Number the Stars: Friendship & SacrificeRelationship Evidence Gallery |5th-8th

Number the Stars: Friendship & SacrificeRelationship Evidence Gallery |
Grades 5–8

Help students explore how friendship becomes a source of loyalty, risk, sacrifice, and courage in Number the Stars. This no-prep lesson focuses on Annemarie and Ellen’s friendship and how their ordinary relationship is transformed by genuinely life-threatening circumstances.

Students trace specific moments of loyalty, risk, and sacrifice, determine what is genuinely at stake, gather textual evidence, and analyze what each moment reveals about the relationship. They also examine how Annemarie’s family becomes part of that sacrifice and connect the friendship to the novel’s broader idea of ordinary relationships producing extraordinary moral courage. The lesson culminates in a collaborative Relationship Evidence Gallery highlighting the strongest evidence from throughout the novel.

Included
- Teacher Directions
- Student Overview
- Mini Research Questions
- Online Resources
- 5-Step Group Activity
- 3 Research, Analysis & Planning Pages
- Color + Black-and-White Student Pages
- Relationship Evidence Gallery Project

Why Teachers Love This
- No prep and ready to use
- Designed for 1–2 class periods of 45–60 minutes
- Moves students beyond plot summary into literary analysis
- Builds textual-evidence and inference skills
- Examines loyalty, risk, sacrifice, and courage
- Connects character relationships to larger themes
- Provides structured research and planning support
- Combines individual analysis with collaborative project work

Perfect For
- Number the Stars novel studies
- Friendship & sacrifice themes
- Character relationships
- Theme analysis
- Textual evidence
- Close reading
- Author’s craft
- Collaborative ELA projects

Important Disclaimer
This is an independently created educational resource designed to accompany the novel Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. It is not affiliated with, authorized by, endorsed by, or sponsored by Lois Lowry, the publisher of Number the Stars, or any related rights holder.
Number the Stars and its characters, storylines, settings, and other elements originating from the novel remain the intellectual property of their respective copyright holders. References to the novel, its characters, events, themes, and literary techniques are included solely for educational instruction, literary analysis, discussion, and classroom activities.
No text from the novel is reproduced or included in this resource. This product is not intended to replace the novel. Students and teachers must have access to legally obtained copies of Number the Stars to complete activities requiring reading, textual evidence, or reference to the text.