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There is a transcript in this video that helps you follow the text in the picture book. 

For access to the soft copy of the book, you need to log on to SLS and search for Number the Stars under Community Gallery". It will be under Session 3 in the SLS course.

 After reading the text, select:

a)A Sentence that captured your attention or struck you as powerful.

b)A phrase that moved, engaged, or provoked you.

c)A word that was meaningful to you, that you felt captures a core idea of the text.

Post your choices for Sentence, Phrase and Word as a post in this column. See sample post below.

2. Discuss:

What commonalities/differences emerged in the group’s sentences, phrases, and words?

Looking at what your group focused on, what do you think is most important about this text? (What is the significance of this text? What are the implications of this text?)

What did we miss? Are there parts of the text that no one in the group referenced in their sentences/phrases/words? Why do you think that is the case?

3. Post key points from your discussion you wish to share with the class as a post in the this column. {Remember to put your group's name in post title.]

My sentence: "Little did the Danes know how much they would need their wise king in the dark days to come."

Reason: Portending the future and resonates with me.

My phrase: "With Courage and Defiance"

Reason: important qualities but not ones I would associate.

My word: Stars

Reason: The various meanings they have in the text that provoke thought.

Reason: This powerfully portrays the nature of the resistance - how it had to be hidden and yet how it was powerful although seemingly absence.

My Phrase: "hide a star"

Reason: an indication of the dark days in which they lived - stars are usually meant to be admired and looked at but here the king is looking to hide them.

My Word: "faith"

Reason: the tremendous risk that the king is taking by wearing the star and the great faith that he places in his people - as well as the faith that his people place in him by following his lead to protect the Jewish people.

Reason: Why would a king not have a bodyguard by his side?

My phrase: "the yellow star"

Reason: Once you put on the yellow star, you identify yourself as a Jew and will be taken away.

My word: "stars"

Reason: It has multiple meanings in this text.

Reason: How loyal the Danes are!

Phrase: King was powerless

Reason: How bad can the situation be that even the King was powerless?

Reason: For the peace-loving Danes the symbolism of what the Nazi flag represented, is what the King and the Danes are opposed to.

My phrase: "for I will be that soldier"

Reason: the bravery of the Danish king, who lead by example, allowed his people to also stand proud in rejection of hatred and discrimination against the Jewish people.

My word: resistance

Reason: I like how the resistance showcased in this story was one of non-violence, and yet it still showed how determined the King and the Danish people were to not accept the Nazis' dictates.

reason: I like how the story begins and ends with the same line, underscoring the unity among the Danes.

phrase: "not heard from again"

Reason: fate of those being brought away is unknown; has immense psychological effect on those who are left

word: "sister"

reason: reminds me of siblings looking out for one another; the unity of the Danes is likened to family ties

Reason: Calls to mind the saying, 'united we stand, divided we fall' - importance of national solidarity during challenging times

Phrase: "answered with pride"

Reason: How the tailor's relationship with the King transcends the status quo of a king and his subjects

Word: "faith"

Reason: Having faith during troubled times is never easy

Reason: Circumstances are unforeseen and unpredictable

My phrase: symbol of resistance

Reason: common language that bonds us

My word: king

Reason: affecting behaviours of danes and rationale of actions

Reason: Striking how the King is a unifyng force among his people

Phrase: be prepared to shoot the king

Reason: an open challenge to the Nazis

Word: Symbol

Reason: I like how the flag became a powerful symbol of resistance at this point; people celebrating their small victory

As they watched him passed, the subjects of King Christian understood what they should do.

Reason: Trust and faith in their King in the face of adversity, King showing bravery for all to follow. All the Danish citizens looked up to the king. No need of words to mention, but the citizens know what was the King's intention.

Phrase:

"...hide it among its sisters..."

• interesting to mention the star using the stars as females- perhaps of protective qualities , eg. like siblings?mothers?

Word:

"Stars"- many interpretations...

• referring to the Jews/ to the star of David/ of identity/ of fear/ of unity/ of hope and light

Reason: The King found a way out.

Phrase: a powerful symbol of resistance

Reason: I like the idea of the resistance against the oppressors.

Word: courage

Reason: The reason for the King and his subjects to live and fight another day.

Reason: This implies some form of hope or enlightenment, guiding the character (King) through challenges. The idea of stars brightening up the night sky also suggests some form of positivity in fate/destiny, thus, influencing the course of narrative towards the end of the story.

My phrase: "The missing flag became a powerful symbol of resistance,"

Reason: This is very symbolic as the subtle act itself has an effectively, amplified effect.

My word: star

Reason: This is a very powerful, palimpsestic motif. Stars could signify the hope/ambition for the people (Jews/Danes), guidance/navigation (for the King) and even unity/harmony (connecting stars to form constellations).

Reason: Their wise king would save the Jews and the Danes.

b) phrase: "hide it among its sisters"

Reason: a brilliant, wise yet dangerous proposition

c) word: "star"

Reason: a ray of hope for the citizens

Reason: Drawing parallel the fierceness of a storm (something familiar) and the war (something foreign).

My phrase: "terrible news that fluttered down"

Reason: juxtaposition between terrible news (or heavy news) and the lightness in how it's being delivered

My word: "flag"

Reason: Materialises the intangible idea of resistance and power struggle between the Danes and Nazis.

Reason: speaks about unity of the people

Only Danes:

Reason: must have a strong identity as one people to be 'only Danes'

Only:

Reason: adverbs emphasizes the qualities of the solidarity of the Danes.

What Is Most Important/Implications?

The trust and faith between the king and his subjects - there were no words spoken but they seemed to understand each other (the star being worn).

The King's willingness to sacrifice himself on behalf of his soldiers (being the one who would take the flag down under the threat of death).

What did we miss? Why?

We Danes would all stand together in defense of our king. - Can feel the sense of pride in their king and community spirit the people had.

Phrase:

in the dark days to come - stark contrast to the line before. A sudden change of mood.

Word:

faith - the belief in the king without question, the belief in terms of religion, the belief they had in each other

The flag stood for war and fear and hatred.

Reason: Flag usually is a symbol to unite the citizens instead of generating resentment.

Phrase:

missing flag became a powerful symbol of resistance

Reason: the irony in the use of flag

Word: star

Instead of the star being used to single out the Jews, the star was used to unify everyone in the end.

Reason- The writer used the simile "like a fierce storm" foreshadowing the impending chaos and destruction that the war would bring.

Phrase: the Nazis gathered like dark clouds

Reason- as dark clouds would bring about a fierce storm, the writer once again skilfully linked how the Nazis were the ones who brought the chaos and destruction to their land.

Word: Stars

Reason- found it interesting as it had more than one meaning in this book

Once again, in the country of Denmark, there were only Danes.

We Danes would all stand together in support of our king.

-          United we stand, divided we fall.

-          Similar 1^st and last sentence. Form of repetition as a closure

-          Striking how the King is a unifying force among his people

Phrase:

Only Danes (unique/exclusive/solidarity)

Be prepared to shoot the king (Open challenge)

Answered with pride (how the tailor’s r/s with the king transcends status)

Word:

Only (unique/exclusive/solidarity)

Faith (having faith during troubled times is not easy)

Symbol (symbolism of the flag)

Commonality and Significance: Pride for the country and faith in the king

Difference: Intra-personal r/s of the king and his subjects

Interesting:  Reiteration of the unity of the pple and the king. Common 1^st and last sentence.

Reason: It can be inferred that the yellow star that was used by the Nazis to divide and shame the Jews became the Danes' symbol of unity and hope.

Phrase: watched and waited to see what their king would do

Reason: The Danes trusted and looked up to their king.

Word: Test

Reason: The people and the king were able to emerge victorious from their test of solidarity.

Reason: The stars were the light and they are the positive outlook.

Phrase: dark days to come

Reason: the gloomy outlook that they now have

Word: faith

Reason: Faith is key when faced with difficulties.

The unity of the Danes came out strongly in the story.

We all agreed that use of symbols has its use in unifying people.

Differences - some of us notice the stylistic way of writing - starting and ending with 'there were only Danes' [bracketing technique]