This onesheet doublesided worksheet features a reading on the cold war, interspersed with recall and extension questions. More activities, lesson plans, and worksheets back to school graphic organizers alphabet worksheets. The butter battle book puts a simplistic view in the real conflict of the cold war. A series of telegrams between tsar nicholas ii of russia and kaiser wilhelm ii of germany at the start of wwi. It portrays this event as a parody by using two different armies fighting over the way to butter your bread. Having said this, butter battle would not be a good way to start a unit. The butter battle also teaches the important lesson of respecting differences and how not respecting differences of ideas or cultures can lead to dismal outcomes, such as war. Seuss have also been suggesting lately that the cold war is really about. In the butter battle book, the factions form over a trivial issue and escalate to the point of nearly destroying each other. The butter battle book questions teaching resources. Explaining the very serious differences between the zooks and the yooks, a zook grandpa tells his grandchild the unspeakable truth. But whats great about allegories is that theyre flexible and fuzzy. The students explained what the cold war terms were, interpreted the butter battle book to draw parallels between the book and the cold war, and finally applied what they knew about the cold war to make the parallels to the book. The butter battle book discusses the arms race between the united states vs.
Make use of a printable worksheet as you study the lesson and. This allegory was written about the cold war in 1984 and criticizes the arms race. Students can watch the illustrated video in class, with the teacher stopping to discuss the video at certain points along the way, while completing one of the following activities. The butter battle book is a pretty clear allegory for the cold war arms race. Seuss and the cold war butter battle book lesson plan template and teaching. The butter battle book the lesson part 1 teaching today. The butter battle book and the cold war essay sample. Here is an exceptionally creative video created by benjamin reyes, a grade 12 student at canterbury high school.
The assignment has a list of symbols within the book and students need to identify what they represent from the actual cold war. During the cold war unit when i am teaching the arms race, i introduce the students to the dr. The two groups manufacture extremely similar weapons and are on opposite sides of a wall dividing the two. Think of examples of factions religious, political, local, sportsrelated, etc. Mar 14, 2011 the students explained what the cold war terms were, interpreted the butter battle book to draw parallels between the book and the cold war, and finally applied what they knew about the cold war to make the parallels to the book.
Dr seuss activities for upper elementary school children. It could be a book, a movie or something someone told you. The lesson plan uses the book the butter battle by dr. The cold war arms race in the butter battle book shmoop. Seusss classic cautionary tale, introduces readers to the important lesson of respecting differences.
Your students will have to think critically about ideas that each shared in common and who would not get along and turn the dinner frosty. Butter batter book southwest center for educational excellence. That means that while the good doctor may have intended for his book to allegorize the cold war. The cold war and the butter battle book by alison cleary. Seuss back in 1984, the butter battle book still has a lot to teach about intolerance and how titfortat violence can quickly get out of hand. No big shots where actually fired between the us and the soviet union. The butter battle book portrays a state of war and nearwar escalations between the yooks and zooks. The butter battle book teaching children philosophy.
The cold war 19451990 looking zooks in the eye trumans 1947 policy of containment, the theory the communist governments would eventually fail. Butter battle assignment rubric grade of 2 your ending shows a creative ending to the book you show how the ending would be in dr. The soviet union launched its first nuclear weapon in 1949, an event that started an arms race between the united states and the soviet union. Seuss is clearly portraying the social issues that were arising between the soviet union and the united states during the cold war. Seuss injects humor into this serious tale of conflict, offering a great opportunity for a student discussion on valuing diversity. The butter battle book and the cold war english project by. In my english 10 class, i used to teach a lesson about satire through dr. Enjoy the activity, it is fun and all of my students have been able to recall information on the cold war after having watched the video and written their papers.
Students use the classic childrens book, the butter battle by dr. The butter battle book and the cold war literature circle the cold war was cold primarily because of the threat of nuclear weapons. Research aspects of the event try to look at more than one side. I used it for my nonhonors 10th grade class and they loved it. Seussthe butter battle book analysis essay example. Most people are unaware that seuss was a highly influential political cartoonist during world war ii and that some of the characters from his beloved childrens books, reflecting the distinctive. Interdisciplinary readings to give your students context while studying cold war.
Tsar nicholas pleads with his cousin to stop german aggression in the war. Butter battle book freebie activities to do for dr seuss. Over the issue of how the yooks and zooks butter their bread. Essay directions, outline chart, and rubric are all included, as well as the lesson plan for the teacher and an a. Give students a handout with these words and phrases listed. To provide historical context, point out that the butter battle book was published in 1984. This seuss book parodies the cold war arms race through the fighting between the yooks and the zooks. Eleventh grade lesson plan the butter battle book the school. The butter battle book isnt really about buttering bread. What could have been done to diffuse the situation.
However, such a potentially difficult conversation can be significantly meaningful. Lost mister rogers neighborhood episodes explain cold. Comprehension by chapter, vocabulary challenges, creative reading response activities and projects, tests, and much more. In november 1983, at the height of the cold war, pbs aired a special series of mister rogers neighborhood. Cold war, against silly conflict that escalates into a dangerous situation 5. No, sprite didnt make a cute craft or do a phonics activity with rhyming words. Grandpa yook spied on the zooks from the other side of the wall. This book was published in 1984, and it was written as an allegory to the cold war. Seuss book, the butter battle book which is an allegory for the arms race. Seuss and creative writing activities for dr seuss books. Study 19 terms the butter battle book flashcards quizlet. Seuss and the cold war butter battle book share my lesson. It was published by random house on january 12, 1984.
Its a live action rendition of dr seuss allegory to the cold war. Free the butter battle book study unit worksheets for teachers to print. Explore our beloved books collection for a new k12 lesson plan or student activity for you to try. The fear of a communist invasion, combined with the space race, led to a revival of sciencefiction literature.
His stories are childrens classics that are fun to read and also tackle some real life issues. Shmoop guide to the cold war arms race in the butter battle book. Overall the lesson successfully met the objectives and engaged the students in the learning process. The butter battle books story parallels to the cold war.
Butter battle book and cold war comparisons activity butter battle book analysis activity. What is the source of conflict in the butter battle book and why was it written. In this creative cold war activity, students process what they have learned about 8 cold war figures by hosting a dinner party to help ease cold war tension. Graphic organizer to go with a class reading of the butter battle book by dr. The discussion of war can bring out images of violence, killing and death, even though the story does not describe any violence or killing. Begin the session by explaining that you are going to read a childrens picture book, the butter battle book by dr. Since sprite is a middle schooler 7th grade, you might be surprised to know that we used seuss picture books for homeschool lessons.
Aug 29, 2011 this seuss book parodies the cold war arms race through the fighting between the yooks and the zooks. Find butter battle book lesson plans and teaching resources. Take a look at what you know regarding the nuclear arms race and cold war politics. Seuss, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. As a class they recite a tongue twister, then trace and write the letter b. Secrets, special missions, and hidden facts about the cia, kgb, and mi6 top secret files of history stephanie bearce on. Seuss is an important figure in the lives of children everywhere. Cold war butter battle book essay by jennirae67 tpt. While reading the butter battle book, take note of the number of times the conflict escalates. Students complete a variety of activities related to the letter b. The butter battle book is a rhyming story written by dr. The butter battle book five discussion questions and a writing task. The yooks and zooks share a love of buttered bread, but animosity brews between the two groups because they prefer to enjoy the tasty treat differently. Seuss makes the battle out to be as simple as the way someone butters their bread.
This is very similar to something that happened during the cold war. The cold war was a state of tension and hostility among nations without armed conflict between the major rivals. The students need background information, either from the textbooks, minilectures, powerpoint presentations and the. The butter battle book after listening to the story, students discuss conflicts in their own lives and draw people finding ways to resolve conflict in socially positive ways. The conflict between the yooks americans and the zooks russians seems so trivial but can easily relate to the nuclear arms race that was mainly fueled by national pride and. At first, the focus of the cold war was eastern europe. It is an antiwar story about the arms race, mad, and nuclear weapons. Free the butter battle book worksheets and literature unit. This is the page when both van itch and grandpa yook had the bitsy big boy boomeroo neclear bomb. The butter battle book was once removed from the shelves of public libraries during the cold war because of the books position regarding the arms race.
Seventh grade lesson the butter battle book betterlesson. Seuss in the butter battle book the childrens author takes on the cold war. Seuss the butter battle book and the cold war essay. What aspects of the butter battle book mirror events or objects of the cold war.
This short trailer was created for the ottawa public library teen tech video contest and won 1st place. The butter battle book and the cold war the cold war was cold primarily because of the threat of nuclear weapons. After reading, have a discussion about what precipitated the conflict between the zooks and the yooks. This book was written during the cold war era and reflects the concerns of the time, especially the perceived possibility that all life on earth could be destroyed in a nuclear war. The butter battle book manages to distill the ridiculousness of the cold war and mutually assured destruction into terms a child could understand. Though both of them had this very powerful weapon, we do not know whether or not grandpa yook or van itch applied this to their defense for their country. Seuss and the cold war butter battle book lesson plan template and teaching resources. The butter battle book questions lesson plan template and teaching resources. Based on what you have viewed and read about the butter battle and the cold war. The butter battle book the butter battle book is a picture book written by dr. The butter battle book, like the cold war, was an arms race. In this social science instructional activity, students listen to the butter battle book by dr.
While you watch the butter battleon the flow chart below, write down the major steps taken by each side to escalate theconflict in the story. Remind students of your current textbook readings about the rise of the cold war. The butter battle book is a pretty clear allegory for the cold war. It is an anti war story about the arms race, mad, and nuclear weapons. Poison dart umbrellas, lipstick pistols, and cyanide guns were all a part of the arsenal of tools used by spies of the soviet kgb.
This story thus lends itself to a discussion with children about the concept of war itself, the moral issues related to war and the outcomes of retaliatory acts. The butter battle book questions with images butter. Students sing the baby bumble bee song, listen to the butter battle book by dr. Perhaps if more adults read this book back in the day it wouldnt have taken until the 90s for the cold war to end. The butter battle book discussion guide scholastic. To begin this lesson, i would tell students, while this is, on one hand, a childrens book, it is also a satirical look at the cold war era and arms. Known as the mister rogers conflict series, the quintet of episodes tried to explain battle to kids. Your kids will learn about the cold war and how arms races are bad. Seuss, it shows his views on war butter battle book by dr. Book units the butter battle book grades 14 when heaven fell grades 46. This book is available for purchase on amazon here. The butter battle book is about two groups of people, the yooks and the zooks, who fight over an extremely trivial matter, which side of the bread the groups eat their butter on.
After reading the short book, analyze the story with our text. The cold war and the butter battle book by alison cleary on prezi. Dr seuss week dr suess dr seuss activities book activities dr seuss author dr seuss pictures dr seuss crafts read across america day author studies. This book was written during the cold war era and reflects the concerns of the time, especially the perceived possibility that humanity could be destroyed in a nuclear war. In reality the conflict was about the freedom of millions of people and the nuclear arms race. You can either watch the animated story online on youtube or read the story aloud. This lesson plan addresses the cold war in a unique way. The butter battle also teaches kids how to respect differences and be tolerant.
Butter battle book and cold war comparisons activity butter battle book analysis activity youtube videos on the cold war here cold war folders readingvideoqr code activity. Students will watch the cartoon, the butter battle book, based on the book by dr. The butter battle book this lesson plan focuses on conflict in the plot. The butter battle book is an allegory for the nuclear arms race and the state of mutually assured destruction mad that occurred during the cold war. Have students brainstorm constructive ways to solve the conflict, and write their responses on chart paper. Seuss the butter battle book to guide your instruction on conflict, disagreements, and resolution.
Seuss the butter battle book 1984 childrens summer reading bedtime story yooks and zooks butter side up or down childens fiction filled with alliteration. These are the kinds of topics you will need to be familiar with to do well when. Seusss classic the butter battle book and talk about ways to peacefully resolve reallife disputes. Students work together at figuring out the definition for what cold war means. The butter battle book was a new york times notable book of the year. The american psyche was more affected by the cold war than possibly any other conflict in history. Seuss and recognize how this story relates to the cold war. The butter battle book discussion guide 5th grade social studies, social studies. Seuss wonderful story called the butter battle book.
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