Number the Stars Book Activity

Number the Stars written by Lois Lowry takes place in Denmark during World War II. It is a remarkable story about two friends who face fear and danger, but the story of the Holocaust and the people of Denmark during that time is also remarkable.  During the war over 6 million Jewish people were killed by German Nazi soldiers led by Adolph Hitler. Denmark was the only country in Europe to come together as a nation to help her Jewish citizens. Through many acts of bravery and courage, the people of Denmark were able to save over 7,000 Jews. The Holocaust is not an easy topic to explore. Though it was a terrible time in history, it is an important topic to learn about so that nothing like it will ever come about again.  Parents, please help your child as he/she explores the Holocaust websites.

For your book activity you are to pretend that you are either Annemarie, Ellen or Peter.  You are going to create a scrapbook that displays significant moments mentioned in the novel for your character. The children in the novel talk about Tivoli Gardens and how they used to see fireworks from there every night. Remember the name of where Annemarie and Ellen live?  Find photographs, descriptions and other landmarks in Denmark.  That gives you a starting point. You will also write a letter to King Christian X explaining why you think the Jews should be helped.  This letter will be included in your scrapbook.  Remember YOU are the character.  What would you be thinking? feeling? wishing for? hoping for? Be sure to stay IN CHARACTER when describing the events and your feelings.  Use the links at the bottom of the page to help you find information.

You will also need to print out a copy of  Your Response to Number the Stars.  You (not as your character) will need to fill this out in complete sentences and include it as the last page of your scrapbook.

Below are some brainstorming questions to get you thinking about what kinds of things to include in your scrapbook.  You can use pictures, captions, newspaper article headlines, etc. to show what your character might have been thinking during the time period of the novel.

Here are some questions Annemarie might want answers to:
Who were the Allies? What countries were involved? Who were the Axis powers? What countries were involved? What is "occupation" of a country? What is a swastika?  What did it symbolize during World War II? What is the "yellow star" ?  What did it symbolize? Who had to wear it, and why? What was the Holocaust? Who was responsible for this? Who was Hitler? Who were the Nazis? What was Hitler's "Final Solution"? What is deportation? What is genocide? What was the "Resistance"? Who were they? What did they do?

Here are some things Peter might need to think about:
You are not Jewish, yet you put your life in danger to help Jewish citizens. Why? What other reasons do you have for doing this?  What is sabotage? Use a dictionary to define, then use Number the Stars text to identify 3 acts of sabotage.  What are the dangers you face as a member of the Resistance? Why?

Here are some things that Ellen might be facing:
Before the war has begun, Jews have gradually lost many basic privileges. Identify the following terms to help us understand your religious beliefs: Rabbi, synagogue, Star of David, Judaism, Torah, Rosh Hashanah, Kosher. The war has escalated- your family is in immediate danger and will have to go into hiding. You and your family have been in hiding for 2 months. Describe your feelings, emotions. What are your fears? What will happen if you are discovered? What news have you received about the fate of your Jewish friends and relatives?

Your final scrapbook must include:  title page saying which character you are; 5 pictures with captions that might have been written by your character; 1 letter to King Christian X written by your character; 3 other items (these could include extra pictures, journal entries for your character, newspaper headlines, etc.); and the printed response page completely answered.  Be sure that you have no grammatical errors or misspelled words.  Be creative!  E-mail Mrs. Gosnell if you have any questions.  DUE FRIDAY, MARCH 4th

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