Number the Stars written by Lois Lowry takes place in Denmark during World War II. It is a remarkable story about two friends who face fear and danger, but the story of the Holocaust and the people of Denmark during that time is also remarkable. This WebQuest will take you through a brief history of the Holocaust in Europe and in Denmark. This lesson is suitable for fourth and fifth grade students. This WebQuest covers basic skills in reading comprehension, writing, and listening as well as map skills, culture and history.
What do you know about what took place
in Europe and Denmark during World War II? Who was Adolph Hitler?
What happened to the Jewish people?
During the war over 6 million Jewish people were killed by German
Nazi soldiers led by Adolph Hitler. Denmark was the only country in
Europe to come together as a nation to help her Jewish citizens.
Through many acts of bravery and courage, the people of Denmark were
able to save over 7,000 Jews.
The Holocaust is not an easy topic to explore. Though it was a
terrible time in history, it is an important topic to learn about so
that nothing like it will ever come about again. If there are ideas
or terms in the web pages that you do not understand, please ask your
teacher for help or try checking the Glossary.
The Germans censored all the newspapers in Denmark because they did not want the citizens to know what was really happening. Illegal newspapers were printed by the resistance movement so that people would know the truth. One of the resistance newspapers was called "De Frie Danske" which means "The Free Danes". Your job will be to write an article for "De Frie Danske" to inform the citizens about the war. Using resources from this WebQuest, dictionaries, and the Number the Stars book, you will write your article based on interviews of the people who lived through this terrible time.
You will each have a specific role to play as you do your research. If your group of students is small you may wish to assign a greater number of students to the role of reporter as background information on the war is a broad topic.
1. Reporter
You will gather information about the war in other parts of Europe
and in Denmark and record it in a journal. You will also need to
interview other classmates as they play their roles to learn about
their part in the war. You will help to write the final article for
the newspaper.
2. Danish
Resistance Fighter
You will research your character and record the information in your
journal. You will use this information for the reporter interview.
You will also help to write the final article for the
newspaper.
3. Jewish
Citizen of Denmark
You will research your character and record the information in your
journal. You will use this information for the reporter interview.
You will also help to write the final article for the
newspaper.
4. Danish
Fisherman
You will research your character and record the information in your
journal. You will use this information for the reporter interview.
You will also help to write the final article for the
newspaper.
1. You will explore the events of World
War II and the Holocaust, focusing on Denmark.
2. You will learn key terms for a better understanding of World War
II.
3. You will conduct research using a variety of sources such as the
Internet, the dictionary, and Number the Stars.
4. You will play a role and make a journal entry in
character.
5. You will interview or be interviewed for the newspaper
article.
6. You will work as a group to write the final article for the
newspaper.
7. You will create a "Star of Hope" for the bulletin
board.
Print the Activity Checklist to help you organize your project. You will be assessed in two ways on this project. Your individual Journal entry will be graded and your article will receive a grade for the group. A rubric will be used for grading your project.
As a concluding activity, you will write one wish that you have for mankind for the future on your "Star of Hope" which will be placed on the bulletin board along with your published newspaper article. Think about what you have learned from this story and webquest. I hope you have learned a lot about human decency, kindness, and courage, as well as the story of the people of the Holocaust.