Projekt 1065

Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key plot points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Chapters 1-25

Reading Check

1. Who is Michael O’Shaunessey pretending to be?

2. What is the name of the book that Adolf Hitler wrote about his political philosophy?

3. Why was Ireland a neutral country during WWII?

4. What is Deutscherblick?

5. What is the hardest lesson that Michael has ever learned?

6. What did the pilot hide in the haystack?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Describe the events of Kristallnacht. What is Michael’s reaction to the event?

2. What almost happens to Michael during the dinner party?

3. What are the two announcements that Herr Professor Doktor Major Melcher makes to Michael’s class?

4. Describe Michael’s inner turmoil at the fight during the book burning. What does he decide to do?

5. What is acrophobia? How does Michael’s acrophobia inhibit his mission on the farm?

6. Who is Simon? How does he meet Michael and his family, and what is his mission?

Paired Resources

“Kristallnacht”

• The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s overview of the events just before, during, and after Kristallnacht
• Why is Kristallnacht considered a defining moment in Nazi Germany’s treatment of its Jewish population?

“How the Hitler Youth Turned a Generation of Kids Into Nazis”

• A History.com resource that focuses on the indoctrination of youth by Nazi Germany
• Connects to the theme of The Role of Children in War.
• How did the popularity of organizations like the Boy Scouts ultimately support the growth of the Hitler Youth program?

Chapters 26-49

Reading Check

1. How is Michael able to sketch the plans of Projekt 1065 so quickly and accurately?

2. What is the motto of the Hitler Youth?

3. What does “Aryan” mean for Nazi Germany?

4. According to Michael, what are Nazi Germany’s two favorite sports?

5. How does Fritz greet Michael when he sees him the day following their boxing match?

6. What is Fritz’s secret?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What was the “Blitz”? Describe the meaning of the word as well as what event it represents.

2. Why does Simon want to help Michael conquer his acrophobia? How does he help him?

3. Who are the Edelweiss Pirates? What is the significance of this group’s name?

4. What makes Melcher’s lesson in Chapter 33 different from previous ones? Describe the reaction of the class to his lesson.

5. Describe what happens as Michael gets ready for his diving test. How does Fritz support him? What are the results of their exams?

Paired Resources

“The Edelweiss Pirates: A Story of Freedom, Love and Life”

• This resource from the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation provides information about the Edelweiss Pirates resistance movement.
• In what ways did the Edelweiss Pirates offer an alternative to the Hitler Youth program?

Hitler Youth Training Film

• The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum shares footage of the Hitler Youth physical training.
• Why did Nazi Germany prize physical fitness above intellectual fitness?

Chapters 50-76

Reading Check

1. How did Karl get into the SRD?

2. What does the telegram on Melcher’s desk say?

3. Why does Lina act unusual around Michael?

4. What is Operation Paperclip?

5. What team does Simon urge Michael to join?

6. What do Michael’s parents announce they will try to do?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What is Fritz called by SS-Obersturmführer Trumbauer? What is the implication of this word?

2. Describe what Fritz and the SRD boys decide to do with Melcher. How do Michael and Melcher react?

3. What does Michael realize about Fritz’s “science team” during the raid?

4. Describe how the night for Simon’s departure unfolds. How does it end?

5. What does Michael realize about the “science team” during Hitler’s speech? What is Simon’s suggestion?

Paired Resource

“The Scientific and Technological Advances of World War II”

• The National WWII Museum highlights a wide range of innovations that were made during WWII.
• Why were scientific advancements important for both Allied and Axis powers? Describe how some of the discoveries made during the war affect the way people live today.

Chapters 77-101

Reading Check

1. What shocking secret does Michael reveal to Fritz?

2. How is Michael able to get on the “science team”?

3. Where does Michael hide the Project 1065 plans before the conference?

4. What do the “science experiment” pieces assemble into?

5. Who does Michael see on the roof of the cable car?

6. Why is Fritz surprised that Michael wants to fight him?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Describe the events that take place in the tunnel. What happens to Simon?

2. What plan does Ottmar reveal to the “science team”? Is Michael successful in stopping it?

3. What does Michael realize Fritz discovered about him at the conference? How did Fritz make this discovery?

4. What causes the avalanche at the end of the novel? Who survives the avalanche and who does not?

5. Summarize the last chapter of the book. Where do Michael and his parents go? Where are they being sent next? How does Michael feel about the role he played in international espionage?

Recommended Next Reads

Allies by Alan Gratz

• This 2019 novel focuses on how six adolescents from around the world unite against a common enemy on WWII’s D-Day.
• Common themes include The Role of Children in War.
• Allies on SuperSummary

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

• This 2007 novel centers on a young German girl who resists Nazi Germany by saving banned books from destruction.
• Common themes include The Role of Children in War.
• The Book Thief on SuperSummary