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Historical background summaries for understanding

Number the Stars

A novel by Lois Lowry

This project is designed to accomplish the following learning objectives:

1. Audio/Visual learning

2. Constructive learning

3. Reading comprehension

4. Organization

5. Written expression

6. Time-on-task

Part I.

Audio/Visual

WW II in Europe

Part II.

Constructive/ organization

Jewish Population in Europe in 1939

Part III.

Reading/

organization

History behind Number the Stars

Part IV.

Writing/

organization

Historical Summary

Time-on-task/

Organization

Calendar

Student

Assessment:

Rubric

Extension

Activities

Courtesy: Mapmakers Toolkit

I.	World War II in Europe Overview: Gather at the Teamboard to watch and listen to a detailed account of the German occupation of Europe. Follow-up with a class discussion. The Holocaust Encyclopedia (WWII in Europe – animated map) http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/index.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005137
II.	Jewish Population of Europe in 1939 Use Microsoft Excel and the Web site below to make a data table and graph that compares the Jewish population of Denmark to the Jewish population of four other countries in Europe in 1939. Gather at the Teamboard to learn how to set up a data table. An example of a finished graph can be seen in part IV below. A Teacher’s Guide to the Holocaust http://fcit.usf.edu/holocaust/gallery/jewpop.htm
III.	The History Behind Number the Stars Students will use an Inspiration template and the Web site below to make a series of fact bubbles for each of the following parts: The Invasion of Denmark: Fact bubbles 1-4 Life Under German Occupation: Fact bubbles 5-7 The Resistance: Fact bubbles 8-9 The Arrests: Fact bubbles 10-11 Escape from Gilleleje: Fact bubble 12 Fate of Arrested Danish Jews: Fact bubbles 13-15 Fate of the Resistance Fighters: Fact bubble 16 Denmark’s Distinction: Fact bubble 17 Read each section from the Web site below carefully, and select one fact from each section that you think is most important. Type the fact into your Inspiration template. **Number the Stars: The History Behind the Story by Jim Cornish** http://www.cdli.ca/CITE/ns_history.htm
IV.	Historical Summary of Number the Stars Use Microsoft Word and start with a proper header: January 5, 2006 Name # or Sec. Historical Summary of Number the Stars Start with a topic sentence. Use information from your fact bubbles to describe your graph, and summarize what was going on in Denmark during World War II. Complete your report with your own personal thoughts on the efforts of the Danish resistance.

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Calendar – Project should take no more than 8 periods to complete.

January 2007

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

OFF

4W & 4T

Part I. & II.

4K & 4T

Part I. & II.

Part II & III.

4W & 4T

Part III.

4K & 4T

Part III.

MLK DAY

Part III.

4W & 4T

Part III.

4K & 4T

Part III & IV.

4W & 4T

Part IV.

4T & 4K

Part IV.

4W & 4T

Part IV.

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Student assessment:

Rubric

	Outstanding	Very good	Satisfactory	Inconsistent	Unsatisfactory
Audio visual learning	Student makes sense of material. Contributes to class discussion by asking questions and making inferences.	Student makes sense of the material by contributing to class discussion.	Student exhibits cooperative learning attitude and answers questions when called upon.	Student sometimes exhibits cooperative learning attitude and answers questions when called upon.	Student does not exhibit cooperative learning attitude and does not answer questions correctly when called upon.
Constructive learning	Completes all activities, helps others, and shares with the class. Excel graph Inspiration fact bubbles Written report	Completes all activities. Excel graph Inspiration fact bubbles Written report	Completes two activities and draft of report. Excel graph Inspiration fact bubbles Written report	Completes at least one activity. Excel graph Inspiration fact bubbles Written report	Does not complete any of the activities. Excel graph Inspiration fact bubbles Written report
Reading comprehension	Demonstrates ability to read independently for facts with relevant entries into Inspiration fact bubbles. Helps others, and shares with class.	Demonstrates ability to read independently for facts with most entries into Inspiration fact bubbles considered to be relevant.	Sometimes needs assistance, but demonstrates ability to read independently for facts with several relevant entries into Inspiration fact bubbles.	Needs frequent assistance, but has demonstrated the ability to read for facts with some relevant entries into Inspiration fact bubbles.	Has not demonstrated ability to read for facts with no relevant entries into Inspiration fact bubbles.
Organization	Files are neatly saved and retrieved from 4^th grade folder. Specifically follows the format for graph, Inspiration, and written report. Helps others and shares with class.	Files are saved and retrieved from 4^th grade folder. Generally follows the format for graph, Inspiration, and written report.	Sometimes needs help to save/retrieve files into 4^th grade folder. Follows format for at least two of the following: Graph, Inspiration, or written report.	Often needs help to save/retrieve files into 4^th grade folder. Follows format for at least one of the following: Graph, Inspiration, or written report.	Always needs assistance with files not saved and retrieved with work from previous class. Format for graph, Inspiration, and written report is not followed.
Written expression	Student independently completes objectives for written report with no more than one draft revision. Helps others and shares with class.	Student completes objectives for written report with no more than two draft revisions.	Student completes objectives for written report with no more than three draft revisions.	Student completes objectives for written report with no more than four draft revisions.	Student does not complete the objectives for written report.
Time-on-task	Student completes all four parts of the project on or before the calendar deadlines. Helps others and shares with class.	Student completes three parts of the project on or before the calendar deadlines.	Student completes two parts of the project on or before the calendar deadlines.	Student completes all one part of the project on or before the calendar deadlines.	Student does not complete any of the four parts of the project on or before the calendar deadlines.

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Extension activities:

1. Decision-making: Critical thinking, and written expression: Many daring and difficult decisions had to be made by the Danish resistance. Write a second paragraph to your report from the perspective of a member of the Danish resistance. Use the following decision-making guides to help you write the paragraph:

Frame	Describe a typical problem or situation that a member of the Danish resistance may have been faced with.
Alternatives and consequences	Based on the problem that you describe, what choices might a member of the Danish resistance have, and what consequences might they face?
Values and commitment	Based on the problem that you describe, what values do you think a member of the Danish resistance may consider, and what commitment would have to be made to make the best decision.

2. Diversity: Cooperative learning, research skills, critical thinking, organization, and written expression: Work with a partner to research the diversity of the population today from countries that you selected in your graphs. You and your partner must devise a plan to share the work load by dividing the number of countries that you plan to research equally. You must also decide what type of facts to collect, and how best to present them. You may wish to create a data table in Excel and label columns rows like this:

	Denmark	Sweeden	Germany	Russia
Ethnic background
Religion
Languages
Economy
Other

Use the following resources for your research:

CIA World Factbook: https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html

Power Library: Available online at school.

Library books

3. Community interviews: critical thinking, organization, oral expression, note-taking, written expression: Share your historical background report with an older person who may have some personal experience with World War II. Ask your parents or guardians to help you find an older person who would be willing to listen to your report and share their thoughts. Make sure to have a few general questions prepared in advance, and take careful notes. You may ask the older person if you can use audio, or even video tape for the interview. You may present your work in any number of different ways. Your interview can be presented as a written paragraph, chart, poster, audio or video tape, dress in costume, PowerPoint, or any combination of these ideas.

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Project-based learning assembled activities by:

Mr. Jay Brown, M.Ed., Instructional Technology Coordinator

The Haverford School, Haverford, PA

E-mail: jbrown@haverford.org