Number the stars

This is a fully resourced, three-week writing unit, based on chapter 14 of ‘Number the Stars’ by Lois Lowry. It is pitched at Year 5 and Year 6 (UK) or 4th and 5th Grade (US). This unit links beautifully with history learning, World War 2. If children a familiar with the story of Anne Frank, this text provides another example of what was happening in Europe in the final years of the WW2. All planning, slides and activities are included - no extra work necessary. It has been created using Word and PowerPoint so you can edit and adapt as you wish.
Outcome
After looking closely at chapter 14 of Number the Stars, children write their own suspenseful, historical story about a child who has to take a mysterious and important package on a dangerous journey.

The following objectives are comprehensively covered:
Grammar skills
• Use a parenthesis (a single dash) to add an afterthought
• Use short sentences to create suspense
• Use expanded noun phrases to add descriptive detail
• Personify nouns
Composition
• Develop a historical character
• Build atmosphere and create contrasting settings
• Apply an understanding of the key features of historical stories and suspense writing
• Plan a story using a familiar structure to support
Reading and Vocabulary
• Explore unfamiliar vocabulary in context
• Develop reading fluency skills
• Retrieve information and infer meaning
• Retell a traditional story
• Identify the key features of historical stories and suspense writing