Number the Stars

How does ignorance serve both as a protective shield and a source of danger for the characters in the novel? How does the balance between ignorance and knowledge evolve throughout the novel, and how does this impact the characters’ actions? Consider these questions as you formulate your response.

• How do the characters benefit from their lack of full understanding of their situation?
• How does their innocence put them at risk?
• How do the adults contribute to maintaining or dispelling this ignorance, and what are the implications of their decisions?

Teaching Suggestion: This question allows students to engage with the theme The Safety and Dangers of Ignorance. Consider asking students to focus on an individual character for this discussion. You may want to use a jigsaw approach to divide the class into small groups, each focusing on one character’s experience with ignorance. After their analysis, students can re-group with members from other teams, sharing their character’s experiences and perspectives.

Differentiation Suggestion: Visual learners or students with learning differences may benefit from using a graphic organizer or Venn diagram to compare the risks and benefits of ignorance. If using the jigsaw approach, you may want to assign characters based on the complexity of their experiences with the theme.