Encountering Evil: Night

Students explore human nature through the memoir of Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor who vividly describes the horrors he experienced.

icon/ela/white

ELA

Unit 2

8th Grade

Unit Summary


In many ways, Anne Frank and Elie Wiesel taught the world about the Holocaust. Their stories have profoundly changed the way that we understand one of the darkest moments in human history—and the way we understand our own present and future.

Students will begin this second unit of 8th grade by reading the Pulitzer Prize-winning stage adaptation of Anne Frank’s famous diary. The Diary of Anne Frank, written by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hacket (and then later revised in the 1990s by Wendy Kesselmen), tells the story of the two years that Anne spent in hiding with her family in a desperate attempt to avoid capture by the Nazis.

Students will then read Night, often considered among the most important memoirs of the 20th century. Written by Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel, the text recounts the author’s experience as a teenager in a Nazi concentration camp.

While both Eliezer and Anne’s stories speak to all readers, they are particularly evocative for young adults. Anne was thirteen when she entered the Secret Annex, and Wiesel was just sixteen when he and his family were transported to Auschwitz. Both texts center the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of a young person living through unimaginable circumstances. Through their stories, students will begin to make connections between individual lives, historical events, and larger truths about what it means to be human.

Please Note: There are multiple versions of the play, The Diary of Anne Frank by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett. The lessons in the Fishtank curriculum refer to the version of the play adapted by Wendy Kesselman in the 1990s, which is linked as a core text in the materials section. This version of the play can be purchased here but is not available from most booksellers. Fishtank will be updating this unit for the 24-25 school year to focus on the original version of the play, which is more widely available. In the meantime, we have provided the following Guide for Teachers: Alternate Text Version (G8, U2) on how to modify Fishtank lessons for teachers who are already using the more widely available version of the play.

Additionally, in August 2023, updated writing lessons in this unit were released. You may notice discrepancies in previously downloaded/printed unit or lesson plans.

Fishtank Plus for ELA

Unlock features to optimize your prep time, plan engaging lessons, and monitor student progress.

Texts and Materials


Some of the links below are Amazon affiliate links. This means that if you click and make a purchase, we receive a small portion of the proceeds, which supports our non-profit mission.

Core Materials

  • Play: The Diary of Anne Frank by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, Adapted by Wendy Kesselman (Random House; First Printing Edition, 1956) (Note: Unit lessons are focused on this version of the text. This version can be hard to obtain from most booksellers.)

  • Play: The Diary of Anne Frank by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett (Snowballpublishing) (Note: If the Wendy Kesselman adaptation is not available, this version of the play can be used with some lesson modifications.)

  • Book: Night by Elie Wiesel (Hill and Wang, 2006)   —  590L

Supporting Materials

Assessment


This assessment accompanies Unit 2 and should be given on the suggested assessment day or after completing the unit.

Unit Prep


Intellectual Prep

Unit Launch

Before you teach this unit, unpack the texts, themes, and core standards through our guided intellectual preparation process. Each Unit Launch includes a series of short videos, targeted readings, and opportunities for action planning to ensure you're prepared to support every student.

Essential Questions

  • Are human beings really good at heart?
  • How do human beings respond when subjected to unthinkable horror?
  • Why is it important to tell and listen to stories about the Holocaust?

Enduring Understandings

  • People are capable of tremendous violence and evil; to be indifferent to the suffering of others is a kind of violence.
  • People can show remarkable generosity and kindness toward one another, even when it puts them at risk.
  • The Holocaust is one of the darkest chapters in human history. Fully understanding what happened during that time—through testimonies of those who lived through it—is a powerful way to prevent such tragedies from occurring again.

Vocabulary

Text-based

annihilate apathy camaraderie conspicuous conflagration delusion genocide imprudent indifference loom magnitude menacing obligation poignant systematic

Root/Affix

-log mono-

Academic

Voiceover (VO) act author's purpose central idea connotation direct address dialogue figurative language ironic mood motif monologue scene set stage directions symbol tone

To see all the vocabulary for Unit 2, view our 8th Grade Vocabulary Glossary.

Supporting All Students

In order to ensure that all students are able to access the texts and tasks in this unit, it is incredibly important to intellectually prepare to teach the unit prior to launching the unit. Use the intellectual preparation protocol and the Unit Launch to determine which support students will need. To learn more, visit the Supporting all Students teacher tool.

Notes for Teachers

  • Night is an intense, deeply troubling text. Some of Wiesel’s descriptions of the atrocities perpetrated by the Nazis are graphic and may be upsetting to students. While The Diary of Anne Frank does not include graphic depictions of violence, students may have strong emotions in response to Anne’s ordeal. Additionally, both The Diary of Anne Frank and Night include brief discussions of sexuality.
  • We highly recommended that you send a letter home to parents explaining the content area that will be discussed in this unit.
  • Be mindful that your students may have very different levels of knowledge and experience around the history of the Holocaust and Judaism more generally. As always, establish expectations around respectful conversations, especially when discussing cultures or religions different from one’s own. Address stereotypes, bias, or prejudice directly.
  • There are many resources available to support teachers in talking with their students about the Holocaust and anti-Semitism. These are just a few:

Fishtank ELA Connections

Lesson Map


Common Core Standards


Core Standards

L.8.1
L.8.1.b
L.8.3.a
L.8.5
RI.8.2
RI.8.3
RI.8.4
RI.8.6
RL.8.3
RL.8.4
RL.8.5
RL.8.6
SL.8.1
SL.8.1.a
SL.8.1.c
SL.8.4
SL.8.5
W.8.1
W.8.1.a
W.8.1.a
W.8.1.b
W.8.1.c
W.8.1.e
W.8.2
W.8.2.a
W.8.2.b
W.8.2.c
W.8.2.f
W.8.5
W.8.7
W.8.8

Supporting Standards

L.8.2
L.8.2.b
L.8.2.c
L.8.3
L.8.4
L.8.4.b
L.8.5.a
L.8.5.b
L.8.5.c
L.8.6
RI.8.1
RI.8.5
RI.8.7
RI.8.10
RL.8.1
RL.8.2
RL.8.10
SL.8.1.b
SL.8.2
SL.8.3
SL.8.6
W.8.1.d
W.8.1.d
W.8.2.d
W.8.2.e
W.8.4
W.8.6
W.8.9
W.8.9.a
W.8.9.b
W.8.10
icon/arrow/right/large copy

Unit 1

Facing Prejudice: All American Boys

icon/arrow/right/large

Unit 3

Abusing Power: Animal Farm and Wicked History

Request a Demo

See all of the features of Fishtank in action and begin the conversation about adoption.

Learn more about Fishtank Learning School Adoption.

Contact Information

School Information

What courses are you interested in?

ELA

Math

Are you interested in onboarding professional learning for your teachers and instructional leaders?

Yes

No

Any other information you would like to provide about your school?

Effective Instruction Made Easy

Effective Instruction Made Easy

Access rigorous, relevant, and adaptable ELA lesson plans for free