Interview a Character

MATERIALS:

• Paper, pencils

SUGGESTED GROUPING:

• Partners

MATCH each student with a partner. One partner will select a character from Number the Stars to portray. The other partner will be an interviewer. Ask the partners to work together to formulate at least three questions and answers about the character's port in the action and how the character felt as the action unfolded.

ENCOURAGE interviewer and character partners to perform their interview for the class. Direct them to improvise their interview from notes rather than read from a script.

GRADE students on the importance of the questions, along with the fullness and accuracy of the answers. Also, grade on the partners' ability to maintain a conversational tone.

Write a Journal Entry

MATERIALS:

• Paper, Pencils

SUGGESTED GROUPING:

• Individuals

HAVE students look back at Number the Stars. Talk about how Annemarie and Ellen are similar and different.

CHALLENGE students to write a journal entry from each girl's point of view about life in Nazi-occupied Denmark. Encourage students to use some of the content area and support words in their Journal entries.

First-Person Narrative

TEACH/MODEL Recall with students that journal entries are first-person narratives and that the pronouns I, me, my, and mine are used throughout. First-person narratives are usually informal and express feelings.

PRACTICE/APPLY Have students explain how they portrayed their character's feelings about the events. Ask students to point out the first-person pronouns they used.