Sadako and One Thousand Paper Cranes

Sadako and One Thousand Paper Cranes
Written by Eleanor Coerr
     Illustrated by Ronald Himler
Published by Random House Children's Books, 1977

Perseverance, Friendship, Courage, Origami, Cranes

Summary

This novel is the biography of a young girl named Sadako Sasaki.  When she was a baby, living in Japan, the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.  In life, Sadako had not been affected by this catastrophic event, until she fell ill with leukemia.  This is the story of her battle against leukemia and her relentless hope and positivity throughout the entire journey. 


Key Vocabulary: Parasols, Leukemia, Radiation,Transfusions, Kimono, Atom bomb

Teaching Strategies

a) This novel is a biography.  Reasearch Sadako on the website listed below, to prove to students that Sadako Sasaki was a real girl and this is a true account of her life. 

b) Explore the country and people of Japanese including the climate, housing, food and clothes, schools, culture, language, history, sports, government, and economy.

c) There are multiple copies of picture books which are also biographies of Sadako, which you could implement to differentiate for ELL or low-level students. 

Comprehension Strategies:

Pre-Reading
To understand the impact of the atomic bomb, explore multiple primary and secondary sources with students.  These include, the decision to drop the bomb, news reports, a timeline of the war, President Truman’s speech after the bombing of Hiroshima, the blast effect, and photos of Hiroshima before and after the attack. 

During reading

In order to personally connect with Sadako and her story, as well as to experience the labor involved in order to fold just one crane, have your students make their own!  On the wings ask students to write their own wish and another wish the Earth would make if it had a voice.

Post Reading
Watch the film, “Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes” and ask students to take notes, comparing and contrasting the film and novel.  Entertain class discussion asking which version of her story was more powerful? Why is this?

Writing Activity
Sadako folded the cranes according to a Japanese legend told in the story.  Explore more legends and folk tales.  Provide students with a list of moral lessons and ask them to choose one to write their own short legend. 

Electronic Resources:

This website is all about Japan! From the food and the people to the climate and government.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CCcQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.activityvillage.co.uk%2Fsadako_sasaki.htm&ei=X4WZUIjcObCL0QHixoCoCQ&usg=AFQjCNFQSsO_tfjC4EErRWqIrTXKy-TUnw
 
 

A short version of Sadako Sasaki’s story can be found at this website.  Providing readers with primary sources of photo’s and information. 

http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/sadako_sasaki.htm

 
This video is a student’s Claymation film summarizing Sadako’s life.  This short video reinforces the content in the text.

 

Coerr, E., & Himler, R. (1977). Sadako and the thousand paper cranes. New York: Putnam.