Since we have come to the end of Number the Stars, I decided to help the kids get a better grasp as to how the Jews must have felt; being forced to leave the only home they ever knew, hiding in a cramped, dark, smelly, hidden compartment in a small fishing boat and having to be unexceptionally quiet because their lives depended on silence. So…to make it a little more real for them, I got all of the kids to hide under one of our tables in the classroom and covered it with two large sheets. They then had to be extremely quiet as the Nazi’s (enter Ms. Suckoo) came aboard the boat and searched all over. By the third try, I think the seriousness of it all finally hit home, as they were all finally able to quiet down. This was a reality for so many people and the grade 4 students came to realize what a horrible reality that must have been. Be sure to ask your child how it felt and how they imagine the Jews must have felt.
Tessa Suckoo & Jared Bremner