Night Unit Outcomes and RationaleEnglish II (10th Grade)

Marissa Duncan

Elie Wiesel’s Night is a frequently taught novel in public schools, and for good reason. My reasons for wanting to teach it are similar to those of many teachers. To begin with, I want to teach students about history from a personal perspective, a perspective that comes from someone who has experienced this particular time period in history. This point of view, this format, is different from the one that students typically receive in their history classes, which tends to be a third-person, factual account of the events of the Holocaust and World War II. A first-person account, as Night is, provides more than facts—it presents emotions and details that allow readers to understand the personal implications of the Holocaust, which is certainly just as important as raw, objective fact. By connecting the personal account with impersonal information, students may better understand the magnitude and the reality of the Holocaust.

More specifically, students need to learn about the Holocaust (and have this knowledge reinforced) so that we can pass down the knowledge of it and keep it in our collective memory. Else, how do we honor those who suffered as a result of those horrible events? And, just as importantly, how do we keep ourselves, how do we keep society, from repeating those atrocities? Teaching and learning about the Holocaust is a means of attempting to prevent people from committing those atrocities again. (Whether or not it is actually effective is a different matter—but we certainly must try.)

Further, to teach about the Holocaust is to refuse to be silent about history. To teach about it is to teach social responsibility and to emphasize that we, like Wiesel, must speak out against social injustice. It is part of our responsibility as educators to ensure that future generations are not silent, unlike those citizen who watched the cattle cars full of Jews chugging by to suffering, tragedy, and death. We must train our children to never stand by and watch. They must speak out against and fight against injustice and cruelty in our world. It is my hope that during this unit, I will open my students’ eyes and inspire in them compassion and a desire to take action against injustice.

Goals:

1. Students will read and understand Elie Wiesel’s Night. Reading Literature CCS 10: By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend

literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 9–10 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Reading Literature CCS 6: Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature.

Language CCS 4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 9–10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

o Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

o Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or parts of speech (e.g., analyze, analysis, analytical; advocate, advocacy).

o Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, or its etymology.

o Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).

Studying literature such as Night enables students to study plots, learn how they function, and learn how events unfold and lead to other events. Applying this understanding of cause and effect to real world events can help students understand how and why things (such as the Holocaust) occur and subsequently help them understand what role they as citizens can play in things that are happening in the world around them. Students can apply the same skills to the events of their own personal lives. They might use their ability to analyze cause-and-effect to understand why their significant other broke up with them after having what seemed to be a pleasant phone conversation, for instance. If they understand how and why atrocities are occurring in another country, perhaps they will understand how they can take action against those atrocities. Further, by reading Night, students will get the perspective of someone from a different country and a different time period with a different language and probably a different religion, thus giving them the perspective of someone from a different culture. It is important for students to receive a diverse and multicultural perspective to broaden their horizons and help them become more tolerant and accepting of other cultures. Finally, one aspect of comprehending a novel includes comprehending the vocabulary of that novel. I want my students to expand their vocabularies so that they can be successful on standardized tests like the SAT or ACT, in college classes, and in life in general. No matter where they go in life, students will always be subjected to different kinds of texts that they will have to understand, and often these texts will include vocabulary with which they are unfamiliar. It is important to develop skills they can use to deduce the meaning of various words in different texts.

2. Students will be able to identify the themes of faith, innocence, loyalty, and survival in Night and understand how these themes relate to their own lives. Reading Literature CCS 2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze

in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.

As I have stated before, I think an analysis of themes allows students to look at the "big picture" of a text, which can help make the text more relatable and allow them to connect it to their own lives. Making connections helps them make meaning out of both the literature and their own lives. I think students are more likely to remember literature and take its ideas with them (and the ideas are often what I find to be most important) if they make these connections. It's also important for students to read critically and to see past the details to this "big picture"—that's a skill that they will use in areas besides just analyzing literature.

3. Students will analyze Wiesel’s point of view and understand his reasons for writing Night as well as how the novel blurs the lines of literature, autobiography, and memoir.

Reading Informational Text CCS 10: By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 9–10 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Reading Informational Text CCS 6: Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.

Night is interesting in that its genre is debatable. Is it memoir? Non-fiction? Partially fiction? Certainly, this aspect of the novel is something that students could debate and later apply to other literature (fiction or non-fiction.) It’s important for students to understand the conventions of various literary genres and how a work of literature becomes classified as one genre or another. Further, students need to learn to associate different genres with different purposes; a writer of a non-fictional piece and a writer of a fictional piece may have entirely different purposes even if they are writing about the same subject. Weisel, too, has an agenda, a reason for describing his experiences as a victim of the Holocaust.

4. Students will analyze the main characters of Night (especially those of Eliezer and his father) and how they change over the course of the novel as a result of the horrors they experience.

Reading Literature CCS 3: Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.

Eliezer and his perspective are central to the meaning and the impact of the novel. It is the change that he goes through—his loss of innocence, his loss of faith, his struggle to remain loyal to his father and to his God—that make the novel so powerful and poignant. It is his character that separates Night from factual, third person accounts of the Holocaust. By analyzing Eliezer’s and his father’s characters, students will better understand how the events of the Holocaust and the war affected people personally. And while it’s pretty likely that none of my students will have directly experienced genocide, they are like Eliezer in that they are young and have probably faced (or will face) events in their lives that will change who they are entirely. Thus, an analysis of the novel’s characters can also develop students’ ability to self-reflect; if they can look deeper into a character's motivations, feelings, and attributes, they may be able to look deeper into their own. And looking deeply at each character can also help them find one that they can relate to.

5. Students will understand the symbols of fire, night, and corpses in Night. Language CCS 5: Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word

relationships, and nuances in word meanings.a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g., euphemism, oxymoron) in context and

analyze their role in the text.b. Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.

Literary devices are hard for some students, but getting students to look for these devices and to analyze them helps those critical reading skills that are so important. It’s important for students to understand the difference between

connotation and denotation in order for them to understand how a writer feels about his or her subject and to understand why and how reading a text makes them feel a certain way. We all make choices in the words we use based on what impact we think they will have, whether or not we realize it. Whether or not reading literature becomes part of students’ future professions, being able to read beyond the surface of things (whether it is literature, their favorite television show, or that cryptic text message from their best friend) is a skill that will carry them far in their lives. Also, figurative language is, in my opinion, much of what makes literature so interesting and enjoyable.

Night Lesson PlansMarissa Duncan

English II2 weeks

90-minute class periods

Day 1

Topic: Night pretest and vocabulary

Purpose: Students will complete the unit pretest for Night. They will also be introduced to their vocabulary list for the unit.

Essential Question: What are the definitions of some of the important vocabulary words from the novel?

Goals:Goal 1: Students will read and understand Elie Wiesel’s Night.

Language CCS 4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 9–10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

o Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

o Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or parts of speech (e.g., analyze, analysis, analytical; advocate, advocacy).

o Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, or its etymology.

o Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).

Materials: Copies of the unit pretest, PowerPoint with definitions and example sentences for the vocabulary

Procedures:

1. Students will complete the Night unit pretest. (30 min.)2. Students will be introduced to the vocabulary using the PowerPoint with the definitions and

example sentences (using the students’ names and pop culture references) for each word. Students should copy the definitions and sentences into their notebooks. (30 min.)

a. benedictionb. billetc. conflagration

d. edicte. haranguef. notoriousg. partisanh. penuryi. perilj. veritable

3. For the remainder of the class, students will work on their homework assignment, which is to write their own sentences that correctly use each word. If they do not finish, they should finish it for homework. If they finish and there is still time left, they should read independently. They should also continue to study their vocabulary words each night.

Assessment: Students will be assessed on their prior knowledge of the novel based on the unit pretest. They will be assessed on their vocabulary understanding based on their homework assignment and the vocabulary quiz that will take place later in the unit.

Day 2

Topic: Night background information

Purpose: Students will learn about the context of the novel (i.e., World War II, the Holocaust, and Elie Wiesel) using internet resources.

Prior Knowledge: Student have already used the internet to conduct research at least once during the semester, so they have a basic understanding of how to do web research and how to evaluate sources.

Essential Question: What events and factors led to World War II and the Holocaust? Who is Elie Wiesel?

Goals:Goal 1: Students will read and understand Elie Wiesel’s Night.

Reading Literature CCS 10: By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 9–10 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Materials: Laptops or computer lab, handouts with guiding questions for the activity, paper and pencils for the students

Procedures:

1. Bell Ringer: “What do you already know about the Holocaust and/or World War II? Jot down as many things you can think of.” (5 min.)

2. Have a few students share what they know about the events and the time period to get students thinking. (5 min.)

3. Move to the computer lab or distribute laptops. (5 min.)4. Briefly review how to find and evaluate internet resources. (5 min.)5. In pairs, students will use the internet to answer each of the questions on the handout, finding

as much factual information as they can to thoroughly answer each question. (45 min.)6. As a class, go over the answer(s) to each question. (20 min.)

a. Students who find different answers should be encouraged to share and talk about where they found their answers. Different answers may provide a more detailed portrait of what was going on during the time period of the Holocaust.

7. Exit Slip: “Write down three specific things you learned about the Holocaust, WWII, and/or Elie Wiesel today. (“The Holocaust was really bad” or “Hitler sucks” are not specific.)”

Assessment: Students will be assessed based on their completion of the background information questions and the exit slip.

Day 3

Topic: Figurative language (especially symbol), genre, and Judaism.

Purpose: Students will gain an understanding of symbols and genres as well as a basic working knowledge of terms that pertain to the Jewish religion.

Prior Knowledge: Students already have a basic understanding of simile, metaphor, and symbolism.

Essential Question: What is symbolism? What is a genre and what are some types that might relate to the novel? What are some important aspects of Jewish religion that can help us better understand Elie’s perspective and the novel as a whole?

Goals: Goal 1: Students will read and understand Elie Wiesel’s Night.

Reading Literature CCS 6: Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature.

Language CCS 4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 9–10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

o Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

o Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or parts of speech (e.g., analyze, analysis, analytical; advocate, advocacy).

o Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a

word or determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, or its etymology.

o Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).

Goal 2: Students will be able to identify the themes of faith, innocence, loyalty, and survival in Night and understand how these themes related to their own lives.

Reading Literature CCS 2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.

Goal 3: Students will analyze Wiesel’s point of view and understand his reasons for writing Night as well as how the novel blurs the lines of literature, autobiography, and memoir.

Reading Informational Text CCS 10: By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 9–10 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Reading Informational Text CCS 6: Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose

Goal 5: Students will understand the symbols of fire, night, and corpses in Night.

Language CCS 5: Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g., euphemism, oxymoron) in context and analyze their role in the text.

b. Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.

Materials: PowerPoint with notes on simile, metaphor, symbol, memoir, fiction, and nonfiction; koosh ball for vocabulary review; handouts for journal entry assignment; handouts with Jewish religion terms.

Procedures:

1. Introduce journal entry assignment. (5 min.)2. Students will complete first journal entry. (15 min.)

a. Volunteers will share answers to generate a discussion about the question. (10 min.)3. Koosh ball vocabulary review (10 min.)4. Review simile, metaphor, and symbol/symbolism using the PowerPoint. (15 min.)5. Introduce Night’s possible genres. Discuss what each of these genres involves and ask

students to keep them in mind as they read. (15 min.)a. Memoir

6. Provide handout on Jewish religion terms and discuss. (10 min.)a. Extra credit: Students can choose to do some research outside of class on one or more

of the Jewish religion terms (or a part of Jewish culture that is not on the sheet) and present it to the rest of the class before the end of the unit.

Assessment: Students will be assessed based on the final unit test and the journal entry assignment. They will be assessed informally using classroom discussion and the koosh ball vocabulary review.

Day 4Topic: Chapter 1 of Night

Purpose: Students will gain an understanding of the first chapter of the novel as well as a basic understanding of the main characters and of Elie’s faith.

Prior Knowledge: Students have a working understanding of the Jewish faith and have received background information about the Holocaust and World War II.

Essential Question: Who is Elie Weisel? Who are is family and what are their roles in the community? Who is Moishe the Beadle and what is his role in the novel? What is Elie’s faith like near the beginning of the novel?

Goals:Goal 2: Students will be able to identify the themes of faith, innocence, loyalty, and survival in Night and understand how these themes related to their own lives.

Reading Literature CCS 2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.

Goal 4: Students will analyze the main characters of Night (especially those of Eliezer and his father) and how they change over the course of the novel as a result of the horrors they experience.

Reading Literature CCS 3: Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.

Materials: Class set of novels

Procedures:

1. Read aloud and discuss chapter 1 of Night. (50 min.)a. “’Man comes closer to God through the questions he asks Him’, he liked to say.

Therein lies true dialogue. Man asks and God replies. But we don’t understand his replies.”

i. Do you have strong religious beliefs? Where do they come from?b. Discuss Elie’s faith at the beginning. What is it like?c. What is the attitude of the Jews of Sighet at the beginning of the novel? Why do you

think they have this attitude?d. What is Elie’s father’s role in the Jewish community?e. Why didn’t Elie his family leave Sighet while they could?

f. Who is Moishe the Beadle? How does he change from when we first meet him? What is his role?

g. What are some of the edicts issued by the Nazis? How do they progress?h. What are ghettos? What are they like in the novel?i. “The stars were but sparks of the immense conflagration that was consuming us…”

What do you think is the significance of this quotation?2. Students will complete second journal entry. (25 min.)

a. Volunteers to share answers (15 min.)3. Homework: Students will read pgs. 23-40 in the book.

Assessment: Students will be assessed based on the final unit test and their journal entry. They will be informally assessed based on their participation in classroom discussion.

Day 5

Topic: Night, concentration camps, and the novel’s themes

Purpose: Students will gain an understanding of concentration camps such as Auschwitz. They will discuss pages 23-40 of Night, focusing on the horror that Elie faces, the various people he meets at the concentration camp, and the novel’s themes.

Essential Question: How has Elie’s faith begun to change in the novel? Can we relate his experience with questioning beliefs to our own? How does Elie attempt to reconcile his attempt to survive with his loyalty to his father?

Goals:Goal 1: Students will read and understand Elie Wiesel’s Night.

Reading Literature CCS 6: Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature.

Goal 2: Students will be able to identify the themes of faith, innocence, loyalty, and survival in Night and understand how these themes related to their own lives.

Reading Literature CCS 2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.

Goal 4: Students will analyze the main characters of Night (specifically those of Eliezer and his father) and how they change over the course of the novel as a result of the horrors they experience.

Reading Literature CCS 3: Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.

Materials: PowerPoint with background information on Auschwitz and other concentration camps; reading quizzes; books

Procedures:

1. Students will take a short reading quiz. (10 min.)2. Students will complete the third journal entry. (25 min.)

a. Volunteers may share answers. (5 min.)3. Provide further background information on Auschwitz and other concentration camps using

PowerPoint. (15 min.)4. Discuss pages 23-40. (35 min.)

a. What is the SS?b. “Arbeit Macht Frei”: What does it mean? How truthful is this phrase?c. Who are the Kapos and the Kommandos? What are they like? How do they treat the

Jews?d. Who is Dr. Mengele and how is he described?e. Who is Mrs. Schachter? How does she act in the train? Is there truth in what she says?f. “Never shall I forget…” What is the purpose of the repetition of this line?g. How do Elie’s religious beliefs begin to change?h. Elie’s struggle between survival and loyalty to his fatheri. What is Kaddish? What is ironic about its role in the novel and when it is said?

5. Homework: Students should study for the vocabulary quiz.

Assessment: Students will be assessed based on their journal entry and the unit test. They will be informally assessed based on classroom discussion.

Day 6

Topic: Vocabulary and symbolism in Night

Purpose: Students will complete their vocabulary quiz and read and discuss the next 20 pages of the novel, focusing on symbolism.

Essential Question: What significant symbols can we find in the novel? What do they signify?

Goals:Goal 1: Students will read and understand Elie Wiesel’s Night.

Language CCS 4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 9–10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

o Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

o Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or parts of speech (e.g., analyze, analysis, analytical; advocate, advocacy).

o Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, or its etymology.

o Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).

Goal 2: Students will be able to identify the themes of faith, innocence, loyalty, and survival in Night and understand how these themes related to their own lives.

Reading Literature CCS 2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.

Goal 5: Students will understand the symbols of fire, night, and corpses in Night.

Language CCS 5: Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g., euphemism, oxymoron) in context and analyze their role in the text.

b. Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.

Materials: Vocabulary quizzes, books, symbolism handouts

Procedures:

1. Students will complete the vocabulary quiz. (20 min.)2. Read and discuss pages 41-58. (30 min.)

a. Discuss:i. What is Elie’s “name” in the concentration camp? What does this tell us about

the conditions of the camps and how the Jews were treated?ii. Who is Idek? What is he like?

iii. Symbols of fire and night: what do they symbolize? Why do you think Wiesel chose these symbols over something else? What connotations do fire and night have for us?

3. Students will begin working on the symbolism handout in groups. (15 min.)4. Go over symbolism handout (or what the students have completed of it so far) as a class. (15

min.)5. Begin reading pages 59-72 and read until the end of the period.6. Homework: Students will finish reading pages 59-72 if they do not finish in class.

Assessment: Students will be assessed on their understanding of the vocabulary words based on the vocabulary quiz. The will also be assessed formally based on the unit test and informally based on classroom discussion and their work on the symbolism handout (which we will discuss but they will keep for their notes.)

Day 7

Topic: Night

Purpose: Students will continue to read and discuss the novel, focusing especially on the themes and main characters.

Essential Question: What is a “loss of innocence”? How is Elie’s faith changing and how does it compare to the faith of other prisoners in the camp? What horrors must Elie endure in order to survive in the camp?

Procedures:

1. Discuss pages 59-72. (30 min.)a. “I remember that on that evening, the soup tasted better than ever…” Why do you

think Elie says this?b. Who are the Oberkapo and pipel? What happens to them and why? What effect does

this have on the Jews in the camp?c. “’Where He is? This is where—hanging from this gallows…’ That night, the soup

tasted of corpses.” What do you think this quote means? Why does the soup “taste of corpses”?

d. What is a “loss of innocence”? How does this relate to Elie’s experience?e. What is Rosh Hashanah? How do the Jews celebrate it in the camp?f. How does Elie’s faith continue to change?g. What is selection?

2. Read and discuss pages 73-84. (45 min.)a. Who is Akiba Drumer? What is his faith like?b. What is the Red Army? What is occurring in the war outside of the camps?c. “I have more faith in Hitler than in anyone else. He alone has kept his promises, all

his promises, to the Jewish people.” Why does Akiba say this? d. What is the death march? What is its purpose?e. “It seemed as though an even darker night was waiting for us on the other side.” What

is the significance of this quote?3. If there is time at the end of class (and there likely will be), students should start on their

homework assignment.4. Homework: Read pages 85-100

Assessment: Students will be assessed based on the final unit test. They will be informally assessed based on classroom discussion.

Day 8

Topic: Night

Purpose: Students will read and discuss the final sections of the novel, focusing on symbolism, the novel’s themes, and how Elie changes as a character between the beginning and the end.

Essential Question: What do corpses symbolize in the novel? How does Elie’s struggle between survival and loyalty to his father continue to manifest itself? In what ways and to what extent does Elie change between the beginning and end of the novel?

Goals:Goal 4: Students will analyze the main characters of Night (especially those of Eliezer and his father) and how they change over the course of the novel as a result of the horrors they experience.

Reading Literature CCS 3: Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.

Goal 5: Students will understand the symbols of fire, night, and corpses in Night.

Language CCS 5: Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g., euphemism, oxymoron) in context and analyze their role in the text.

b. Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.

Materials: Reading quizzes, books, symbolism handouts

Procedures:

1. Students will take a short reading quiz. (10 min.)2. Discuss pages 85-100; read and discuss 100-115. (45 min.)

a. Death marches and the fight for survival—what do the Jews experience as they evacuate the camps? Why are they called “death marches”?

b. “I knew that I was no longer arguing with him but with Death itself, with Death that he had already chosen.” What does Elie mean when he says this? Do you think that is is true?

c. “Just like Rabbi Eliahu’s son, I had not passed the test.”i. Discuss Elie’s struggle between survival and loyalty for his father. What do

you think about this? d. “From the depths of the mirror, a corpse was contemplating me. The look in his eyes

as he gazed at me has never left me.” e. What is the role of corpse symbolism in the novel? Again, why do you think Wiesel

chose this symbol?3. In groups, students will discuss corpse symbolism and add to their symbolism handouts. We

will then go over the handout. (15 min.)4. Students will complete the final journal entry. (20 min.)5. Homework: If students have not completed all of their journal entries, they should finish

them for homework.

Assessment: Students will be assessed using the final unit test and their journal entries. They will be informally assessed based on classroom discussion.

Day 9

Topic: Night and genre

Purpose: Students will discuss Night’s possible genres and review for the unit test.

Essential Question: To what genre might Night belong? Does it belong to just one or to many?

Goals:

6. Students will analyze Wiesel’s point of view and understand his reasons for writing Night as well as how the novel blurs the lines of literature, autobiography, and memoir. Reading Informational Text CCS 10: By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend

literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 9–10 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Reading Informational Text CCS 6: Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.

Materials: Copies of the book, students’ notes and handouts from the unit

Procedures:

1. Students will divide into groups to discuss Night’s genre. Each group will be given a genre that the novel might fit into (memoir, fictional narrative/literature, autobiography). They will then find evidence from the novel that supports this characterization and present their findings to the rest of the class. (25 min.)

2. We will do a kooshball review for the unit test using the students’ final journal entries, their symbolism handouts, and notes they took. I will ask them a variety of questions about the novel, making sure to include and emphasize those that I have put on their unit test. (60 min.)

Assessment: Students will be assessed using the final unit test.

Day 10

Goals:All unit goals will be assessed.

Materials: Copies of the unit test

Procedures:

1. Students will complete the unit test. It should take them close to the whole class period. Students who finish early should read silently. (90 min.)

Assessment: Students will be assessed using the final unit test.