World History Semester 1

World History Semester 1

Hello everyone! I am taking a year long class called world history. For one of my assignments I am supposed to upload two project that I completed during first semester. My first project I choose to upload was my first water book review. For this assignment I was supposed to read a historical fiction book and write a report about it. For my second project I chose to upload my medieval city brochure. For this assignment I choose a medieval city, Colmar, and gave its history and what life is like to live there.  Here is the report and below it is the brochure;

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Book Project By: Rachael Volin

Title of Book: ​The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Genre of Literature (historical fiction or nonfiction): ​Historical Fiction
Author: ​John Boyne
Publisher: ​Dave Fickling books
Copyright Date: ​January 5, ​2006
Number of pages (150-page minimum):​ 216 pages
Setting(s): ​First In Berlin, then in Nazi Germany- Auschwits (referred to as out-with) Main Characters – Name and give a brief description of 3-5:

  •   ​Bruno- The main boy in the story, he is the protagonist. He moves to Germany with his family
  •   Shmuel – The boy who bruno meets, he is in the concentration camp. He is very skinny and very weak. He and Bruno become friends through the fence
  •   Gretel- Bruno’s older sister, bruno and her didn’t get along very well but since they moved to germany they were starting to become closer because there was nobody else to hang out with.
  •   father- Bruno and Gretel’s dad. He is working for the people running the concentration camp.
  •   Mother- Bruno and Gretel’s mom. She doesn’t like living in germany, she wants to move back to Berlin. She tells the children to be respectful and tries to teach them manners.
  •   The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is about a family who moves from Berlin to the outskirts of a concentration camp that the father has taken control of. It is from the viewpoint of a narrator, not a character. This book takes place during the time of World War II. These factors play a role in the book because as we read we know more information than the characters know it is frustrating. Through this book are getting a little insight on what it might have been like to live during the time of World War II. The antagonist of the story, a little boy named Bruno, was bored so we went outside and started exploring his new home. He

came across another boy who was wearing striped pajamas, him and the boy were separated by barbed wire. Bruno finds himself becoming friends with this boy, whose name is Shumel, and visits him often. They become close, but mother tells Bruno that they are moving back to Berlin. Bruno makes plans to go visit Shumel one last time, this time he is going to try and sneak into the camp. Bruno doesn’t really know what goes on the inside of the camp, sadly he will find out soon.

What is the most important event in the book? Why is it the most important? When does this event take place in the book (page numbers)?

● The most important event in the book is when the main character and his friend get pushed into the gas chamber and don’t leave alive. This is so important because the main character dies, this is also the climax of the story. This event takes place towards the end of the book on, it happens on pages 210-213.

Choose one character – Give a more detailed description of their role in the book, and then compare them to someone you know personally today. Use two quotes from the book to help illustrate your description – cite page numbers where the quotes are found.

● One character that was important to the story was Bruno’s older sister, gretel. Gretel was not a main character but she was important to Bruno and his story. She and Bruno were not super close before they moved, but they became closer. She was his friend when he needed one. I think that this character reminds me of my brother because we are there for each other when we need each other and always will be. “Gretel was nowhere to be found and he had begun to worry that he would go mad with boredom” (pg. 56). This quote shows that Bruno wants to hang out with his sister, which shows that they have become closer. Don’t get me wrong, these two still go at each other and fight, but they have become closer. ‘Well, all the same,’ said Gretel, who was becoming friendlier and friendlier by the second, ‘I’d keep it to myself if I were you.'(pg. 159). This quote shows the fact they when gretel has something she needs to say to Bruno she is going to say it.

Use two quotes from the book to show new things you have learned about this time period in history. Explain what each quote helped you to better know or understand – cite page numbers.

● Lieutenant Kotler grew very angry with Pavel and no one – not Bruno, not Gretel, not Mother and not even Father – stepped in to stop him doing what he did next, even though none of them could watch. Even though it made Bruno cry and Gretel grow pale. (​page 149​) This quote helped me understand that not all of the torture was done in camps, somtimes they would take people to work and then when they messed up they would toruture them.

● Shmuel opened his mouth to answer, bu) right at that moment there was a loud whistle and ten soldiers – more than Bruno had ever seen gathered together in one place before – surrounded an area of the camp, the area in which Bruno and Shmuel were standing. (​page 209-210) This quote is showing how they rounded people up to march, and this particular march was to the gas chamber. This helped me learn that people really didn’t know what was going to happen to them, so they followed instructions.

How might our world be different today if the historical events in your book had turned out differently? Use two different examples to explain your answer.

● The main historical event that took place in my book was world war II. If that war would have ended up differently my life and everyone’s lives would be so different than they are now. We would not have nearly as much freedom as we have now. We would have different government and daily life would be changed drastically. Another thing that would be different would be our language. I think that if we had lost, then I think that we would be speaking german or at least learning it.

What are three life lessons that can be learned from this book – how does each apply to your life?

  •   One life lesson would be that you never know what day will be your last so live the life you have. Bruno had no idea what was going to happen to him when he snuck into that camp to be with his new friend. This helps me to look at everyday and be thankful.
  •   Another lesson I learned from this book is about how we are more alike than we are different. Bruno becomes friends with Shumel and finds this out.
  •   One more lesson I learned was how I should treat people how I want to be treated. The people in the camp were not treated well which remind me I should treat others the way I would want to be treated.If you were to give this book an alternate title, what would it be? Explain why.

● I would give the book the title,”Out-with”. I would give it this name because it is what the children call their home even though they are really staying close to Auschwitz camp. It shows some context and insight to the book.

Explain in about 50 words why you would or would not recommend this book to your classmates.

● I would recommend this book to my classmates because it is easy to understand and it is actually interesting and shows good insights into life during World War II. I think this book is good because it shows a different perspective on the concentration camps, because it is from the perspective of someone who isn’t in the campan is just hearing about it. I would recommend this book to our class because of these reasons.

Here are pictures of the  brochure:

 

 

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