Salt to the Sea

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

Utilizing your knowledge of WWII including what you recall from history classes, texts, and film, note a brief response to as many of the following questions as possible.

• What causes tension in Germany before World War II?
• What leads to the rise of the Nazi party in Germany?
• Why is Italy displeased after World War I?
• What agreement does Germany make with the USSR (Russia)?
• What were the goals of the resistance during World War II?
• Who is attacked in Operation Barbarossa?
• Where is Prussia located after World War I?
• Who dissolves the Prussian state government?
• Why do the Allies refuse to reinstate Prussia after World War II?

Teaching Suggestion: Salt to the Sea is set during the evacuation of East Prussia when Soviet forces invaded. If you discover through these questions and accompanying contextual discussion that students are unfamiliar with World War II content, it may be beneficial to view the 11-minute video on World War II or a similar resource emphasizing the role of the USSR. You might instead encourage investigation with these or other resources as students attempt the questions. It may be helpful to point out East Prussia in the 4-minute video.

• This 11-minute video describes World War II and the events leading up to it.
• This 4-minute video describes what happened to Prussia.

Short Activity

Part A: Find and color code these World War II locations on a map. These locations align with the journeys of the characters in the novel.

• East Prussia: Pink
• Lithuania: Purple
• Latvia: Yellow
• Germany: Red
• The Soviet Union: Green
• Poland: Orange
• The Baltic Sea: Blue

Part B: Identify the following locations on an online map; then use black to label their approximate locations on your World War II map from Part A.

• Port of Gotenhafen
• Nemmersdorf

Part C: On your World War II map, use red to draw the journey of the Red Army from Lithuania to the Balkans region.

Teaching Suggestion: Students might be provided with a hard copy of a World War II-era map to aid in locating the key countries and locations in the novel, or they might find an appropriate map online to print or copy. Students may wish to refer to their completed maps as they read.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the novel.

Describe the personal secrets or beliefs people attempt to hide from others. Why do people keep secrets? What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of people who keep secrets? What toll does secrecy take on relationships? What are some of the benefits of a shared truth? Are shared truths part of healing? Why or why not?

Teaching Suggestion: In the novel, each of the four main characters keeps secrets from one another. These characters keep secrets for various reasons, but one of the reasons is the fear of being betrayed or captured by German forces. Consider discussing the mental and emotional impact of secret-keeping and why people have secrets.

Differentiation Suggestion: With more advanced classes, students might research the difficulties and conditions refugees faced during World War II; later, they can compare the experiences they read about with the characters’ experiences in the novel. This same activity can be used with students who might benefit from the use of a chart or other graphic organizer to compare and contrast a World War II refugee’s experience with that of the characters in the novel.