I Am Number Four

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Close Encounters of the Loric Kind: Worldbuilding in I Am Number Four”

In this activity, students will add to the Loric universe by creating another alien race.

In science fiction/fantasy, world-building often includes newly imagined settings and environments, creatures and races, conflicts, infrastructures, and cultures. The people of Lorien have a complex history; from the Legacy powers to the jewelry worn by the Garde, each moment of Four’s journey is steeped in the richness of Loric culture and history.

In this exercise, add to the colorful world of I Am Number Four. Working through the following creative writing prompts, create another alien race and speculate on the ways in which this race would add to or change the novel’s conflict based on text details.

• History: Create a backstory that gives a history of this alien race; be sure to align it with the universe established in I Am Number Four. Does this race ally with the Lorics or the Mogadorians? What planet are they from? Have they, like the Lorics, suffered through some catastrophic event that has made them who they are?
• Superpower: Define and explain the superpowers this race might have.
• Appearance: Do members of this alien race have human-like features, or do they have different features?
• Name your people. Lorien and Loric draw from the word “lore,” which is defined by Oxford Languages as “a body of traditions and knowledge on a subject or held by a particular group.” Create a meaningful name for this new alien race.
• Compose a 1-page scene in which one character from this race meets an existing character from I Am Number Four. Will the scene show a hostile meeting or one of collaboration? What are each character’s motivations for being there? What is at stake in this meeting?

As a class, compare the different alien characteristics in your newly created species. Did most writers align their race with the Loric or the Mogadorians? Did any writer draw from history and incorporate facts into this worldbuilding exercise?

Teaching Suggestion: Students may benefit from concrete tips on how to “world build” through writer resources; “10 Worldbuilding Tips: How to Write an Engaging Fictional World” from MasterClass or Fabled Planet’s 6-step process in “How to Worldbuild: No-Nonsense First Steps for Fantasy Writers” may be appropriate starting points. In post-activity comparisons, students can discuss ways the races exemplify The Connection Between Memory and Identity through rich, detailed histories. Students may want to review sections of the novel that correspond to each of the prompts before beginning the exercise to readily make comparisons with the text. For example, reviewing some of Four’s dream sequences, which connect to pieces of the Loric history, may help with history prompt; reviewing Henri’s discussion of the Lumen power and how it ties into his relationship with his grandfather and his own family origins may help inspire work on superpowers and history.

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Throughout I Am Number Four, Four experiences memories of Lorien as vivid dream sequences.

• What role does memory play in Four’s development of his own identity? (topic sentence)
• Analyze and discuss 3 moments in the novel in which Four’s recollections of Lorien give him a deeper understanding of himself. What is the connection? What is the overall result?
• In your concluding sentences, evaluate the progress Four makes in understanding his identity over the course of the novel. How much farther does he have to go?

2. Sarah Hart is one of the few female characters to play a significant role in the novel.

• How does Sarah prove herself to be a force for “good” throughout the novel? (topic sentence)
• Trace Sarah’s character arc throughout the book, focusing on the moments when she is particularly good, kind, or caring. In what ways is her “goodness” different from Four’s? How does the juxtaposition of their characters help to convey messages about goodness?
• In your concluding sentences, examine how the character of Sarah is a unique contribution to the novel’s theme of The Triumph of Good Over Evil.

3. Four and Henri’s relationship is one of the strongest bonds portrayed throughout the novel.

• What is the nature of the connection between Four and Henri, aside from their obvious relationship of Garde-Cêpan? (topic sentence)
• Consider at least 3 ways in which Four and Henri’s bond is tested over time. Citing examples from the text, how does their relationship evolve?
• In your conclusion, evaluate the effectiveness of his relationship with Henri in Four’s character arc. To what extent does Henri help Four change and grow?

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Names play a significant role in the novel. Focusing on one of the main characters (e.g., John Smith, Sarah Hart, Sam Goode), analyze in a 3- or 5-paragraph essay what the name might symbolize or suggest about the character and their personality. How does the name point to something key regarding identity? Explore how their identity reveals itself over the course of the novel. In your conclusion, explore how names are another way of teasing out The Connection Between Memory and Identity.

2. Four’s loneliness and longing for a home is one of the underlying struggles in the novel. Why is Henri so intent on making Paradise his home? In a 3- or 5-paragraph essay, compare Henri’s and Four’s attitudes toward staying in Paradise and their conceptions of “home.” Determine how memory is linked to “home” for these characters and how both are related to a sense of Identity.

3. At the end of the novel, it is revealed that Bernie Kosar is actually a Chimæra, a shapeshifting animal from Lorien. Reflect on Bernie Kosar’s role in the story. How was his true form foreshadowed throughout the text? Consider Four’s connection with Bernie Kosar throughout the book even before he knows his true identity. In a 3- or 5-paragraph essay, explore how, though he is a minor character, Bernie Kosar ultimately helps Four in his quest to ensure The Triumph of Good Over Evil.

Multiple Choice and Long Answer Questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, exams, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. The Prologue helps to establish which of the book’s core themes?

A) The Triumph of Good Over Evil, in that the hero (a Loric child) fights against a clear villain (the Mogadorian)

B) Finding Hope When All Seems Lost, in that the child is able to defeat the Mogadorian against all odds

C) The Connection Between Memory and Identity, in that the boy draws upon memories of his Cêpan to remember his connection to the rainforest

D) There is no connection between the Prologue and the book’s core themes.

2. Which of the following statements best describes the initial irony in Four and Sam’s friendship?

A) Sam thinks he will be friendless forever, but suddenly Four comes into his life.

B) Sam is looking for a father figure, which he finds in his relationship with Four.

C) Sam is obsessed with aliens and outer space, but does not realize Four is an alien himself.

D) Sam has always wanted to wear a necklace, while Four begrudgingly wears his Loric pendant.

3. Why is the main setting of the novel (Paradise, Ohio) significant?

A) It is a subtle commentary on Midwestern America.

B) It foreshadows the importance that the town will eventually hold for Four.

C) Outside of Area 51, it is the American city with the most UFO/alien sightings.

D) Henri mentions wanting to see Paradise before he dies, foreshadowing his death.

4. What is the correct sequence of events?

A) Four meets Number Six; Four acquires his Lumen superpower; Four acquires his telekinesis abilities.

B) Four acquires his telekinesis abilities; Four acquires his Lumen superpower; Four meets Number Six.

C) Four acquires his Lumen superpower; Four meets Number Six; Four acquires his telekinesis abilities.

D) Four acquires his Lumen superpower; Four acquires his telekinesis abilities; Four meets Number Six.

5. Which of the following statements best describes why the Mogadorians were able to defeat the Loric?

A) The Loric used to believe in peace above all else and so refused to fight back.

B) The Mogadorians simply outnumbered the Loric.

C) None of the Loric had Legacies at this time.

D) The Mogadorians attacked when the Loric Elders were gone.

6. As Henri advises Four in Chapter 11, what should be the “last thing to go” in their fight against the Mogadorians?

A) Integrity

B) Trust

C) Hope

D) Pride

7. As Four’s Lumen power develops, he learns more about his past. What is the symbolism in this?

A) His Lumen powers are symbolic of his relationship to his mother.

B) He becomes figuratively “enlightened” about his true self.

C) His Lumen powers represent his relationship with his father.

D) He becomes figuratively “bright” in his excitement to have new abilities.

8. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic the Loric and the Mogadorians have in common?

A) They are both alien races.

B) They both look like humans.

C) They are both willing to fight to protect their people.

D) They both have access to supernatural powers.

9. Which of the following characters goes through one of the most drastic transformations in the novel?

A) Mark James

B) Henri

C) Number Six

D) Mr. Harris

10. As they settle into their life in Paradise, what sentiment do Four and Henri share?

A) Romantic longing

B) Embarrassment

C) Jealousy

D) Solitude

11. How is Four’s pseudonym “John Smith” connected to one of his core struggles throughout the book?

A) “John Smith” one of the most common names in the English-speaking world, representing his lack of identity.

B) “John Smith” was a famous explorer, and Four is a stranger exploring a new land.

C) The name “John Smith” is like having the superpower of anonymity, given the commonness of the name.

D) The historical “John Smith” can be viewed as a kind of conqueror, which is what Four wants to do to the Mogadorian.

12. The Loric Pendants are amulets Garde members wear around their necks. Which of the following ideas best describes what the pendants symbolizes?

A) The identity of the Garde and connection to the past

B) The ephemeral quality of beauty

C) The pain that Four’s family suffered through the years

D) The struggle between good and evil

13. Which of the book’s themes is developed by the reason that Sam wears glasses?

A) The Connection Between Memory and Identity, because Sam wears the glasses to honor his deceased father

B) The Triumph of Good Over Evil, because Sam believes that the glasses give him luck in the fight for good

C) Finding Hope When All Seems Lost, because the glasses make Sam think of Clark Kent/Superman, who gives him hope that any problem can be overcome

D) The glasses are not connected to any of the book’s main themes.

14. What literary device is exemplified when Four playfully asks Bernie if he has superpowers?

A) Anthropomorphism

B) Foreshadowing

C) Juxtaposition

D) Hyperbole

15. At the end of the novel, what common trait does Four discover he and Six share?

A) They both have Chimæras that present as beagles.

B) They both took a long time to develop the Legacy of telekinesis.

C) They both are in love with a human.

D) They both lost their Cêpan.

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. What is the overall importance of Four’s ability to produce light as one of his Legacies? In your answer, define this Legacy and explain how it connects to Four’s unique family history.

2. In Chapter 34, Four reflects upon Henri’s words of wisdom about memory: “The price of a memory is the memory of the sorrow it brings.” What does Henri mean by this? How does this sentiment connect to the book’s larger themes around memory?