Number the Stars
Chapters 1 – 2
Reading Strategy: Discovering What You Already Know
Take some time to think about this book and its author. What others books by Lois Lowry have you read? What kinds of big ideas does she explore? What ideas come to mind when you look at the cover of Number the Stars? Spend two minutes writing what you know and feel about the book and its author. Don’t edit yourself, just let the ideas flow, and write as fast as you can.
Vocabulary
Look for these words as you read, define in context
stocky |
lanky |
skirted |
plodding |
contempt |
sulking |
prodded |
sneering |
defiantly |
obstinate |
hoodlums |
edgy |
sabotage |
impassive |
solemn |
crocheting |
intricate |
|
Comprehension Questions
Chapter 1
1. What were Annemarie and Ellen running in the streets?
2. Give at least three sentences describing the lifestyles of Annemarie’s and Ellen’s families.
3. What is the Resistance?
4. Why does Ellen stand back, afraid, when the soldiers stop her and her friends on the street corner? Contrast Annemarie’s and Kristi’s reactions to the soldiers. Why are the mothers so upset to learn of the incident with the soldiers?
5. If you had been Annemarie, what would you have said to the soldiers? What might have happened if the girls had made the soldiers angry?
6. Describe a time in your life when something unexpected and frightening happened.
7. Evaluate this chapter. What things make it a good first chapter? Why?
Chapter 2
1. Describe Copenhagen before and after the Nazi soldiers took over.
2. Summarize the story about King Christian X and his daily rides through Copenhagen. Explain what Annemarie’s father means when he says, “All of Denmark is his bodyguard.” Compare and contrast King Christian X with a fairy tale king.
3. Annemarie says she, too, would die for King Christian X. do you think she means this? Explain.
4. What do you think Annemarie is thinking as she finishes her story with “And they lived happily ever after”?
5. In this chapter we find out the Lise died in an accident a few years ago. What might have happened? Be specific.
Literature Journal (Choose one topic)
1. What do you know about World War II? Does your family have stories about what life was like then? What kinds of books or magazine articles have read about that time? What kinds of movies and television shows have you seen about the war?
2. To what lengths would you go to rescue a friend? Would you be willing to endanger yourself to save him/her? Explain why or why not.
3. What conflict or war has been in the news recently? Which countries or people are involved? What are the issues? Does one group seem to suffer more another? Explain.
4. Do you think lying is ever justified? Defend your point of view/
5. Have you ever witnessed prejudice against certain groups of people? Have you ever experienced prejudice yourself? If so, explain the circumstances and describe your reactions.
Discussion Group (complete as many as time allows)
N.B. - As a group, you will probably have different answers to the above topics. It isn’t necessary that you decide upon one correct answer, but you must listen to each other’s ideas so that you develop a broader, richer understanding of the book.
1. If you read other books by Lois Lowry, discuss the heroes/heroines in them and the big decisions they had to face.
2. Discuss the meaning of courage. Is it only a physical thing, or can courage take other forms as well? What are some everyday circumstances in which one’s courage might be tested?
3. Brainstorm a list of books in which the protagonists act courageously. List the different ways in which they exhibit courage.
4. Number the Stars is set in Denmark during WWII. With your group, locate Denmark on a map of Europe. Use the map to estimate the following: Denmark’s size compared to Germany’s size; the distance between Denmark and Sweden. Keep your map handy so that you can locate other countries mentioned in this novel.
5. Although members of the Danish Resistance probably would not answer you, discuss what questions you’d like to ask them anyway. What special qualities do you Resistance members had to have?
6. Danes who were not members of the Resistance had to cope with the Nazi invasion in their own ways. Discuss how people would change their behavior in order to cope.
7. Discuss the differences between life in Copenhagen and life in the fairy tale world that Annemarie tells Kirsti about. How might these fantasy stories help Annemarie as well as her sister?
When you have finished talking about these topics, take some time to write to complete a copy of the discussion group rubric and store it in your Number the Stars Portfolio.
Extended Activities
1. Read a few pages from The Diary of Anne Frank. Then as you read Number the Stars, keep a journal as if you were either Annemarie of Ellen. Write an entry about events in Chapter 1 and/or Chapter 2. The entry should be personal, descriptive, and detailed.
2. Research WWII. Which countries fought in the war? What was the Holocaust? Why did it happen? What was the United States’ part in the war? How does this novel fit into that time period?
3. Write a short fairy tale that, if it came true, would make the Danes very happy.