Vocabulary

Lesson Plan: The Book Thief

Purpose/rationale: The students in 11th grade English are currently reading The Book
Thief by Markus Zusak. I have chosen this novel for 11th grade because this novel
describes the Holocaust from a German girls perspective (a new take on the Holocaust)
and deals with issues such as family loss and the separation of Jews and Germans. These
topics are not always easy to discuss, therefore the maturity of an upperclassman is
needed. Today, we will be focusing on vocabulary. As these are 11th graders and it is the
end of the second quarter, my students are preparing to take the SAT & ACT. We have
emphasized vocabulary throughout the year as preparation for these exams. We play a
game called Hot Seat (see below for a description of the game) so the students are
motivated to study their vocabulary and also practice using synonyms. We play this game
every two weeks; the students have had a lot of practice and know the steps well. This
game gets them actively participating in vocabulary, a subject they may be used to just
memorizing for a test. The vocabulary chosen is from The Book Thief, as when we play it
always follows the novel we are reading at the time. They were given the list of
vocabulary last week and therefore have had time to study the vocabulary prior to the
game. Since we study vocabulary through the novels we read this also gives them better
reading comprehension. Often students skip over words they do not know while reading
and this helps eliminate that.
Hot Seat Description: Divide the class into Teams A and B. Team A sits in a group on
one side of the classroom, Team B sits on the other side. Bring two chairs to the front of
the room so that when seated, a student is facing his or her respective team and their back
is to the blackboard or white board. One member from each team sits in their team's
chair. The teacher writes a word, phrase, or sentence on the board. The students in the
chairs mustn't see what's written on the board. Once the teacher yells 'go', the teams have
one minute, using only verbal clues, to get their seated teammate to say the item written
on the board. The only rule (or taboo) is that they MUSTN'T say the item written on the
board, in full or part. The first student in the hot seat to utter the word scores a point for
their team. When the round is over, two new team players are rotated into the hot seat and
a new item is written up. The first team to score X number of points wins. The students
have played this game multiple times throughout the year and know how to play.

LAFS.1112.L.3.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning

words and phrases based on grades 11-12 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a
range of strategies.
Objectives:
Students Will Be Able To:
Recall definitions of vocabulary words.
Describe the meaning of vocabulary words

Materials:
Teacher:
o White Board/Markers
o 2 chairs
o The Book Thief vocabulary list
Students:
o Vocabulary notes from The Book Thief
o Paper
o Pen
Anticipatory set:
The students will begin by reading over their vocabulary notes in order to prepare for the
upcoming game.
Teaching Strategy/Procedure/Activity:
Time
Student is doing
3 minutes
Looking over his/her notes
on vocabulary. They should
be doing this silently and on
their own.

2 minutes

9 minutes

Teacher is doing
While making sure the
students are silently
reviewing, she is setting up
the classroom. She should
get two chairs and put them
at the front of the class
(facing the students). She
also takes this time to find
her list of vocab and decide
which five words they will
review today.
Choosing who will be in the Helping decide who will be
hot seat today. They should in the hot seat that day. She
choose 3 students for each
tells them that it will be a
team. The first student
short game today so they
should go sit in the hot seat. should only pick 3 students
(per team, they are in the
same teams they have been
in all quarter) and its
possible only 2 students will
be in the hot seat. She
reminds students they are
not allowed to use their
notes.
Actively participating in the Facilitating the game, hot
class game, hot seat. (The
seat. She is keeping an eye
game is described below.)
on the clock and making
sure not to spend too much
time on one word. She is

making sure everyone is

participating. After about 3
minutes (does this twice)
she has the students in the
hot seat switch out for those
who have been selected.
Summary/Closure:
Following the game the students will go back to their seats and with their neighbors
discuss the vocabulary words. For those that they do not know, they should go back into
the novel, read how they are used and try to define them using context clues. The students
will end class by filling out an exit card naming and defining a word they learned that
day.
Assessment:
Informal assessment:
o Hot Seat: I will listen to the clues the students give out to know if they are
truly defining the word well. I will also pay attention to the words the
student in the hot seat is guessing and how quickly they give the right
answer.
Homework/follow-up assignment:
Read pages 205-242 of The Book Thief
Accommodations/adaptations:
Students with ADHD will have preferential seating. They will also get a quick tap
on their desk if seen off task. If they need to get up and move around for a second,
they will get up to sharpen their pencil or throw something out, as to not distract
the rest of the students.
Students with ADD will have preferential seating. They will also get a quick tap
on their desk if seen off task.
Students with Anxiety will speak to the teacher prior to class and get a quick
overview of what the period will look like. They should receive the weeks
assignments/important dates every Monday.
ELL student with low proficiency will have access to a dictionary and translator
at all times. They will also get paired with a bilingual student, as both parties have
previously agreed.
ELL student with intermediate proficiency will have access to a dictionary and
translator as needed. They will get paired with a bilingual student, as both parties
have previously agreed.

Attachments/Appendices:
Appendix A: The Book Thief vocabulary List
Plan B:
If we finish the game too quickly we will select new students for the hot seat and
continue to play. If I notice that the students are not well versed in the vocabulary, I will
allow the students describing the words to pull out their notes.
Citations:
http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Koprowski-RecylingVocabulary.html
https://www.vocabulary.com/lists/239989#view=notes

Appendix A: The Book Thief vocabulary list

The Book Thief vocabulary
Obligatory: required by compulsion or convention
Brandish: move or swing back and forth
Loiter: be about
Euphoric: exaggerated feeling of well-being or elation
Benign: kindness of disposition or manner
Rebuke: an act or expression of criticism and censure
Render: give or supply
Conglomerate: composed of heterogeneous elements gathered into a mass
Incongruous: lacking in harmony or compatibility or appropriateness
Diabolical: showing cunning or ingenuity or wickedness
Stench: a distinctive odor that is offensively unpleasant
Transcend: be greater in scope or size than some standard
Loathing: hate coupled with disgust
Sedate: cause to be calm or quiet
Surreal: characterized by fantastic and incongruous imagery
Tamper: alter or falsify, usually secretively or dishonestly
Abhorrence: hate coupled with disgust
Traipse: walk or tramp about
Shroud: cover as if with a burial garment
Echelon: a body of troops arranged in a line