Encountering Evil: Night (2020)

Lesson 11
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ELA

Unit 12

8th Grade

Lesson 11 of 28

Objective


Explain how being in Auschwitz impacts characters, and what characters’ behavior reveals about human nature.

Readings and Materials


  • Book: Night by Elie Wiesel  pp. 47 – 58 — from page break to page break

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Target Task


Writing Prompt

What does the incident with Idek and the French girl on page 52-53 reveal about human nature? Provide specific evidence from these pages and explain your thinking.

Sample Response

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Key Questions


Close Read Questions

  • What does Wiesel mean when he says, "I was nothing but a body" on page 52? What does this reveal about how much Wiesel has changed since he arrived at the camp? Carefully explain your thinking.

  • How does the incident on page 54 where Eliezer’s father is beaten reveal that Eliezer has changed significantly since arriving in the concentration camp? Provide specific evidence from page 54 to support your answer and carefully explain your thinking.

  • What does the change in Franek’s behavior reveal from page 50 to page 55 reveal about the way the Holocaust impacted some people’s behavior? Provide evidence from these pages and carefully explain your thinking.

Discussion Questions

  • In what ways do the prisoners show resistance against the Nazis? What are the risks of resisting?

Exit Ticket

Assess student understanding and monitor progress toward this lesson's objective with an Exit Ticket.

Vocabulary


Text-based

imprudent

adj.

(p. 54)

unwise; done without good judgment 

Notes


  • On page 48, Wiesel writes that "homosexuals" (which is generally considered an outdated/offensive term for members of the LGBT community) trafficked children in the camps. Be mindful that this passage perpetuates a harmful (and false) stereotype that many queer people (particularly gay men) are child molesters. Students should understand that these men abused children not because they were gay, but because they were monstrously cruel. Stories from survivors indicate that children of all genders were victims of sexual abuse during the Holocaust—although this topic is rarely discussed by historians of the time period.
  • Sex is mentioned on page 57.

Homework


To ensure that students are prepared for the next lesson, have students complete the following reading for homework. Use guidance from the next lesson to identify any additional language or background support students may need while independently engaging with the text.

  • Book: Night by Elie Wiesel  pp. 58 – 65

While reading, answer the following questions.

  • Why do the sirens go off in the camp?

  • Why does the prisoner try to sneak to the cauldron of soup? What happens?

  • Why are the prisoners made to gather in the Appelplatz?

  • How do the prisoners respond to the hanging of the pipel?

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Common Core Standards


  • RI.8.3 — Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories).

Supporting Standards

L.8.6
RI.8.1
RI.8.2
RI.8.4
RI.8.10
SL.8.1
SL.8.6
W.8.1
W.8.1.a
W.8.1.b
W.8.4
W.8.9
W.8.9.b
W.8.10

Next

Explain how specific words and phrases develop meaning in Night, and how they affect the reader.

Lesson 12
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