STUDYSYNC LESSON PLAN THE BOOK THIEF
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StudySync Lesson Plan
The Book Thief
Objectives
1. Engage students in the narrative, characters and historical context of an excerpt from
Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief, preparing them to discuss and write critical responses to
the text.
2. Practice and reinforce the following Grades 9-10 ELA Common Core Standards for
reading literature, writing, and speaking and listening:
READING: LITERATURE – RL.9-10.1-7, 9-10
WRITING – W.9-10.1-7, 9-10
SPEAKING AND LISTENING – SL.9-10.1-6
Time
130 minutes (with an additional 260 minutes of extension possibilities)
Materials
SyncTV Premium Lesson on Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief
Overview
Australian author Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief became an international bestseller in the
months following its publication in 2006, not long after Zusak’s thirtieth birthday. Narrated by
Death, The Book Thief tells the story of Liesel Meminger, a young girl named living in Germany at
the dawn of the Second World War. Death becomes fascinated with Liesel when she is only nine
years old, first encountering her upon the death of her brother—as students will read in the
following excerpts, drawn from the first two chapters of the text. Zusak’s novel explores weighty
themes of mortality and is written in lyrical, experimental prose, but at the core of the narrative is
a paean to the power of language and literature in the face of disaster. Students will read and
analyze the following excerpts, which introduce us to the novel’s setting, as well as its distinct
narrative style. After reading, students will participate in class- and group-led discussions and
write critical responses about the text’s characters, themes, and style, consistent with the ELA
Common Core Standards for Grades 9 and 10.
Background (10 minutes)
1. Watch the Preview (SL.9-10.1-2). As a group, watch the video preview of the premium
lesson. After viewing, use the following questions to spur a discussion:
studysync.com Lesson Plan: The Book Thief
Page 1a. What was happening in Nazi Germany at the dawn of WWII? When did the war
begin, when did the war end—and why? Discuss the devastation throughout
Germany and the rest of Europe that occurred as a result of the Great War.
b. Why were Jews hiding from the Nazis during WWII? What policies or programs
drove Jewish families into hiding? What would happen if they were caught?
c. The preview states that The Book Thief, in a strange twist, is narrated by Death.
How do we commonly imagine the embodiment of Death? Look at the image in
the preview and discuss your own conception of this figure, if any.
Extension (additional 100 minutes)
d. Research (W.9-10.7 and SL.9-10.4-6). For valuable context, have your students do
some research on the Nazi Holocaust. Give each student a different topic or event
and ask him or her to prepare a short presentation on the subject assigned. The
presentations should incorporate video or audio wherever applicable, and should
offer a brief biographical summary of their topic’s importance or legacy in the
study of the Holocaust.
e. Share
(SL.9-10.4-6). How is Death commonly represented in other works of
literature and/or film? Have students bring to class a depiction of the figure of
Death from another work, famous or not. They should present these depictions to
the class with applicable video or images, and discuss how the figure is
represented in their chosen work. Is this a common or unusual example? Why?
f. Journal
(W.9-10.1-2, 4). Why do we read and tell stories about the Holocaust? What
is the value in studying such a disturbing and appalling chapter in modern history?
Is there anything we can learn from the horror and tragedy of this? If so, what? Ask
students to write a journal entry or essay response addressing any or all of these
questions.
g. Chart (SL.9-10.1, 3). Is it ever okay to steal? Discuss potential scenarios with the
class in which stealing is never okay, as well as times in which it may be more
permissible. Together, complete a chart with two columns: on the left, situations in
which stealing is never okay, and on the right, situations in which stealing can be
forgiven. Once completed, discuss what this chart tells you about morality in times
of extreme suffering or hardship. When would stealing books be okay? Why?
Engaging the Text (120 minutes)
2. Read the Text (30 minutes)
a. Read and Annotate (RL.9-10.1-6). Have students read and annotate the
introduction and excerpt. If students are completing as a homework assignment,
ask them to write any questions they have into the annotation tool–these
questions are visible to you after the students submit their writing assignments or
beforehand if you use the “Mimic” function to access the students’ accounts.
b. Discuss (SL.9-10.1, 3). Have students get into small groups or pairs and briefly
discuss the questions and inferences they had while reading.
Extension (additional 20 minutes)
c. Listen and Discuss (SL.9-10.1-2). As a class, listen to the audio reading of the text.
studysync.com Lesson Plan: The Book Thief
Page 2Ask students to share how their understanding of the text changed after listening.
What additional images came to mind? What words did the author use to develop
the setting?
d. Comprehend (RL.9-10.1-6, 10). Have students complete the multiple-choice
questions. Collect papers or discuss answers as a class.
3. Watch SyncTV (30 minutes)
a. Watch Either watch the SyncTV discussion as a class or ask students to watch it
on their individual computers.
b. Focus (SL.9-10.1-3 and RL.9-10.4-5). From 0:15-1:05, the SyncTV students start by
debating whether this excerpt from The Book Thief qualifies as poetry or prose,
even though it seems to contain characteristics of both. Have your students pay
attention to both sides of this argument and the respective points for each, as well
as the conclusions at which they arrive.
c. Focus (SL.9-10.1-3 and RL.9-10.1-3). We know from the preview that the narrator of
The Book Thief is Death, but have your students watch closely from 1:35-2:20 as
the SyncTV students share a few examples from the text that we can use to infer
the narrator’s identity. This is a good example of working backwards from a logical
conclusion to identify how it is constructed in the text.
d. Focus (SL.9-10.1-3 and RL.9-10.1-3). Finally, from 4:27-5:10, the TA instructs the
SyncTV students to think about how the book challenges or plays with our
conception of what (or who) Death is. Have your own students listen to their
thoughts and come up with their own corresponding takes on the complexities of
the excerpt.
e. Discuss (SL.9-10.1-5 and RL.9-10.1-6, 10). After watching the model discussion,
have a conversation with the class about the ideas discussed in the SyncTV
episode. What new thoughts do they have after hearing the students' discussion?
Next, divide students into small groups (3-4 students). Move around the room
monitoring groups as students follow the SyncTV episode as a model to discuss
some of the following questions:
i. Is this excerpt poetry, prose, or both? What, in particular, defines
something as “poetry” and what defines something as “prose”? Can you
think of any other works you’ve read that blend elements of both genres
together? Is this kind of hybridized style a more classical or modern literary
practice?
ii. Why do you think Zusak chooses to tell the story the way he does? What’s
wrong with a more straightforward, traditional prose style? Conversely,
why not just write The Book Thief as a lyrical poem? In other words, why
do you think Death narrates the story the way he does?
iii. How would you describe Death’s personality in this excerpt? How does
the author’s characterization of Death challenge or subvert our classical
expectations of this figure? How do we traditionally imagine the
personification of Death, and how does The Book Thief depart from this?
Do you think these departures are effective? Why or why not?
iv. What other clues can you draw from this excerpt about the setting and
characters in The Book Thief? Using the SyncTV discussion as a model,
make a list of other potential clues that tell us the direction the story is
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Page 3headed (e.g., the Holocaust, WWII). What can we infer about what’s to
come in the following chapters?
v. Discuss the author’s use of color in the description and imagery in this
excerpt. Why does color play an important role here? Why might Death be
so fixated on color? What does it tell you about this character, and what
does it tell you about the world of the novel? Cite examples within.
vi. Why does the author (via Death) tell us what this story is going to be
about? Does this add anything to the story? Why would a narrator
“summarize” the events to come in the first chapter of a novel? Does this
take away from the element of surprise, or does it hook us deeper into the
story? Discuss both sides of this.
Extension (additional 60 minutes)
f. Connect (SL.9-10.1, 3 and W.9-10.3-4, 9). Students now know how Zusak’s
characterization of Death sees the world: but how do they see the world? In a
class discussion, talk about the different colors on the color spectrum and ask
students to share the different memories or feelings they associate with each.
Then, after discussing, ask students to write a journal entry about a particular
memory from their past, using colors to strengthen their descriptions and imagery.
g. Write (SL.9-10.1, 4, 6 and W.9-10.3-4, 9). Split the class into small groups and have
each group continue the narrative of The Book Thief from where it leaves off.
Groups must share their continuations with the class after completion. Once the
groups have all presented their work, award a winner based on creativity, as well
as tonal consistency with the narrative ‘voice’ in the excerpt.
4. Think (10 minutes)
a. Respond (W.9-10.1, 4). Ask students to read the “Think” questions, watch the
corresponding video clips, and respond to the questions, either in class or for
homework.
5. Write (50 minutes)
a. Discuss (SL.9-10.1). Read the prompt you have chosen for students, and then
solicit questions regarding the prompt or the assignment expectations. Whichever
prompt you have chosen, make sure you are clear about the assignment
expectations and the rubric by which you and the other students will be evaluating
them.
b. Organize (RL.9-10.1 and W.9-10.1-2, 5). Ask students to go back and annotate the
text with the prompt in mind. They should be organizing their thoughts and the
points they’ll address in their writing as they make annotations. If you’ve worked
on outlining or other organizational tools for writing, this is a good place to apply
them.
c. Write (W.9-10.1-2, 4-6, 8-10). Have students go through the writing process of
planning, revising, editing, and publishing their writing responses.
d. Review (W.9-10.4-6). Use the StudySync “Review” feature to have students
complete one to two evaluations of their peers’ work based on your chosen
review rubric. Have the students look at and reflect upon the peer evaluations of
their own writing. What might you do differently in a revision? How might you
strengthen the writing and the ideas?
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Page 4Extension (additional 80 minutes)
e. Write (W.9-10.1-2, 4-6, 9-10). For homework, have students write an essay using
one of the prompts you did not choose to do in class. Students should publish
their responses online.
f. Write Creatively (W.9-10.3-6, 9-10) The narrator of Death from The Book Thief is a
good example of personification, a literary device wherein an author assigns
human characteristics to inhuman figures or objects. For a fun creative writing
assignment, ask students to choose an inhuman figure or inanimate object of their
own, and write a 300-word response from their character’s point of view.
Encourage creativity in their responses!
studysync.com Lesson Plan: The Book Thief
Page 5SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS
Key Vocabulary
1. hinder (v.) – To slow or impede; to stop
2. amiable (adj.) – Pleasant, agreeable, friendly
3. affable (adj.) – Sociable, easy to get along with, amiable
4. genially (adv.) – Cheerfully or cordially
5. intonations (n.) – Different tones in something, usually involving a subtle shift in pitch or
voice
6. increments (n.) – Small amounts or degrees in which something becomes greater
7. bluster (n.) – Loudness or aggressiveness, especially using words
8. abhorrence (n.) – The state of expressing strong dislike
9. traipse (v.) – To walk or go, usually reluctantly or wearily
10. elementary (adj.) – Basic, simple
Reading Comprehension Questions
Directions: Circle the best possible answer. If you don’t know the meaning of a word, look it up!
1. The narrator of the excerpt describes himself as all of the following EXCEPT
_____________.
a. jolly
b. fair
c. nice
d. genial
2. Whenever the narrator uses the pronoun “you” he is referring to _____________.
a. Death
b. the reader
c. the guards on the train
d. the daughter
3. The narrator’s recurring fixation in Part 1 seems to be _____________.
a. death
b. the Holocaust
c. daytime
d. colors
4. The narrator’s attempts to cope with his line of work are mostly ______________.
a. long vacations
b. reading
c. distraction and daydreaming
d. cynicism
5. “They’re the ones I can’t stand to look at, although on many occasions I still fail.”
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Page 6The underlined word above refers to _____________.
a. the loved ones of the dead
b. Holocaust survivors
c. the Germans
d. children
6. The “book thief” is _____________.
a. the daughter by the train
b. Death
c. Jewish
d. the tall guard
7. From their dialog we can infer that the two guards on the train are _____________.
a. brothers
b. Germans
c. dead
d. all of the above
8. In Part 2, the train is stopped because _____________.
a. someone has died
b. the Nazis are searching for someone
c. snow is blocking the rails
d. it has derailed
9. “As for me, I had already made the most elementary of mistakes.”
The mistake the narrator is referring to is _____________.
a. arriving on the scene too soon
b. forgetting which person he was supposed to take
c. not quitting his job sooner
d. staying to watch the little girl
10. “I clearly remember that my breath was loud that day. I’m surprised that the guards didn’t
notice me as they walked by.”
This passage suggests that the narrator is _______________.
a. invisible to the living
b. not very good at his job
c. going to die soon
d. all of the above
Answer Key
1. C
2. B
3. D
4. C
5. A
6. A
7. B
8. C
9. D
10. A
studysync.com Lesson Plan: The Book Thief
Page 7Further Assignments
1. After completing this StudySync Premium Lesson, have students read the entirety of
Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief. Continue to foster in-class discussion about the themes
and characters in Zusak’s novel, and have students write essays using the prompts they
did not respond to before, drawing examples from the whole text—or have them come up
with their own topics. (RL.9-10.1-6, 10 and W.9-10.1-2, 4, 9-10 and SL.9-10.1, 3)
2. Once students have read the complete text, show them the 2013 film adaptation of
Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief—or, if it is still playing in theaters, organize a class field
trip to watch it on the big screen. After viewing, discuss the filmmakers’ interpretation of
Riordan’s original text, asking students to talk about which elements were changed or
removed. Questions to consider: Why do you think the filmmakers made these changes
to the original story? How do these changes affect the overall story? (RL.9-10.7 and SL.9-
10.1-3)
3. You can also show students Ingmar Bergman’s classic 1957 film The Seventh Seal, which
contains one of the most iconic and memorable personifications of Death in all of film or
literature. Students should then write a comparative essay of at least 300-words
discussing the similarities and differences between Bergman and Zusak’s depictions of
this character. How does Bergman’s depiction influence Zusak, and how does Zusak
depart from this depiction? (RL.9-10.7, 9 and W.9-10.2, 4, 9)
4. Ask students to read Elie Wiesel’s Holocaust memoir Night, also available as a premium
lesson in the StudySync library. After students complete the reading and activities for
Night, have them compare these two accounts of this historical period in a 300-word
written response. Though these two works cover much of the same historical and
thematic territory, students’ essays should address how their narratives are made distinct
by the author’s style and narrative choices—including the different perspectives of their
narrators. (RL.9-10.1-6, 10 and W.9-10.2, 4, 9-10)
5. The horrors of the Holocaust are continually revisited and explored in modern film. To
expand students' breadth of knowledge, have them watch one or more films about this
dark chapter of history. Suggestions: Schindler's List, Life is Beautiful, The Pianist, The
Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Europa Europa, Judgment at Nuremberg, Shoah. Warning:
Most of these films contain disturbing imagery and content. (RL.9-10.7, 9)
6. English language learners can explore how point of view shapes the telling of a story by
re-writing this excerpt from The Book Thief from the perspective of another character—
either the “book thief” herself, or her mother, or even one of the guards by the train!
Learners may want to write their new versions as straightforward prose rather than
attempting to emulate the style of narration in the original. How does the story become
“different” when we change the identity of the narrator? (ELL)
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