Amy Eckelmann EDU 521.03 Prof. R. Moroney Summer 2010 “Night” Unit Plan Amy Eckelmann EDU 521.03 Prof. R. Moroney Summer 2010

Introduction This Unit is created for 9th grade, to be in collaboration with the Social Studies department, as a Unit on the Holocaust.  In the English Language Arts classes, we will be concentrating on “Night,” by Elie Weisel as our main text, and the unit will be supplemented with “The Terrible Things,” by Even Bunting, “Instructions for Crossing the Border,” by Dan Pagis, and “The Lemon,” by Arnost Lustig. 

Context of Project This lesson is arranged for a 9th grade class of 22 students, one of whom has visual impairments.  The students will all be well versed in various technologies, and the students will already have a homework blogspot page from previous units.  Students will be well-versed in the Microsoft Office products, and the internet. 

Details There will be a computer lab booked for the class over the course of four non-consecutive days.  There will be enough computers for the whole class.  The teacher will be the sole educator in the class, as the student with the IEP does not require additional assistance.

The “Essential Question” The essential question we will be asking is “Why must we remember the Holocaust?”  This question will be very difficult for the students to comprehend, as it’s such a general question with a lot of implications and details.  The stories read in class, along with “Night,” group discussions, and technological explorations will assist in finding an answer.

Technology Involved This unit will be immersed in technology; technology will give the students a way to feel connected to the historical elements of the unit.  Throughout the unit, students will be blogging about their reactions to the text nightly, exploring the internet using a hotlist that I created, working with the SMART Board and Inspiration software, and finally, creating a group movie using Movie Maker.

Time Frame  The unit is set to run over the course of 7 days.  All of the lessons are titled with the overriding theme of the lesson.  The themes will include: Explanation Memory Discover Choices Remembering.

Overview of Lessons Lesson one is about explanation and the students will analyze how to explain the Holocaust to a young child, or someone who has never heard of the event.  We will be reading the children’s book “The Terrible Things,” by Eve Bunting, an allegory of the Holocaust.  Then, a group discussion will be had in-class to decide the best way to address the Holocaust.  Students will be expected to read chapters one and two of “Night,” and write a blog reaction to the readings.

Overview of Lessons Lesson two will be about memory, where the students will start the class discussing what it is to remember and to have an identity.  The poem “Instructions for Crossing the Border,” by Dan Pagis will be read aloud and the students will analyze what it means to forget one’s past, and why one would want to change identities.  Questions from the prior night’s reading will also be addressed.  Homework will be to continue with the next two chapters of the novel, as well as write in their blogs.

Overview of Lessons Lesson three will be about discovery, and the students will be in the computer lab.  A worksheet will be provided to the students, guiding them to explore the Night Hotlist created by the teacher, to provide more background information on the Holocaust and the setting of the novel.  For extra credit, students will be allowed to research the locations of the concentration camps, and create an excel graph on the data.  Homework will be to continue the reading and write a blog about chapters five and six.

Overview of Lessons Lesson four will be a highly interactive lesson back in the classroom.  A SMART Board will be required for the lesson.  The short story “The Lemon,” by Arnost Lustig will be read aloud, and the class will attempt to summarize the story.  The students will debate the choice made by the main character of the story, and their debate will be transcribed onto an Inspiration graphic organizer, using an adapted version of the problem/solution template.  Chapters seven and eight will be assigned for homework, as well as the blog entry.

Overview of Lessons The final project will be organized over the course of three class days.  The project will be about remembering, and will attempt to answer the essential question of the unit.  Students will be grouped into threes and fours to discuss what it means to remember, and to create a movie using Movie Maker.  The movie must have narration, pictures, and an associated transcript.  The teacher will be available to answer questions, address concerns, and assist with the technology.  Students will be asked to finish the novel on day five of the lesson, and write a final reaction to their blogs.

Grades Graded assessments will contain: blog entries, hotlist worksheet, Movie (final project), student’s graphic organizer class participation Rubrics will be created for all assessments.

Justification The technology will meet the goals of the class by enhancing a very difficult topic in a way that students can relate to. Visuals will be able to assist many learners in the class to grasp the horrors of the Holocaust Students will create their own answer to the Essential Question using Movie Maker software – making a very difficult question fun to answer!

Materials What will I and my students be using? “Night,” by Elie Weisel (class set) Handouts of the smaller texts (“The Lemon,” “The Terrible Things,” “Instructions for Crossing the Border”) Graphic Organizer Handout SMART Board and its associated technology Inspiration software Movie Maker software (with headset/microphone) Computers (in lab) with internet access Hotlist Worksheet

Graphic Organizer Project

NYS Learning Standards Standard 2: Language for Literary Response and Expression Students will read and listen to oral, written, and electronically produced texts and performances from American and world literature; relate texts and performances to their own lives; and develop an understanding of the diverse social, historical, and cultural dimensions the texts and performances represent. As speakers and writers, students will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language for self-expression and artistic creation.

NYS Learning Standards Standard 3: Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation Students will listen, speak, read,and write for critical analysis and evaluation. As listeners and readers, students will analyze experiences, ideas, information, and issues presented by others using a variety of established criteria. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to present, from a variety of perspectives, their opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information and issues.

NETS Learning Standards 2. Communication and Collaboration Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. Students: a. interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media. b. communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats. c. develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures. d. contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.

NETS Learning Standards 6. Technology Operations and Concepts Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations. Students: a. understand and use technology systems. b. select and use applications effectively and productively. c. troubleshoot systems and applications. d. transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies.

Filamentality Project

Lesson Plan 4 Instructional Objectives After reading “The Lemon,” by Arnost Lustig, and having group discussions, students will be able to collectively create a graphic organizer using Inspiration and the SMART Board, with no less than three details for each section of the organizer.

Lesson Plan 5 Instructional Objectives After finishing the novel “Night,” by Elie Weisel, the students will be placed into groups of three to create a movie of their reactions to “Night,” and to the other texts from the unit. The movie must have at least 15 slides, with accurate narration.

Assistive Technology MAGic Screen Magnification Software Since the child with impairments is visually impaired, MAGic will be able to magnify the text on the screen to assist the student in reading on the computer.

Technology for Lessons SMART Board Inspiration Software Problem/Solution Template (adapted) Lesson 5 Computer Lab (with Internet) Movie Maker Software

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