Encountering Evil: Night

Lesson 16
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ELA

Unit 2

8th Grade

Lesson 16 of 28

Objective


Explain how Wiesel uses figurative language and specific word choice to develop mood and meaning in Night.

Readings and Materials


  • Book: Night by Elie Wiesel  pp. 85 – 97

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A Note for Teachers


  • Today's lesson contains sensitive content that may be upsetting or triggering for students. Emphasize respectful communication, critical thinking, and context understanding prior to engaging in today's reading. Name for students resources they can leverage within the classroom or school day to process their emotions. Death can be a very difficult topic for students. Eliezer's complex relationship to the idea of death is a central part of understanding this text, but it should be addressed with sensitivity to your students' own experiences and the emotions the conversation may bring up.
  • As part of intellectual preparation for this lesson, review the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's article on Death Marches. Note that this article contains disturbing photographs of the events and their aftermath; use discretion if choosing to show the photographs to your class.
  • As a part of intellectual preparation, revisit student answers in the Lesson 1 Anticipation Guide (G8, U2), paying particular attention to questions 3 and 8 to prepare for the Target Task and Key Questions. Based on student responses, determine how to guide students through the conversations related to today's lesson.

Target Task


Writing Prompt

What mood does Wiesel create on page 95, as he describes Juliek's final concert? What specific words and phrases help establish this mood? Provide at least two examples and explain how these words and phrases develop mood.

Sample Response

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Key Questions


Key Questions

  • On page 85, what words and phrases does Wiesel use to show that the prisoners felt and were treated as subhuman? Explain the impact of these words and phrases on the reader's understanding of the scene.

  • How does Wiesel use figurative language to develop the reader's understanding of his experience on the death march? Provide two examples from pages 86–87 to support your answer.

  • On page 91, why does Eliezer find his memory about Rabbi Eliahu's son so upsetting? Explain your thinking and provide evidence from the text to support your answer.

Exit Ticket

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

Vocabulary


Text-based

apathy

n.

(p. 92)

lack of interest or enthusiasm

poignant

adj.

(p. 95)

emotionally moving; causing a person to feel sadness

Homework


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.

  • Book: Night by Elie Wiesel  pp. 98 – 112

While reading, answer the following questions.

  • What do German laborers and bystanders do when they see the cattle car full of prisoners?

  • What happens to a majority of prisoners in the cattle car along their journey?

  • How does Eliezer try to help his father in this section of text?

  • What happens to Eliezer's father by the end of this chapter?

Enhanced Lesson Plan

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Common Core Standards


  • L.8.5 — Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
  • 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.

Supporting Standards

L.8.5.a
L.8.6
RI.8.1
RI.8.2
RI.8.10
SL.8.1
SL.8.6
W.8.1
W.8.1.a
W.8.1.b
W.8.9
W.8.9.b
W.8.10

Next

Explain how specific incidents in Night reveal aspects of characters, as well as larger truths about human nature.

Lesson 17
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