This document outlines several strategies for teaching the book "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" by John Boyne. It begins with pre-reading strategies like having students create a bubble map on the Holocaust and make predictions based on the book title and cover. During reading strategies include having students write diary entries from the main character Bruno's perspective and using post-it notes to record questions and thoughts. After reading, students may write a postcard to the author, create a timeline of events from the book, or discuss how the story might change with different events. The strategies provide activities for each part of the reading process.

1. BDA Strategies with
“The Boy in the Striped
Pajamas” –John Boyne
By: Ljubi Kolb
CA#1

2. Summary of “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas”
▪ Main Character is Bruno, the son of a Nazi who works closely with
Hitler during the time of the Holocaust.
▪ Bruno’s family moves from Berlin to Poland and are just feet away
from the Auschwitz concentration camp.
▪ Bruno befriends a prisoner named Shmuel and they meet by the
fence daily.
▪ One day Shmuel asks Bruno for help with finding his father because
he has gone missing within the camp, so Bruno decides to go
undercover and help his friend.

3. Before Reading
Strategies

4. Bubble Map on the Holocaust
▪ Students will each draw out a standard bubble map, with the main
idea being the Holocaust.As a class we will share thoughts on
anything and everything about the Holocaust to gather a better
background knowledge.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
• Using a graphic organizer
such as a bubble map is a life
long tool that tool that
students will be able to use in
many other subjects.

5. Predictions based on the title and book
cover
▪ Just by looking at the book cover and the title, students will form
their own predictions for the story.They will write them down and
the teacher will read all of them with the class.

6. Analyze other nonfiction books based on
the Holocaust and World War II
▪ The teacher will take students to the school library and students will
have ten minutes to pick out one or two books relating to the
Holocaust andWorldWar II. Students will then go through the books
and write down facts that they will share with the class once they get
back to the room.

7. Research on both Author and the book
itself
▪ Using computers, students will pair up and do research on the author,
John Boyne, and then on the book as well.This in formation will be
posted up on the board by post-it notes as students gather the
information.This will help students better understand the author and
the story.

8. Vocabulary flash cards with preselected
terms
▪ Students will be given 8 vocabulary flashcards.They will write one
vocab word on each card and will then use the reverse side of the
card to write the definition and a sentence using the word. Students
may use a dictionary or the internet to find definitions.

9. During Reading
Strategies

10. “Dear Diary” from Bruno’s point of view
▪ Students will write diary entries from Bruno’s point of view while
reading the story. Everyone’s entries will be different because
students will decide what Bruno finds significant enough to write.
There must be at least one entry per chapter to receive full credit.
▪ Diary entries will be done while students are reading and should be
about a paragraph long.This strategy really helps students get into
the characters shoes.

11. Sound Off Activity
▪ Prior to reading a chapter, the teacher will get a clip of that chapter
and project it on the board. Students will watch the short clip, but
there will be no sounds. So students will have to depict it from their
own perspectives. Students will then take turns sharing their
predictions while the teacher writes it on the board. After the class is
done reading the chapter, they can determine who came up with the
closest prediction.

12. Think Aloud- teacher led
▪ The teacher will preselect a chapter that contains a lot of
information, rather than story reading. She will think aloud while
reading, helping students to see how to break apart the text and read
more between the lines. Students will be reading along silently
taking notes when needed.

13. Post-it note
▪ Students will have their own post-its that they will use to write
questions, facts, or thoughts about the story.They will include the
page number and post it on the corner of their desk for the teacher to
see when she walks around the room.The teacher can then ask or
answer the students questions.

14. Recall and Predict
▪ At the end of each chapter the class will first recall what just
happened.They can do this different ways depending on the chapter.
One time they could do it in an open discussion format and another
time could be in an exit ticket worksheet form.After recalling the
chapter, students will also make predictions for the upcoming
chapter.This can also be done as a class or individually with flash
cards or a worksheet.

15. After Reading
Strategies

16. Postcard to the Author
▪ After finishing the book, students can write a postcard to the author
explaining what they thought of the story and ask questions as well.
This gives students a chance to provide feedback and possibly
receive a letter back in return.
By having students send in a
postcard, it reminds them that
“snail mail” is still a thing and
that it has positive effects by
increasing writing skills.

17. Book Timeline
▪ In groups of four or five, students will use a long sheet of construction
paper to make a timeline for the book.They must come up with at
least six different time stamps and events that happened in the book.
They will be able to use the internet to get pictures for their timeline.
Using a timeline strategy helps
students place events into
chronological order. Even though
some events happen out of time
sequence, students should be able
to determine which order they go
in.

18. “What if” Class discussion
▪ After finishing the book, the class will participate in a “what if”
discussion. In this discussion, the teacher will prompt students with
questions that ask “What would happen to the storyline if ______
changed? Or ,What would happen if this character had done
something differently?”These questions help students see that even
a minor change in the story could alter everything.

19. P.S. Epilogue
▪ Students will write their own epilogue for the book based on what
they think will happen to the characters.This epilogue should be
about 2 pages typed. Students will first complete a draft and then
type it before turning it in to be shared with the class.
Having students write an epilogue not
only allows them to use their
imagination, but it teaches them the
importance and purpose of an epilogue
and why they’re included into books.

20. Jigsaw – Character Version
▪ I will break students up into groups. Each group will have one
character from the story to focus on.With their group, students must
research their character and come up with a Facebook profile page
for that character.Their profile page should include: friends,
newsfeed posts, pictures, status updates, and an “All About Me”
section.

21. References
Boyne, J. (2006). The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Ireland: David Fickling
Books.
Tompkins, G. E. (2014). Literacy for the 21st Century: A Balanced
Approach. In G. E.Tompkins. Pearson.