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Acknowledgements

The Board of Trustees and staff of The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum, Inc. would like to express their sincere gratitude and appreciation to those individuals and organizations that, since 1991, have given so generously of their time, talent and energy to make these guides possible.

Guide Authors

Martha Gillis

Louisa Birch

Mary Alyward Stewart

Kelly Keyes Smith

Sarah Beck

Jennifer Jerome Underhill

Teri West

Sophie Degener

Mairead Nolan

Julie Wood

Dr. Marcia Harris

2013 The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum, Inc. Edited by Elizabeth Evans DAscensao and Liz Connolly

About The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum, Inc.

The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum, Inc. is a year-long language arts program dedicated to strengthening the character development and literacy skills of students. Since the organizations founding, the Courage Curriculum has positively impacted the academic performance of more than 150,000 students in the Boston Public Schools and surrounding communities. Our programs are taught locally in sixth and ninth grade classrooms, and our reach has expanded to include a national essay contest and an international program taught in Thailand, Cambodia, Mozambique, and beyond.

The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum was founded in 1991 to honor the life of Max Warburg, a courageous young boy who maintained steadfast determination and heartfelt hope in the face of his battle with leukemia. After his death, Maxs parents, Stephanie and Jonathan Warburg, believed that Maxs story could be an example for other children. They worked with the Boston Public Schools and experienced educators to develop The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum.

The programs sixth grade curriculum, Courage in My Life, features carefully selected novels whose main characters are courageous young people. As students become familiar with Max and the literary characters featured in each novel, they come to understand their own capacity for courage. Their personal stories are shared in the essays they write as the culmination of this year-long curriculum. Each spring, The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum honors students whose work, chosen from thousands of essays, is published in an anthology titled The Courage of Bostons Children.

www.maxcourage.org

About The Max Warburg Courage Curriculums Guides for Educators

The Max Warburg Courage Curriculums Guides for Teachers provide suggestions for teachers on how to help students understand and appreciate literature, while engaging in meaningful classroom discussions and activities. Immersion in literature becomes a bridge for the development of students listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. Using these guides, teachers can help students acquire and refine the skills they need to be effective communicators and excellent readers and writers.

The Boston Public Schools English Language Arts (ELA) Curriculum Frameworks and Common Core State Standards (CCSS) have also been integrated into these Guides for Educators by incorporating the ELA educational principles of the frameworks, by embedding student products from the Student Requirements, and by helping students to explore the key concepts and questions in the Content Objectives. In addition the Guides for Educators employ a variety of pedagogical approaches for developing literacy and social skills.

ELA Educational Principles

The following education principles from the ELA Curriculum Frameworks and Common Core State Standards (CCSS) have guided the development of The Max Warburg Courage Curriculums Guides for Educators.

Reading

Reading is an active, constructive and creative process that involves distinctive cognitive strategies before, during and after reading. Good readers access prior knowledge, establish purpose, preview the text, generate questions, make predictions, confirm and revise predictions, locate and clarify concepts that cause confusion, take mental or written notes, organize information into categories, and use text features such as illustrations and headings to acquire meaning from print.

Writing

Writing is a process involving planning (pre-writing), context (drafting), reading aloud and reflecting on the product, collaborating with others (peer editing), revising (rewriting) and sharing the final product with others (publishing). Good writing reflects and stimulates thinking and allows students to find their own voices and to express themselves in an articulate, coherent manner.

Social skills and values

While students develop their reading and writing skills, they can simultaneously develop their social skills and values. One important way for students to express themselves and become aware of other peoples points of view is by developing strong perspective-taking skills. The development of students perspective-taking sills contributes to the development of their conflict resolution skills. These social skills-- together with learning to value trust, respect, love, peace, self-esteem, courage, perseverance and freedom-- help students to develop healthy relationships while, at the same time, support the development of students literacy skills.

ELA Student Requirements

Students are expected to complete specific products for each grade level by the end of the school year. The Max Warburg Courage Curriculums Guides for Educators may include one or more of the following student products: reading review, autobiography, letter, essay, perspective-taking exercise, and conflict resolution exercise. The completions of these products may be used to satisfy the BPS ELA Student Writing Product Requirements.

ELA Content Objectives

Key questions are challenging, thought-provoking, age-appropriate, and generally open-ended. They are designed to engage students interest before, during, and after reading. Key questions direct students exploration of the most important topics, themes, characters, events, values, perspectives, and literary conventions. The Max Warburg Courage Curriculums Guides for Educators explore key concepts and questions through whole class, small group, partner, and individual discussions and activities.

Dear Teachers,

This guide has been written according to current research and best practices in literacy instruction. There are many ideas and activities that will help you to explore the themes of the novel, deepening students comprehension, motivation and enjoyment. There are also activities designed to deal with specific instructional goals, such as writing skills and vocabulary development.

As part of The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum, this guide focuses significantly with the theme of courage. Students are encouraged to think about examples of courage in their own lives, and make connections between Maxs story and Number the Stars. This guide has been written to reflect the Boston Public Schools English Language Arts Standards and Requirement for sixth graders. Many of the questions, activities and projects are designed to help you meet these requirements. Throughout the guide, you will find activities which relate to the standard requirements in one of four ways:

Activities that fulfill the sixth grade Language Arts Student Requirements (these can be found in the post-reading section);

Writing assignments throughout the book which can become part of students writing portfolios;

Research activities that require students to read other text genres, such as newspapers, which help to satisfy the requirement to read ten other genre pieces; and

Activities and questions throughout the guide that directly relate to the focus themes and questions. The goal is to help prepare students on an ongoing basis for their final key questions essay(s).

In addition, you will find in this guide important updates pertaining to the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, reflecting current shifts in text complexity, evidence-based analysis, and more. This guide has been revised to align with these Common Core State Standards (CCSS) shifts. The mini-lessons, long-term projects and extension activity labels highlight the CCSS anchor standards.

Best wishes for a wonderful school year!

Sincerely,

Dr. Marcia Harris

Dear Teachers,

Welcome to a world of compassion, optimism and courage. In the face of great adversity, Max found a way to rise about his struggles and send us a message of inspiration and hope. In the face of intense danger and fear, Annemarie drew on her inner strength to help triumph, in one small way, over one of the greatest tragedies of the worlds history. Both Maxs Story and Lois Lowrys Number the Stars leave the reader with renewed inspiration that one person, driven by compassion, optimism and courage, can make a difference.

In this guide we explore the powerful ideas behind these stories through a wide range of activities that reflect current research and best practices in literacy instruction. Some of the activities address specific instructional goals, such as vocabulary development, while others serve to enrich the reading experience, increase motivation and deepen comprehension.

As we wrote the curriculum guide for Number the Stars we were influenced by three guiding factors: 1. The story itself; 2. The themes of courage that relate to Maxs story; 3. The Boston Public Schools Citywide Learning Standards and Curriculum Framework. In order to make this guide a true partner to you, we have molded all three factors into a particular emphasis on helping students prepare for key questions. In the Post-Book Activities section of the guide, you will find five focus themes that reflect the three curriculum influences and many key questions that relate to each of these themes. You will be able to select the themes and key questions from those we provide, write your own key questions, or allow students to choose which key question(s) they would like to address.

Many of the activities and projects throughout the guide have been designed to help you and your students complete the key questions and Boston Public Schools Language Arts Students Requirements. As you look through the guide, you will see activities that relate to the requirements in one of four ways:

Activities that fulfill the sixth-grade Language Arts Student Requirements (these can be found in the Post-Book Activities section)

Writing assignments that can become part of students writing portfolios

Research activities that require students to read other genres, such as newspapers, which help to satisfy the requirement to read ten other genre pieces

Activities and questions that directly relate to the focus themes and key questions. The goal is to help prepare students on an ongoing basis for their final essay(s) based on key questions.

This guide is not meant to be followed as a strict prescription. Instead, it is a compilation of suggestions and ideas from which you can pick and choose. Ultimately, you will chart your own course through the literature, drawing from this guide, your past experiences and your own ideas. We have provided an abundance of activities so that you have many options. You should choose these activities based on your own teaching style and interest, your students interests and school-specific programs and curricula.

In the Guide Preview we introduce you to the main components of the curriculum. We wish you luck as you embark on your journey of learning with your students. Enjoy!

Jen UnderhillTeri West

Author, Curriculum GuideAuthor, Curriculum Guide

Dear Teachers,

In these mini lessons, I have attempted to pull out the teaching points in the many activities that have been so thoughtfully planned in the original curriculum. The mini lessons are based on authors craft, story structure and good reading habits. It is my hope that by pulling out the teaching point for these mini-lessons, teachers will be better able to use the curriculum within a workshop model.

I based these mini-lessons on the idea that teachers may teach the books in any order. Occasionally some of the mini-lessons are repeated in multiple books. This repetition is deliberate in order to provide more practice with the skill. I envisioned the curriculum being used in a classroom which allows opportunities for students to do a majority of the thinking involved in reading a text. Many curriculums provide guiding or discussion questions for students. However, when students read for enjoyment they may not have a list of discussion questions to help them discuss the book with a friend or lead them to understand the bigger concepts.

Explicitly teaching students to create these questions on their own, to make connections, notice character traits, recognize authors craft, etc. will make reading a more enjoyable and efficient process for them. Allowing conversations within small groups around their own questions and ideas about the books will prove to be satisfying for all. As they share opinions, debate character motivations, discuss connections and ask questions of their peers they will become more and more authentically engaged with the text.

This type of independence and group work does not come naturally to all children. In order for this type of learning to work well there needs to be a lot of up front teaching around the expectations, routines and group dynamics before students are to be set free. I have found the Literature Circle model described by Harvey Daniels to be very helpful in establishing book clubs in the classroom.

As you already know, providing a variety of reading opportunities the classroom is essential to effective reading instruction. At times you may read these or other books aloud to the class, have students read in pairs, or independently if the book is on their reading level or you may also provide some students with a listening center, where they can listen to the book on tape. I found that many of the books in this curriculum are available on tape or CD at local libraries.

As you use these mini lessons and the initial curriculum to provide explicit reading instruction and establish a classroom of enthusiastic, critical, independent readers, I wish you many animated conversations focused around great literature and the compelling topic of courage.

Enjoy,

Kelly K. Smith

Author, Mini Lessons

Guide PreviewChapter Summaries

The summary provides an overview of the main events and ideas from the chapter.

Questions to Promote Discussion and Stimulate Journal Writing

For each chapter, there will be a set of suggestion questions designed to develop comprehension of the story and stimulate discussion of the themes and the way in which they story relates to your students lives, particularly with respect to courage.

In addition, some of the questions and activities will also provide ideas for linking Number the Stars to the Boston Public Schools Key Questions and Close Reads with corresponding concepts from the Boston Public Schools Standards and Curriculum Frameworks and Common Core State Standards (CCSS). There will also be Key Questions in the Post-Reading section. As with all activities and questions, it is not necessary to answer or complete all questions. When you preview the guide, it may be helpful to make a preliminary list of those questions which you feel will most benefit your students. . If you decide to use some of the Key Questions and Close Reads to stimulate group discussion, you may want to jot down some ideas or comments made by students on large chart paper. Students can refer to these at a later date if they are independently working on a Key Question, particularly one from the Post-Reading questions.

You may wish to vary the placement of questions using some before and others after reading. Although questions during a story can be an important means of assessing comprehension, you may find that you do not want to interrupt the flow of this dramatic book. Before reading you can ask the entire class to reflect upon what you read aloud or you may give different questions to pairs of students. After reading, give your students time to discuss the questions with their partners and then ask them to share their responses with the class. If two pairs of students reach dissimilar conclusions, elicit further information from on why they feel the way they do.

A Special Note about Journal Writing: Dialogue Journals

In addition to providing students with the opportunity to reflect and share their feelings with their classmates, you may also want to ask students to keep a daily journal of their reactions to the days reading. Allow students to choose between the optional writing prompts provided in this guide and writing their own unsolicited feelings or responses. In addition, encourage students to write about examples of courage found in the story and in their own lives. One means of focusing students on a particular chapter and assessing their comprehension of the plot is to ask them to create a title for each chapter as they begin their journal entry. Encourage students to reflect on their own comprehension. If they realize that they are unable to summarize the chapter or recognize its main points, they may wish to reread it on their own or ask you or a classmate for assistance.

Before beginning journal writing, assure students that their entries will not be graded and that unless they choose to share what they have written, their writing is private. One effective technique in journal writing is a dialogue journal in which students write and their teacher responds in the journal to the content (not to grammar or spelling) of the entry. In this way, dialogue journals can foster conversations between student and teacher. One strategy for making this project more manageable for a large class is to ask three students a day who would like a written response to volunteer to share their writing with you. Questions which may be particularly appropriate for a dialogue journal will be marked with {Dialogue Journal}.

You may also wish to provide time for students to share their writing with another student or with a small group of students. If you choose to pair students as journal partners, have students write only on the right hand pages of their journal, reserving the left hand pages for their journal partners response.

Sharing your own writing about the story with your class could be a way of enabling students to become more comfortable with this activity. Before asking students to share with one another, you may wish to discuss appropriate ways of listening and responding to others work. Remind students to begin their response by first offering a positive comment such as: I like the way you ___________. The responder can then state how he or she feels about something specific in the readers entry. Allow the reader to respond to the comment if he or she chooses to do so. Other students may also want to join in the conversation or read aloud parts of their journal that relate to the discussion.

After several sessions of modeling appropriate, positive responses to students sharing and providing opportunities for students to practice as a whole group, students will be able to share with a partner or small group. Sharing written responses to literature will not only encourage your students to continue writing, it will also enrich and deepen their understanding of this moving story.

Vocabulary Development: A Key to Current and Future Reading Comprehension: (Lexile 670, Readability Average)

Decades of research have demonstrated that strong vocabulary knowledge is necessary for reading comprehension (Lipson and Wixon). Though many debate the best methods for teaching vocabulary, it may be helpful to think about two goals for vocabulary instruction: 1. Teaching strategies to help students learn vocabulary words independently; and 2. Providing instruction about specific words or concepts necessary for students to understand this selection. Accordingly, the vocabulary section in each chapter will include activities which will address both these goals. At the beginning of each section, there will be a short list of tier 2 and 3 vocabulary words that you may wish to review with your students before beginning to read. * Definitions from Merrian-Webster Online: Dictionary and Thesaurus

Mini Lesson

At the end of each chapter, you will find a mini lesson based on authors craft, story structure and good reading habits, supporting teachers using the Courage Curriculum within a workshop model. We envision the curriculum being used in a classroom which allows opportunities for students to do a majority of the thinking involved in reading a text. Many curriculums provide guiding or discussion questions for students. However, when students read for enjoyment they may not have a list of discussion questions to help them discuss the book with a friend or lead them to understand the bigger concepts.

Explicitly teaching students to create these questions on their own, to make connections, notice character traits, and recognize authors craft will make reading a more enjoyable and efficient process for them. Allowing conversations within small groups around their own questions and ideas about the books will prove to be satisfying for all. As they share opinions, debate character motivations, discuss connections and ask questions of their peers they will become more and more authentically engaged with the text.

Activities to Extend Comprehension and Relate Literature to Life

Activities will be provided for each chapter as an additional means of extending comprehension and relating literature to students lives. Many build toward and prepare students for Boston Public Schools student requirements, key questions and writing portfolios. Many require students to take different perspectives or to make personal connections to the story. There are a range of activities which include traditional writing exercises as well as more interactive and engaging multi-modal, experiential and cross-curricular projects. Students will be challenged to comprehend at both a practice and analytical level. Some activities will also encourage students to apply their understanding and awareness to different situations.

A number of activities will be provided for each chapter. As with all materials presented by The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum, these activities are optional, and are designed to be adapted as needed. Please select those which you feel will most benefit your students and allow them to deepen their understanding and enjoyment of Number the Stars. It may be helpful to preview the activities for all chapters and make a preliminary list of those you plan to use before beginning.

The Max Connection

At selected chapters there will be in-depth activities that relate the literature to Maxs experience. These activities will explore the themes of courage that are central to both stories: the courage to help others and the courage to do what is right in the face of adversity.

Authors Craft

Number the Stars provides fertile ground for exploring the rich use of language. In select chapters, different literary devices such as metaphor, similar and imagery will be identified. You will find several activities in the book that tap into this rich vein and allow students to explore and play with these language devices.

Guide to Flagged Activities

Key Questions

Key Questions from the Boston Public Schools Curriculum Framework and Citywide Learning Standards

Close Reading

Build critical thinking via re-reading, and analysis of a passage. {Resource}

Authors Craft

Discussion of a literary technique used by the author

Dialogue Journal

Signals a question or activity that lends itself to the dialogue journal method described in the Guide Preview

Resources

Refers you to our website [www.maxcourage.org], where you will find a list of suggested resources, by topic. These resources may be helpful in completing questions or activities, or in connecting your students with this novel and its themes.

Oral Reading, Silent Reading

Identifies questions or activities which ask students to read passages aloud our silently, either independently or with a partner

About the Author: Lois Lowry

As an author and photographer, Lois Lowry has always tried to create a visual scene when she writes. The idea for her Newbery Award-winning novel, Number the Stars, came from the experiences of a childhood friend, which she combined with the historical facts of the Holocaust.

Lois Lowry says that when she was a child she was quiet, shy and introspective. She writes for adolescents in order to help them break through some of the loneliness they are experiencing at that point in their lives. She says, When I write, I draw a great deal from my own past. There is a satisfying sense of continuity, for me, in the realization that my own experiences fictionalized, touch young readers in subtle and personal ways (Kovacs and Preller, 113).

Ms. Lowry has written over 40 books, including The Giver, which also won the Newbery Medal. In addition to these awards, Ms. Lowry has received the International Reading Associations Childrens Literature Award and an American Library Association Notable Book citation. Louis Lowry was born on March 20, 1937, in Honolulu, Hawaii. She has four children and lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Background Information:Number the Stars

The Holocaust is an extremely sensitive topic worthy of a curriculum unto itself. In this guide we cannot do justice to the depth or breadth of this topic. Instead we provide basic information for your reference: Five Questions about the Holocaust (courtesy of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum) and a timeline (Courtesy of Facing History and Ourselves and Time Lines on File). For more information about the Holocaust, please visit our website, www.maxcourage.org, for a list of highly recommended resources.

Five Questions about the HolocaustWhat was the Holocaust?

The Holocaust was the state-sponsored, systematic persecution and annihilation of European Jewry by Nazi Germany and its collaborators between 1933 and 1945. In 1933 approximately nine million Jews lived in the 21 countries of Europe that would be occupied by Germany during World War II. By 1945, two out of every three European Jews had been killed. Jews were the primary victims of the Holocaust- six million were murdered. Roma (Gypsies), the handicapped and Poles were also targeted for destruction or decimation for racial, ethnic or national reasons. Millions more, including Soviet prisoners of war, political dissidents, homosexuals and Jehovahs Witnesses, suffered grievous oppression and death under Nazi tyranny.

Who were the Nazis?

Nazi is a short term for the National Socialist German Workers Party, a right-wing political party formed in 1919 primarily by unemployed German veterans of World War I. Adolf Hitler became head of the party in 1921, and under his leadership the party eventually became a powerful political force in German elections by the early 1930s. The Nazi party ideology was strongly anti-Communist, anti-Semitic, racist, nationalistic, imperialistic and militaristic.

In 1933, the Nazi Party assumed power in Germany and Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor. He ended German democracy and severely restricted basic rights, such as freedom of speech, press and assembly. He established a brutal dictatorship through a reign of terror. This created an atmosphere of fear, distrust and suspicion in which people betrayed their neighbors and which helped the Nazis to obtain the acquiescence of social institutions such as the civil service, the educational system, churches, the judiciary, industry, business and other professions.

Why did the Nazis want to kill large numbers of innocent people?

The Nazis believed that Germans were racially superior and that there was a struggle for survival between them and inferior races. Jews, Roma (Gypsies) and the handicapped were seen as a serious biological threat to the purity of the German (Aryan) race and therefore had to be exterminated. The Nazis blamed the Hews for Germanys defeat in World War I, for its economic problems, and for the spread of Communist parties throughout Europe. Slavic people (Poles, Russians and others) were also considered inferior and destined to serve as slave labor for their German masters. Communists, Socialists, Jehovahs Witnesses, homosexuals and Free Masons were persecuted, imprisoned and often killed on political and behavioral (rather than racial) grounds. Sometimes the distinction was not very clear. Millions of Soviet prisoners of war perished from starvation, disease and forced labor or were killed for racial political reasons.

How did the Nazis carry out their policy of genocide?

In the late 1930s the Nazis killed thousands of handicapped Germans by lethal injection and poisonous gas. After the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, mobile killing units following in the wake of the German Army began shooting massive numbers of Jews and Roma (Gypsies) in open fields and ravines on the outskirts of conquered cities and towns. Eventually the Nazis created a more secluded and organized method of killing enormous numbers of civilians; six extermination centers were established in occupied Poland where large-scale murder by gas and body disposal through cremation were conducted systematically. Victims were deported to these centers from Western Europe and from the ghettos in Eastern Europe which the Nazis had established. In addition, millions died in the ghettos and concentration camps as a result of forced labor, starvation, exposure, brutality, disease and execution.

How did the world respond to the Holocaust?

The United States and Great Britain as well as other nations outside Nazi Europe received numerous reports in the 1930s about the persecution of Jews. It was not until 1942 that the governments of the United States and Great Britain had confirmed reports about the Final Solution- Germanys intent to kill all the Jews of Europe. However, influenced by anti-Semitism and fear of a massive influx of refugees, neither country modified their refugee policies. Their stated intention to defeat Germany militarily took precedence over rescue efforts, and therefore no specific attempts to stop or slow the genocide were made until mounting pressure eventually forced the United States to undertake limited rescue efforts in 1944.

In Europe, rampant anti-Semitism incited citizens of many German occupied countries to collaborate with the Nazis in their genocidal policies. There were, however, individuals and groups in every occupied nation who, at great personal risk, helped hide those targeted by the Nazis. One nation, Denmark, saved most of its Jews in a nighttime rescue operation in 1943 in which Jews were ferried in fishing boats to safety in neutral Sweden.

Timeline of Events

1933 Nazi party takes power in Germany. Adolph Hitler is appointed Chancellor.

1934 Night of the Long Knives takes place in Germany.

1935 Jews are deprived of their citizenship and other basic rights.

1936 Nazis boycott Jewish-owned businesses. The Olympic Games are held in Germany; signs barring Jews are removed until the event is over.

1938 On Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, Nazis terrorize Jews throughout Germany and Austria. 3,000 Jews are arrested, 91 are killed. Thousands of shops and businesses are looted and over 1,000 synagogues are set on fire. Jewish children are expelled from schools in Germany and Austria. Nazis take control of Jewish-owned businesses.

1939 World War II begins as Britain and France declare war on Germany. The Nazi party requires Jews to wear armbands or yellow stars.

1940 Jews are forced into ghettoes. Germany conquers Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Luxembourg and France.

1941 Germany declares was on the United States immediately after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

1942 20%-25% of the Jews who would die in the Holocaust have already been murdered. The United States, Britain and the Soviet Union acknowledge that Germans are systematically murdering the Jews of Europe.

1943 Denmark helps more than 7,000 Jews escape to safety in Sweden.

1945 Close to defeat, Hitler commits suicide; Germany surrenders.

1946 An international military tribunal is created by Britain, France, the United States and the Soviet Union. At Nuremberg, Nazi leaders are tried for war crimes and crimes against humanity

Synopsis of Number the Stars

Ten-year-old Annemarie Johnson lives with her family in Nazi-occupied Denmark. She and her best friend, Ellen Rosen, try to go about their days as they once did, but life is different with the war going on. Nazi soldiers stand on every street corner, there are food shortages and now, all of a sudden, the Jews are being relocated. When Mrs. Johansen and Mrs. Rosen learn that the Nazis will be sweeping through the neighborhood on the Jewish New Year looking for Jews, they must act fast. Ellen spends the night at the Johansens, and her parents spend the night at the home of another friend. In the middle of the night, the Nazis barge into the Johansens house, but Mrs. and Mr. Johansen is able to convince them that Ellen is his daughter.

The next day, Mrs. Johansen takes Ellen, Annemarie and Kirsti to visit Uncle Henrik, a Danish fisherman. At Uncle Henriks, the girls take in the peace and beauty of the Danish seascape while Uncle Henrik and Mrs. Johansen make preparations for the nights activity. Annemarie does not know exactly what is going on, but she realizes that something is happening. Her mother tells her that a fictitious great-aunt Birte has died and that many people will be coming to the house. At the vigil that night, the Nazis come to the house and ask why so many people have gathered and why the casket is closed. Mrs. Johansen convinces the Nazis not to open the casket. After the Nazis leave, the people who are gathered are given clothing and blankets from the casket. They leave with Mrs. Johansen and Uncle Henrik to go to his fishing boat. Although no one has told her as much, Annemarie realizes that Uncle Henrik is going to take the people to safety in Sweden.

Mrs. Johansen returns just before dawn, but she is injured. As Annemarie helps her up the stairs, she notices a small packet that is critical to the success of the mission. With her mother injured, Annemarie volunteers to take the packet to the boat. On the path, she encounters Nazi soldiers and their dogs, but she musters up all her courage and convinces them that she is just a silly girl bringing lunch to her forgetful uncle. Annemarie delivers the packet, and in so doing, helps save the lives of the people on the boat.

When the war is over, the Danes celebrate in the streets while Annemarie, more mature and aware of the world around her, reflects on the events of the past few years. She realizes that the world is a much-changed place and in her realization, she too has changed. She learns the truth about the death of her sister, and of Peter. In a final moment of symbolic solidarity, Annemarie decides to wear Ellens Star of David necklace until Ellen returns home.

Pre-Reading Activities

The Holocaust is a highly sensitive topic that may be deeply troubling to students. We encourage you to support your students exploration of this topic with meaningful, age-appropriate resources. We recommend setting aside a significant amount of time for discussion during this unit to allow students to process their emotional reactions in a safe, supportive environment.

Research has shown that reading comprehension is greatly enhanced when students activate their prior knowledge before beginning to read.

The goals of pre-reading activities are to:

Bridge the gap between student and literature

Activate existing prior knowledge

Evaluate what is already known about a topic

Add pertinent background information

Uncover and correct misperceptions

Develop a personal point of entry into the text

Create a need or desire to discover more

Increase motivation

For all of these reasons, it is critical to invest time in pre-reading activities. The following activities are designed to meet these needs and to prepare students to reach a higher level of understanding and enjoyment of the literature.

K-W-L The Holocaust

This pre-reading activity will help activate students existing schemata, evaluate what is already known and uncover biases and misperceptions. This can be a whole class or small group activity. Divide a piece of flip chart paper into three columns labeled: Know, Want to know and Learned. Ask students to record in the first column what they already know about the Holocaust, and what they want to know about the Holocaust in column two. Be sure to return to this chart at the conclusion of the book to complete column three with what they learned. Based on what students already know about the Holocaust, you may decide to spend more or less time building their background knowledge in this area. There may also be misperceptions that need to be clarified.

Jewish Culture Celebration

Plan a day to introduce and celebrate the rich culture of the Jewish people. The following aspects of the Jewish culture are particularly relevant to Number the Stars: Star of David, Rosh Hashanah, the Sabbath, Synagogue and the Hebrew language. You can draw on a wide variety of resources to make this day meaningful for your students. You may want to set up a miniature festival in your room with different stations focusing on different aspects of the Jewish culture. In your cultural exploration, you may wish to include food, holidays, fairy tales, music, Hebrew language and prayers.

Mini Lesson: Exploring Nonfiction

What you might say: Before we begin this novel we need to know some background about the Holocaust. As you already know reading non-fiction texts require very different skills than reading fiction texts. In order to read non-fiction texts it is important to be very active readers. Sometimes teachers give you guiding questions that you are always trying to answer as you read, which can help you be active. If you do not have those questions you can create your own. In order to help them continually check their own understanding, readers of non-fiction come up with big idea questions on their own. I often do this by looking at the title of the book, the title of the chapters and the headings and subheadings non-fiction texts so often offer. As you read those ask yourself the following questions:

Do I know what the word(s) in the title/heading mean?

After reading what do I know about the event, person, idea, etc. mentioned in the title/heading?

Have I pulled out the important information in each of these sections, enough so that I would be able to tell a neighbor, in my own words, what the section was about?

If you cannot answer the above questions you will want to go back and reread to clarify. Occasionally you may even need to consult another resource to gain a better understanding.

Journal/Discussion: What are some of the big questions I should be answering as I read?

Research The Holocaust

Divide students into small groups and give each group a research topic from the list below. Review with your students the five W questions and ask them to gather information from nonfiction sources that will enable them to answer these questions about their topic. When students have finished their research, provide time for them to present their information to the class. You may want to provide any critical information they have missed or correct any critical misunderstanding. If you did the K-W-L activity, you can return to it now and add in information in the Learned column.

Possible Research Topics may include Hitler, Nazi Occupation, Resistance Movement in Denmark from 1940-1945, the Holocaust, Nazism and the geography of WWII Europe.

Geography of WWII Europe

After students have located a map of Europe during WWII have them remake the map so Denmark is in the center and the proximity to the other countries is clearly delineated. They do not have to fit the entire countries of Germany and Norway on their maps. They should color-code the map to reflect Nazi-occupied countries during 1943. These maps should be displayed on the wall as a visual aid while reading the story. You can also use them to track the route taken by the Johansens.

Chapter 1: Why Are You Running? Summary

Pages 1-10*: On their way home from school, Annemarie, Kirsti and Ellen Rosen are abruptly stopped and interrogated by a Nazi SS officer. Both Mrs. Johansen and Mrs. Rosen are alarmed by the event. These are difficult times in Denmark; the country is occupied by Nazis and daily essentials such as butter and sugar have not been available for a long time.

* Please note that the page numbers in this guide refer to the Houghton Mifflin Company hardcover edition, 1989

Teacher Suggestion

There is a dramatic shift in mood when Annemarie turns the corner and comes face to face with the two Nazis. You might want to emphasize this shift when reading aloud by shouting the word, Halte! or dropping a heavy object on the floor to startle your class.


What mood does the author create at the start of the chapter and how is it different from the mood at the end of the chapter? Identify the points at which the mood shifts in the chapter. {Close Read}

What does Annemaries reaction to the soldiers tell you about the situation in Denmark and about the relationship between the soldiers and the Danes?

What is the difference between what Annemarie thinks about the soldiers and what she actually says to them? How would you describe her attitude?

Why do you think the neighborhood woman was, standing silently watching while Annemarie was being questioned by the soldiers?

Why did the shopkeeper move, quietly back into the shadows of the doorway, out of sight when Annemarie was being questioned by the soldiers?

Why do you think Ellen stayed back when Annemarie was being questioned by the soldiers? If you were Annemarie, how would you have reacted? {Dialogue Journal}

How does Kirsti respond and react to soldiers? Why does she react this way?

Why do Ellen and Annemarie decide not to tell their parents about their experience with the soldiers? Do you agree or disagree with their decision?

How do the Danes get their news now that the Nazis have occupied Denmark and have control of all the media? {Key Question}

Why do the Johansens burn the newspaper as soon as they have read it? {Key Question}

Why do the Danes have a Resistance Movement? What is the purpose and function of the Resistance? Do you think they are right in what they are doing? Explain. {Key Question}

Vocabulary: (CCSS: L4A, RL4)

Civilized (p. 1) refined

Rucksack (p. 1) backpack

Skirted (p. 2) moved around outside of something

Halte (p. 2) command used to make somebody stop

Contempt (p. 3) attitude of utter disgust or hatred

Sneering (p. 3) feeling or showing scorn

Defiantly (p. 4) disobediently

Obstinate (p. 4) stubborn

Trudged (p. 6) walked wearily

Incident (p. 7) event

Edgy (p. 7) intense

Sabotage (p. 8) action to hinder

Industrial (p. 8) relating to or involving manufacturing

Impassive (p. 10) devoid of feeling

Fostering Independent Vocabulary Learning: Using a Dictionary

Remind students that while they should always use context clues as an aid in understanding new words, there might be words whose meaning they cannot discover out of context. In addition, they might want to gain a more precise meaning of the word whose general meaning they derived from the reading. In these cases, they should be encouraged to get in the habit of using a dictionary.

Toward that end, ask students to find the vocabulary words in the text and write down an educated guess about each words meaning. Then ask students to find each word in the dictionary and write down the meaning most appropriate to its context in the story. You may wish to do the first one or two together to remind students of the following: locate words through alphabetical order, use the pronunciation key, use guide words, identify the correct entry for different word forms, and determine which of several definitions is correct.

Developing Vocabulary Knowledge: Semantic Mapping

Have students work independently or in teams to organize the vocabulary words into groups based on categories that relate to the story. It may be helpful to have students write the vocabulary words on Post-it Notes, so that categories can be easily changed through discussion or debate. This activity can be continued throughout the novel. Students should be encouraged to change or create categories as they interact with new vocabulary words from the novel.

CCSS: RL2, RL4, RL5, W4, SL1CMini Lesson: Visualization

What you might say: As you begin reading this book you will find that the author gives a great deal of description to help you visualize the setting and events in the beginning of the story. To be able to put yourself in the characters shoes and really feel the emotions they are feeling, you may want to occasionally stop and truly try to visualize all that the author is giving you. Having the background knowledge from the research we have done as a class will really help you to visualize. Effective authors make this job easy for the reader by providing us with a great deal of description, and good readers take the time to utilize this information.

Journal/Discussion:

1. Draw scenes from the book and share the different visions each person had.

2. Discuss the feelings you had as you put yourself in the characters shoes.

3. Notice the way in which the author provided you with the details necessary to visualize.

Activities to Extend Comprehension and Relate Literature to LifeExperiencing the Invasion

Gather a collection of video clips depicting Nazi occupation and invasion. You may want to consider scenes from documentaries, clips from the internet and sections of films such as Triumph of the Will or Sound of Music. Use the clips to help students understand life in the countries occupied by Nazi Germany.

Chapter 2: Who is the Man Who Rides Past? Summary

Pages 11-17: As they lie in their bed, Annemarie tells Kirsti a bedtime story about a king, a queen and a princess, but Annemaries thoughts take her to the real king of Denmark, Christian X, who is so beloved by his people that, any Danish citizen would die to protect him. Annemarie recalls the reasons why King Christian surrendered to the Nazis. Her thoughts then take her to her sister, Lise, who died several years ago, and to Peter, the man who was to be Lises husband. Annemarie falls asleep aware of how much people have changed since the Nazi occupation.


In regards to King Christian X, a Danish boy remarks, all of Denmark is his bodyguard. What does this mean? {Close Read}

Why didnt Denmark fight the Nazis? Do you agree with Denmarks decision not to fight? Explain. {Dialogue Journal}

What other countries were defeated by the Nazis? Compare the size of Denmark with the size of these other countries.

Which country had not been conquered by the Nazis?

Annemarie compares the fairy tale king to the real King Christian X. How is King Christian X different?

Papa says that any Danish citizen would die for King Christian X in order to protect him. Do you know anyone else who has died for something they believe in? Is this courageous? {Key Question}


Suitable (p. 12) right for purpose

Dim (p. 13) not well lit

Solemn (p. 13) having or showing no joy or humor

Crocheting (p. 14) type of knitting

Trousseau (p. 14) bridal clothes and linen

Intricate (p. 14) with many parts artfully combined

Mourned (p. 16) expressed sadness

Fianc (p. 17) engaged to be married to

CCSS: RL2, RL5, W4, SLC1Mini Lesson: Characterization- Static v. Dynamic

What you might say: We have learned a great deal about how authors develop characters through dialogue, action and internal thought. Today I want to teach you about two specific types of characters an author might choose to portray in their stories. They are static and dynamic characters. (See definitions below)

In a story, a dynamic character is someone who undergoes an important, internal change because of the action in the plot. Ebenezer Scrooge, from Charles Dickenss A Christmas Carol, is a classic example. When we first meet him, he is mean, bitter, and avaricious. As a result of his experiences with the three ghosts, he becomes generous, kind and beloved.

A static character is one whose personality does not change throughout the events in the story's plot. For example, the evil stepmother in the fairytale, Cinderella, is manipulative and cruel at the beginning of the story, and continues to be an evil character the close of the story.

As we read Number the Stars, you want to be aware of the characters and be noticing how the events in their lives change or do not change them as people.

Journal/Discussion: Use a characterization chart to keep track of the characters traits throughout the book. Occasionally reference it to notice any changes. (You may even want to assign one group the job of being the character detectives. They will remind the class to look for this as they notice it happening in this or other books.)

See Appendix Chapter 2 Mini Lesson for handout

Activities to Extend Comprehension and Relate Literature to LifeKing for a Day

In pairs, have one student play the role of the King of Denmark and one students play the role of the King of Norway. Ask students to role play a scene where the two kings meet to discuss their reasons for making their respective decisions about fighting Germany.

The Royal Parade

As a critical viewing activity, have students look at pictures of King Christian X and make observations about his character based on the photos. You may want to present students with pictures of other royalty or political figures, contemporary or historical, and have them complete the same task. Discuss with students the importance of loyalty to the crown in some countries such as Denmark or England. Also discuss the differences between a king or queen and an elected official like a president. Have students compare their analysis of King Christian X from the photos with what they learn about him from the text. {Resources}

Chapter 3:Where is Mrs. Hirsch? Summary

Pages 18-26: Mrs. Johansen sends Annemarie to Mrs. Hirschs button shop to replace a button on Kirstis winter coat. Annemarie returns and informs her mother that the shop is closed and that a swastika and a sign written in German are hanging on the door. This news deeply worries Mrs. Johansen, who quickly goes to talk to Mrs. Rosen. That night, Peter pays a visit to the Johansen household and informs them that many Jewish-owned stores have been ordered closed. Annemarie realizes the danger that the Jews face and remarks that Denmark must now protect the Jews.


Why is Mrs. Johansen worried when she learns that Mrs. Hirsch is not in the shop?

How is Annemarie sure that the sign on Mrs. Hirschs shop is written in German?

Why do you think Mrs. Johansen runs to see Mrs. Rosen when she learns that Mrs. Hirsch is missing?

Why do you think Peter visits the Johansens so late at night?

What gifts does Peter bring to the Johansens?

Who do you think has imposed the curfew on Copenhagen?

What do you think would happen to Peter if the Nazis found out that he went out after curfew? Is going out after curfew a courageous act? {Key Question}

What does Annemarie learn about the closing of shops in Copenhagen?

What does Annemarie realize about the Rosens that puts them in danger?

Annemarie says, All of Denmark must be a body guard for the Jews (p. 25). {Close Read} What do you think she means by this? Where in the book have you heard this before? Do you think it will be difficult for Denmark to protect the Jews? Why? {Key Question}

Why will the winter be particularly difficult for the Danes? How are they preparing for the winter?

Annemarie questions her ability to die for someone else. Have you ever protected someone who was being bullied or picked on? What made you stand up for that person? {Dialogue Journal}

Has anyone ever protected you or stood up for you when you were being picked on? How did that make you feel? {Key Question}


Dawdled (p. 18) moved slowly; wasted time

Dim (p. 19) not well lit

Haughtily (p. 19) behaving in a superior or arrogant way

Kroner (p. 20) money

Sarcastically (p. 21) mockingly

Curfew (p. 22) restriction on peoples movement

Torment (p. 24) inflicts pain on somebody; torture

Drawn (p. 24) tired-looking and haggard

Cocoon (p. 26) something that provides protection or a sense of safety

CCSS: RL1, RL4, W4, SL1C, L5AMini Lesson: Symbols and Symbolism

What you might say: Authors use symbols throughout their story to provide meaning to the reader. Some symbols an author uses are not explicit; instead you have to infer what they are symbolizing. As we continue reading this book I want you to pay close attention to the Star of David necklace Ellen wears. As we continue to read we will focus on what the symbolism behind that necklace might be (hope, faith friendship, etc.)

Journal/Discussion: Discuss other symbols students can think of in their day to day life. Consider discussing common symbols used in literature and their possible meanings. You may even hold up images of the symbols mentioned below and see what thoughts and ideas the students have around each one.

Examples:

1. Dove: peace

2. Spring: youth, birth, life

3. Water: birth, rebirth

4. Eagle: freedom, liberty, strength

5. Rose: love, beauty

6. Crown: wealth, royalty

7. Sunrise: new start, beginning

Activities to Extend Comprehension and Relate Literature to LifeSymbolic Design

Have students create symbols or logos to express the following emotions and ideas:

Fear

Happiness

Anger

Danger

Hatred

Peace

Courage

You may want to present students with the different symbols cultures across the world use for one or more of these ideas.

Pen Pal

Have students write a letter from Annemarie to an imaginary friend in Sweden explaining what is happening to her country.

History and Meaning of the Swastika:

In this chapter we read about the swastika being left on the door of Mrs. Hirschs button shop door. The swastika was used as a Nazi symbol during this time. Prior to being used as a symbol of Nazi Germany, the swastika was used by many cultures to represent positive ideas such as life, sun, strength and good luck. Have students research what the swastika has meant to different people at different times. How does a symbol have meaning? How does the meaning of symbols change? Do you know any other symbols that currently represent ideas different from the original meaning? {Resources}

Max Connection

Before she goes to bed, Annemarie says that she is, glad to be an ordinary person who would never be called upon for courage (p. 26). How do you think Max would respond to Annemarie? Can an ordinary person be courageous? How?

Chapter 4:It Will Be a Long Night Summary

Pages 27-38: While the Rosens are in synagogue celebrating the Jewish New Year, they learn that the Nazis are planning to take all the Danish Jews away that night and relocate them. In order to protect the Rosens, Ellen will spend the night with the Johansens while her parents go elsewhere.


Why must the Rosens suddenly leave? Why will Ellen stay with the Johansens?

What special holiday are the Rosens preparing for? What does this holiday involve? What is the significance of this holiday? {Resources}

One night the Johansens saw the sky ablaze with light. Kirsti believes it was the result of fireworks for her birthday. What was actually happening? Why?

Why do you think Mama lied to Kirsti about the fireworks? Do you think she should have told her the truth? Why?

Do you think King Christian X made the right decision to destroy his own fleet? Was this decision cowardly or courageous? {Key Question} {Dialogue Journal}

Why did Mr. Johansen say he was, proud to have three daughters again? {Close Read}

What words, event and descriptions in this chapter create a mood of danger?

How does Annemarie feel about the Jewish religion? Cite evidence from the book to support your answer.

What do the Johansens know about the current situation in Denmark? What dont they know?


Sprawled (p. 27) sat or lying in disordered way

Sophisticated (p.27) knowledgeable and cultured

Exasperated (p. 28} angry

Disdainfully (p. 29) in a manner of looking down on somebody or something

Designated (p. 30) chosen for a particular purpose or position

Belligerently (p. 31) hostile or aggressively

Submerged (p. 32) to have plunged something in liquid

Awed (p. 33) mixture of wonder and dread

Tense (p. 33) worried and nervous

Dismay (p. 34) feeling of discouragement

Dubiously (p. 34) unsure of outcome

Congregation (p. 35) group of worshippers

CCSS: RL1, RL5, W4, SL1CMini Lesson: Cause and Effect

What you might say: In a story characters often react to a situation. We can look at this as a cause and effect relationship. For example, I am out of food so I will go to the grocery store. The cause is I am out of food the effect or action I take is I will go to the grocery store. Understanding this relationship is very useful when reading non-fiction texts. Events in history follow this organization as do actions or reactions in science. In fiction or historical fiction it is also helpful to recognize this organization. When you understand cause and effect, you are much better to prepared to predict an action a character will take, or understand why a character took a particular action. As we know when we predict, we are being active readers, and being active readers helps us to understand and remember the events in a story.

Journal/Discussion: Create a T-chart on cause and effect in your journal. Begin filling in one event and its cause for each chapter which can briefly be discussed as a group during Literature Circles.


Activities to Extend Comprehension and Relate Literature to LifeDear Diary

Write about the way in a diary entry from Kirstis point of view. How does she see the war?

Editorial

Write or present a television or newspaper editorial in which you defend or criticize King Christian X for blowing up his fleet.

Experiential Learning: Theme of Relocation

The following activity may bring up strong emotions in your students. Be sure to schedule ample time for discussion after the activity. You may choose one of three variations of this activity. Make your decision based on what you feel is most meaningful and appropriate for your students.

1. Choose a group of students according to an arbitrary characteristic (i.e., all students wearing stripes)

Variation 1: Ask the group of students to stay or sit in a separate part of the room. Do not tell them why they are being separated. Insist that they remain in the corner. Carry on your lesson as planned. Watch for how this variation brings out resistance as well as fear.

Variation 2: Send the group of students to a disciplinary administrators office. Let this administrator know you are doing this. This person should treat these students like any other students who might be sent to his/her office. He or she should ask the students why they were sent there and doubt them when they insist that they do not know.

Variation 3: Arrange with a school security guard from the school to take this group of students out of the room. Do not tell the students why they are being called out. Have the guard sit with the students in the principals office. Students should not be told what is going on.

2. After a brief period of time (5-10 minutes) the group of students should rejoin the rest of the class. Discuss:

Why did you think you were being singled out?

What did it feel like to be separated from the rest of the class?

Did you do anything about the situation?

Did you talk about what was going on with other people in the group?

Encourage the students to consider how they would have felt if different figures of authority were present. For example, what if students brought to the administrators office were brought to the principals office? The superintendents office? What if a police officer was present during the separating of the groups? What if a police officer stayed in class while the separated group was taken to another location? Would students be more or less likely to question the process? Would students be more or less afraid?

How did the people who were not separated behave? How did they feel? What were they thinking about? Did they want to know why the students were being asked to leave?

Can anyone figure out on what basis these students were chosen?

How is this situation similar to and different from the relocation of the Jews during the Holocaust?

Chapter 5:Who is the Dark-Haired One? Summary

Pages 39-49: In the middle of the night, Ellen and Annemarie are awakened by Nazi soldiers pounding on the front door. Peeking through a crack in the bedroom door, the girls learn that the Nazis are looking for the Rosens and demanding to search the house. Just before the soldier barges into the girls room, Annemarie yanks off the Star of David necklace that Ellen is wearing. Mr. Johansen convinces the Nazis that Ellen is his daughter and the Nazis leave.


At the beginning of the chapter, Annemarie says the Nazis are always threatening stuff. They just like to scare people. Can you think of examples of this from this chapter and others?

What happened to Lise?

What necklace was Ellen wearing? What does it symbolize? Why was it so important to take it off when the soldiers came? {Close Read} {Resources}

Why do the Nazis suspect that Ellen might not belong to the family?

Why did Mr. Johansen rip the photo out of the album?

What was the scariest part of the chapter for you? What words made you feel scared? What did the author do to make you feel scared? {Dialogue Journal}

Do you think the conflict between the Nazis and the Johansens was resolved peacefully? Did the Johansens have any other options?


Imperious (p. 39) arrogant

Gesture (p. 39) action communicating something

Intoned (p. 39) to have said something in solemn tone

Contentedly (p. 43) happy and satisfied

Holstered (p. 44) put a gun into its holster

Harsh (p. 44) difficult to endure

Winced (p. 47) made a pained expression

Sneer (p. 47) to feel or show scorn

Unwavering (p. 48) steady and firm in purpose

CCSS: RL5, W4, SL1C

Mini Lesson: Climax

What you might say: We have discussed the structure of a story plot. You know that the conflict leads up to the height or climax of the story and then drops to the resolution. As a reader you always want to be anticipating the climax and recognize it when you get there. We are only in chapter 5, yet there are some exciting things happening in this story.

As we read this fictional story it is important to understand that authors have a system to the way they write. They have a plot or structure to their story. When we understand this structure we have a much better chance of understanding the story. We can be looking for specific elements in the story. The elements of a plot are as follows:

Exposition: The start of the story, the setting, before the action starts

Rising Action: Series of events and conflicts that set the stage for the climax

Climax: The turning point, the most intense moment

Falling Action: All of the events that follow the climax

Resolution: Conclusion, ending, tying together all of the pieces

Journal/Discussion: Do you think we have reached the climax yet? Why or why not? If so, why do you think the author would put the climax so close to the beginning of the story?


Activities to Extend Comprehension and Relate Literature to LifeCourageous Characters

Many characters have shown courage in the last two chapters. Describe how one of the following characters has faced danger, and how he or she managed this danger. Consider: Mrs. Johansen, Mr. Johansen, Annemarie, Ellen, Mrs. and Mr. Rosen.

Authors Craft {Close Read}

When Lise died, Annemarie had thought that the rain, made it seem as if the whole world was crying (p. 41). Ask students to think about and discuss in small groups what this might mean.

Chapter 6:Is the Weather Good for Fishing?Summary

Pages 50-59: The situation for the Jews in Denmark is much worse than anyone had imagined. The Johansens decide that Mrs. Johansen will take the girls to see her brother, Henrik, who is a fisherman on the coast. Mr. Johansen calls Henrik on the phone and Annemarie thinks they are speaking in code. She then realizes that her father is talking about Ellen. Although they encounter a Nazi on the train, Mrs. Johansen and the girls arrive safely in Gilleleje.


Why do you think Ellen values her education? How do you know this?

After the night raid, Mrs. and Mr. Johansen grow more concerned that Ellen may be discovered. What do they decide to do?

Why is Mr. Johansen talking in code?

When Mr. Johansen and Uncle Henrik are talking about the carton of cigarettes, what are they really talking about?

How does Annemarie figure out that her father is talking in code?

How do the soldiers try to pick on Mama when she is on the train?

What is the mood when they arrive in Gilleleje? {Close Read}

Do you think it is possible to go on a vacation or get away from violence during a war? Why or why not? {Dialogue Journal}

Why is Gilleleje special? {Key Question}

On the train Annemarie says the Nazi soldiers are everywhere. Where have we seen them in the story so far? Where might you expect them to appear next in the story?

Is Mrs. Johansen escorting Ellen on the train a courageous act? Why or why not? {Key Question}

How did this chapter make you feel? Why? {Dialogue Journal}


Suspicious (p. 50) suggesting doubt

Tentatively (p. 50) uncertain

Eased (p. 50) caused something to become less strong or intense

Reluctantly (p. 52) not eager

Distorted (p. 55) to have made something unclear or unrecognizable

Sprawling (p. 56) sit or lie awkwardly

Massive (p. 56) bulky

Exasperation (p. 57) anger

Skirted (p. 58) moved around the outside of something

CCSS: RL1, SL1C, W4Mini Lesson: Symbolism in the Title

What you might say: In Chapter 3 we discussed the use of symbolism. What do you think the necklace the Ellen wore could symbolize? What did ripping it off symbolize? Now that we have a deeper understanding of the story I want you to think back to the title, as we discussed when reading non-fiction. What is Lowry referring to in the title Number the Stars? What or who are the stars, and why are they being numbered? Again the author is using symbolism to make you think in a different way about a topic. In order to understand the symbolism you must have a strong understanding of the concepts in the book.

Journal/Discussion: Focus on the meaning of the title in both journal writing and discussions.

*Encourage students to use symbolism in their own writing.

Activities to Extend Comprehension and Relate Literature to LifeX Marks the Spot

Using a map of Denmark, track the route taken by Mrs. Johansen, Annemarie, Ellen and Kirsti on their way to Uncle Henriks house. Calculate the distance between Uncle Henriks house and Sweden. Equate that information to a distance in your community. {Resources}

Chapter 7:The House by the Sea Summary

Pages 60-66: At the Danish coast, the girls are in awe of the spectacular beauty of the landscape. Annemarie and Ellen look across the channel toward Sweden and imagine two Swedish standing on the Swedish coast looking toward Denmark. The girls play quietly, but Mrs. Johansen warns them to stay away from all people while they are there. That night, Ellen misses her parents and wonders where they are. Annemarie recalls happier times as she listens to her mother and Uncle Henrik speaking.


Why hasnt Ellen been to the ocean?

How does Ellens mother feel about the ocean?

Why do you think Mrs. Johansen wants the girls to stay away from people while they are at Uncle Henriks? Why do you think this?

How is this night at Uncle Henriks different than other nights for Annemarie? What changes has she noticed? {Close Read}

What has Annemarie done with Ellens necklace? Why do you think she has done this?

Do you have a piece of jewelry or a treasure that is very special to you? How would you feel if you had to entrust it to someone else for safe keeping? {Dialogue Journal}


Awe (p.60) mixture of wonder and dread

Gnarled (p. 60) knotted and twisted

Hazy (p. 62) visually obscured

Wade (p. 63) walk through

Darted (p. 64) move swiftly

Appliqud (p. 65) decoration made by attaching small pieces of cloth

Tidy (p. 65) neat in appearance

CCSS: RL1, SL1C, W4Mini Lesson: Diverse Set of Characters

What you might say: In order to make stories more interesting, to create more opportunity for conflict as well as to give readers more opportunities to connect with the story authors include a variety of characters in their writing. In this book there are many different types of characters beyond simply the protagonists and the antagonists. There are characters who are victims, characters who are helpers, characters who are brave, characters who are logical and characters who act on emotion. It is likely that you connect with one character more than others. It is also likely that you can think of someone in your life that is like one or more of the characters. Authors do this to add complexity to their stories.

Journal/Discussion: Have students focus on who they are most like. Make a graph charting which characters the students in your class relate to the most. When doing this activity encourage students to focus on personality traits rather than physical characteristics. Students should defend their reasoning in their Literature Circles.


Imagine you are Ellen, suddenly separated from your family, in a strange home, unsure of where your parents are, or if they are safe. Write a journal entry describing your feelings about your situation.

Message in a Bottle

Ask students to pretend they are Ellen and Annemarie standing on the shore looking toward Sweden. They find a bottle on the shore and decide to send a message to Sweden. With a partner, have students compose the letter they would write.

Change of Scene

This chapter presents a change in scenery and mood; it is quiet and somber, but there is underlying tension. Ask students to use the information in the text to identify some of the fears below the surface.

Guided Visualization: A Place to Escape to

Ask the class to close their eyes and imagine that they have to escape from their city during a time of war. Ask them to imagine the answers to the following questions: Where would you go? What does this place look like? What colors do you see? Is it light or dark? Are you inside or outside? What sounds do you hear? What smells do you smell? What are you feeling? Who is with you? What is going on around you?

Chapter 8:There Has Been a Death Summary

Pages 67-73: Ellen and Annemarie spend the next day playing outdoors. That evening, Annemarie hears her mother and Uncle Henrik talking in a coded language again. Annemarie is told that her great-aunt Birte has died and that she will be laid out in the house that night. Annemarie has never heard of this aunt, and although she is certain she never existed, she does not say anything.


What name has Kirsti given to the kitten? Why does Annemarie think this is so funny?

What is different about breakfast at Uncle Henriks and breakfast in Copenhagen?

What do Ellen and Annemarie do together on this day?

Henrik says, Tomorrow will be a good day for fishing. Does he really mean this? What do you think he really means? How do you know? {Close Read}

Where is Uncle Henrik going to sleep this night? Does this seem normal?

What are some of the problems with Uncle Henriks house? {Key Question}

Why is Annemarie confused about the news of Aunt Birtes death? What do you think is really going on? {Dialogue Journal}


Haze (p. 67) vague obscuring factor

Pitcher (p. 69) single-handed jug

Ruefully (p. 69) regretful

Darted (p. 69) fast movement

Specter (p. 69) unpleasant prospect

Gesturing (p. 69) body movement

Timidly (p. 70) unassertive

Scampered (p. 70) run playfully

Bouquets (p. 70) bunch of flowers

Untidy (p. 70) not neat

Mock dismay (p. 71)

To lie at anchor (p.72)

Arched (p. 72) curved structure

CCSS: RL1, RL6, W4, SL1DMini Lesson: Point of View

What you might say: Authors often tell stories from different points of view. Point of view is the way the author allows you to "see" and "hear" the action in the text. Skillful authors can fix their readers' attention on exactly the detail, opinion or emotion the author wants to emphasize by manipulating the point of view of the story. There are three types of point of view:

First-person point of view is in use when a character narrates the story. This type of perspective is easy to recognize because the character will use I-me-my-mine in his or her speech. The advantage of this point of view is that you get to hear the thoughts of the narrator and see the world depicted in the story through his or her eyes. However, remember that no narrator, like no human being, has complete self-knowledge or, for that matter, complete knowledge of anything. Therefore, the reader's role is to go beyond what the narrator says.

Second-person point of view, in which the author uses you and your, is rare; authors seldom speak directly to the reader. Most times, second-person point of view draws the reader into the story, almost making the reader a participant in the action.

Third-person point of view is that of an outsider looking at the action. The writer may choose third-person omniscient, in which the thoughts of every character are open to the reader, or third- person limited, in which the reader enters only one characters mind, either throughout the entire work or in a specific section. Third-person limited differs from first-person because the author's voice, not the character's voice, is what you hear in the descriptive passages.

Number the Stars is told in third-person limited point of view through the mind of Annemarie.

Journal/Discussion: How do you think the story would differ if it was told from the point of view of Ellen or Kirsti, etc.?

Chapter 9:Why Are You Lying? Summary

Pages 74-81: Still curious about who Aunt Birte is, Annemarie confronts her Uncle Henrik and asks him why she is being lied to. Uncle Henrik explains to Annemarie that sometimes it is easier to be brave when you do not know everything. Uncle Henrik admits that there is not Aunt Birte, and although Uncle Henrik does not explain anything else to Annemarie, this information makes her feel older. The hearse arrives and soon after many people come to the house. Among them are Peter and Mrs. and Mr. Rosen.


Who is the God of Thunder in this chapter?

How does Annemarie know that Uncle Henrik and he rmother are lying to her?

What reason does Uncle Henrik give to Annemarie for lying? Does Annemarie agree with his reasons? Do you agree with his reasons? Why? {Key Question}

What arrives at Uncle Henriks house?

Why doesnt Annemarie tell Ellen the truth about the casket?

Who arrives at the house as darkness begins to set in?

How does Mama understand that Annemarie knows what is going on?

Why have all these people arrived at Uncle Henriks house?

What clues make Annemarie believe this is not an ordinary mourning ceremony?

Why does Ellen utter a, sharp, low cry? {Close Read}

Have you ever had to lie to protect yourself or someone else? Is it okay to lie to protect yourself? Have you ever been lied to? How did it make you feel? {Dialogue Journal}


Alertly (p. 74) attentively; watchfully

Poised (p 74) steady in readiness

Deftly (p. 75) skillfully

Pulse (p. 75) rhythmic beat

Frothy (p. 75) foamy

Affectionately (p.75) feeling or showing love

Dismayed (p. 76) loss of courage

Cocked (p. 76) tilted position

Hearse (p. 77) vehicle used to carry a coffin

Mourning (p. 77) feeling or showing sadness

Gleaming (p. 78) bright and clean looking

Reluctantly (p. 78) unwillingly

Sulking (p. 78) bad-tempered silence

Trudged (p. 78) slow weary steps

Gnarled (p. 80) knotted and twisted

Urgency (p. 81) pressing importance

Activities to Extend Comprehension and Relate Literature to Life Aunt Birtes Funeral

Have students illustrated the scene in the living room when all the guests have gathered around the casket. Encourage students to work closely with the text to find information about the characters in the room.

Metaphor Practice

Lois Lowry uses a metaphor to describe the cow: Blossom looked up and moved her wrinkled mouth like an old woman adjusting her teeth (p. 74). Ask students to create metaphors to describe the behavior of another animal.

Max Connection

Uncle Henrik explains to Annemarie, It is much easier to be brave if you do not know everything. Ask students to reflect on this statement and on what they think Max would say in response to this statement. Have students write the dialogue that Max and Uncle Henrik would have about courage if they were to meet.

Chapter 10:Let Us Open the Casket Summary

Pages 82-87: After everyone arrives, Uncle Henrik leaves to spend the night on his fishing boat and the mourners sit quietly around the coffin. During the vigil, the Nazis arrive and demand to see what is inside the casket, but Mrs. Johansen is able to dissuade them from opening the lid. After the Nazis leave, Peter reads a psalm and then opens the lid of the casket.


Who is in the living room? Why are they sitting around?

Annemarie refers to a recurring nightmare. What is she talking about?

How do the Nazis try to intimidate the Danes? What examples do we have of their cruelty? {Key Question}

Why does Annemarie find is hard to be brave? {Key Question}

At one point, Peter reaches slowly with one hand toward his side. What do you think he is doing?

How does Mama react when the Nazis suggest opening the casket? Does her behavior remind you of any other character?

How does Mama trick the soldiers? Can you think of other times when she has been clever?

When Peter was reading the psalm, how may it have given strength and courage to those who were listening? {Key Question}

Why do you think the book is called Number the Stars? {Key Question} {Close Read}


Surge (p. 82) increase suddenly

Recurring (p. 83) repeated

Staccato (p. 83) quick and clipped

Custom (p. 84)

Gleamed (p. 84) shine brightly

Condescending (p. 84) snobby

Coffin (p. 85) box for corpse

Typhus (p. 85) infectious fever

Linger (p. 85) wait around

Staggered (p. 85) to move unsteadily

Diseased (p. 85) specific disorder

Spattered (p. 86) splash with liquid

Mantel (p. 86) fireplace frame

Random (p. 86) without pattern

Psalms (p. 86) biblical book

Gradually (p. 87) happening slowly

Cruel (p. 87) merciless

CCSS: RL1, RL5, W4, SL1CMini Lesson: Suspense

What you might say: In this chapter there is a great deal of suspense. Authors use mood and foreshadowing in order to build the suspense or anticipation of something happening. We have listened to Annemaries thoughts about what is going on, there have been many secretive, coded conversations and now finally the Nazis are in the room with them. Will they make them open the casket and what would be there if they did? I want to teach you today that suspense along with conflict and characterization is another way that authors draw their readers in.

Journal/Discussion: What mood did the author set? Did you notice any foreshadowing? Going back to previous lessons what part of the story do you think is the climax?


Have students write a journal entry from Ellens point of view. What is she thinking and feeling? What are her fears?

Uncovering Symbolism

Read the psalm Genesis 15:2. Discuss the symbolism of the psalm and the title of the book with your class. Some ideas to consider:

Hitler required Jews to wear the Star of David so they could be easily identifiable;

At concentration camps Jews were tattooed with identification numbers; and

The expansiveness of trying to save all the Jews and the expansiveness of the stars in the sky.

You might present the following quotation to students and ask them to consider the title in light of it: I looked up to the sky, I saw the stars, and I counted each star one of my family.

Hellmuth Szpycer

{Resources}

Chapter 11:Will We See You Again Soon, Peter?Summary

Pages 88-94: Peters distributes the blankets and clothing that were in the casket to the people who have gathered at the house. A small baby is given a drug to make it sleep. Peter hands a packet to Mr. Rosen and explains that is it critical that Henrik receive this packet. Peter takes one group of people to the boat and then Mrs. Johansen takes another group. Although no one has said as much, Annemarie realizes that Uncle Henrik is helping the Jews escape to Sweden.


Why was the funeral a good cover-up?

Where are the Rosens going?

Given what we know now about Gallileje, why is it so special?

What special preparations are made for the baby? Why?

Annemarie reflects that Peter, had moved beyond his own youth and taken his place in the world of adults. What does this mean? Can you think of any examples? {Close Read}

Has there ever been a time in your life when, like Peter, you had to take on adult responsibilities? What roles and duties did you take on? How did you feel about this? {Dialogue Journal}

What is pride? What are potential sources of pride? What does Annemarie learn about pride?

Annemarie reflects, So there were other sources, too, of pride, and they had not left everything behind. What was still with them? What do you think this means? {Key Question}

What are you proud of? {Dialogue Journal}


Peering (p.88) to look at

Rummaging (p. 88) to search through

Encased (p. 89) to enclose in

Fluttered (p. 89) to wave or flap in an irregular manner

Assembled (p. 90) put components together

Protruding (p. 91) jut out

Puzzled (p. 91) confused

Contained (p. 91) have something within

Gestured (p. 91) body movement

Merriment (p. 91) cheerfulness, happiness

Godspeed (p. 93) wishes for safe journey

Commotion (p. 91) noisy confusion

Adjusting (p. 91)change something slightly

CCSS: RL1, RL2, RL4, W4, SL1DMini Lesson: Inferring

What you might say: As readers we have used inferences to help us understand a story. Today I want to point out to you that because the author is telling the story through the limited third person perspective we can see how the author can help us infer through the clues given to Annemarie throughout the story. As readers we are working with Annemarie to infer that Uncle Henrik is assisting the Jews as they escape to Sweden. The author points out the clues to us through Annemarie and informs us of Annemaries suspicions to help guide us to the correct inference as well. Lowry really wants to make sure we understand what is happening in his story.

Journal/Discussion: Did you notice that the author was helping you along? Do you think you will notice this strategy if you see it in another story? Could you use this strategy in your own writing?

Activities to Extend Comprehension and Relate Literature to LifeEscape!

The Rosens and other Jews have to flee their homeland because of persecution. Ask students to read about the Rosens escape and ask them to write about what they might say to comfort them in their fear and uncertainty.

I am Proud of __________ .

Have students make a drawing, illustration or collage of their sources of pride. Students should focus on qualities of personality, values and beliefs, rather than on specific accomplishments.

Chapter 12:Where Was Mama? Summary

Pages 95-100: Annemarie spends the night alone with her sister as her uncle and mother escort the Jews to the escape boat. Annemarie dozes off and wakes at daybreak to find her mother is still not home. Worried, she looks out the window and sees her mother lying on the path that leads to the coast.


What happened to Mr. Rosen when he walked out of the house?

Why are Peter, Henrik and Mrs. Johansen taking huge risks? {Key Question}

Why is Annemarie worried when she wakes up? {Close Read}

What does Annemarie see when she looks out the window?

Why will the path be dangerous?

What does Annemarie do while waiting?

What do you think it would feel like to wait?

Where is Papa? Why isnt he here? Do you think Papa is helping or not? Explain.

Jews escaping Denmark had to put their trust blindly into the hands of people they may not have known. Have there been times in your life when you had to blindly trust a stranger, or someone you did not know very well? How did you feel about it? What were th

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