It’s 1945, and the world is in the grip of war. Hideki lives with his family on the island of Okinawa, near mainland Japan. When World War II crashes onto his shores, Hideki is drafted into the Blood and Iron Student Corps to fight for the Japanese army. He is handed a grenade and a set of instructions: “Don’t come back until you’ve killed an American soldier.”
Ray, a young American Marine, has just landed on Okinawa. This is Ray’s first-ever battle, and he doesn’t know what to expect—or if he’ll make it out alive. He just knows that the enemy is everywhere.
Hideki and Ray each fight their way across the island, surviving heart-pounding ambushes and dangerous traps. But then the two of them collide, and the choices they make in that single instant will change everything.
BL 5.2
7 Points
Ray, a young American Marine, has just landed on Okinawa. This is Ray’s first-ever battle, and he doesn’t know what to expect—or if he’ll make it out alive. He just knows that the enemy is everywhere.
Hideki and Ray each fight their way across the island, surviving heart-pounding ambushes and dangerous traps. But then the two of them collide, and the choices they make in that single instant will change everything.
BL 5.2
7 Points
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ACTIVITY 1
The novel, Grenade, takes place on the island of Okinawa during WWII. The events of the story are action-packed and fast-paced. As you read the novel, or after you’ve read it, track parts of the story as best you can. There is a list of events that you will need to track. You will need to create your own key so the person reading knows what is going on. I would suggest using different colors and symbols to help you in your project. STORY MAP ACTIVITY 2 Part 3 of the book starts right after Hideki and Ray run into each other. Hideki was 14 years old, Ray was 18. You aren’t too far away from those ages. Do you think you could have done with they did? Write me a couple of paragraphs describing what happened between them and tell me whether or not you could have done what they did, It doesn’t matter whether you could have or not, I just want you to share your genuine, real feelings with me. |
ACTIVITY 3
Using the following websites, complete 6 of the 11 questions about the Battle of Okinawa, the choice is yours. Write or type the questions and answers down on a separate piece of paper. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-okinawa http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/battle_of_okinawa.htm 1. When did the Battle of Okinawa occur? 2. Explain the significance of the battle in terms of the overall Second World War. 3. Describe the island based on information on the websites 4. Why was the island strategically important for the United States? 5. What tactics or strategies did the Japanese use to defend the island? 6. How many Japanese troops defended the island? 7. How many Japanese civilians were on the island? 8. Who were the commanding generals on both sides AND what happened to them? 9. Explain the American invasion of the island, 10. What were the American losses in the battle? 11. What were the Japanese losses in the battle? |