkc.edu for more information.
