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Before You Read
You might wish to show students a world map and point out Japan, home of Chiune Sugihara; Lithuania, where Sugihara worked as a diplomat during World War II; Germany, Poland, and Russia, where Sugihara and his family spent time; as well as Israel, Canada, and the United States, where some of the families he saved immigrated. You might also want to explain that during World War II (1939–1945), Germany waged war against many countries in Europe and the United States. The Nazis who ruled Germany decided to round up and destroy all the Jewish people — this terrible act is known as the Holocaust.
Thank You, Mr. Sugihara
Have students put themselves in the shoes of one of the Jewish children in Europe who survived with the help of Chiune Sugihara. Have them write a thank you letter to Mr. Sugihara. In their letters, suggest that they:
- use the pronoun "I" to refer to the letter writer.
- use details from the book as well as imagined details to describe what happened to them after receiving Mr. Sugihara's help.
- include their hopes for the future.
A Round of Negotiations
With a partner, have students write a dialogue between Chiune Sugihara and one of the many people he needed to talk with in order to keep his embassy open so that he could write passports. Students might create a dialogue between Mr. Sugihara and:
- one of the individual Jewish people he helped.
- a Russian or Japanese authority from whom he needed permission to keep the embassy open.
- his wife, Yukiko, who aided and advised him as he worked to write passports.
- Gudze, his assistant, at the embassy in Kuanas, Lithuania.
Recommendation for Mr. Sugihara
Chiune Sugihara and his family suffered in Russian internment camps for Japanese citizens at the end of the war. Have students imagine that they are one of the people that Mr. Sugihara helped in Lithuania. Now they have a chance to help the Sugihara family. Suggest they write a recommendation to the Russian government. In their recommendations, they might:
- explain their relationship to Chiune Sugihara and his family.
- present reasons why the family should be freed from the internment camps.
- include persuasive language supported by details and examples.
Humanitarian of the Century Award
Imagine that at a special awards ceremony, Chiune Sugihara is honored as one of the fifty greatest heroes and humanitarians of the twentieth century. Ask students to write the speech they would give to introduce Chiune Sugihara. They might include:
- a description of his personality.
- highlights from his biography.
- an explanation of his heroic deeds.
- their personal response to his life and work.
A Journal Story
Stories, both true and imagined, may be told in the form of journal writing. Have students rewrite an event presented in one or more chapters from A Special Fate from the point of view of someone close to Chiune Sugihara, such as his helper Gudze, his wife Yukiko, or one of his children. These journal stories will be different from A Special Fate because:
- they present the thoughts, feelings, and attitudes of the journal writer, not the author of A Special Fate.
- the writing style will be the journal writer's rather than Alison Leslie Gold's, the author of A Special Fate.
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