Curriculum / ELA / 8th Grade / Unit 12: Encountering Evil: Night (2020) / Lesson 2
ELA
Unit 12
8th Grade
Lesson 2 of 28
Jump To
If you are using the alternate version of the play to teach this unit, please review the Guide for Teachers: Alternate Text Version (G8, U2) for lesson instructions.
Lesson Notes
There was an error generating your document. Please refresh the page and try again.
Generating your document. This may take a few seconds.
Are you sure you want to delete this note? This action cannot be undone.
Explain who Anne Frank was as an historical figure, and how the playwrights develop the reader’s understanding of Anne as a character in The Diary of Anne Frank.
Play: The Diary of Anne Frank by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, Adapted by Wendy Kesselman (Note: Unit lessons are focused on this version of the text. This version can be hard to obtain from most booksellers.) pp. 9 – 15 — end after "ANNE. Look. It left a mark."
Video: “The Short Life of Anne Frank” — 1:48-13:15
We participate in the Amazon Associate program. This means that if you use this link to make an Amazon purchase, we receive a small portion of the proceeds, which support our non-profit mission.
Unlock features to optimize your prep time, plan engaging lessons, and monitor student progress.
Tasks that represents the peak thinking of the lesson - mastery will indicate whether or not objective was achieved.
What kind of person is Anne? What specific lines of text (dialogue and stage directions) develop the reader’s understanding of her character? Provide evidence from pages 9-15 of the play and explain what they reveal about Anne.
Upgrade to Fishtank Plus to view Sample Response.
Questions about the text that will help guide the students understanding
(film) Why did Anne’s family leave Germany and move to Amsterdam?
(film) How does life change for Jews once the Nazis come into power in Amsterdam? Provide three examples.
(film) Where and why do Anne and her family go into hiding? Who helped them?
How do Margo and Mrs. Frank respond to the experience of moving into the Annex? Provide specific evidence from dialogue and stage directions on pages 10-11 to support your answer.
How is Anne’s reaction to her father different from her reaction to her mother on page 15? What can you infer based on these interactions about her relationship with each parent? Provide two pieces of evidence to support your answer.
Literary terms, text-based vocabulary, idioms and word parts to be taught with the text
conspicuous
adj.
(p. 11)
obvious; easily seen or noticed
act
n.
major divisions in a dramatic text that form the basic structure of a performance.
scene
a division of an act in a dramatic work presenting continuous action in one place.
set
the built physical environment that actors move through in the performance of a play.
stage directions
instructions in the text of a play, especially one indicating the movement, position, or tone of an actor, or the sound effects and lighting
dialogue
anything a character says aloud -- often in conversation with another character
Voiceover (VO)
a production technique where a voice—that is not part of the narrative—is used off-stage or off-camera
Suggestions for teachers to help them teach this lesson
Reading and/or task to be completed at home in preparation for the next lesson.
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.
Play: The Diary of Anne Frank by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, Adapted by Wendy Kesselman (Note: Unit lessons are focused on this version of the text. This version can be hard to obtain from most booksellers.) pp. 15 – 26 — from "ANNE: Do you know Hanneli Goslar?" to "ANNE:... and, by all accounts, an excellent dentist."
While reading, answer the following questions.
How does Anne interact with Peter?
How would you describe the relationship between Mr. and Mrs. van Daan?
How does Mrs. van Daan behave toward Mr. Frank?
How would you describe Anne’s relationship with her mother?
What does Anne spill milk on? How does Mrs. van Daan respond?
Who is Mr. Dussel?
Bring your most engaging lessons to life with comprehensive instructional guidance, detailed pacing, supports to meet every student's needs, and resources to strengthen your lesson planning and delivery.
RI.8.3 — Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories).
RL.8.3 — Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.
Standards that are practiced daily but are not priority standards of the unit
L.8.6 — Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
RI.8.1 — Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RI.8.2 — Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text.
RI.8.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.
RI.8.7 — Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums (e.g., print or digital text, video, multimedia) to present a particular topic or idea.
RI.8.10 — By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 6—8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
RL.8.1 — Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.8.2 — Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.
RL.8.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.
RL.8.10 — By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of grades 6—8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
SL.8.1 — Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
SL.8.3 — Delineate a speaker's argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and relevance and sufficiency of the evidence and identifying when irrelevant evidence is introduced.
SL.8.6 — Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
W.8.1 — Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
W.8.1.a — Introduce claim(s), acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.
W.8.1.b — Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
W.8.4 — Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
W.8.9 — Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
W.8.9.a — Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literature (e.g., "Analyze how a modern work of fiction draws on themes, patterns of events, or character types from myths, traditional stories, or religious works such as the Bible, including describing how the material is rendered new").
W.8.9.b — Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., "Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced").
W.8.10 — Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Next
Identify specific incidents and lines of text that reveal aspects of character dynamics in The Diary of Anne Frank.
Explain the events, ideas, and individuals that created the conditions that led to the Holocaust.
Standards
RI.8.2RI.8.3
RI.8.3RL.8.3
RL.8.3
Explain how text features and structures specific to dramatic works develop the reader’s understanding of characters and plot in The Diary of Anne Frank.
RL.8.5
Explain how specific events and lines of text reveal aspects of characters and character relationships in The Diary of Anne Frank.
Explain how the playwrights use specific words and phrases to develop mood, tone, and meaning in The Diary of Anne Frank.
RL.8.4RL.8.6
Explain how events in Night reveal aspects of characters and suggest larger truths about human nature.
RI.8.3
Explain why Wiesel uses specific words, phrases, and punctuation in his writing, and the impact of these choices on the reader.
Identify and explain the meaning of symbols and other motifs in Night.
L.8.5RI.8.4
Draw conclusions about the passengers in the cattle car—and human nature more generally—based on the incident with Mrs. Schäcter.
Explain how the prisoners in Auschwitz-Birkenau were systematically dehumanized and stripped of their identities.
Explain how being in Auschwitz impacts characters, and what characters’ behavior reveals about human nature.
Explain how specific words and phrases develop meaning in Night, and how they affect the reader.
RI.8.4
Unpack a prompt, gather evidence, and outline a two-paragraph response.
RI.8.3RI.8.3W.8.1W.8.1.aW.8.5
Draft and revise a two-paragraph response, including a transition sentence between paragraphs.
RL.8.3W.8.1W.8.1.aW.8.1.bW.8.1.c
Explain how specific incidents in Night reveal aspects of characters.
Explain how Wiesel uses figurative language and specific word choice to develop mood and meaning in Night.
Explain how specific incidents in Night reveal aspects of characters, as well as larger truths about human nature.
Analyze the preface to Night to determine Wiesel’s purpose for writing.
RI.8.6
Explain how Wiesel develops central ideas in his speech, "The Perils of Indifference."
RI.8.2
Engage in a Socratic Seminar with peers, demonstrating a deep understanding of the text and topic by posing and responding to questions, and providing evidence to support ideas.
SL.8.1SL.8.1.aSL.8.1.cSL.8.4
Unpack the prompt, study a Mentor Text, develop guiding questions, and begin to gather evidence for a research-based writing task.
W.8.7W.8.8
Use search terms effectively, assess the credibility of online research sources, and continue gathering evidence in preparation for writing an informational essay.
Gather evidence from multiple sources, draft a claim statement, and create an outline for a multi-paragraph informational essay.
W.8.2W.8.2.aW.8.7W.8.8
Outline an introduction and conclusion and determine the difference between passive and active voice.
L.8.1L.8.1.bW.8.2W.8.2.aW.8.2.b
Draft strong introduction and conclusion paragraphs.
W.8.2W.8.2.aW.8.2.cW.8.2.f
Create a bibliography and add at least one appositive to an informational essay.
W.8.2W.8.2.cW.8.5W.8.8
Give and receive peer feedback, self-assess using a rubric, and make final revisions to an informational essay.
W.8.2W.8.5
2 days
Create a free account to access thousands of lesson plans.
Already have an account? Sign In
See all of the features of Fishtank in action and begin the conversation about adoption.
Learn more about Fishtank Learning School Adoption.
Yes
No
We've got you covered with rigorous, relevant, and adaptable ELA lesson plans for free