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 what happened during the Holocaust and analyze the major events and ideas in Europe in the 1930s and 1940s that led to it.
Video: “The Path to Nazi Genocide” by United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Resource: Anticipation Guide (G8, U2)
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Prior to the start of class, print out the quotes in the Hamlet Quote Card resource and glue/tape them to a notecard in order to be prepared for the opening activity. If possible, move the student desks/tables to the side of the room so that there is room for students to walk around. Alternatively, take students to a space outside the classroom where they will have more room to engage in the activity.
Tasks that represents the peak thinking of the lesson - mastery will indicate whether or not objective was achieved.
What was the Holocaust? Why and how did it occur?
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Questions about the text that will help guide the students understanding
What were Adolf Hitler's primary goals as a political leader? How did he work to reach these goals?
What were some aspects of Nazi ideology, and how did Hitler use this ideology to control the German people?
How did the rise of Nazism 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 intentional killing of a large number of people from a specific background or identity group, with the goal of destroying that group (37:06)
ideology
a system of beliefs and values, often regarding politics or religion, that guides the way a group of people thinks and behaves (28:26)
propaganda
information—often false or misleading—used to promote a political idea or cause (6:02)
Reading and/or task to be completed at home in preparation for the next lesson.
Tonight's reading contains sensitive content that may be upsetting or triggering for students.
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 pp. 4 – 22
While reading, answer the following questions.
What was one familiar aspect of drama or plays that you noticed in these pages?
What was one unfamiliar aspect of drama or plays that you noticed in these pages?
The first sentence in the Description of Set is "The scene remains the same throughout the play." (p. 4) Based on your knowledge of drama, do you think this is common or uncommon for a play and why?
Who are the characters in the play so far? What are their relationships to each other?
What is one thing that you learned about the Holocaust so far that you noticed was present in the play?
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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.8.10 — 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
Apply background knowledge about the Holocaust and the features of plays/dramatic performances to cite evidence from the text that establishes the setting of The Diary of Anne Frank.
Standards
RI.8.2RI.8.3
RI.8.3RL.8.3
Explain how the playwrights develop the reader's understanding of Anne as a character in The Diary of Anne Frank.
Explain how text features and structures specific to dramatic works develop the reader's understanding of characters, plot, and setting 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.
RL.8.3
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
Analyze the meaning and impact of specific words, phrases, punctuation, and symbols in Wiesel's writing.
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. Schächter.
Analyze how Wiesel makes connections between individuals, ideas, and events to convey the dehumanization he endured in the concentration camps during the Holocaust.
RI.8.3RI.8.4
Evaluate and analyze how being imprisoned in concentration camps impacts characters' thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Analyze what these changes reveal about human nature.
RI.8.3RI.8.5
Explain how specific words and phrases develop meaning and tone in Night, and how they affect the reader.
RI.8.4
Unpack a prompt, gather evidence, and outline a two-paragraph response.
RI.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 plot events in Night influence characters' thoughts, feelings, and decisions.
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
Demonstrate a deep understanding of the texts and topics in a Socratic Seminar 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
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