No Prep Plans Number the Stars Novel Study | Who Influences Annemarie Most?

No Prep Plans Number the Stars Novel Study | Who Influences Annemarie Most? Character Influence Network

Explore the web of relationships that shapes Annemarie’s courage, choices, and growth in Number the Stars with this engaging character and conflict investigation. Instead of studying characters separately, students examine how Mama, Papa, Uncle Henrik, Ellen, Kirsti, and others influence Annemarie—and how Annemarie’s own actions influence the people around her.

Designed for Grades 4–8, this No Prep Plans resource combines close reading, character relationships, text evidence, cause and effect, deeper literary analysis, and a collaborative Character Influence Network.

Students Will
- Analyze how major characters influence Annemarie
- Identify specific scenes that demonstrate character influence
- Examine what Annemarie learns from the people around her
- Trace how those influences affect her courage and choices
- Distinguish between direct and indirect influence
- Support interpretations with evidence from the novel
- Explore how influence can travel from one character to another
- Analyze how Annemarie influences other characters in return
- Investigate connections among multiple characters
- Evaluate the relative strength of different influences
- Create a visual Character Influence Network showing how courage is shaped and shared throughout the story

This Resource Includes
- Teacher Directions
- Differentiation ideas
- Assessment ideas
- Overview + Mini Research Questions
- 5-Step Group Activity
- 3 student research, analysis, and planning activities
- Character influence organizers
- Direct vs. indirect influence analysis
- Character Influence Network planning space
- Online research resources
- Color + printer-friendly B&W student pages

Why Teachers Love This
- No prep and ready to use
- Designed for 1–2 class periods
- Approximately 45–60 minutes per period
- Moves beyond basic character descriptions
- Helps students visualize relationships between characters
- Builds close-reading and text-evidence skills
- Encourages cause-and-effect thinking about character development
- Makes complex character relationships easier to understand
- Encourages deeper discussion about courage, influence, and community
- Works for individual, partner, or collaborative learning

Part of the Number the Stars Novel Study Series
This resource is part of the Number the Stars: Character & Conflict Investigations series. Each investigation explores an important character, relationship, conflict, theme, or idea from the novel.
Use this lesson independently or combine it with other investigations to build a larger Number the Stars novel study that moves beyond traditional chapter-by-chapter worksheets.

Great For
- Number the Stars novel studies
- Character relationship analysis
- Character development
- Text-evidence practice
- Cause-and-effect analysis
- Courage & community themes
- Collaborative literary analysis
- Grades 4–8

Disclaimer
This is an independently created educational resource for use with Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Lois Lowry, her publishers, or other rights holders. No portion of the novel is included. This resource is intended for supplemental instruction and use alongside legally obtained copies of the novel.