Voice from the Ghettos | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA 2019 G8:M3:U2:L8

Voice from the Ghettos

In this Lesson

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Focus Standards: These are the standards the instruction addresses.

  • RL.8.1, RL.8.2, L.8.1c, L.8.3a

Supporting Standards: These are the standards that are incidental—no direct instruction in this lesson, but practice of these standards occurs as a result of addressing the focus standards.

  • RL.8.3, RL.8.4, RL.8.10, W.8.4, W.8.10, L.8.4c
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can determine a theme and analyze its development in an excerpt of "Abe's Story: Excerpts and Synopsis." (RL.8.1, RL.8.2)
  • I can write an objective summary of an excerpt of "Abe's Story: Excerpts and Synopsis." (RL.8.2)
  • I can use verbs in different moods to achieve particular effects. (L.8.1c, L.8.3a)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Opening A: Entrance Ticket
  • Work Time A: Track Gist, Plot, Character, and Theme: "Abe's Story: Excerpts and Synopsis" (RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.3)
  • Work Time B: Objective Summary: "Abe's Story: Excerpts and Synopsis" (RL.8.1, RL.8.2)
  • Closing and Assessment A: Verb Mood organizer (L.8.1c, L.8.3a)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Engage the Learner - L.8.1c (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Read Excerpt of "Abe's Story: Excerpts and Synopsis" and Track Gist, Plot, Character, and Theme - RL.8.2 (20 minutes)

B. Write an Objective Summary: Excerpt of "Abe's Story: Excerpts and Synopsis" - RL.8.2 (10 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Grammar Mini Lesson - L.8.1c (10 minutes)

4. Homework

A. Answer Questions: Verb Mood and Voice: Students complete Homework: Verb Mood and Voice: Abe's Story to answer selected response questions about verb mood and voice. 

B. Preread Text: Students complete Homework: Preread Night, Pages 23-24 in preparation for studying the text in the next lesson.

Alignment to Assessment Standards and Purpose of Lesson

  • L.8.1c – Opening A: Students answer questions about verbs in a set of sentences as preparation for direct instruction with verb moods in Closing and Assessment A.
  • L.8.3a – Closing and Assessment A: Students answer questions about the effects achieved through the use of verb moods.
  • RL.8.2 – Work Time A: Students determine the theme(s) of an excerpt of “Abe's Story: Excerpts and Synopsis” and analyze the development of the theme(s) over the course of the excerpt.
  • RL.8.1 – Work Time A: Students identify key plot elements from text to determine the theme.
  • RL.8.2 – Work Time B: Students write an objective literary summary with a theme statement for an excerpt of “Abe's Story: Excerpts and Synopsis.”
  • L.8.1c – Closing and Assessment A: Students determine the verb moods in sentences using a graphic organizer.
  • L.8.3a – Closing and Assessment A: Students determine how verb moods are used to achieve a particular effect.

Opportunities to Extend Learning

  • Challenge students to identify theme independently the first time they read the text.
  • Invite students to select five words from the text that are unfamiliar. Students can predict the meanings of the words using affixes and context and then verify the meaning with a dictionary. Have students write a sentence using each of these words.
  • Students may identify additional themes in the text in their objective summary.
  • Students can write short responses to the Think-Pair-Share questions in Work Time A in advance of the discussion if they finish reading early.
  • Create additional selected and constructed response questions so students may continue determining verb moods and their effects in sentences. 
  • Students may research additional stories of survivors of the Holocaust who were trapped in ghettos in German-occupied Europe. Students can share what they have learned in small groups or with the whole class.

How It Builds on Previous Work

  • In the previous lesson, students answered selected and constructed response questions about theme for the mid-unit assessment. This lesson builds upon this work because students will identify the theme of a text and write a theme statement in their objective summary of the text.

Support All Students

  • Note that “Abe's Story: Excerpts and Synopsis” brings up potentially sensitive topics such as the harsh conditions of ghettos, persecution, and death during the Holocaust. Allow for time to process and respond to this topic during individual, small group, or full class discussion, and reach out to families as needed. Use thoughtful strategic pairing for discussions concerning these topics to ensure that all students feel comfortable.
  • Some students may have difficulty determining the theme of a new text. Ask prompting questions to support students in identifying themes in Work Time A. ▲
  • Some students may require reminders about synthesizing a text to identify the most relevant details for the context of a summary. Support students in annotating the text for the most relevant details to include in their summary. ▲
  • Some students may benefit from choosing how they will read the text. Read the text aloud with some students, have student-led groups read amongst themselves, and allow other students to read independently. ▲

Assessment Guidance

  • Review student summaries after the lesson to check whether they are on the right track. Use common issues as teaching points for the whole group in the next lesson.

Down the Road

  • In the next lesson, students continue to practice the skills of analyzing the development of themes in a text as well as building strong summaries with increased independence. Students will continue to read voices of Holocaust survivors, building toward a poster-sharing session commemorating victims and survivors of the Holocaust in Lesson 14.

In Advance

  • Prepare Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 8.
  • Ensure there is a copy of Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 8 at each student's workspace.
  • Preread "Abe's Story: Excerpts and Synopsis" in preparation for reading the text with students in this lesson. Note the strong emotional content about the harsh conditions of the ghettos.
  • Post the learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

  • Continue to use the technology tools recommended throughout previous modules to create anchor charts to share with families; to record students as they participate in discussions and protocols to review with students later and to share with families; and for students to listen to and annotate text, record ideas on note-catchers, and word-process writing.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 8.I.C.11 and 8.I.C.12.

Important Points in the Lesson Itself

  • To support ELLs, this lesson includes a mini grammar lesson on verb moods and practice with selected and constructed response questions similar to the questions students will encounter on the End of Unit 2 Assessment. This lesson is the first in a series of lessons that incorporates practice with verb moods and work towards L.8.1c, L.8.1d, and L.8.3a. Students also read a memoir written by a Holocaust victim and write a summary. A summary of this memoir with errors intentionally added will serve as the text for students' work with language standards
  • ELLs may find it challenging to understand the concept of verb mood and how this differs from verb tense. Help students to understand that like verb tense, they are already naturally using the moods they will learn about, but now they will analyze this usage. Reassure students that they will have extensive practice with the concept of mood to prepare them thoroughly for the end of unit assessment.

Vocabulary

  • ghetto (DS) 

Key 

(A): Academic Vocabulary 

(DS): Domain-Specific Vocabulary

Materials from Previous Lessons

Teacher

Student

  • Criteria for an Effective Literary Summary anchor chart (from Module 1, Unit 2, Lesson 1, Work Time C)

  • Holocaust Glossary (one per student; from Module 3, Unit 1, Lesson 3, Work Time A)
  • Summarize a Literary Text rubric (one per student; from Module 1, Unit 2, Lesson 1, Work Time C)

New Materials

Teacher

Student

  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 8 (answers for teacher reference)
  • Track Gist, Plot, Character, and Theme: "Abe's Story: Excerpts and Synopsis" note-catcher (example for teacher reference)
  • Objective Summary: "Abe's Story: Excerpts and Synopsis" (example for teacher reference)
  • Verb Mood Organizer (answers for teacher reference)
  • Homework: Verb Mood and Voice: Abe's Story (answers for teacher reference) (see Homework Resources)
  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 8 (one per student)
  • Excerpt from "Abe's Story: Excerpts and Synopsis: The Ghettos" (one per student and one for display)
  • Synopsis: "Abe's Story: Excerpts and Synopsis: The Ghettos" (one per student)
  • Track Gist, Plot, Character, and Theme: "Abe's Story: Excerpts and Synopsis" note-catcher (one per student)
  • Objective Summary: "Abe's Story: Excerpts and Synopsis" (one per student)
  • Verb Mood Organizer (one per student)
  • Homework: Verb Mood and Voice: Abe's Story (one per student; see Homework Resources)
  • Homework: Preread Night, Pages 23-24 (one per student; see Homework Resources)

Assessment

Each unit in the 6-8 Language Arts Curriculum has two standards-based assessments built in, one mid-unit assessment and one end of unit assessment. The module concludes with a performance task at the end of Unit 3 to synthesize students' understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.

Opening

OpeningLevels of Support

A. Engage the Learner - L.8.1c (5 minutes)

  • Repeated routine: As students arrive, invite them to complete Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 8.
  • Display Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 8. Call on student volunteers to share their responses to questions 1-5.
  • Tell students that later in the lesson, they will be learning about verb moods. Explain that while students probably think of mood as something that has to do with emotions or feelings (e.g., "I am in a bad mood"), the mood of a verb expresses the speaker's or writer's intention behind saying or writing a sentence.
  • Explain to students that on the entrance ticket, they were able to determine the purpose or intention of each sentence and that the mood of each verb is what gave them the information needed to carry out this task. There will be time to explore verb mood further in Closing and Assessment A.
  • Repeated routine: Follow the same routine as the previous lessons to review learning targets and the purpose of the lesson, reminding students of any learning targets that are similar or the same as in previous lessons.

For Lighter Support

  • N/A

For Heavier Support

  • After students have completed Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 8, review key words in the questions (possibility, necessity, command, fact) Give students 2 minutes to discuss these terms, and then invite them to revise their answers on the entrance ticket based on any new or refined understanding from the discussion. Then, review the answers to the questions as a class.

Work Time

Work Time

A. Read Excerpt of "Abe's Story: Excerpts and Synopsis" and Track Gist, Plot, Character, and Theme - RL.8.2 (20 minutes) 

  • Review the appropriate learning target relevant to the work to be completed in this section of the lesson:

"I can determine a theme and analyze its development in an excerpt of 'Abe's Story: Excerpts and Synopsis.'"

  • Display the Holocaust Glossary, and instruct students to retrieve their copy.
  • Focus students on the definition of ghetto. Have a volunteer read the definition for students to review how Nazi soldiers transported people to ghettos, where they were forced to live in harsh conditions and died of starvation and disease.
  • Explain to students that ghettos were quarters Jews were forced to live in centuries before the Holocaust. The largest ghetto during the Holocaust was the Warsaw ghetto in Poland. Ghettos were used to segregate Jews from the rest of the population. They were supposed to be temporary, but Jews could be imprisoned in ghettos for days, weeks, or even years. Hundreds of thousands of people were crammed into tight spaces with little to no space to sleep, without bathroom facilities, food, or water. Thousands died of the diseases that resulted in the lack of plumbing and healthcare or from starvation. Ghettos were destroyed in 1941 once Nazis implemented the Final Solution, which was the plan to murder all European Jews.
  • Invite students to share their own understanding of the word ghetto and how it might be used in the present.
  • Explain to students that they will read a story of a Holocaust survivor's experience in one of these ghettos.
  • Distribute and display Excerpt from  "Abe's Story: Excerpts and Synopsis: The Ghettos." Instruct students to read the text independently, and support struggling students as needed. Remind students that they can refer to their Holocaust Glossary if they encounter domain-specific vocabulary they do not understand. If students do not finish reading the text within the allotted reading time, distribute Synopsis: "Abe's Story: Excerpts and Synopsis: The Ghettos" to each student to review the key details of the text. 
  • Be available to support students in reflecting as they read. Ensure students have what they need to process, whether a quiet space to think, someone to talk to about how they are processing the text, or paper to write or sketch.
  • Think-Pair-Share, and remind students of the habits of an ethical person, particularly respect, empathy, and compassion, as they discuss the potentially upsetting content in this story:

"What did Abe do? Why?" (He bribed a guard to let him escape from the ghetto because he knew he and his family would die if he stayed.)

"When Abe announced his decision to try to escape, his parents responded very differently. How did his mother respond? Why?" (She begged him not to leave on his own. She thought this would be selfish of him and that the most important thing was that the family stay together even to die.)

"How did Abe's father respond? Why?" (He thought it made sense for Abe to try to leave. He thought perhaps Abe might be able to survive and could even return to help the rest of the family.)

"How did you feel about Abe's plan as you read the story? Why?" (Answers will vary, but may include scared for him because he could get caught, but hoping he is able to escape and doesn't get caught; sad for him and his family when he does get caught and is nearly beaten to death.)

"As you read about Abe's heartbreak at the moment of separation from his family, what habits of character were you practicing? Why?" (Compassion and empathy for Abe and his family because it must have been very sad and scary for them all to say goodbye.)

  • Ask a volunteer to read the excerpt for a second read, and have students think about the theme of the excerpt. Help students to see that Abe faced nearly impossible choices that he had to make in order to survive.
  • Display and distribute Track Gist, Plot, Character, and Theme: "Abe's Story: Excerpts and Synopsis" note-catcher.
  • Instruct students to record gist, key plot elements, and character and analysis, similar to how they tracked these elements in Unit 1. Circulate as students complete the note-catcher. Refer to Track Gist, Plot, Character, and Theme: "Abe's Story: Excerpts and Synopsis" note-catcher (example for teacher reference) if necessary.
  • Refocus class. Focus students on the "Theme(s)" and the "Evidence from Text to Support Theme(s)" columns of the note-catcher.
  • Ask students to Think-Pair-Share about theme by asking the following questions.

"What do you think is the theme of 'Abe's Story: Excerpts and Synopsis'?" (Answers will vary, but may include that survival sometimes requires us to make difficult choices)

"What evidence in the text supports the theme you determined?" (Answers will vary, but may include the following: "I had to summon all my strength to make my feet take me away. I was never to see my family again.")

  • As students share, record responses on the displayed Track Gist, Plot, Character, and Theme: "Abe's Story: Excerpts and Synopsis" note-catcher. Instruct students to record these notes in their note-catcher.
  • Explain to students that they will write an objective summary of this excerpt of "Abe's Story: Excerpts and Synopsis," and remind them that they will include the theme in their summary.
  • Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning targets.

B. Write an Objective Summary: Excerpt of “Abe's Story: Excerpts and Synopsis” – RL.8.2 (10 minutes)

  • Review the appropriate learning target relevant to the work to be completed in this section of the lesson:

“I can write an objective summary of an excerpt of ‘Abe’s Story: Excerpts and Synopsis.’”

  • Explain to students that they will write a summary about Abe and other Holocaust survivors in the next few lessons. They will choose one voice from a summary they have written that resonates with them and choose visual elements to further convey this voice in a commemorative poster.
  • Display the Criteria for an Effective Literary Summary anchor chart.
  • Remind students to keep these criteria in mind as they write their summary paragraph.
  • Display the Summarize a Literary Text rubric, and instruct students to retrieve their copy.
  • Remind students that they have written several objective summaries in previous lessons in this module and previous modules and that they should refer to this handout to ensure they are working toward writing an advanced literary summary. 
  • Tell students that they are now going to write a summary of an Excerpt of “Abe’s Story: Excerpts and Synopsis.”
  • Distribute Objective Summary: “Abe’s Story: Excerpts and Synopsis.” Give them 1 minute to think. Ask students to Turn and Talk. The first student to speak (partner A) will orally summarize the excerpt. Refocus the whole group and have partners switch roles. The second person to speak (partner B) will do the same, building upon and refining the first summary by adding or removing details, as needed. ▲
  • Invite students to write their summaries, and remind them to use the Criteria for an Effective Literary Summary anchor chart and refer to the Summary Rubric handout as needed.
  • Remind students that when writing paragraphs such as a summary, they should write in complete sentences.
  • Circulate to support students as they write. Note any trends to highlight in the next lesson. Ensure that all summaries are stored in a safe place for use in creating the commemorative poster in Lesson 12.
  • Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning targets.

Closing & Assessments

ClosingLevels of Support

A. Grammar Mini Lesson - L.8.1c (10 minutes)

  • Review the appropriate learning target relevant to the work to be completed in this section of the lesson:

"I can use verbs in different moods to achieve particular effects."

  • Display the following terms and parenthetical examples on the board:
    • Verb Tense (present, past, future)
    • Verb Aspect (simple, perfect, progressive/continuous)
    • Verb Mood (indicative, interrogative, imperative, conditional, subjunctive)
  • Remind students that verbs are words and phrases that express the action in a sentence and that every verb has tense and aspect. Explain that verbs also have a mood and that today, students will be learning about the five verb moods in English. Reassure students that while the term mood and the names of each mood might be new to students, they are already using these moods in their own speaking and writing. Tell students that the mood of a verb expresses the speaker's or writer's intention behind saying or writing a sentence. For example, we use different moods to ask a question or to give a command. Writers also use verb mood to achieve particular effects in their writing, including expressing uncertainty, possibility, or necessity.
  • Distribute the Verb Mood organizer. Read the directions aloud, and call on student volunteers to read aloud the information in the first column of the organizer about each verb mood.
  • Group students into pairs. Cue students by saying:

"I'll give you time to work together to use the descriptions of each mood to match each sentence with the mood its verb is expressed in."

  • Refocus whole group. Display the Verb Mood organizer (answers for teacher reference) and invite students to check their responses. Review each mood, one by one, focusing students' attention on the underlined verbs in each sentence, highlighting how each aligns with the descriptors of mood in the chart. Encourage students to revise their work as needed throughout the discussion to match the answer key. Tell students they can use this organizer as a reference while working with verbs moods later in this lesson, while completing homework assignments, and in Lessons 9, 10, and 11.
  • Ask students what they notice about the different verb moods in these sentences. (Responses will vary. Encourage and acknowledge all responses.)
  • Point out to students that the verbs within the example sentences vary among past, present, and future tense. Clarify that tense is different from mood and that mood is expressed in all verb tenses. In other words, every sentence has both tense and mood, and each is dependent upon its main verb.)
  • Think-Pair-Share:

"How can you use verb moods in your own speaking and writing?" (Responses will vary, but help students to understand that each mood is used for a particular purpose, whether that is to state a fact, ask a question, make a command, talk about cause and effect and possibilities, or to express wishes or necessity. Therefore, they can choose a particular mood depending on what purpose or intention they wish to accomplish.)

  • Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning targets.

For Lighter Support

  • To extend work with verb mood, invite students to add sentences from the summaries they wrote in Closing and Assessment A to the Verb Mood organizer. This will draw students' attention to the meaning and structure of each sentence within their summaries, which can serve a dual benefit of helping them to refine their writing while also supporting their emerging understanding of verb moods. 
  • To deepen students understanding of verb mood, invite students to identify the verb tense of each sentence on the Verb Mood organizer. This will help students to refine their understanding of the distinction between verb tense and mood by providing evidence of variation in verb tense across the verb moods presented.

For Heavier Support

  • For further practice with verb moods, invite students to identify one sentence in the indicative mood from their summaries. Invite a student volunteer to share his or her sentence and work as a class to write this sentence in the other four moods. This practice will help to build an understanding of the structural differences that occur as a result of mood.

Homework

Homework

A. Answer Questions: Verb Mood and Voice

  • Students complete Homework: Verb Mood and Voice: Abe's Story to answer selected response questions about verb mood and voice.

B. Preread Text

  • Students complete Homework: Preread Night, Pages 23-24 in preparation for studying the text in the next lesson.

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