Curriculum / ELA / 8th Grade / Unit 2: Encountering Evil: Night / Lesson 1
ELA
Unit 2
8th Grade
Lesson 1 of 28
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Explain the events, ideas, and individuals that created the conditions that led to the Holocaust.
Video: “The Path to Nazi Genocide” by United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
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Questions about the text that will help guide the students understanding
Who was Adolf Hitler? What were his primary goals as a political leader?
How did many Germans respond to Hitler and the Nazi Party? Why did they respond this way?
What did the Nazis believe about race, and about Jewish people in particular?
What methods did Hitler and the Nazis use to communicate their ideas about Jewish people?
How did the rise of Naziism initially affect daily life for Jewish people in Europe?
What was "The Final Solution"?
Literary terms, text-based vocabulary, idioms and word parts to be taught with the text
genocide
n.
the purposeful killing of a large number of people from a specific background or identity group, with the purpose of destroying that group
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.
Website: Introduction to the Holocaust by The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum — Read and take notes about the causes and impacts of the Holocaust
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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.8.3 — Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories).
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.8.4 — 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.
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.8.2 — Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content
W.8.2.a — Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
W.8.2.b — Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.
W.8.9 — Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
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.
Lesson 2
RI.8.2 RI.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.8.3 RL.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.8.4 RL.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.8.5 RI.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
Writing
Unpack a prompt, gather evidence, and outline a two-paragraph response.
RI.8.3 RI.8.3 W.8.1 W.8.1.a W.8.5
Draft and revise a two-paragraph response, including a transition sentence between paragraphs.
RL.8.3 W.8.1 W.8.1.a W.8.1.b W.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
Socratic Seminar
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.8.1 SL.8.1.a SL.8.1.c SL.8.4
Unpack the prompt, study a Mentor Text, develop guiding questions, and begin to gather evidence for a research-based writing task.
W.8.7 W.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.8.2 W.8.2.a W.8.7 W.8.8
Outline an introduction and conclusion and determine the difference between passive and active voice.
L.8.1 L.8.1.b W.8.2 W.8.2.a W.8.2.b
Draft strong introduction and conclusion paragraphs.
W.8.2 W.8.2.a W.8.2.c W.8.2.f
Create a bibliography and add at least one appositive to an informational essay.
W.8.2 W.8.2.c W.8.5 W.8.8
Give and receive peer feedback, self-assess using a rubric, and make final revisions to an informational essay.
W.8.2 W.8.5
Assessment – 2 days
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