In the Shadow of War

1. Set Focus
Pose this essential question to guide discussion: How does war affect civilians?

2. List Vocabulary
Share with students some of the challenging vocabulary words in this article. Encourage them to use context to infer meanings as they read.

• reluctance (p. 8)
• garrisoned (p. 8)
• angst (p. 8)
• ventures (p. 9)
• unprovoked (p. 9)
• sustain (p. 9)

3. Engage
Ask students to share what they think life is like for teens in Ukraine who are living in a war zone. (Be mindful that some students may have experienced war firsthand.) As students read the article, prompt them to personally reflect on the Ukrainian teens’ experiences.

4. Read 
Have students read the article, marking the text to note key ideas or questions.

5. Discuss
Distribute or project Up Close: In the Shadow of War, a close-reading activity for students to work on in small groups. (Note: The questions on the PDF also appear on the following page of this lesson, with possible responses.) Follow up with a class discussion. If you’re short on time, have each group tackle one or two of the questions. Collect students’ work or have each group report its findings to the class.

• What are the central ideas of the article? What is the author’s main purpose in writing the article? (Central idea, author’s purpose) (One central idea is that the war in Ukraine has completely disrupted normal life for teens in Ukraine, surrounding them with violence and putting them in a holding pattern with no forward movement. Another central idea is that the teens are coping with their new state of existence with pragmatism and humor. The author’s main purpose is to inform readers of how the war is affecting teens.)

• What are some specific examples of how the war has affected the teens in the article? (Cause & effect)(Most typical experiences for teens have been canceled, including proms, graduations, and sporting events. They live under a curfew. They haven’t been to school in two years and instead learn remotely, sometimes from teachers who are in other countries. All they have to do for “fun” is to play video games or walk around their deserted town. They’ve gotten used to bombs dropping around them. Because of all this, they have developed a fatalistic sense of humor and avoid talking about the war.)

• Denys says he and his friends laugh but without joy. Why do they do this? What are some examples from the article? (Problem & solution, cite text evidence) (The teens may laugh without joy as a way of coping with all the violence and misery around them. If they don’t laugh, they feel that their only other option is to cry. Some examples include joking “Just don’t hit us” when bombs drop, and dancing when they survive a bombing.)

• Sonia says, “If there are many bombs falling, then it’s scary. But if just one, then it’s fine.” From this quote, what inferences can you make about the level of violence the teens have experienced? (Analyze information, make inferences) (From this quote, you can infer that they have experienced many bombings. The teens are so desensitized to them that “just” one feels “fine,” and only multiple bombings in a row are cause for concern. In contrast, for anyone who has never lived in a war zone, even just one bombing would feel extremely traumatizing.) 

• Review the last two paragraphs. How does the author end the article? Why do you think the author ends it this way? (Summarize, text structure) (The author ends the article with an anecdote about a teen giving a flower to a girl after passing a bombed-out area. The author probably ends the article this way to highlight how life has been completely upended for the teens, yet they’re finding ways to survive and live their lives.) 

• According to the sidebar, what are Vladimir Putin’s reasons for invading Ukraine? How does knowing these reasons affect your reaction to what the teens in Ukraine are experiencing? (Integrate multiple sources) (Putin’s reasons include his claim that Ukraine is culturally and historically part of Russia and that having Ukraine back will help Russia regain its rightful place as a world power. Students’ responses to the second question will vary but should be supported with text details.)

6. Writing Prompt
Using supporting points from the article and your own research, draft a letter to your senator and representatives in Congress, urging them to continue or stop support for Ukraine.

7. Video
Watch the video about Ukrainian teens who fled to Poland. What does it add to your understanding?

8. Classroom Debate
Should the U.S. continue to support Ukraine in the war?

9. Quiz & Skills
Use the quiz to assess comprehension and the Analyze the Photo and the Analyze the Graph skill sheets to practice visual and data analysis.