Teacher's Guide
FEAST OF LIGHTS
Ellen S. Jaffe
ages 8-13 (grades 4-8)

1. Suggestions for pre-reading activities:

a. What is time-travel? Do you think it's possible? If so, how? And where would you like to go?

b. Discuss immigration. Who in the class is an immigrant, or has parents/grandparents who immigrated to Canada? Why do people immigrate? How did they travel in the past? And now? What do people bring with them; what do they leave behind?

c. Ask the class what they know about Hanukkah. If possible, show a menorah and candles (maybe a student or parent can bring these into class).

d. Talk about grief. What are some of the feelings you might have when a loved one dies? Why is it sometimes hard to talk about this person (or pet)? What are ways we can show feelings without words? Write a memory/story about a loved person or pet who has died (at age-appropriate level).

2. Topics for discussion and writing:

a. Look at the emotions of the different characters. The book seems to suggest that it is important to express feelings, even painful ones, e.g. Anna shouting and breaking the plate (and losing her wig); Sarah crying in the cemetery and Anna saying that if she didn't cry, "the tears will turn to pickle juice inside you." Do you agree with this? Why might it sometimes be hard to express feelings of all kinds — happy as well as sad and angry?

b. Write a story about one of your own family treasures or meaningful objects (like the menorah), using it to travel back — or forward — in time to explore family history, visit with relatives from the past, or visit yourself or descendants in the future.

c. Draw some illustrations for the book — use scenes in the novel, and also add details you imagine, or have learned from research. For example, look at pictures of Kensington Market one hundred years ago, or old steamships. Perhaps you could draw the picture of Ben's sea-monster, which he shows to Sarah.

d. Working in small groups, dramatize a scene from the story — or an imaginary scene with characters from the story. Use music in your skit, if you like. Perhaps you can use your dramatization to express different feelings or make different choices than the characters in the book.

3. Suggested course-related activities/research:

a. [art; creative writing; anthropology] What do people leave behind that tells those of future generations about their lives? In groups or as a class, imagine a fictional person who lived long ago. Make up written 'relics' of their life, such as letters and postcards to and from the invented character, a diary, newspaper storles about them. What did the character look like? What did they read? Bring in photographs, artwork, old books, found materials representative of the character's life.

b. [history; ethics] What was "Krystallnacht" (Crystal Night) and when did it take place? Find out about more recent events like this in other parts of the world. How do you think people can stop making war on each other?

c. [science; social studies; language arts; religious studies] Look at various holidays that deal with light, and at light itself. Do a project about light and darkness, looking at the physical/scientific and emotional/symbolic aspects of the subject. Are there times when darkness is necessary? What are the different sources of light throughout history?

d. [culture; diet; geography; history] Find photographs, recipes, descriptions or even bring in samples of dishes traditional to a specific culture(s), especially food related to holidays and ceremonies. Tell the class how these are influenced by geography (climate, native flora and fauna, & soils) and history (tradition and population migration).