Curriculum / ELA / 8th Grade / Unit 12: Encountering Evil: Night (2020) / Lesson 20
ELA
Unit 12
8th Grade
Lesson 20 of 28
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Lesson Notes
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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.
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.)
Book: Night by Elie Wiesel
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Questions about the text that will help guide the students understanding
Are humans inherently good or inherently evil? What drives people to commit evil?
What do you believe kept Wiesel alive? Was it pure luck? Or something else?
What is the role of hope and optimism during terrible times? Is it always a positive thing?
What role does Judaism play in both Anne’s and Eliezer’s lives? How does it shape their identity and understanding of the world?
What do these books demonstrate about selfishness and selflessness?
What do both these texts tell us about the importance of sharing your story with the world?
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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.8.1.a — Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.
SL.8.1.c — Pose questions that connect the ideas of several speakers and respond to others' questions and comments with relevant evidence, observations, and ideas.
SL.8.4 — Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
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.
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.
SL.8.1.b — Follow rules for collegial discussions and decision-making, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.
SL.8.6 — Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
Next
Unpack the prompt, study a Mentor Text, develop guiding questions, and begin to gather evidence for a research-based writing task.
Explain the events, ideas, and individuals that created the conditions that led to the Holocaust.
Standards
RI.8.2RI.8.3
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.
RI.8.3RL.8.3
Identify specific incidents and lines of text that reveal aspects of character dynamics in The Diary of Anne Frank.
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
SL.8.1SL.8.1.aSL.8.1.cSL.8.4
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
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