Search
https://www.storyboardthat.com/lesson-plans/the-boy-in-the-striped-pajamas-by-john-boyne/compare-book-to-film
In This Activity
  1. Activity Overview
  2. Template and Class Instructions
  3. Rubric
  4. More Storyboard That Activities
  5. This Activity is Part of Many Teacher Guides
START YOUR 14 DAY FREE TRIAL NOW!
START YOUR 14 DAY FREE TRIAL NOW!
Start My Free Trial
Start My Free Trial
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - Comparing the Book to the Film More options

Activity Overview


After both reading the book The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and watching the movie, students should be able to identify many similarities and differences. While reading, students can often let their imaginations create the characters and settings. When viewing a movie that has been based off of a book, the characters or settings may seem different than what the reader imagined them to be. When students both read and watch a production of the same story, it can be interesting to see their different reactions.

With that in mind, have students read the entire book. Then, show them the movie adaptation. Once they have read and watched, have them create a comparison chart like the one above.

Examples of Differences

BOOK

FILM
Introduction
Bruno enters his room and sees his maid, Maria, packing and is furious that she is touching his things. He yells and screams to his mother who explains that they must pack and move immediately. He wonders if he's done something bad and is being sent away. Bruno's mother and father throw an extravagant party in their elegant Berlin home to celebrate Bruno's father's promotion.
Ignorance
Bruno is constantly calling the concentration camp, Auschwitz, "Out-with", shows his innocence and ignorance to the atrocities happening all around him. Bruno discusses how nice the living quarters must be in the "farm" because he saw a Nazi propaganda movie that his father had prepared for Hitler - little did he know that people were living like this.
What was Auschwitz?
Bruno never fully understands that "Out-with" is a work camp full of prisoners, never mind a concentration camp that murders hundreds at a time. Gretel tells Bruno that it is not a farm, it is a "work camp" for Jews. He then sees a propaganda movie that makes it look lovely for the prisoners, but then sees it from the inside, just before being brought into the gas chamber, and he realizes what it is really like.
Lack of Security
When Bruno breaks into the camp, he only needs to lift the fence and crawl under. The fence is electrified and Bruno needs to bring a shovel and dig his way in.
Whereabouts of Bruno
Nobody ever knows what happened to Bruno. A soldier found his clothes but nobody could think what happened to him. Mother eventually returned to Berlin thinking that he might have found his way there. When they find the shovel and Bruno's clothes, they take dogs to follow his scent. When Mother sees them and the smoke from the gas chamber, she begins screaming. Father hears her cries. They both realize that Bruno has been murdered in the gas chamber.


Copy Activity*

Template and Class Instructions

(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)



Student Instructions

Create a storyboard comparing and contrasting the book and film. Be sure to highlight key changes or similarities.

  1. Click "Start Assignment".
  2. Identify key similarities and differences between the book and movie in the title boxes.
  3. In the first row, describe how that element is portrayed in the book.
  4. In the second row, describe how the element is portrayed in the film.
  5. Create an illustration for each cell using appropriate scenes, characters, and items.
  6. Click "Save & Exit" when done.
Grid Comparison with 4 Headings More options

Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level 6-8

Difficulty Level 2 (Reinforcing / Developing)

Type of Assignment Individual, Partner, or Group

Type of Activity: Compare and Contrast with T-Charts

Common Core Standards
  • [ELA-Literacy/RL/6/7] Compare and contrast the experience of reading a story, drama, or poem to listening to or viewing an audio, video, or live version of the text, including contrasting what they “see” and “hear” when reading the text to what they perceive when they listen or watch
  • [ELA-Literacy/RL/7/7] Compare and contrast a written story, drama, or poem to its audio, filmed, staged, or multimedia version, analyzing the effects of techniques unique to each medium (e.g., lighting, sound, color, or camera focus and angles in a film)
  • [ELA-Literacy/RL/8/7] Analyze the extent to which a filmed or live production of a story or drama stays faithful to or departs from the text or script, evaluating the choices made by the director or actors

Copy Activity*

Rubric

(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)


Compare Book to Flim
Proficient Emerging Beginning
Comparison Analysis
Text and images include a clear explanation of similarities and/or differences between the book and the film. These comparisons go beyond superficial elements and show strong understanding of the story elements.
Text and images include an explanation of similarities and/or differences between the book and the film, but the explanation may lack clarity or show only superficial understanding in some squares.
Text and images may include no explanation of similarities and/or differences, or they may make only superficial or inaccurate comparisons.
Textual Explanation
The text clearly and accurately describes all the scenes and concepts depicted.
The text clearly and accurately describes most of the scenes and concepts depicted.
The text fails to describe most of the scenes clearly and accurately.
Storyboard Image and Effort
Student clearly shows effort to convey the setting, characters and specific scene. The scene is clearly identifiable based on the graphic depiction.
Student attempts to convey the setting, characters, and specific scene through use of graphics, but the depiction may be confusing, disordered, or lack some detail.
Student does not clearly convey the setting, characters, and scene.
Spelling and Grammar
Student uses exemplary spelling and grammar. There are no errors.
Student makes one or two minor errors in spelling and grammar.
Student makes multiple errors in spelling and grammar.


Copy Activity*



Copy Activity*


Image Attributions
View All Teacher Resources
*(This Will Start a 2-Week Free Trial - No Credit Card Needed)
https://www.storyboardthat.com/lesson-plans/the-boy-in-the-striped-pajamas-by-john-boyne/compare-book-to-film
© 2024 - Clever Prototypes, LLC - All rights reserved.
StoryboardThat is a trademark of Clever Prototypes, LLC, and Registered in U.S. Patent and Trademark Office