Janine Sherman

15 February 2016
Dr. Rybakova
Demographic: 21 students, 5 IEPs. IEPs include three written and two LEP students.
10th Grade Language Arts

Literary Analysis Mini-Lesson: The Book Thief

Personification: Perception of the Grim Reaper
*Lesson Plan based on a 15 minute bellringer

Purpose/Rationale:
The Book Thief is a powerful account that voices a perspective of a German family in the
World War II Nazi Regime. This novels reading level is appropriate for tenth grade and will be
taught in an interdisciplinary unit tied with the history course from the tenth grade class. Students
in tenth grade are doing a unit about the Holocaust in their history classes so this novel will tie in
with the historical background of the text. The novel relies heavily on historical context,
referencing many true events that occurred during the Holocaust. This historical framework has
students making text to world connections about life for citizens, both German and Jewish,
during the Nazi Regime in Germany. The Book Thief allows readers to empathize with families
that were caught in Germany during this time period, rather than seeing them as statistics of
deaths that would be learned in a history textbook. Typically accounts from the holocaust are
written from the Jewish perspective, but this book is unique in that the protagonist is a young
German girl living under the Nazi Regime. The novel is on reading level for this grade level and
the themes are appropriate for this age level. The novel can bring up discussions of morality and
loss which are often reoccurring themes in canonical literature. The novel also confronts issues
of prejudice and racism that can be tied to real life events like the Holocaust for powerful
meaning.
The Book Thief offers a unique point of view because it is told through the personified
perspective of Death. Death narrates the novel because an overarching theme during the
Holocaust is the threat of death. However, the narrator is not the traditional allegorical Grim
Reaper personality who is frightening, despairing, wears a black coat and carries a sickle. The
narrator contradicts the traditional perception of death and instead relays that he is simply doing
his job and it is not always enjoyable for him to take peoples lives. The book is useful in the
classroom for its unique point of view and writing style. In this particular lesson students will be
analyzing The Book Thief for its use of personification. This a literary device the students should
already be familiar with from their unit on figurative language earlier in the year. This will give
students the chance to apply their knowledge and identify how figurative language affects tone in

The Book Thief. The class will compare their findings to the very similar poem by Emily
Dickinson Because I could not stop for death. This poem also personifies death and perceives
death as an inviting and graceful personality, contradicting the traditional Grim Reaper character
as well. Incorporating canonical poetry into this unit allows students to make connections about
universal themes that transcend genres. The students can make text to text connections by
comparing the two texts for their similarities, as well as their contrast to the traditional
allegorical Grim Reaper character.
Standards:
LAFS.910.L.3.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and
nuances in word meanings.
a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g., euphemism, oxymoron) in context and analyze their
role in the text
b. Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.

Objectives:
Students will be able to:

Define the literary device personification

Analyze authors use of personification and how it contributes to tone in The Book Thief
by Markus Zusak and Emily Dickinsons poem Because I could not stop for death
Compare the personification of Death in the two different texts, The Book Thief and
Because I could not stop for death and how they contrast to the traditional perception
of Death

Materials:

Computer/Projector
White Board/Dry Erase Markers
Paper/Writing Utensil
Handout of Emily Dickinsons poem Because I could not stop for Death

Anticipatory Set:
The first 2 minutes of class serve as the anticipatory set because the photo of the Grim Reaper
sets up the theme of todays lesson and the discussion of the term personification is a review for
students to re-familiarize themselves with the literary device that we will be analyzing in The
Book Thief today.

Teaching Strategy:

Time
2 minutes

What student is doing

Student is listening for
instruction

5 minutes

Students will perform

discussion on the
personification of death from
the prologue of The Book
Thief. They are instructed to
think-pair-share with their
shoulder partner about the
tone, narrator, and
personification of the
prologue. They are writing
their ideas down to be used
later.
Students will receive a copy
of Emily Dickinsons poem
Because I could not stop for

5 minutes

What teacher is doing

Teacher begins class with
photo of cloaked Grim
Reaper with sickle presented
on the board. The day before
students had read the
prologue to The Book Thief in
class. The teacher will briefly
review the term,
personification, with the
class, asking for volunteers to
give definitions or examples;
teacher will then connect the
term with the picture of the
grim reaper; the
personification of death.
Teacher will instruct students
to work in partners to discuss
the prologue with these
questions in mind: What is
the tone of the prologue?
How does the author
personify death? Students
will be instructed to write
down their thoughts because
it will be useful later on in
class for a Venn Diagram
activity.
Teacher is monitoring student
group work to make sure they
are on task. Teacher will
answer any questions
students may have.

Students are no longer in

groups, going back to whole
class discussion. Teacher will

Death. Students will share

their ideas for the same
questions they asked of The
Book Thief activity: what is
the tone of the poem? How
does the author personify
death? Student will take notes
on the poem. Later they will
compare/contrast the
personification in a Venn
Diagram, discussing how the
perceptions of Death contrast
the stereotypical Grim Reaper
version of death.

3 minutes

read poem aloud with the

class and will facilitate
discussion of personification
of death with the Emily
Dickinson poem Because I
could not stop for Death.
Students will be asked to
answer the same questions
they answered for The Book
Thief activity: How does the
author personify death? What
is the tone of the poem?
Teacher will write answers on
board and students will take
notes on their handout.
Students are aware that they
will need their notes later to
complete a Venn Diagram
activity.
Teacher will wrap up
activities by asking students
to volunteer one similarity or
difference between the two
poems: aiming for the answer
that both poems personify
death, but not in the
traditional Grim Reaper
perception. Teacher will tell
students to keep their notes
for the Venn Diagram activity
later on in class.

Summary/Closure:
The last 3 minutes of this mini-lesson serve as the summary because asking students to answer
about one similarity or difference in the two texts, ties the texts together more directly and makes
the purpose of the activities more clear; it also anticipates the Venn diagram activity later in the
lesson.
Assessment:
Students will be informally assessed on reading comprehension through their participation in
discussion/group activities. Teacher will be monitoring to ensure that students are contributing

and engaged. If it appears students are not understanding assignment, teacher will individually
help student to reach goals of activity. The Venn diagram activity that will be completed later on
in the lesson will be a formal grade of 10 points.
Homework:
None
Accommodations:
There are two English Language Learners in this class period. Students who are English
Language learners will be provided a dictionary to look up any unfamiliar words. The students
are partnered with the other English Language Learner in the class because they work well
together in helping each other translate and complete activities, they have agreed to this
partnership. The teacher will also be available to make clarifications and to help explain or
elaborate on the ideas that are being discussed in class. Students will be given extra time later to
complete Venn diagram.
The student with Aspergers will be given preferential seating and the teacher will monitor
student in case they need any individual help. The student can be provided with lesson plan
material before-hand if they would like to prepare for the day so they know exactly what to
expect. The student may work individually during partner activity if desired to do so. If student
does not want to participate in class discussion, they can write down their ideas to turn in to
teacher after class. They will be allowed to use their laptop in class. Student will be given extra
time to complete Venn diagram activity later in class.
The student with ADD and anxiety will be allowed to use their laptops in class if necessary. The
student receives preferential seating, somewhere away from distractions. The students can take a
short break in concentration if necessary during activity. The student can work individually if
they wish to do so; instead of participating in class discussion, student can write down their ideas
to turn into teacher at the end of class to show they were engaged. The will be given extra time to
complete Venn diagram later in class.
The student with ADHD will be allowed to use their laptops in class if necessary. The student
receives preferential seating, somewhere away from distractions. The students can take a short
break in concentration if needed. Student will be placed in a partnership with all on-task students
so that there will be no easy distractions. Students will be given extra time to complete Venn
diagram later on in class.

Appendix A:

Because I could not stop for Death (479)

BY EMILY DICKINSON

Because I could not stop for Death

He kindly stopped for me
The Carriage held but just Ourselves
And Immortality.
We slowly drove He knew no haste
And I had put away
My labor and my leisure too,
For His Civility
We passed the School, where Children strove
At Recess in the Ring
We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain
We passed the Setting Sun
Or rather He passed Us
The Dews drew quivering and Chill
For only Gossamer, my Gown
My Tippet only Tulle
We paused before a House that seemed

A Swelling of the Ground

The Roof was scarcely visible
The Cornice in the Ground
Since then 'tis Centuries and yet
Feels shorter than the Day
I first surmised the Horses' Heads
Were toward Eternity

Citation:
Dickinson, Emily. (1998). Because I could not stop for death. The Poems of Emily Dickinson.
Harvard University Press.
Plan B:
If students are not engaged in partner activity for The Book Thief teacher will turn the activity
into a whole-class discussion that way the teacher can facilitate and guide appropriate answers. If
students are already very familiar with personification and have read both texts, they can begin
the Venn diagram organizer early. If projector is not working teacher can draw a picture of the
Grim Reaper on the board, explaining who he is.