1. Start by printing the Graphic Organzer found at the link below. Fill this in while you are reading the letters and viewing the pictures. This will help you when you are completing the activities.

 Graphic Organizer

2.  Read each of the following letters written between Joe and his friends from across the world.

Joe's Letter, A white American boy

Elsa's Letters, A Jewish girl in Germany

Somchai's Letters, A Japanese boy in Japan

Joseph Komoto's Letters, A Japanese American boy in America

Shanice's Letter, An African American girl in America
 

3.  After reading the letters, view the pictures representing scenes from the children's lives.

Pictures from Germany

Pictures from Japanese Internment Camps

Pictures from the Atomic Bomb

4.  Now that you have read the letters and viewed the photographs, you should have a good idea of how each of these children lived.  Using the information that you has been presented, complete the activities below.  After you have completed the activities, link to the evaluation page.

 Activity 1: Put Yourself In Their Shoes:

Based on the information you read in each child's letter, put yourself in a pair of their shoes for a day. Reflect on how you would feel if you were one of the children, and how you would cope with daily life. Write a paper explaining your feelings and ideas. Be sure to include the feelings of people around you, your living conditions, and your outlook on life. Also, make sure to site all outside sources.
 

Activity 2: Compare and Contrast:

Think about the similarities and differences between all the children's lives. Choose two of the children to compare and contrast.  Write a paper describing the similiarities and differences that you can see between the lives of these two children.  Include in your paper your attitudes and feelings about the lives of the two children.