Often, we have background knowledge about a subject, or research the subject over the course of time in which we read our books. Historical fictions are books that use a real place and time as the setting of a fictional story. These stories often seem realistic and may be based on real accounts of something that actually happened. It's important for students to have context while they read Number the Stars, and this activity combines research with the novel, as students will have to select important events in the book and research their historical counterparts.
In Number the Stars, the occupation of Denmark by Germany and their intended seizure of all Jewish people really happened. The Danish Resistance Movement was also real. Lowry’s characters, though doing many of the things that Danes did to help Danish Jews, are fictional. They were based on real people, but unlike the account in The Diary of Anne Frank, these characters never actually lived.
In the book, there are many fishermen who also helped to save the lives of people being hunted by the Nazis. Peter was an active member of the Danish Resistance, and Uncle Henrik was one of the fishermen who sailed people to Sweden for safety.
Over 7,200 Jewish citizens of Denmark were saved because of the efforts of the Danish Resistance Movement. Fishermen did smuggle Jewish Danes to Sweden.
People were collected from the streets and sent to detainment camps, simply for being Jewish.
Nazis did hunt and imprison Jews. They segregated people based on religion, gender, and race. Many people the Nazis did not like were sent to prison camps.
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Student Instructions
Create a storyboard comparing Number the Stars to history.