The Book Thief Final Project Choices

Please choose one of the projects below. Make sure you read your instructions carefully. The rubric
located at the bottom will apply to all project choices. This project will be due on: ___________.

FOR ALL ASSIGNMENTS: Your project should be extremely neat and aesthetically
pleasing. No glue smears or marker smears, messy handwriting, pencil writing, awkwardly cut
papers, or crumpled edges. Please put some time and effort into it.

Choices:

1. Are Humans Brutal or Beautiful? Create a poster that demonstrates your ability to argue
whether or not you think humans in The Book Thief and in the real world are more
“beautiful” or more “brutal.” Your poster should contain:
a. A title that states your opinion (e.g. Humans are Beautiful or Humans are Brutal).
b. Three examples from The Book Thief and three examples from the real world
supporting your opinion (on your poster).
c. At least five quality images, either hand-drawn, cut from a magazine, or found
electronically. These images should enhance your argument.
d. 1-2 paragraphs of explanation for each set of examples from section b. You should have
a quotation that supports your idea for each of your three examples in The Book Thief.
These paragraphs should explain why these examples from the book and the real world
show that humans are beautiful or brutal. Explanation and justification of your ideas is
the BIGGEST FACTOR OF YOUR GRADE! (this does not have to be on your poster)

2. You will choose an event in history that interests you. (i.e. WWI, JFK’s assassination,
Obama’s inauguration, the fall of the Berlin wall, 9-11, shooting at Columbine, etc.)
a. You will then need to find one quote from that event that represents the event as a
whole. You must include both the positives and negatives of the event, and incorporate
the quotation in some way.
b. Next, choose 1 or 2 colors that represent the emotions of that event. On a HALF sheet of
poster board (or that size) you will create a collage of that event. It can be 2D or 3D. You
can include symbols that are present, the event, photos, etc.
c. You will also include a quote from The Book Thief that best represents the emotions of
this event.
d. 3-4 paragraphs of explanation for the negatives and positives. This will also explain
why you chose the colors you did to represent the emotions. Discuss how this event
connects to the brutality of humans in both the real world and in The Book Thief. You
will explain how Death, our narrator, would react to this event. Explanation and
justification of your ideas is the BIGGEST FACTOR OF YOUR GRADE!
 The Book Thief Final Project Choices

3. Figurative Language Booklet: Create a booklet that outlines your top ten favorite lines from
the book where we see imagery/figurative language being used. This will be a picture book
like the one Max created Liesel. Each page will feature a new line, an image and a brief
explanation as to what it means. Each page must contain
a. Visual picture of the line you chose.
b. Line from the text with CORRECT identification of what literary devices are being
used: personification, imagery, metaphor, simile, etc.
c. 2-4 sentence explanation as to what the author is getting at with each line.
d. A 1-2 paragraph explanation of the effectiveness of Zusak’s style and use of Death as
a narrator. Explanation and justification of your ideas is the BIGGEST FACTOR OF
YOUR GRADE!

4. In the narrative style of the author, write an alternative ending for the novel OR extend the
ending beyond where the author leaves us. This should be at least 3 pages double-spaced.
a. Create a list of sections within your ending (at least 3)
b. Death must interrupt at least once

c. A one-paragraph response justifying your choices; use the plot of The Book Thief to help
support your choices.

Did your project . . .

Contain images /examples that
demonstrated your understanding of
the novel? Were they relevant, _____/20
important and directly tied to the
book?
Contain written explanations that
were proofread, grammatically _____/25
correct and easy to understand?
Contain written explanations
(quotations) that were detailed,
_____/25
thorough, answered the prompt and
directly tied to the novel?
Fulfill all of the requirements listed in
your project choice? Please read your ____/15
choice carefully.
Present itself neatly? Was it
organized, clean, easy to follow?
____/15
(Please re-read the bolded box at the
top).