Number the Stars Novel Study | Nazi Germany Invades Denmark | Invasion Timeline

Number the Stars Novel Study | Nazi Germany Invades Denmark | Invasion Timeline Investigation

Build the historical background students need before reading Number the Stars with this no-prep investigation of Nazi Germany’s invasion of Denmark on April 9, 1940.

Students investigate how the invasion unfolded, examine Denmark’s strategic importance, consider the difficult choices facing Danish leaders, and explore the immediate impact of occupation. Rather than simply memorizing events, students gather evidence, analyze cause and effect, establish chronological order, and use their research to construct an Invasion Timeline Investigation.

Designed for Grades 6–8, this lesson connects historical research with the setting and circumstances students will encounter in Lois Lowry’s novel.

What's Included
- Teacher Directions
- Historical overview
- Mini research questions
- Group Invasion Timeline Investigation
- Evidence From the Sources organizer
- Digging Deeper: Why Denmark? analysis activity
- Cause → Event → Consequence organizer
- Blank April 9, 1940 Invasion Timeline project template
- Color student pages
- Black-and-white student pages

Student Project: Invasion Timeline Investigation
Students become military historians tasked with reconstructing the events of April 9, 1940. Working individually or collaboratively, students investigate evidence and determine which events are significant enough to include in their final timeline.
For each selected event, students identify the time, event, significance, and an appropriate visual or symbol. They then use their research to explain why Denmark was strategically important and how one morning dramatically changed the country.

Why Teachers Love This
- Builds essential historical context before reading the novel
- Goes beyond basic fact-finding to emphasize historical thinking
- Develops chronology, cause and effect, evidence analysis, and synthesis
- Helps students understand why Denmark became a target
- Includes a ready-to-use blank timeline for the final project
- Encourages students to determine which evidence is most significant
- Integrates ELA and Social Studies naturally
- Works for individual, partner, or small-group instruction
- Designed for 1–2 class periods of 45–60 minutes
- No-prep format makes implementation simple

Perfect For
- Number the Stars novel studies
- Pre-reading activities
- Building background knowledge
- Historical fiction units
- World War II studies
- Holocaust literature units
- ELA / Social Studies integration
- Grades 6–8
- Homeschool and co-op settings

Part of the Number the Stars: Building Background Knowledge Bundle
This resource is part of the Number the Stars: Building Background Knowledge bundle—a collection of lessons designed to establish the historical, geographic, cultural, and social context students need before they begin reading the novel.
Use the lessons individually or together to help students understand the real-world circumstances surrounding the story so they can approach the novel with stronger context and comprehension.

Disclaimer
Number the Stars is written by Lois Lowry and is the property of its respective copyright holder. This resource is an independently created educational supplement and is not affiliated with, authorized by, or endorsed by Lois Lowry, the publisher, or the copyright holder of Number the Stars. The novel is not included and must be obtained separately.

Created by GR Creative Creations