and The Giver
Have students map the route using Lowry's accurate description and detail that Annemarie followed through the woods when she took the basket to Uncle Henrik.
Lowry makes extensive use of fairy tales in Number the Stars. Have students list all of the fairy tales that they know and then list the elements that they have in common.
Lowry uses cliffhangers with great success in Number the Stars. Look at the final sentences in chapters 7, 10, 12, 13, and 14. Have students evaluate Lowry's technique and discuss why it is successful.
Number the Stars is told from Annemarie's point of view. Have students rewrite certain scenes such as the arrival of the soldiers at the Johansen's apartment or the arrival of the soldiers at Great-aunt Birte's funeral and retell the scene from the point of view of Ellen or Peter. Other possible scenes are being stopped by the soldiers on the corner from Kirsti's point of view, opening Great-aunt Birte's coffin from Mrs. Johansen's point of view, and the train ride to Uncle Henrik's from Ellen's perspective.
Prior to reading The Giver, have students, as a group, create their "perfect" community. They should give it a name, a system of government, a physical description complete with a map, and an account of how members of the community spend their time.
Discuss how the community would change and grow. Ask what role history and memories would play in the growth of the community.
What would have to be added to our community to make it perfect? What would be lost through those additions?
Vocabulary plays a big role in The Giver. There are many euphemisms used in Jonas' community. Examine these euphemisms from the book:
released (pg2)
feelings (pg4)
animals (pg5)
Nurturer (pg7)
stirrings (pg37)
replacement child (pg44)
Elsewhere (pg78)
What are the true meanings of these words? Does our society use euphemisms to distance realities of death, bodily functions, aging and political activities? What are some of the euphemisms that we use?
Write what happened at the end of the novel. Lois Lowry has stated that she has purposely left the ending ambiguous so that readers can use their own imaginations to create a personal ending that reflects their beliefs and hopes (Newbery Acceptance Speech, 1994).
Have each student write their most wonderful and painful memories.
Write down various jobs on index cards. While the class is reading The Giver,
randomly distribute these job assignments to students. Ask students how they feel about their job assignments. Discuss having choices versus a life with no choices.
