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Students will understand and analyze different points-of-view of the events of World War II. Additionally, students will mimic the figurative language used throughout the novel.

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Help My Students Steal from The Book Thief!

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School:
Golden Gate Middle 
Subject:
Language Arts 
Teacher:
Leesha DiPalma 
Students Impacted:
65 
Grade:
8 
Date:
October 15, 2015

Investors

Thank you to the following investors for funding this grant.

 

Leesha DiPalma - $15.00

Leesha DiPalma - $1.00

Anonymous - $25.00

Anonymous - $10.00

Fifth Third Bank - $146.60

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Impact to My Classroom

# of Students Impacted: 63

While we have not yet finished the novel, "The Book Thief", the students have already shown a greater interest and appreciation for figurative language in writing. The final project described in the grant request will be completed at the end of the novel in May. The novel has been integrated into our curriculum as we are studying the Holocaust in a unit in our classroom textbook. Students worked on museum exhibits for the Holocaust on an aspect of their choice. Students worked in groups to complete steps in researching, analyzing the research, and applying the analysis of the research to a product (the exhibit). Several groups of students generated their ideas for exhibits based on "The Book Thief". Examples of these exhibits are pictured below. While reading the novel, students recorded journal entries of figurative language which created imagery for them. They could either describe how the language made them feel as the reader or draw the image that the language created for them. Students place their favorite journal entries on "The Book Thief" bulletin board in the classroom. Images of the bulletin board and a journal entry in the process are pictured below. In our poetry unit, the understanding of figurative language derived from "The Book Thief" brought their poetry to life. One assignment in particular encouraged students to write about themselves in a deeper and honest manner. I reminded them how the characters in the novel are real to the reader because of the (sometimes) paradox characteristics each person possesses. Examples of the poems are provided below. Students were also challenged through daily "warm-up" activities related to creative writing. Students were encouraged to go beneath the surface of writing to produce works that were meaningful and thought-provoking, like Markus Zusak in "The Book Thief". An example of one of these prompts and a student response is pictured below. This classroom set of novels has changed the way my students view reading and writing as a whole. If a student ever makes a complaint about reading and writing, another student will promptly remind him/her that Liesel had to steal books to learn to read and once she could read she used words as a tool for writing. It has inspired students not only to become better readers and writers, but to appreciate their ability to do so.

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Students journaled the figurative language and/or

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Students completed Holocaust Museum Exhibits on va

 

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Students completed Holocaust Museum Exhibits on va

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Students all participating in identifying figurati

 

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Students completed Holocaust Museum Exhibits on va

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Bulletin board display of imagery and favorite fig

 

Original Grant Overview

Goal

Students will understand and analyze different points-of-view of the events of World War II. Additionally, students will mimic the figurative language used throughout the novel. 

 

What will be done with my students

This novel will be read in conjunction with our textbook collection on the Holocaust. With "The Book Thief", students will be able to understand the events of World War II from a different perspective. "The Book Thief" depicts life for German citizens during World War II and their adaptations to life in Germany during the Holocaust.
Students will have a choice in the final project associated with the novel: a figurative language booklet, a found poem, writing an alternative ending, or an artistic alternate book cover. 

 

Benefits to my students

"The Book Thief" is a difficult read for students in 8th grade. The students will be challenged in their reading ability and comprehension. The figurative language that the author uses in the book is also a useful lesson for students to see beautiful language modeled to imitate in their own writing. They can "steal" writing ideas from "The Book Thief"! 

 

Budget Narrative

 

 

Items

# Item Cost
1 The Book Thief $7.60
2 The Book Thief $7.60
3 The Book Thief $7.60
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25 The Book Thief $7.60
26 The Book Thief $7.60
  Total: $197.60

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