THOSE WHO HELPED US
A curriculum guide to accompany Those Who Helped Us. Through the eyes of a young Japanese American girl, follow a fictionalized account of real historic events during WWII
ABOUT THIS LESSON PLAN
GLE 7 and 11 Social Studies
5th grade and Up
Through the eyes of twelve-year-old Sumiko, a Japanese American girl, we meet several of her fellow Americans who chose compassion over hate in the Second World War. Sumi, like her entire community in Seattle, WA was taken by soldiers and imprisoned at the Minidoka concentration camp in Idaho. Author Ken Mochizuki and artist Kiku Hughes bring this historical fiction graphic novel to life through the eyes of childhood. As a typical preteen, Sumi has her own insecurities, her own love of basketball, and her ability to recognize when someone is lending a compassionate hand. Through her, we meet teacher Ada Mahon, Reverend Emery Andrews, and many Quakers who stood by Japanese Americans when the rest of the country would not. A great introduction to the prison camps of the Second World War, and a great tool for getting students to understand what it means to be an upstander and not a bystander; of standing up for compassion when society tells you to hate. It is a sweet reminder that acts of kindness are not forgotten.
Co-published by the Wing Luke Museum and Chin Music Press, this project was funded, in part, by a grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program.
GRAPHIC NOVEL EDUCATOR GUIDE
Classroom lessons and curriculum developed by Janet Hayakawa
ORDER THE BOOK
Secure a copy of the graphic novel. Currently, it is only available in print. You can order a copy here
JAPANESE AMERICAN HISTORY CURRICULUM
Check out our museum curriculum on Japanese Americans.
MUSEUM EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING & TOURS
Our lessons extend seamlessly to the onsite museum for school tours for every grade level. Wing Luke Museum educator professionals can create engaging experiences to put this curriculum in context.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Contact the Wing Luke Museum Education Department for additional resources and coaching on classroom implementation
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Wing Luke Museum workshops provide K-12 educators an opportunity to enrich and revitalize their teaching through the study of humanities topics that bear upon K-12 education.