6. After providing time for students to uncover the stories of these individuals,
have pairs and teams report back to the whole class about their findings. As
students report, invite them to identify patterns and similarities in the decisions
made after the collapse of Spain.
7. Conclude the lesson with a discussion/writing assignment on the following
question:
What kind of personality or beliefs may have led such individuals to make
decisions that would put their lives at risk?
How would such actions and decisions be characterized today? What has
changed or what has stayed the same?
What generalizations can be drawn, if any, about this collection of
individuals? What evidence could be used to support such a generalization?
Suggestions for follow-up activities
The opportunities for students to conduct email, telephone or face-to-face interviews with
veterans of the International Brigades are shrinking with each passing year. Nonetheless,
ALBA can be of assistance in trying to match interested classrooms with available veterans.
Contact ALBA at the following website:
http://www.alba-valb.org/albadiag.htm
It would also be valuable for students to compare the results of the research in
The
Volunteer
archives with stories from other historical and contemporary examples of wartime
volunteering. Studs Terkel's The Good Fight offers many such examples. Other historical
examples might include individuals who worked on material aid campaigns in Central
America during the 1980s.
Suggestions for assessment of student learning
1. Student understanding of this lesson could be assessed through reflective essays
responding to some of the following questions:
Considering the wartime experiences of someone you studied in this lesson,
comment on how this experience influenced his or her lifetime. In what ways did
her or his experience either change or confirm feelings about themselves and their
community following the war?
Considering that many of the veterans of the International Brigades were only a few
years older than you are now, can you think of a situation where you would
volunteer for a cause and place your own life and future at risk? What would be your
reasoning for taking such action? How would you explain your decision to your
family, friends and community?
