Image of a boy with a drone in the background
Illustration by Randy Pollak; Genya Savilov/AFP via Getty Images (Ukraine); Aleksandr Shulman/AP Images (tanks); Jeff McIntosh/AP Images (Igor Klymenko); Courtesy Chegg.org
Narrative Nonfiction,

Finding Hope in a Time of War

How one teen is working to save lives in his war-torn homeland

By Mackenzie Carro
From the September 2023 Issue

Learning Objective: to analyze the title and the key ideas of an article

Complexity Factors
  • Purpose
    Readers learn about Igor Klymenko, a teen from Ukraine who created a drone that detects land mines.
  • Structure
    The article weaves together narrative and informational passages. Text features include photos, captions, and a map.
  • Vocabulary
    Contains higher-level vocabulary such as asset, democratic, deployed, detonate, humanitarian, painstakingly, prototype, and tinkerer.
  • Knowledge Demands
    The article mentions the Soviet Union, Russia, Ukraine, Crimea, New York City, drones, metal detectors, and land mines.
Lexiles: 980L, 830L
Featured Skill: Key Ideas and Details,
Other Key Skills: cause and effect, problem and solution
Common Core Standards
  • Anchor Standards
    R.1, R.2, R.3, R.4, R.5, W.2, SL.1, L.4, L.5, L.6
  • Grade 6
    RI.6.1, RI.6.2, RI.6.3, RI.6.4, RI.6.5, W.6.2, SL.6.1, SL.6.2, L.6.4, L.6.5, L.6.6
  • Grade 7
    RI.7.1, RI.7.2, RI.7.3, RI.7.4, RI.7.5, W.7.2, SL.7.1, SL.7.2, L.7.4, L.7.5, L.7.6
  • Grade 8
    RI.8.1, RI.8.2, RI.8.3, RI.8.4, RI.8.5, W.8.2, SL.8.1, SL.8.2, L.8.4, L.8.5, L.8.6
TEKS Standards
  • Grades 6, 7, 8
    1c, 1d, 2a, 2b, 3a, 4a, 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 5f, 5g, 5h, 5i, 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, 6f, 6g, 6h, 6i, 6j (grade 8 only) 8d, 8f, 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d, 9e, 9f, 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e, 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d, 12d, 12e, 12f, 12g, 12i, 12j

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Reading Level

  • 980L
  • 830L
Download and Print
Reading Level (830L)
Spanish-Language Version
AS YOU READ

Think about how Igor is making a difference.

16-year-old Igor Klymenko and his family huddled together in their basement. They sat in complete darkness, listening to the sounds of explosions tearing through the night.

It was February 24, 2022, in Vasylkiv, Ukraine. Early that morning, Russia had launched a full-scale attack on Ukraine. Bombs had rained down on cities and towns. Missiles had hit military bases, apartment buildings, hospitals, and shopping complexes. Millions of Ukrainians had run for their lives.

Igor, his younger sister, and his parents had hastily grabbed whatever they could carry. Then they had fled their apartment in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. Their plan was to pick up Igor’s grandparents and cousin and get to their country house in Vasylkiv, a town 23 miles away. Two other family members would meet them there. They hoped the house’s basement would protect them from falling bombs and missiles. 

But once in the basement, they had no idea if they were truly safe. 

“The biggest fear was all the unknowns,” Igor remembers. “We didn’t know if a missile could drop on our town, if Russian soldiers could come to our town.”

No one in Igor’s family would sleep that night, but no one dared turn on a light. Instead, they stayed hidden in the dark for hours, watching the door that led to the yard shake and rattle from the force of the bombs falling mere miles away. 

All they could do was hope that the violence outside—and across Ukraine—would not reach their doorstep. All they could do was hope that their friends and loved ones would be OK. All they could do was hope that they would all survive until morning.

16-year-old Igor Klymenko huddled with his family in their basement. They sat in darkness. The sounds of explosions tore through the night.

They were in Vasylkiv, Ukraine. It was February 24, 2022. Early that morning, Russia had attacked Ukraine. Bombs had rained down on cities and towns. Missiles had hit military bases, apartment buildings, hospitals, and shopping complexes. Millions of Ukrainians had run for their lives. 

Igor, his younger sister, and his parents had grabbed whatever they could carry. Then they had fled their apartment in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. They picked up Igor’s grandparents and cousin and went to their country house in Vasylkiv, a town 23 miles away. Two other family members met them there. In the basement, they hoped they would be safe from falling bombs and missiles. 

But they had no idea if they were truly safe. 

“The biggest fear was all the unknowns,” Igor remembers. “We didn’t know if a missile could drop on our town, if Russian soldiers could come to our town.”

No one in Igor’s family slept that night. But no one dared turn on a light. Instead, they stayed hidden in the dark for hours. The force of bombs falling just miles away shook a door that led outside.

All they could do was hope that the violence outside—and across Ukraine—would not reach them. All they could do was hope that their friends and loved ones would be OK. All they could do was hope that they would all survive until morning.

The War Begins

The War Begins

Mohammad Javad Abjoushak/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Civilians wait to be evacuated from Kyiv by train.

In many ways, Igor is a typical teenager. He loves music and plays the guitar. He enjoys chess, volleyball, and hanging out with friends. 

As a kid, Igor had always been a tinkerer, and he developed a passion for robotics and programming. By the time he was in middle school, he was reading everything he could about robotics, spending his weekends building devices with LEGO® sets, and entering robotics and engineering competitions.  

But after Russia invaded, life for Igor—and all 44 million people living in Ukraine—came to a sudden, terrifying halt, as their country turned into a war zone.

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, vowed that Ukraine would resist Russia’s attempts to take control of the country. The Ukrainian military was swiftly deployed, and tens of thousands of civilians took up arms to defend their homeland. 

During the first days of fighting, Igor was consumed with worry. Listening to the sounds of planes, missiles, and gunfire, he thought constantly about his family’s safety. He thought about his friends, now scattered around Ukraine, and about his teachers who had joined the military. He wondered if he would ever see them again. 

Every night after sunset, Igor and his eight family members would crowd into the basement to sleep. Occasionally, Igor’s father would make a quick and nerve-racking trip to town to gather food and supplies. Other than that, Igor and his family mostly stayed inside.

As days turned to weeks, Igor’s mind began to clear. Alongside his fear, something else began to rise in him: determination. He knew he needed to make a difference in this war. 

But what could he do? 

As he sheltered in Vasylkiv, Igor recalled a device he’d been working on before the war. He wondered if it could now be an asset to Ukraine. It wasn’t a robot soldier or an indestructible tank. It wasn’t a high-tech weapon. 

No, Igor’s device was meant to save lives, not take them. 

The device was a drone that can detect land mines. And Igor knew that if he could finish it and get it into the right hands, it could prevent thousands of people from being killed or injured.

In many ways, Igor is a typical teenager. He loves music and plays the guitar. He enjoys chess, volleyball, and hanging out with friends. 

As a kid, Igor had always been a tinkerer. He developed a love for robotics and programming. By the time he was in middle school, he was reading everything he could about robotics. He was spending his weekends building devices with LEGO® sets and entering robotics and engineering competitions.  

But after Russia invaded, life for Igor—and all 44 million people living in Ukraine—came to a sudden, terrifying halt. Their country was now a war zone.

Volodymyr Zelensky is the president of Ukraine. He vowed that Ukraine would resist Russia’s attempts to take control of the country. The Ukrainian military was deployed. Tens of thousands of civilians also took up arms to defend their homeland. 

During the first days of fighting, Igor couldn’t stop worrying. He thought about his family’s safety. He thought about his friends, now scattered around Ukraine. He thought about his teachers who had joined the military. He wondered if he would ever see them again. 

Every night, Igor and his eight family members crowded into the basement to sleep. Sometimes, Igor’s father went into town to gather food and supplies. Other than that, Igor and his family mostly stayed inside.

Days turned to weeks. Igor’s mind began to clear. And something began to rise in him: determination. He knew he needed to make a difference in this war. 

But what could he do? 

Igor recalled a device he’d been working on before the war. He wondered if it could now be an asset to Ukraine. It wasn’t a robot soldier or an indestructible tank. It wasn’t a high-tech weapon. 

No, Igor’s device was meant to save lives, not take them. 

The device was a drone that can detect land mines. Igor knew that if he could finish it and get it into the right hands, it could prevent thousands of people from being killed or injured.

Serhii Mykhalchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images

War-Torn Cities

Since Russia invaded in 2022, cities and towns across Ukraine have been reduced to rubble. Some 13.5 million people have been forced to flee their homes. This photo shows Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, in October 2022.

Brutal Tools of War

Brutal Tools of War

FADEL SENNA/AFP via Getty Images

Removing a land mine

A land mine is an explosive device. Land mines are placed on or just below the surface of the ground—often where they cannot be seen. These brutal tools of war detonate when stepped on or driven over. 

Each year, land mines kill and injure thousands of civilians around the world. Undetonated land mines also make large areas of land unfit for housing or farming. Many countries are still dealing with land mines that were placed decades ago.

Since the war started, Russian forces have planted thousands of mines across Ukraine. In March 2023 alone, land mines in Ukraine killed 226 civilians and wounded 724. 

Though the war continues, the Ukrainian military has already begun the enormous task of clearing the mines that now dot the country’s landscape, a process called demining. Soldiers and specially trained first responders called sappers must walk through fields and forests, painstakingly searching for and clearing the mines. It is dangerous work that experts say could take decades to finish.

Igor hoped his drone could help change this.

A land mine is an explosive device. Land mines are placed on or just below the surface of the ground. These brutal tools of war detonate when stepped on or driven over. 

Each year, land mines kill and injure thousands of civilians around the world. Undetonated land mines also make large areas of land unfit for housing or farming. Many countries still have land mines that were placed decades ago.

Since the war started, Russian forces have planted thousands  of mines across Ukraine. In March 2023 alone, land mines in Ukraine killed 226 civilians and wounded 724. 

Though the war continues, the Ukrainian military has already started the huge task of clearing the mines, a process called demining. Soldiers and specially trained first responders called sappers must walk through fields and forests, painstakingly searching for and clearing the mines. It is dangerous work. Experts say it could take decades to finish.

Igor hoped his drone could help change this.

Oleksii Chumachenko/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Searching for Land Mines

A sapper works to clear a field outside Kyiv. It’s estimated that about 67,000 square miles of land—an area almost the size of Florida—in Ukraine is unsafe because of mines. 

A Lifesaving Device 

A Lifesaving Device 

Igor first learned about land mines in 2014, when Russian forces seized a region in southern Ukraine called Crimea. At the time, he was in fifth grade. Igor was horrified by the stories he was hearing about people being hurt and killed by Russian mines. He began to read more about the problems land mines cause not just in Ukraine but around the world. 

He started to wonder: Could one of his passions—robotics—help solve the problem?

Then one day, he and his cousin were playing around with a drone his cousin got for his birthday. As the pair watched the small, flying robot hover and dart through the air, Igor had an idea. What if he were to create a drone that could detect land mines from the sky? That way, no one would have to risk their life searching for them on foot. 

What began as just an idea turned into a project when Igor got to high school. In 10th grade at the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, Igor approached one of his science teachers, Oleh Kozlenko. Igor explained that he wanted to design a drone that would use a metal detector to locate land mines. The metal detector would find mines by sensing the metals in the explosives. The drone would also be equipped with special software and GPS technology that could calculate the locations of mines and create a map of them. 

Kozlenko liked Igor’s idea and offered to guide Igor through the process of bringing it to life. This would require complex programming, engineering, and robotics skills, but Igor was up to the challenge. 

And so he got to work. Much of his free time was spent in his school’s engineering lab. Igor had to write code, build the metal detector, and figure out the best way to attach the detector to the drone. After more than a year of hard work, Igor had finally developed a prototype, and with Kozlenko’s guidance, he began testing it in the lab.

Then Russia invaded.

Igor first learned about land mines in 2014, when Russian forces seized Crimea. It’s a region in southern Ukraine. At the time, he was in fifth grade. Igor was horrified by the stories he heard about people being hurt and killed by Russian mines. He began to read more about the problems land mines cause around the world.

He started to wonder: Could one of his passions—robotics—help solve the problem?

Then one day, he and his cousin were playing with a drone his cousin got for his birthday. As the pair watched the small, flying robot dart through the air, Igor had an idea. What if he created a drone that could detect land mines from the sky? That way, no one would have to risk their life searching for them on foot. 

His idea turned into a project when Igor got to high school. He went to Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. In 10th grade, Igor approached one of his science teachers, Oleh Kozlenko. Igor explained that he wanted to design a drone that would use a metal detector to locate land mines. The metal detector would find mines by sensing the metals in the explosives. The drone would also be equipped with special software and GPS technology. Then it could calculate the locations of mines and create a map of them. 

Kozlenko liked Igor’s idea. He offered to help Igor through the process of bringing it to life. This would require complex programming, engineering, and robotics skills. But Igor was up to the challenge. 

And so he got to work. He spent his free time in his school’s engineering lab. Igor had to write code, build the metal detector, and figure out the best way to attach the detector to the drone. After more than a year of hard work, Igor had finally developed a prototype. With Kozlenko’s guidance, he began testing it in the lab.

Then Russia invaded.

No Time to Wait

No Time to Wait

Courtesy Igor Klymenko

Igor working on his device in Vasylkiv

When the war broke out, it seemed Igor’s work on the drone would have to stop. Igor had left Kyiv, and his teacher had joined the military. But by mid-March, Igor had become determined to finish his device. Each day, more land mines were being placed around Ukraine. Each day, members of the military and civilians were risking their lives to protect his country, to protect him. He wanted to try to protect them too.  

Though he didn’t have the drone with him—there was no time to retrieve it from the lab when he fled Kyiv—he did have his laptop, which meant he could work on the drone’s programming from Vasylkiv. Kozlenko video-chatted with Igor when he could, offering advice and guidance from his post in the military. 

By August 2022, it was safe enough to return to Kyiv for short periods of time. Igor and Kozlenko met up several times to test the drone in the lab and outside.

Still, Igor knew that even when the device was finished, it would be of no use if no one knew about it. He needed to get the word out so it could be manufactured and distributed to the military throughout Ukraine. 

Igor entered various competitions in hopes of bringing more attention to his drone, which he named the Quadcopter Mines Detector. One of these competitions was the Chegg.org Global Student Prize, which offered $100,000 to the winner. Igor didn’t think he’d win—but he had to try. 

“I thought it was impossible,” he says. “What was the chance that I’d win over 7,000 other students?” 

But Igor did win—and it changed everything. 

When the war broke out, it seemed Igor’s work on the drone would have to stop. Igor had left Kyiv. His teacher had joined the military. But by mid-March, Igor had become determined to finish his device. Each day, more land mines were being placed around Ukraine. Each day, members of the military and civilians were risking their lives to protect his country, to protect him. He wanted to try to protect them too.  

However, he didn’t have the drone. There had not been time to get it from the lab when he fled Kyiv. But he had his laptop. He could work on the drone’s programming. Kozlenko video-chatted with Igor, offering advice and guidance from his post in the military. 

By August 2022, it was safe enough to return to Kyiv for short periods of time. Igor and Kozlenko met up several times. They tested the drone in the lab and outside.

Still, Igor knew that it would be of no use if no one knew about it. He needed to get the word out so the drone could be manufactured and distributed to the military throughout Ukraine. 

Igor entered various competitions to bring more attention to his drone, which he named the Quadcopter Mines Detector. One of these competitions was the Chegg.org Global Student Prize. It offered $100,000 to the winner. Igor didn’t think he’d win—but he had to try. 

“I thought it was impossible,” he says. “What was the chance that I’d win over 7,000 other students?” 

But Igor did win—and it changed everything. 

With the help of the prize money, he was able to continue developing his device. News outlets all over the world published stories about his drone. The official Instagram of Ukraine posted about him. Igor even got to travel to New York City to present his idea to scientists, inventors, and politicians.

Finally, the word was out about his drone and how it could help Ukraine. 

Igor was overcome with emotion. 

“I was crying,” he recalls about the moment he learned he’d won the competition. “The last time I cried, it was at the beginning of the war, when I was sheltering. And now I was crying for a second time—this time from happiness.”

The prize money helped him continue developing his device. News outlets all over the world published stories about his drone. The official Instagram of Ukraine posted about him. Igor went to New York City to present his idea to scientists, inventors, and politicians.

Finally, the word was out about his drone and how it could help Ukraine. 

Igor was overcome with emotion. 

“I was crying,” he recalls about the moment he won the competition. “The last time I cried, it was at the beginning of the war, when I was sheltering. And now I was crying for a second time—this time from happiness.” 

Looking to the Future

Looking to the Future

Courtesy Chegg.org

Igor after winning the Global Student Prize

Since winning the competition, Igor has been in touch with the Ukrainian military and humanitarian groups that work in demining. The next step is to have his drone tested with real land mines. If approved by the Ukrainian government, it could be manufactured for the military. 

Igor is proud of his invention, and he is eager for the day when it can be used in Ukraine—and around the world. The most rewarding part of this experience for Igor, however, has been the effect his story has had on his fellow students in Ukraine. Teachers have told him that he has inspired their students to continue with their studies and projects.  

“[Inspiring others] is one of the best things I could do,” says Igor. “It’s one of the best things that has happened in my life.” 

Today he is starting his second year of college at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. Thanks to a program called Ukraine Global Scholars, Igor was awarded a scholarship to continue his education there, away from the fighting.

Though he cannot return to Ukraine for the time being, he is still working on his device, now from a lab in Canada. He sends all his research and work back to a university in Kyiv, where he is also a part-time student. 

As for Igor’s family, they are still in Vasylkiv, where, at press time, the fighting had subsided. Igor misses them, but he is comforted by the fact that they are all together and safe. 

His plan is to finish his degree in Canada and then return to Ukraine to work as a scientist. Igor dreams of the day when he is back in Vasylkiv with his family—not in the basement but outside, listening not to the rumble of missiles and bombs but to the buzz of insects and the gentle whir of wind in the trees. 

Listening to the sounds of peace.

Since winning the competition, Igor has been in touch with the Ukrainian military and humanitarian groups that work in demining. The next step is to have his drone tested with real land mines. If approved by the Ukrainian government, it could be manufactured for the military. 

Igor is proud of his invention. He is eager for the day when it can be used in Ukraine—and around the world. He’s also proud of the effect his story has had on his fellow students in Ukraine. Teachers have told him that he has inspired their students to continue with their studies and projects.  

“[Inspiring others] is one of the best things I could do,” says Igor. “It’s one of the best things that has happened in my life.” 

Today Igor goes to college at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. A program called Ukraine Global Scholars gave him a scholarship to continue his education there, away from the fighting.

He cannot return to Ukraine for the time being. But he is still working on his device, now from a lab in Canada. He sends all his research and work back to a university in Kyiv, where he is also a part-time student. 

Igor’s family is still in Vasylkiv. At press time, the fighting had subsided. Igor misses them, but he is comforted by the fact that they are all together and safe. 

His plan is to finish his degree in Canada and then return to Ukraine to work as a scientist. Igor dreams of the day when he is back in Vasylkiv with his family—not in the basement but outside, listening not to the rumble of missiles and bombs but to the buzz of insects and the gentle whir of wind in the trees. 

Listening to the sounds of peace.

Jim McMahon/Mapman®

Why Did Russia Invade Ukraine?

For decades, Ukraine and Russia were part of a large and powerful nation called the Soviet Union. This nation was controlled by Russia. In 1991, the Soviet Union broke into 15 separate countries. At that time, Ukraine declared itself an independent nation. 

Since then, Ukrainians have rejected leaders with close ties to Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has worked to align Ukraine with the U.S.—a longtime rival of Russia—as well as other democratic nations. This angers Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, who believes Ukraine should be under Russia’s control. Many experts say Putin invaded Ukraine to remove Zelensky from power—and show the world that Russia is still powerful. Putin likely expected to quickly defeat Ukraine, a much smaller country. But a year and a half later, Ukraine is still fighting.

Jim McMahon/Mapman®

Why Did Russia Invade Ukraine?

For decades, Ukraine and Russia were part of a large and powerful nation called the Soviet Union. This nation was controlled by Russia. In 1991, the Soviet Union broke into 15 separate countries. At that time, Ukraine declared itself an independent nation. 

Since then, Ukrainians have rejected leaders with close ties to Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has worked to align Ukraine with the U.S.—a longtime rival of Russia—as well as other democratic nations. This angers Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, who believes Ukraine should be under Russia’s control. Many experts say Putin invaded Ukraine to remove Zelensky from power—and show the world that Russia is still powerful. Putin likely expected to quickly defeat Ukraine, a much smaller country. But a year and a half later, Ukraine is still fighting.

Icon of a lightbulb

Writing Prompt

Explain how the title “Finding Hope in a Time of War” applies to the article. Use details from the article to support your response. 


Writing Prompt

Explain how the title “Finding Hope in a Time of War” applies to the article. Use details from the article to support your response. 


This article was originally published in the September 2023 issue.

This article was originally published in the September 2023 issue.

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Activities (12)
Preparing to Read
Reading and Discussing
Skill-Building Activities
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Activities (12)
Preparing to Read
Reading and Discussing
Skill-Building Activities
The Core Skills Workout
Quizzes (1)
Answer Key (1)
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan

Close Reading, Critical Thinking, Skill Building

Download the Lesson Plan

Table of Contents

1. Prepare to Read

2. Read and Discuss

3. Write About It 

4. Writing Spotlight

5. Support for Multilingual Learners

6. Connected Reading

Essential Questions: What are the consequences of war? What is the power of hope? How do advances in technology affect our lives? 

Essential Questions: What are the consequences of war? What is the power of hope? How do advances in technology affect our lives?

1. PREPARE TO READ (20 MINUTES)

Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

  • Project the Google Slides version of Vocabulary Definitions and Practice on your whiteboard. Review the definitions and complete the activity as a class. Highlighted words: asset, democratic, deployed, detonate, humanitarian, painstakingly, prototype, tinkerer. Audio pronunciations of the words and a read-aloud of the definitions are embedded on the slides. Optionally, print the PDF version or share the slideshow link directly to your LMS and have students preview the words and complete the activity independently before class.

Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

  • Project the Google Slides version of Vocabulary Definitions and Practice on your whiteboard. Review the definitions and complete the activity as a class. Highlighted words: asset, democratic, deployed, detonate, humanitarian, painstakingly, prototype, tinkerer. Audio pronunciations of the words and a read-aloud of the definitions are embedded on the slides. Optionally, print the PDF version or share the slideshow link directly to your LMS and have students preview the words and complete the activity independently before class.

2. READING AND DISCUSS (45 MINUTES)

  • Invite a volunteer to read the As You Read box on page 5 of the magazine or at the top of the digital story page.
  • Read the article once as a class. (Differentiation: Share the lower-Lexile version or the Spanish version of the article.) Optionally, have students listen to author Mackenzie Carro read her article aloud while they follow along. The audio read-aloud is located in the Resources tab in Teacher View and at the top of the story page in Student View.
  • Divide students into groups to read the article again and respond to the following Close-Reading and Critical-Thinking questions, also located in the Resources tab.

Close-Reading Questions (25 minutes)

  • How did life change in Ukraine after Russia attacked in February of 2022? How did life change for Igor and his family in particular? (cause and effect) Life came to a halt for many Ukrainians in February of 2022. Bombs and missiles destroyed entire towns and cities across the country. The Ukrainian military was quickly deployed and tens of thousands of civilians left their jobs and joined its ranks, including Igor’s teachers. Igor and his family, like millions of others, fled their home in Kyiv to escape the violence. They fled to their country home in Vasylkiv because they thought the basement there would provide them more protection from falling bombs and missiles. Once in Vasylkiv, they were essentially confined to their home, full of fear and worry about what would happen next.
  • According to the article, why are Ukraine and Russia at war? (key ideas and details) The conflict between Ukraine and Russia is not a new one. There have been tensions between them since Ukraine declared its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Carro explains that Russia’s president believes Ukraine should be under Russia’s control and that in 2014, Russia seized a region of Ukraine called Crimea. (According to the map, that territory is still disputed.) Carro also explains that Russia’s president attacked Ukraine to remove Ukraine’s president from power because Ukraine’s president is aligning Ukraine with democratic nations like the U.S., which are rivals of Russia.
  • Why are land mines a problem? (problem and solution) Land mines, which are often placed underground where they cannot be seen, injure and kill thousands of people around the world every year. Even after conflicts end, undetonated land mines make large areas of land unfit for housing and farming. The process of finding and clearing the mines is slow and dangerous.
  • How does Igor’s device work? Why would it be an asset to Ukraine? To the world? (problem and solution) Igor’s device is a drone that can hover above the ground where land mines are buried. It is equipped with a metal detector that can sense the metals in land mines’ explosives. The drone is also equipped with GPS that can create a map of land mine locations. The drone would be an asset to Ukraine because an area within the country nearly the size of Florida is now unsafe due to land mines. The drone would enable sappers to find land mines more quickly and safely than they can on foot and could prevent countless people from being injured or killed in Ukraine and in other places around the world where land mines are a problem.
  • Carro writes of Igor, “Alongside his fear, something else began to rise in him: determination.” What is determination? How has Igor showed determination? (key ideas and details) Determination is when you make up your mind to do something and stay focused on your goal with grit and persistence. When Igor learned about the problem of land mines after Russia seized Crimea in 2014, he was determined to turn his passion for robotics into a solution to this problem, and he spent most of his free time developing a prototype of a drone that could detect land mines. After Russia invaded, he didn’t have his device with him, but he was determined to keep working on it—and he found a way to do so. Igor was also determined to get his device into the right hands, so he entered it into various competitions, even though he thought winning might be impossible. 
  • As a class, discuss the following questions.

Critical-Thinking Questions (10 minutes)

  • Carro writes that teachers around Ukraine have written to Igor to tell him how he has inspired their students. What do you think makes Igor inspiring? Answers will vary. 
  • What did you learn from this article that you didn’t know before? What questions do you still have about Ukraine and Russia? Where could you find the answers to these questions? Answers will vary. For the third question, possible sources of information include reputable news organizations, humanitarian organizations, and books on the history of Russia and Ukraine.

Watch a Video (10 minutes)

  • Watch the Beyond the Story video, in which students meet Igor Klymenko. Have students respond to the Video Discussion Questions (available in your Resources tab) in small groups or pairs.

  • Invite a volunteer to read the As You Read box on page 5 of the magazine or at the top of the digital story page.
  • Read the article once as a class. (Differentiation: Share the lower-Lexile version or the Spanish version of the article.) Optionally, have students listen to author Mackenzie Carro read her article aloud while they follow along. The audio read-aloud is located in the Resources tab in Teacher View and at the top of the story page in Student View.
  • Divide students into groups to read the article again and respond to the following Close-Reading and Critical-Thinking questions, also located in the Resources tab.

Close-Reading Questions (25 minutes)

  • How did life change in Ukraine after Russia attacked in February of 2022? How did life change for Igor and his family in particular? (cause and effect) Life came to a halt for many Ukrainians in February of 2022. Bombs and missiles destroyed entire towns and cities across the country. The Ukrainian military was quickly deployed and tens of thousands of civilians left their jobs and joined its ranks, including Igor’s teachers. Igor and his family, like millions of others, fled their home in Kyiv to escape the violence. They fled to their country home in Vasylkiv because they thought the basement there would provide them more protection from falling bombs and missiles. Once in Vasylkiv, they were essentially confined to their home, full of fear and worry about what would happen next.
  • According to the article, why are Ukraine and Russia at war? (key ideas and details) The conflict between Ukraine and Russia is not a new one. There have been tensions between them since Ukraine declared its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Carro explains that Russia’s president believes Ukraine should be under Russia’s control and that in 2014, Russia seized a region of Ukraine called Crimea. (According to the map, that territory is still disputed.) Carro also explains that Russia’s president attacked Ukraine to remove Ukraine’s president from power because Ukraine’s president is aligning Ukraine with democratic nations like the U.S., which are rivals of Russia.
  • Why are land mines a problem? (problem and solution) Land mines, which are often placed underground where they cannot be seen, injure and kill thousands of people around the world every year. Even after conflicts end, undetonated land mines make large areas of land unfit for housing and farming. The process of finding and clearing the mines is slow and dangerous.
  • How does Igor’s device work? Why would it be an asset to Ukraine? To the world? (problem and solution) Igor’s device is a drone that can hover above the ground where land mines are buried. It is equipped with a metal detector that can sense the metals in land mines’ explosives. The drone is also equipped with GPS that can create a map of land mine locations. The drone would be an asset to Ukraine because an area within the country nearly the size of Florida is now unsafe due to land mines. The drone would enable sappers to find land mines more quickly and safely than they can on foot and could prevent countless people from being injured or killed in Ukraine and in other places around the world where land mines are a problem.
  • Carro writes of Igor, “Alongside his fear, something else began to rise in him: determination.” What is determination? How has Igor showed determination? (key ideas and details) Determination is when you make up your mind to do something and stay focused on your goal with grit and persistence. When Igor learned about the problem of land mines after Russia seized Crimea in 2014, he was determined to turn his passion for robotics into a solution to this problem, and he spent most of his free time developing a prototype of a drone that could detect land mines. After Russia invaded, he didn’t have his device with him, but he was determined to keep working on it—and he found a way to do so. Igor was also determined to get his device into the right hands, so he entered it into various competitions, even though he thought winning might be impossible. 
  • As a class, discuss the following questions.

Critical-Thinking Questions (10 minutes)

  • Carro writes that teachers around Ukraine have written to Igor to tell him how he has inspired their students. What do you think makes Igor inspiring? Answers will vary. 
  • What did you learn from this article that you didn’t know before? What questions do you still have about Ukraine and Russia? Where could you find the answers to these questions? Answers will vary. For the third question, possible sources of information include reputable news organizations, humanitarian organizations, and books on the history of Russia and Ukraine.

Watch a Video (10 minutes)

  • Watch the Beyond the Story video, in which students meet Igor Klymenko. Have students respond to the Video Discussion Questions (available in your Resources tab) in small groups or pairs.

3. WRITE ABOUT IT: KEY IDEAS AND DETAILS (45 MINUTES)

  • Have students complete the Featured Skill Activity: Key Ideas and Details. This activity prepares them to respond to the writing prompt on page 9 in the printed magazine and at the bottom of the digital story page:

Explain how the title “Finding Hope in a Time of War” applies to the article. Use details from the article to support your response.

  • Alternatively, have students choose a task from the Choice Board, a menu of possible culminating tasks. (Our Choice Board options include the writing prompt from the magazine, differentiated versions of the writing prompt, and additional creative ways for students to demonstrate their understanding of a story or article.)

  • Have students complete the Featured Skill Activity: Key Ideas and Details. This activity prepares them to respond to the writing prompt on page 9 in the printed magazine and at the bottom of the digital story page:

Explain how the title “Finding Hope in a Time of War” applies to the article. Use details from the article to support your response.

  • Alternatively, have students choose a task from the Choice Board, a menu of possible culminating tasks. (Our Choice Board options include the writing prompt from the magazine, differentiated versions of the writing prompt, and additional creative ways for students to demonstrate their understanding of a story or article.)

4. WRITING SPOTLIGHT: USING INTRODUCTORY PHRASES TO ADD INFORMATION ABOUT TIMING (15 MINUTES)

  • Project the Writing Spotlight activity, available in the Resources Tab, on your whiteboard for a minilesson on introductory phrases, using mentor sentences from the article. Read Slides 1 and 2 as a class.
  • When you get to Slide 3, have students complete the Scavenger Hunt as a class. Possible answers include: 
    • “Every night after sunset, Igor and his eight family members would crowd into the basement to sleep.”
    • “As a kid, Igor had always been a tinkerer, and he developed a passion for robotics and programming.”
    • “But once in the basement, they had no idea if they were truly safe.”
    • “At the time, he was in fifth grade.”
    • “During the first days of fighting, Igor was consumed with worry.”
    • “Each year, land mines kill and injure thousands of civilians around the world.”
    • “But by mid-March, Igor had become determined to finish his device.”
    • “After more than a year of hard work, Igor had finally developed a prototype, and with Kozlenko’s guidance, he began testing it in the lab.”
    • “Then one day, he and his cousin were playing around with a drone his cousin got for his birthday.”
  • Have students complete the You Try It on Slide 4 on their own. Then ask volunteers to share their sentences.

  • Project the Writing Spotlight activity, available in the Resources Tab, on your whiteboard for a minilesson on introductory phrases, using mentor sentences from the article. Read Slides 1 and 2 as a class.
  • When you get to Slide 3, have students complete the Scavenger Hunt as a class. Possible answers include: 
    • “Every night after sunset, Igor and his eight family members would crowd into the basement to sleep.”
    • “As a kid, Igor had always been a tinkerer, and he developed a passion for robotics and programming.”
    • “But once in the basement, they had no idea if they were truly safe.”
    • “At the time, he was in fifth grade.”
    • “During the first days of fighting, Igor was consumed with worry.”
    • “Each year, land mines kill and injure thousands of civilians around the world.”
    • “But by mid-March, Igor had become determined to finish his device.”
    • “After more than a year of hard work, Igor had finally developed a prototype, and with Kozlenko’s guidance, he began testing it in the lab.”
    • “Then one day, he and his cousin were playing around with a drone his cousin got for his birthday.”
  • Have students complete the You Try It on Slide 4 on their own. Then ask volunteers to share their sentences.

5. SUPPORT FOR MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS

These questions are designed to help students respond to the text at a level that’s right for them.

Yes/No Questions

Ask students to demonstrate comprehension with a very simple answer.

  1. Does Ukraine border Russia? Yes, it does.
  2. Is Ukraine smaller than Russia? Yes, it is.
  3. Did Igor’s family flee their home in Kyiv when Russia attacked? Yes, they did.
  4. Are land mines a problem around the world? Yes, they are.
  5. Can Igor’s device save lives? Yes, it can.

Either/Or Questions

Encourage students to use language from the question in their answer.

  1. Is Igor from Ukraine or Russia? Igor is from Ukraine.
  2. Did Russia attack Ukraine or did Ukraine attack Russia? Russia attacked Ukraine.
  3. Is clearing land mines quick and easy or slow and dangerous? Clearing land mines is slow and dangerous.
  4. Does Igor’s device hover in the air or roll across the ground? Igor’s device hovers in the air.
  5. Is Ukraine still fighting Russia today or is the war over? Ukraine is still fighting Russia today. 

Short-Answer Questions

Challenge students to produce simple answers on their own.

  • Why are land mines a problem? Land mines kill and injure thousands of people around the world each year. Unexploded land mines prevent people from using land for farming or housing. Searching for and clearing land mines is dangerous work. 
  • How does Igor’s drone work? Igor’s drone has a metal detector that can sense the metals in land mines. The drone’s GPS then creates a map of land mine locations so that sappers can find land mines more easily, quickly, and safely than they could on their own.

Language-Acquisition Springboard: Create a KWL chart together.

Use a KWL chart to help multilingual learners activate prior knowledge, pique their interest in the text, and talk about and record what they learn.

  • Divide a sheet of chart paper into three columns. 
  • Label the first column K for “Know.” Ask students what they know about Ukraine (or about the text, based on the title, subtitle, and other text features). Jot down notes (Ukraine is at war with Russia; Russia is bigger than Ukraine; These countries are not close to the United States, etc.).
  • Label the second column W for “Want to Know” and jot down questions students have (Why are Russia and Ukraine at war? Are they still fighting? etc.). 
  • Label the third column L for “Learned.” After reading the article, ask students to contribute information from the article that answers the questions they posed. Then ask them if they have any new questions and where they think they might be able to find the answers. Look for answers together.

These questions are designed to help students respond to the text at a level that’s right for them.

Yes/No Questions

Ask students to demonstrate comprehension with a very simple answer.

  1. Does Ukraine border Russia? Yes, it does.
  2. Is Ukraine smaller than Russia? Yes, it is.
  3. Did Igor’s family flee their home in Kyiv when Russia attacked? Yes, they did.
  4. Are land mines a problem around the world? Yes, they are.
  5. Can Igor’s device save lives? Yes, it can.

Either/Or Questions

Encourage students to use language from the question in their answer.

  1. Is Igor from Ukraine or Russia? Igor is from Ukraine.
  2. Did Russia attack Ukraine or did Ukraine attack Russia? Russia attacked Ukraine.
  3. Is clearing land mines quick and easy or slow and dangerous? Clearing land mines is slow and dangerous.
  4. Does Igor’s device hover in the air or roll across the ground? Igor’s device hovers in the air.
  5. Is Ukraine still fighting Russia today or is the war over? Ukraine is still fighting Russia today. 

Short-Answer Questions

Challenge students to produce simple answers on their own.

  • Why are land mines a problem? Land mines kill and injure thousands of people around the world each year. Unexploded land mines prevent people from using land for farming or housing. Searching for and clearing land mines is dangerous work. 
  • How does Igor’s drone work? Igor’s drone has a metal detector that can sense the metals in land mines. The drone’s GPS then creates a map of land mine locations so that sappers can find land mines more easily, quickly, and safely than they could on their own.

Language-Acquisition Springboard: Create a KWL chart together.

Use a KWL chart to help multilingual learners activate prior knowledge, pique their interest in the text, and talk about and record what they learn.

  • Divide a sheet of chart paper into three columns. 
  • Label the first column K for “Know.” Ask students what they know about Ukraine (or about the text, based on the title, subtitle, and other text features). Jot down notes (Ukraine is at war with Russia; Russia is bigger than Ukraine; These countries are not close to the United States, etc.).
  • Label the second column W for “Want to Know” and jot down questions students have (Why are Russia and Ukraine at war? Are they still fighting? etc.). 
  • Label the third column L for “Learned.” After reading the article, ask students to contribute information from the article that answers the questions they posed. Then ask them if they have any new questions and where they think they might be able to find the answers. Look for answers together.

CONNECTED READING

Connected readings from the Scope Archives about transformational inventions:

Connected readings from the Scope Archives about transformational inventions:

Text-to-Speech