Day One – Pre-reading
Pre-Reading:
Occupation: / Resistance:1. List as many meanings as you can think of for the words “occupation” and “resistance.”
2. Identify the root of each word.
3. Using the roots and a dictionary if necessary, establish the military definitions of occupation and resistance.
4. Sort the following words into either the “occupation” or “resistance” column. Explain the relationship between the words in each set.
- Surrender, sabotage, persecution, swastika, relocation, rationing, curfew.
5. Write about an incident – from your own experience or from something you’ve read or watched – in which someone took a stand against injustice (unfairness). Describe what happened and explain how the incident made you feel. Share your responses with your literature circle. As you read Number the Stars, make connections between your experiences and events in the novel.
Vocabulary Preview: Chapters 1-5
Directions: Complete the vocabulary graphic organizer for these words.
Contempt – feeling of scorn toward a person or thing
Exasperated – extremely annoyed
Imperious – bossy or bullying in an arrogant way
Intricate – very detailed
Sabotage – destruction of property or interference with activities as part of an effort against an enemy.
Day Two - Chapters 1-2
Chapter One:
1. Why is Kirsti not afraid of the soldiers?
2. How would you have felt if you had been Annemarie when the soldiers spoke to her? Why?
Chapter Two:
1. Do you think King Christian did the right thing when he surrendered to the Nazis? Why?
2. Would you be willing to die to protect the leader of your country? Why?
3. Compare and contrast Annemarie’s family before and after Lise died.
Day Three, Chapters 3-4
Literary Elements:
Suspense; Characters
Suspense is a feeling of anticipation, of wondering what will happen next. Suspense can be fun and exciting, or it can be spooky or frightening. This feeling of suspense is what makes readers keep turning pages – they are eager to know what will happen next in the story. Writers create suspense by painting that something important is going to happen while not revealing exactly what it is. As you read chapter 3, stay alert to your own feelings of suspense. What questions does the author raise in your mind? Are you excited to find the answers to these questions?
Chapter Three:
1. What is suspense?
2. Make a character map for Peter. Record facts from the book as well as your own ideas and feelings about the character.
3. Do you have a feeling of suspense about Peter? What would you like to know about him?
4. Annemarie believes that ordinary people like her don’t have to be courageous. Do you agree with this idea? Why?
5. Predict what you think will happen next in the story.
Literary Elements:
Chapter Titles
Think about the titles of the chapters you have read so far. Where did the titles come from? Why did Lois Lowry choose those particular quotations for each chapter? Do the chapter titles create suspense in your mind before you begin a chapter? Predict what the title of chapter 4, “It Will Be a Long Night,” means.
Chapter Four:
1. Why is this chapter is called “It will be a Long Night”? Why will the night be long? Did your predictions based on the chapter title come true?
2. What do you think of Annemarie’s relationship with her little sister Kirsti? Is it realistic? Why?
3. Do you think any soldiers will come to the Johansens’ apartment? If so, what will they do?
4. Discuss Annemarie, Ellen, and Kirsti, and their relationships with each other. Tell what each girl is like and provide details from the book to support your descriptions. Relate the book to your own lives by comparing Annemarie’s relationship with Kirsti to your own sibling relationships.
Day Four – Chapters 5-6
The Star of David: The six pointed star is the symbol of the Jewish faith. David was the second king of Israel, reigning from 1002 to 962 B.C. He was also a talented musician and is credited with writing many of the psalms in the Bible.
Chapter Five:
1. Write about how the book makes you feel, or about what you think the characters are feeling. How did you feel as you read this chapter? Why?
2. Why did Annemarie yank off Ellen’s necklace?
3. How is the last paragraph an example of symbolism?
4. Has Annemarie’s prediction that she will never need to be courageous turned out to be true?
5. Although Lise Johansen has been dead for several years when this story begins, she is still important to the novel. In your literature circle, discuss what you learn about Lise’s life, her personality, and her death. Refer to specific information in the book. Then discuss the impact that her death has had on her family. What signs are there that the Johansens have not come to terms with Lise’s death? What clues are there at the end of chapters 1-5 that the family’s wounds may be starting to heal? Support your conclusions with evidence from Chapters 1-5.
Vocabulary Preview: Chapters 6-11
Complete one of the vocabulary graphic organizers for these words.
Deftly – in a quick and skillful way
Distorted – twisted out of shape
Protrude – to stick out
Ruefully – in a regretful or mournful way
Tentatively – with uncertainty
Chapter Six:
1. Explain the metaphor of Deer Park, where the deer once roamed free but now are hiding.
2. Why do you think Mama is taking the girls to Uncle Henrik’s
3. What were the most suspenseful parts of this chapter? What were your favorite parts?
Day Five – Chapters 7-8
Literary Elements:
Setting
Setting is the time and place in which a story takes place. How does an author reveal the setting of a story? What kinds of details tell the reader about setting. As you read chapter 7, look for details that reveal setting.
Chapter Seven:
1. How do Ellen and Annemarie feel as they explore Gilleleje where Uncle Henrik lives?
2. Draw a picture of Gilleleje. Share your drawings with your literature circle. Point out details in the text that made you picture the setting in a particular way. As a group, create a list of words and phrases that you think create vivid pictures in your minds. Remember that words that appeal to the senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch are sensory details. Review chapters 6-7 to find details that appeal to each sense.
Chapter Eight:
1. Make a list of “wonderful words” from Chapter 8. Write down any words you encounter in your reading that you find interesting, strange, or confusing. Write a sentence or two explaining why you chose each word. Ask your literature circle to explain any unfamiliar words, or look them up in the dictionary.
2. Do you agree with Annemarie that Great-Aunt Birte doesn’t exist? How do you explain this?
3. What do you think Uncle Henrik means by “Tomorrow will be a day for fishing?”
4. Did you think this chapter was suspenseful? Why? Did you enjoy feeling suspense when you read? Why? Share your predictions about Great-Aunt Birte’s funeral and the good weather for fishing that Uncle Henrik and Mama discussed.
5. Create a concept map for “Bravery”. Brainstorm words and phrases that you associate with bravery. What does it mean to be brave? When do people need to be brave? Can a person be both frightened and brave at the same time?
Day Six – Chapters 9-10
Chapter Nine:
1. Do you think Annemarie is brave?
2. Who do you think the “mourners” are?
3. Add any new ideas to the concept web after having read chapter 9. Do you agree with Uncle Henrik that it is easier to be brave if you don’t know everything? Why?
Literary Elements:
Mood
Mood is the feeling that a story creates in readers. For example, a story might have a cheerful mood, a scary mood, an exciting mood, or a sad mood. In a longer story, such as a novel, the mood usually changes many times as different events happen. Recall the chapters you have read so far and name some of the different feelings created by those chapters. Think about mood as you read chapter 10.
Chapter Ten:
1. What was the mood of this chapter? Do you think Lois Lowery has done a good job of creating moods in this book? Do you feel drawn into the story? Do you care what happens to the characters? Are you eager to find out what will happen next?
2. Why did Peter read the psalm to the mourners?
3. Why do you think Lois Lowry called this book Number the Stars? Why would the she choose a phrase from a psalm for the title? How does Annemarie feel when she hears the psalm? What do the bigness and coldness of the sky have to do with Annemarie’s feelings?
Day Seven – Chapters 11-13
Literary Elements:
Point of View
A story may be told from the first-person or third-person point of view. Although Number the Stars is told from the third-person point of view (because the narrator does not refer to himself or herself as “I”), you see events through the eyes of one particular character, Annemarie. The author tells what Annemarie is thinking and feeling and the reader knows only what she knows. Think about how this point of view affects how the story is told.
Chapter Eleven:
1. Create a concept map for “pride”. Discuss what Annemarie learned about pride in chapter 11.
2. How would this chapter be different if Peter were telling the story? What would you know that Annemarie doesn’t? What would you not know if Peter were telling the story? Do you like the point of view the author chose? Why?
3. Add to your character map of Peter based on information in Chapters 10 and 11. Has Peter changed during the story, and if so, how?
4. Lowry uses the natural world as a metaphor for life and her characters’ situation. One of the major symbols is that of stars in the night sky. Other symbols include flowers, animals, and meadows. In your literature circle, discuss what the various descriptions of the natural world suggest about the characters’ moods, about their situation, and about the meaning of life. Then evaluate the effectiveness of these symbols.
Vocabulary Preview – Chapters 11-17
Complete the vocabulary graphic organizer for these words.
Brusque – rough or abrupt in speech
Devastating – overwhelmingly terrible
Quaver – to tremble (said of a voice)
Taut – tightly stretched
Chapter Twelve – Chapter Thirteen:
1. Write about the different feelings you had while reading Chapters 12 and 13.
2. Do you think Annemarie will meet any soldiers on the way to Uncle Henrik’s boat? If so, how do you think she’ll act?
3. Discuss the changes in mood that happened during chapters 12 and 13. Consider why such changes usually occur in stories? Can you imagine a story that was suspenseful and scary the whole way through, or one that was relaxed and calm throughout? Would such stories be as good as a story with changing moods?
Day Eight – Chapters 14-15
Literary Elements:
Author’s Craft – Storytelling Techniques
Think about what makes a story interesting to read or hear. What kinds of details make a story come to life? How can a storyteller create a feeling of excitement or suspense? What kinds of characters do you like? Have you ever read a story to a younger child? Describe the techniques you used to keep the child’s interest. As you read chapter 14, think about how Lois Lowry makes events seem exciting and a little scary.
Chapter Fourteen:
1. Why does Annemarie think about Little Red Riding Hood as she runs through the woods?
2. What do you predict will happen in the next chapter?
Literary Elements:
Theme – Bravery
A theme is an underlying message or idea in the story. Most writers want to do more than simply entertain their readers with a good story; they want to convey deeper truths about people and about life. A story can have one major theme or many interrelated ones. It’s important for readers to think about theme because this helps clarify what the story has taught you. With your literature circle, brainstorm some possible themes in Number the Stars.
Story Structure – Climax
The climax of the story is the most exciting part of the story, in which the main problem or conflict is resolved. As you read chapter 15, think about whether this is the climax of the story and why.
Chapter Fifteen:
1. Do you think Annemarie acted bravely in Chapter 15? Why?
2. How do you feel about the way the German soldiers acted?
3. Why do you think the handkerchief is important?
Day Nine – Chapters 16-17
Chapter 16:
1. Add to your character map for Peter.
2. Were you surprised by anything that Uncle Henrik told Annemarie? If so, what surprised you and why?
3. Share your character map with your literature circle. What new information from chapter 16 did you add to your map? Why do you think Lois Lowry chose to save this information about Peter until the end of the book? Did any of you figure out that Peter was in the Resistance before this point? If so, what clues led you to this conclusion?
4. What did you learn about bravery in chapter 16? Did this chapter provide any more evidence about when the climax of the story occurred?
5. Make sure everyone in your literature circle understands what Uncle Henrik explained to Annemarie. You will learn more in chapter 17 and in the Afterword.
Literary Elements:
Author’s purpose
An author usually has more than one purpose for writing a book.
Chapter 17:
1. Why does Annemarie want to wear Ellen’s necklace until Ellen returns?
2. What feelings did you have as you finished the book?
3. What do think was the author’s purpose for writing this book?