Molly Learning Guide
Learn about cooperation, resourcefulness, and World War Two through the stories of Molly McIntire, set in 1944.
About the Molly Books
Molly McIntire is a lively nine-year-old whose family is learning to live with war, just like every family in the United States in 1944. Home-front World War Two is the setting for all six books of historical fiction about Molly.
Cooperation stands out as a key theme in Molly's stories. Molly and her schoolmates work together to benefit soldiers, and Molly and her family make daily sacrifices in their lives while Dad is away at war. They're just like Americans everywhere on the home front, who joined volunteer groups and worked in factories to support the war. Similarly, as a nation, the United States pooled its resources with those of its allies. All these efforts of cooperation served one common cause: winning the war.
Change and self-reliance are other important themes in the Molly books. Molly must learn to be resourceful and responsible for herself. In this way, her stories parallel the story of the United States as it, too, took on the larger responsibilities of a world power because of the war. Both Molly and her country must deal with changes and make peace with a world that will never be the same.
The six books of the core series are:
- Book 1: Meet Molly
- Book 2: Molly Learns a Lesson
- Book 3: Molly's Surprise
- Book 4: Happy Birthday, Molly!
- Book 5: Molly Saves the Day
- Book 6: Changes for Molly
Instructions for Teachers
Assign or read aloud to your students some or all of the books in numerical order. As needed, print copies of each work sheet you would like to use in class. Before assigning the work sheets to your students, consider the talking points and discussion questions for each work sheet provided below.
Note: It's not essential to read all six books in order to complete the work sheets.
Talking Points and Discussion
Cooperation
Molly struggles to cooperate in Meet Molly. She must bring her own desires in line with realistic expectations and other people's desires. In Molly Learns a Lesson, Miss Campbell teaches her students about allies—people who work together for the same goal. But Molly wants to stand out, so she convinces her friends to undertake a separate project. In the end, it's all the girls working together that produces the stand-out project—and that shows “the true meaning of allied effort.” Similarly, the United States's effort to work together with its allies produces a victory in war, a victory no single country by itself could have won.
Discussion questions:
- What is the advantage of working in groups?
- What can be difficult about working in groups?
- Can you think of an example of a time when it is okay to be uncooperative?
Just for Fun: Play a game to show students how cooperation can help solve a knotty problem. Break your class into groups of 8 to 12 students. Each group should stand in a circle, shoulder to shoulder. Ask each student to place one hand in the middle of the circle and grasp someone else's hand. Then each should place his or her other hand in the middle and grab another person's hand. Tell the groups that the goal of this activity is to work together to untangle themselves without letting go of their hands—to form a circle.
Adaptability and Resourcefulness
Molly discovers that part of life during wartime is learning to adapt to change and to live with less. Even on holidays, Molly's family must find new ways to celebrate and carry out traditions. Just like other families in the 1940s, the McIntires learn how to find joy in spite of the shortages, hardships, and uncertainties created by war.
Discussion question:
- Describe a difficult situation in your own life that you have had to adapt to. How did you adapt?
The Nature of War
In Molly Saves the Day, Molly goes to camp, where she learns lessons similar to those learned by soldiers at war. War creates artificial divisions—teams and armies. Molly observes that “friendship doesn't count during a war” (page 32). As Molly explains, “You can't think of people as people during a war. You think of them as part of an army” (page 35). In the end, Molly thinks nobody really won the camp's Color War—and she's glad they no longer have to choose sides.
Discussion questions:
- Do you know anybody who has been in the military or provided services to members of the military or veterans (e.g., medical services, administration, etc.)? Who is this person and what did he or she do?
Answer Key
Cooperation
- Answers will vary.
- Answers will vary.
- Answers will vary.
- Answers will vary.
Adaptability and Resourcefulness
Worksheet Questions
1. During World War Two, factories began to make war materials rather than things we use daily. So the government began to ration everyday things to make sure everybody got a share. What if the following items were rationed today? Fill in the chart below. The first one is done for you.
| What do you use/eat regularly that requires this product? | How would you adapt to living without it? What could you use instead? |
|---|---|
|
|
| Sugar: candy, cake, cookies, etc. | Use less sugar in homemade treats. Use honey instead of sugar. Eat fruit for dessert. |
| Meat: breakfast meats, sandwiches, dinner | Find other healthy sources of protein, such as eggs, nuts, and soy. |
| Gasoline: cars, buses, etc. | Walk to your destination. Use public transportation to cut down on your fuel use. |
2. Being adaptable means being able to adjust to new situations. Give three examples of changes that Molly and her family had to adapt to during wartime.
3. Being resourceful means finding clever ways to overcome difficulties. What are some ways Molly and her family adapted to these changes by being resourceful?
The Nature of War
Worksheet Questions
1. Think about a time when you and a good friend were on opposing teams. Did you feel more loyalty to your team or to your friend? Explain why you felt the way you did.
The Color War
In Molly Saves the Day, Molly goes to summer camp. One of the campers' favorite traditions is the game of Color War. The campers are divided into two teams: the Red Team and the Blue Team. The Blue Team must try to capture the flag from the Red Team's territory. Whichever team has the flag at sunset wins the game.
2.
| Give at least two examples of how the Color War and a real war are alike. | Give at least two examples of how the Color War and a real war are different. |
|---|---|
| Answers will vary but may include the following examples. The Color War and a real war are alike because: There are two opposing sides. People must be brave in order to win. Some people are taken prisoner. The leaders plot “battle” strategy. People are injured (with poison ivy in the Color War). | The Color War and a real war differ because: In the Color War, there are no weapons, people don't die, and everyone knows it is just for fun. |
3. After World War Two, many countries joined together to create the United Nations in hopes of preventing war. List at least two ideas you have for creating a more peaceful world.
Miss Campbell's Message
Miss Campbell told Molly's third-grade class that school was their war duty. What else did she tell them?
To solve the puzzle, place the letters above the red line in the boxes below the red line to form words. The letters in each column can be used only in that same column. A blue square indicates the end of a word.
Puzzle Grid:
| S | M | I | N | S | O | A | N | T | G | A | D | S |
| B | U | D | G | N | A | A | I | S | O | S | ||
| E | O | N | G | G | O | R | O | A | ||||
| T | ||||||||||||
| E | I | T | I | D | ||||||||
| I | P | R | T | |||||||||
| B | L | D | E | |||||||||
| O | ||||||||||||
Puzzle Solution Hint: The letters in each column can be used only in that same column. A blue square indicates the end of a word.
