Background of WWII – Historical Context for The Book Thief

Term Notes
Big Ideas 
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Background Video List 3 interesting facts you heard in the video.

WWII  Years of the war:

 Years of The Book Thief:

 Global war between __________ powers and the ______ powers

 We will be focusing on the war’s effects on ________________

Questions to think about:

How did WWII affect Germans – those who were not Nazis?
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In terms of the WWII, how did words or labels affect people and societies?
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Questions  How did WWII affect the Germans – the ones who were not Nazis?

 In terms of WWII, how did words or labels affect people and societies?

Adolph Hitler  Fuhrer means ________ or _________

 Years:
 He was born in ____________
 One of the most powerful ____________ of the ______ century
 Rose to power in the _____________________________________
 Took control of German government in ___________
 He promoted ___________________________

Nazi Party  ________________ was the leader of the Nazi Party

  He was frustrated by the German defeat in __________________________
 Germany suffered from ___________________ and ___________________.
 Hitler promoted ______________________ by saying the Germans were the
________________________________.
 He wanted to prove the idea of Germans as the ________________ in the
____________________.
 He promoted the idea of _____________________, which was anti-Jewish.
 One of the reasons Hitler was successful was because he was a
____________________________.

Mein Kampf  Mein Kampf translates to ____________________________.

 The first version of the ______________ was dictated while Hitler was in
______________
 The book outlines Hitler’s _______________ and how he will _____________
Germany.
 What power did Mein Kampf have on the German population? Why is it
important for us to understand the power of Mein Kampf?

Jewish Persecution  There were __________________ enacted by the state.

 Jews were called “_________________.”
 New laws forced Jews out of ______________, _____________,
________________, __________________________________________.
 Many tried to ____________, but they had nowhere to go, or they were turned
away.

The Holocaust  The definition of the Holocaust is

___________________________________________________.

First They Came for  Written by __________________.

the Jews  This poem is about
_______________________________________________________________
___________________.
 How did words/labels affect people in the Holocaust? In terms of Jewish
people, Germans, and Axis and Allied powers?
Reflect on the Poem
  Why is it important for us to ask this question?

 Write any feelings you had about the poem. Did it surprise you? What lasting
effect does it have? What are we supposed to carry away or remember from the
poem?

How did the war  __________ and ____________ rations

 Some were against the ________________________, but in secret.
affect Germans?
 Some were hiding _______________________ in their attics or basements.
Hitler Youth  The state recruited both _________ and ___________.
 The girls were called _______________________.
 Some of their duties included:
 _______________ the war
 Giving birth to ____________________ children
 ____________________ troops
 Provide ______________________-
 ____________ for war
 How do you think war affects children?

 What effect would recruitment into the Nazi Party have on someone your age?

Bombings on  Year:
 German civilians hid during _____________ in ___________________
Munich
 Bombs were dropped by the ___________________ and
___________________
 _______________________ were affected/damaged the most, the
__________________ lived on the outskirts of _______________.
 Considering there were many civilian deaths, can there be a "good guy" or "bad
guy" in war? By what reasoning did you come to your conclusion?

Characters of The Book Thief

Character Notes
Leisel Meminger  She is the ___________ of the novel.
 The _____________ is the _________________ or one of the most
prominent figures in a ____________________. They may also be an
________________ or _______________ of a particular ___________ or
____________.
 Her mother is a __________________.
 Her ________________ dies.
 She is sent to ___________________________________ who earn a
small ______________ for accepting _________________________.
 She is _______________.

The Hubermanns  There is _____________ Hubermann and ___________ Hubermann.

 They are ___________ who are _______________ the
___________________.
 They are the ones who _____________________.
 They are suffering from ____________ shortages and ____________
shortages
 They live near ____________.

Max  He is a ___________________.
 He has a copy of _________________.

Death  Death is the _______________ of the book.

 He is a ______________________________________ narrator.
 This means that he _________________, he is “____________” of the
story.
 He knows ______________, _______________ or
__________________, and he can
__________________________________________________________.

Theme
Themes are:
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For my own example of a theme, I chose the book/movie _______________________. The theme of it may be:
___________________________. I think this because ______________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Some of the themes in The Book Thief will be:

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These are some questions you should think about as we read the book. Write down 2 sentences about what
you think the answer might be.
What are the power of words?

How do books and words affect relationships? How do they affect entire societies? Think about the context
of WWII.

How do you think Liesel’s love for books may function as an act of rebellion?

Predictions
Before you start reading the novel, make some predictions by answering these questions.
Why do you think Marcus Zusak (the author) chose to use Death as the narrator for this novel?
Thinking about the historical background of this novel, what are some of the things you think Liesel (the
protagonist) may encounter?

In the context of WWII Germany and the Holocaust, what kinds of actions would be considered heroic?