The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Name:
HISTORICAL INVESTIGATION AND PRESENTATION
ASSIGNMENT
Your assignment is to work collaboratively with your team to investigate the historical, cultural, social, or geographical context of the novel The Book Thief. You will give an oral presentation of your findings using presentation software such as Prezi or PowerPoint.
PRESENTATION REQUIREMENTS
Your presentation must include the following:
· Thesis regarding the significance of your topic and its importance in the historical, social, cultural, or geographical context of the novel (see topics below).
· Key information that will guide the structure of your presentation (at least 6-10 “slides”).
· A “token” or “take-away” for each classmate that will help them remember your topic.
· At least one audio-visual resource appropriately placed within the Prezi (video, song, etc.)
· A speaking plan for who will cover what during the presentation (no hogs/logs).
CREATE AN EFFECTIVE PRESENTATION
1. What do you want your classmates—your audience—to get from your presentation?
2. What background knowledge or assumptions does your audience have about your subject? How will this background affect the types of information and vocabulary you use as you present?
3. How might your audience’s values, opinions, and beliefs affect their perspective towards your subject?
4. What audio/visual components can you include in your presentation to engage your audience and convey your information effectively?
5. What connections can you make between your subject and your target audience to make your topic relevant to them?
6. What additional materials will you need to present your subject successfully?
TOPICS: Find those who have the same topic as you. This is your group.
· Nazi party/Adolph Hitler
· Persecution of the Jewish people/ The Holocaust
· Mein Kampf
· Effects of WWII on the German people
· Hitler Youth
DUE DATE AND SCORING
Projects will be presented Tuesday, 3/31. You will have only today in the computer lab to work, so be sure to work quickly and efficiently with your group.
Criteria / Exemplary / Proficient / EmergingAnalysis of
the Subject / The presentation is thoughtfully and effectively organized. It demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of significant aspects of the topic and its relevance to the novel. / The presentation is organized and displays a solid understanding of the topic. The connection between the topic and the novel as a whole is clear to the audience. / The presentation is somewhat organized. The information
presented demonstrates a limited understanding of the topic and fails to make any connection to the
Presentation:
Use of Media / The presentation skillfully uses a variety of audio/visual resources to keep the audience engaged. The audio/visual selections are thoughtfully chosen and demonstrate critical thinking. / The presentation uses some audio/visual components to engage the audience.
The selections are relevant
and creative and serve the purpose of the presentation / The presentation may or may not contain audio/visual components to supplement the information. The materials chosen are not relevant or are distracting and fail to serve the group’s purpose.
Oral Delivery / The presenters demonstrate effective oral communication skills. Each group member participates equally. The presentation actively engages audience members. It is well planned and successfully coordinated. / The presenters display adequate oral communication skills. All members participate, but the balance may be unequal. The presentation is engaging. Adequate collaboration is evident. / The presenters lack adequate oral communication skills. Some group members participate little or not at all. The presentation lacks energy and enthusiasm and is un-engaging.
Based on the presentations from your peers, fill out the following chart:
What I know about the Holocaust / What I would like to know about the HolocaustNazi party/Adolph Hitler
Persecution of the Jewish people/ The Holocaust
Mein Kampf
Effects of WWII on the German people
Hitler Youth
ANTICIPATION GUIDE: Place a checkmark under AGREE if you agree with the statement. Place a checkmark under DISAGREE if you disagree with the statement.
AGREE / DISAGREE / STATEMENTFriendship runs deeper than simply having fun together.
The words of one man can completely move a nation.
Death is ugly and scary.
Guilt and our conscience can lead us to do things we wouldn’t otherwise do.
Those who truly love us would never abandon us.
Prologue
1) Who is the narrator of The Book Thief?
2) How do you know this is the narrator? Provide 3 examples from the book that support this.
3) The narrator foreshadows 3 major events that will take place later in the novel. What are the events, and the colors and symbols that they are represented by?
4) Why do you think the author chose to have this particular narrator? Explain.
5) Why do you suppose that Death saw life in terms of color and referred to color in terms of taste? What tastes would you assign to colors such as red, blue, green, yellow, and purple?
Read the article below (continued on the next page). In the margin to the right, annotate and summarize the main idea of each paragraph.
What did you learn from this article?
Do Now: Write about an object you have that is of great importance to you, and that also reminds you of a place, a time, a memory, a person/people, etc.
ü What is this object?
ü What is the memory connected to it?
ü Why is this so important to you?
ü Is it a good or bad memory?
Part 1 (The Arrival on Himmel Street – The Kiss)
1) What tragedy struck Liesel’s family family while aboard the train?
2) Why were Liesel and her brother Werner supposed to be placed in foster care in January 1939?
3) Why was the book about grave digging significant to Liesel? What/who does it represent a connection to?
4) What amazes Death about human beings? Why do you think he’s so impressed by this?
5) Describe what life is like for Liesel in the Hubermann household, with her foster parents.
6) Why was school a failure for Liesel?
7) What is the ‘road with yellow stars’. Why does it have that name and what’s going on there?
8) Irony: Irony refers to the difference between the way things seem to be and the way they are. What was ironic about the first book that Liesel ‘stole’?
Directions: Below, complete the compare and contrast chart about Liesel and her friend Rudy.
Liesel / Same / RudyCause and Effect: What is a cause and effect that has happened so far in The Book Thief? How does the character's actions affect other people in the story? Write an SSS paragraph exploring this topic in the space below.
Part One (The Jesse Owens Incident – The Heavyweight Champion of the World)
1) Describe the Jesse Owens incident that Rudy takes part in. Why do you think he did what he did?
2) Rudy asks his father what it means to be Jewish. How does his father respond to this question?
3) Foreshadowing: When the author gives a hint as to what will happen later in the story. What is one event the author has foreshadowed thus far?
4) Why did Liesel insist on participating in the reading examination? Why did it end in disaster?
5) How does Liesel react to Ludwig Schmeikl’s teasing?
6) Personification – a device in which an author grants human qualities to nonhuman objects or concepts. For example, in this novel, Death is personified and given the qualities of thought and emotion.
I buckled – I became interested. In the girl. Curiosity got the better of me, and I resigned myself to stay as long as my schedule allowed, and I watched.
How does the use of personification shape the readers reaction’s to Death? What is surprising or unexpected about Death?
7) Why is the narrator’s workload increasing in the beginning of September 1939?
8) Metaphor: a metaphor is a suggested comparison between two unlike objects. For example:
On the footpath, Liesel stood with her papa and Rudy. Hans Hubermann wore a face with the shades pulled down. What is being compared? What does this reveal about Hans Hubermann’s reaction to the Nazi rally?
Directions: Complete the chart below based on what you have learned about Liesel.
Respond to… / LieselHow would you describe Liesel thus far?
Is she a likeable character? Why or why not?
What text-self connection can you make to either the book, or Liesel?
Do Now: Write about a time you very much wanted to read or watch something, but were not permitted to do so.
ü What was it that you wanted to read or watch?
ü Why weren’t you given permission to do so?
ü Who forbade you?
ü Were you ever able to read/watch it? If so, how did it feel when you finally did?
AFTER READING PART 1:
Design a book cover based on Part 1. The importance of this assignment is not artistic competence, but the ability to defend how the cover you create relates to Part 1. After you complete your covers, you will present briefly what you created and explain how it fits in with Part 1.
Part Two (A Girl Made of Darkness – 100 Percent Pure German Sweat)
1) Liesel steals her second book from a book burning. Why is this significant and also, why is the day she does it important?
2) Death foreshadows that when Liesel steals The Shoulder Shrug, it gives Hans a plan ‘to help the Jewish fist fighter’. Make a prediction as to what you think might be revealed later on in regard to this statement.
3) How is Hans able to give Liesel a Christmas present? What does he give her?
4) Why does Rosa decide to risk sending Liesel on the important business of laundry pickup and delivery?
5) Why did the Hubermanns avoid any discussion of Liesel’s mother in front of their daughter?
6) Why does Hans Junior accuse his father of cowardice? What was the ‘mistake’ Papa Hubermann had committed?
7) In what ways might Hans Hubermann have been considered a hero and not a coward (as his son claims)?
8) Why did the people of Molching hold a bonfire? Why were they burning books?
9) During the book burning, what shocking realization met Liesel when she listened to the speaker at the bonfire? What does the speaker say that brings on this realization?
10) Symbolism – a symbol in literature is a person, object or event that stands for an idea or set of ideas. What does the book The Grave Digger’s Handbook symbolize? What does Liesel’s completing the book symbolize for her?
Flashback and Flash Forward: A flashback is a scene which takes the narrative back to a time before the current point in the plot. A flash forward reveals what will happen at some future point in the story. Below, identify three flashbacks and three flash forwards the author has given us so far.
Flashback / Flash ForwardDo Now: Write about a time you hid from someone or something because you were scared.
ü Who or what were you hiding from?
ü Where did you hide and why?
ü What wound up happening? How did you feel?
ü Does that someone or something still scare you? Why or why not? Explain.
Part Two (The Gates of Thievery - Book of Fire)
AFTER READING PART 2: Create a one-pager on Part 2.
On ONE SHEET OF PAPER, complete the following:
1. Select two quotes from the text that capture the essence of this selection. Cite pages.
2. Choose what you believe is the most important part of this selection and illustrate your interpretation (literally draw this out!) – the illustration MUST HAVE COLOR.
3. Write at least FOUR single words or thoughts that express feelings or emotions about the text.
4. Write a one to two sentence summary of the selection.
5. Write two questions you have after reading the selection.
Part Two (The Gates of Thievery - Book of Fire) and Part Three (The Way Home – A Juggler)
The wordcommunist+ a large bonfire + a collection of dead letters + the suffering of her mother + the death of her brother =the Führer (Adolf Hitler).
1) What does this equation inside Liesel’s head show about her? What is she starting to realize is happening in Germany?
2) Why does Papa Hubermann slap Liesel? What is he trying to teach/warn her about by doing this?
3) Why is it important and symbolic that Liesel steals a book that is actually burning? Hint: remember who lit the books on fire and why.
4) Who wrote Mein Kampf? Why did Papa Hubermann buy a copy of Mein Kampf?
5) Why did Liesel's feelings change and did she start looking forward to delivering laundry to the mayor's house?
6) Describe who the Jew is and the circumstances he is in at this point. Based on only this chapter, what do you think Max's plan is?
7) Who is Max asking 'Please, please' to? Why might he be pleading to someone who isn't even in the room with him?
8) Prediction: How do you think Max will figure into the rest of the story? In what ways do you think Liesel's story and Max's story will connect with one another?
Directions: Imagine you are Hans or Rosa Humberman and write a journal entry describing your feelings about Liesel and life in Nazi Germany at this time.
Do Now: Write about a time you had to go someplace (or travel to) that made you feel nervous, or scared, or uneasy or suspicious.
ü What was this place and why were you going?
ü Why did you feel nervous/scared/uneasy/suspicious?
ü What happened when you got there? Did your feelings change or stay the same? Explain why.
Part Three (The Attributes of Summer – The Struggler, Concluded)
1) What do we learn about the mayor’s son? What happened to him in 1918 and what was going on in the world at that time?
2) Do you think that the thievery practiced by Rudy, Liesel and the other children was justified? Do you think they had a right to do this? Explain your answer.