Encountering Evil: Night

Lesson 20
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ELA

Unit 2

8th Grade

Lesson 20 of 28

Objective


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.

Readings and Materials


  • 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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Key Questions


Discussion Questions

  • 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?

Notes


  • Decide which Type of Academic Discourse you want to use in this lesson. We recommend a table-group discussion, fishbowl, or whole-class discussion. Then, choose which of this lesson’s Discussion Questions you are going to have students answer. Consider how much discussion time will be devoted to each question. 
  • Create clear expectations for the discussion and student groups (if necessary). Additionally, decide what discourse strategies you will model for students to ensure that students are able to effectively engage with one another (for guidance, see our Teacher Tool about Tiers of Academic Discourse).

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Common Core Standards


  • 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.

Supporting Standards

L.8.6
RI.8.1
RL.8.1
SL.8.1.b
SL.8.6
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Lesson 19

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Lesson 21

Lesson Map

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