Bruno vs Shmuel

Overview

This 60-minute lesson focuses on comparing and contrasting the lives of Bruno and Shmuel, two central characters from The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne. The lesson draws on the National Curriculum for England to develop Year 7 students’ skills in reading comprehension, critical thinking, and written comparison, aligned with the overarching unit "Exploring Friendship and Conflict."

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National Curriculum Links

Reading (Years 7-9):

• Understand and evaluate texts by making comparisons within and across texts (English Programme of Study: Reading - KS3)
• Identify and interpret themes and conventions (English Programme of Study: Reading)

Writing (Years 7-9):

• Write accurately, fluently, effectively and at length for pleasure and information (English Programme of Study: Writing)
• Use a range of devices to build cohesion within and across paragraphs
• Use vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect

Spoken Language:

• Listen and respond appropriately
• Use spoken language to develop understanding

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

1. Identify key similarities and differences between Bruno and Shmuel’s lives, thoughts, and experiences.
2. Use comparative language accurately and confidently to structure written and spoken responses.
3. Support ideas with direct quotations from The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.
4. Reflect on how contrasting backgrounds shape perspectives and friendship dynamics.

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Resources

• Copies of selected text excerpts from The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas featuring Bruno and Shmuel
• Whiteboard and whiteboard markers
• Printed Venn diagram worksheets
• Projector or interactive whiteboard
• Coloured pens or pencils for annotation

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter Activity (10 minutes)

Objective: Activate prior knowledge and set the context.

• Ask students to think-pair-share: "What do you already know about Bruno and Shmuel?"
• On the whiteboard, quickly create a mind map of what students recall about the characters’ lives, homes, families, and experiences. Prompt with questions like: Where do they live? What are their daily routines? How do they feel about each other?
• Highlight contrasting elements (Bruno’s home, Shmuel’s situation).

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2. Guided Textual Exploration (15 minutes)

Objective: Extract evidence and understand character perspectives.

• Distribute selected excerpts that reveal Bruno’s and Shmuel’s living conditions, thoughts, and emotions.
• Model close reading of one excerpt, demonstrating annotation for key details (highlighting differences and similarities).
• In pairs, students read the excerpts, annotating using coloured pens: one colour for similarities, another for differences.
• Circulate to discuss and support students’ annotations and understanding.

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3. Comparative Analysis Using Venn Diagrams (15 minutes)

Objective: Organise ideas and develop comparative language.

• Provide each student with a Venn diagram worksheet segmented into similarities and differences.
• Students fill in the Venn diagram based on their annotations and group discussion.
• Encourage them to use comparative connectives and vocabulary: similar to, whereas, in contrast, both, however, unlike.
• Invite several students to share key points with the class; record on whiteboard, modelling how to incorporate comparative language.

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4. Speaking and Writing Task (15 minutes)

Objective: Produce structured spoken and written responses showing comparison skills.

• Students write a short paragraph (~8-10 sentences) that compares and contrasts Bruno and Shmuel’s lives, supporting points with evidence from the text. This can be scaffolded with sentence starters, e.g.,

  • “Bruno and Shmuel both...”
  • “However, Bruno experiences...”
  • “This shows that...”

• Alternatively, students can first verbally rehearse their paragraph in small groups or pairs before writing.

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5. Plenary and Self-Assessment (5 minutes)

Objective: Reflect on learning against objectives.

• Use a simple self-assessment checklist or thumbs-up/down:

  • I can identify similarities and differences between Bruno and Shmuel.
  • I can use comparative language correctly.
  • I can refer to the text in my response.

• Clarify any misunderstandings briefly and praise the use of deeper comparative language and textual support.

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Differentiation

• Support: Provide sentence starters, vocabulary banks, and differentiated text excerpts with simpler language.
• Challenge: Ask higher-attaining students to include perspective or inference, considering how the characters’ experiences influence their worldview or friendship potential.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Formative assessment through annotation work and Venn diagram completion.
• Evaluation of written paragraphs for ability to compare and contrast with clear textual evidence and appropriate use of language.
• Oral contributions during pair and group discussions to assess spoken language skills.

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Extension Ideas

• Create a dual-character diary entry assignment, capturing perspectives from Bruno and Shmuel about the same event.
• Dramatise a short dialogue between Bruno and Shmuel highlighting differences and attempts to understand each other.

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This lesson is designed to be engaging yet challenging for Year 7 students, combining textual analysis with writing and speaking skills very much in line with the National Curriculum’s requirements for English at Key Stage 3.