Analyzing The Book Thief Themes, Symbols, and Motifs

Activity Overview

There are many themes, symbols and motifs present throughout The Book Thief. Students can explore this by identifying a theme, symbol or motif themselves or, in an “envelope activity” being given one or more to track throughout their reading. Then, students will create a storyboard illustrating the examples of that theme from the text. Teachers may ask students to identify multiple themes, or illustrate multiple examples of a single theme.

Themes in The Book Thief

The Holocaust
War
Friendship
Love
Identity
Suffering
Courage
Literature and Writing
Family
Prejudice and Dehumanization
Kindness
Criminality
Hope
Survival
Bullies
Death and Mortality

Symbols and Motifs

The Gravedigger's Handbook
Hitler
The Accordion
The Yellow Jewish Star
Books
Colors
Food

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Template and Class Instructions

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Due Date:

Objective: Create a storyboard that identifies recurring themes, symbols or motifs found in The Book Thief. Illustrate each symbol and write a short description below each cell.

Student Instructions:

Click "Start Assignment".
Identify the themes, symbols or motifs from The Book Thief you wish to include and type them in the title box at the top.
Create an image for examples that represent each symbol using appropriate scenes, characters and items.
Write a description of each of the examples in the black text box.

Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level 6-8

Difficulty Level 3 (Developing to Mastery)

Type of Assignment Individual

Type of Activity: Themes, Symbols & Motifs

Common Core Standards

[ELA-Literacy/RL/8/2] Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text
[ELA-Literacy/RL/8/4] Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts
[ELA-Literacy/RL/5/1] Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

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Rubric

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Symbolism

Create a storyboard that identifies symbolism in the story. Illustrate instances of each and write a short description that explains the example's significance.

	Proficient	Emerging	Beginning
Identify Symbol(s)	All symbols are correctly identified as objects that represent something else at a higher level in the story.	Most symbols are correctly identified, but some objects are missing or are incorrectly identified as significant symbols.	No symbols are correctly identified.
Examples	All examples support the identified symbols. Descriptions clearly say why examples are significant.	Most examples fit the identified symbols. Descriptions say why examples are significant.	Most examples do not fit the identified symbols. Descriptions are unclear.
Depiction	Storyboard cells clearly show connection with the symbols and help with understanding.	Most storyboard cells help to show the symbols but some storyboard cells are difficult to understand.	Storyboard cells do not help in understanding the symbols.