Number the Stars

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. The characters seek out ways to cope with the threats they face in German-occupied Denmark. Discuss the role of fairy tales and folklore in the story.

• In what ways do the characters use fairy tales to help them cope with the challenges they face in their everyday lives? (topic sentence)
• Find two or three examples of characters gaining hope from fairy tales. Explain why the fairy tale gives them hope in that situation.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, discuss how the topic of fairy tales versus reality connects to the theme of The Safety and Dangers of Ignorance.

2. Throughout the novel, the characters find ways to demonstrate courage even through small actions.

• How do the characters demonstrate bravery through small actions in the novel? (topic sentence)
• Choose two characters and analyze how their small acts of bravery contribute to the resistance against Nazi oppression.