I have a treat for you! I have created a free lesson to do with your student this month for Asian Heritage Month! This lesson feature’s George Takei’s book They Called Us Enemy and is designed for middle and high school students. However, it includes some notes for how to use his new picture book My Lost Freedom, to do a similar study with younger students.

They Called Us Enemy is a graphic novel, which makes it more accessible for students who may struggle with reading longer chapter books. The pictures bring the story alive and appeal to students who like Manga or comic books, too. I love that Mr. Takei chose to tell his story in graphic novel format because it makes it so much more accessible than other autobiographies.

Why this book?

George Takei is an American citizen of Japanese heritage. When he was just a small boy, his entire family was forced into concentration camps, along with many other Americans of Japanese decent. They lost their homes and their jobs. The American government decided they were all a threat to America after the attack on Pearl Harbor that pulled us into World War II.

These books detail George’s experience living in those camps and what his parents went through. He tells this often overlooked piece of American history with heart and a unique perspective. I believe Mr. Takei’s story should become an essential part of every American student’s education. We must know our history to prevent such things from happening ever again.

Our Unit Study

My student tester making sushi.

As always, this unit study is going to use the book as a jumping off point to teach your child a wide range of topics. It includes map work and geography, history, science, art, life skills and more. There are multiple ideas for recipes to try, as students this age really should be exploring learning to cook. There are arts and crafts to explore, too. Mr. Takei’s mother worked hard to make each place they lived as cosy as possible, so we will explore things she did. There are instructions, videos links, writing assignments, and even a suggestion for getting involved in your community in this free unit study. Finally, the unit does include a list of books to take your learning further.

This unit is written directly to the student, with a couple of pages at the beginning for you, the teacher, to give you more insight into the reasoning behind the lessons. I hope this creates a good opportunity to let your student take the lead in pacing their own work. Everyone asks how long to expect a unit like this to take. For my test run with my daughter, we spent about two weeks on this unit study. This included reading the book and doing a couple of activities each day. Your mileage may vary.

I hope you will go grab a copy, and tell your friends to grab one too. Why am I just giving this one away? Because this lesson just felt too important not to. Hopefully, we will expand to offer more programs in what we will be calling Blue,Indigo and Purple levels for older students.

Click here to get your copy.