Real Life Heroine

My husband has a habit of bringing news stories and current issues to my attention by coming out of his home office and either reading or retelling them to me. My kids get some exposure to current affairs and topical issues that way too and we have some interesting discussions as a result. I believe that this sort of thing is very helpful in raising informed citizens who are intelligently involved in civic life. Also, it has a bit of the same effect as reading history (for good reason, since it is history in the making) in that you see people to emulate and people whose mistakes you would not want to repeat.

Here's one in the emulation category: Poland Honors Woman Who Saved 2,500 Jews.

"Every child saved with my help and the help of all the wonderful secret messengers, who today are no longer living, is the justification of my existence on this Earth, and not a title to glory," Sendler said in a letter read by Elzbieta Ficowska, who was saved by Sendler as a baby. "Over a half-century has passed since the hell of the Holocaust, but its specter still hangs over the world and doesn't allow us to forget the tragedy."

While we're talking about World War II, Karen Edmisten has listed some World War literature resources for grade school children.

There are some middle school resources for the 20th century at Mater Amabilis, and some at Ambleside.... middle school level here, and high school level here.

Here is Lene Mahler Jaqua's list of 20th century resources here in PDF form at the CCH Newsletter site.