February 17, 2016 Agenda

1)Brain Buzzer: Do you think Madame Schchter was

crazy? Explain by providing two details from the
story to support your answer. ***Also take out
your 5 vocabulary definitions from yesterday
so I can check them.***
2)

Learning target: I can use a double entry

diary to help with reading comprehension.
3)Review of pages 22 28.
4)Read page 29
5)Close Reading / what is it?
6)Read pages 30 - ???

Think of your favorite movie:

How many times have you seen it?

Can you quote parts of the movie?
How many different things did you notice the second
time you watched it?

Think about nascar drivers before a big race:

They race around the course days prior over and

over to make sure they are familiar with every
twist, turn, and bump on the track.

Think about your favorite singer:

 They go over the same song hundreds of times in

practice to make sure they know it inside and out.

Well, when we read, we need to do the same type

of thing:

Close reading:
Reading to uncover layers of meaning that
lead to deep comprehension.
Re-Reading same short passage or section
of a longer passage more than once.

Lets look at page 29 of Night.

The beloved objects that we had carried with us from

place to place were now left behind in the wagon and,
with them, finally, our illusions.
Every few yards, there stood an SS man, his machine
gun trained on us. Hand in hand, we followed the
throng.
An SS came toward us wielding a club. He
commanded:
Men to the left! Women to the right!

First layer: What is the basic idea of what is happening?

The beloved objects that we had carried with us

from place to place were now left behind in the wagon
and, with them, finally, our illusions.
Every few yards, there stood an SS man, his
machine gun trained on us. Hand in hand, we followed
the throng.
An SS came toward us wielding a club. He
commanded:
Men to the left! Women to the right!

Second layer: Look at the word choice the author uses:

Why describe the objects they carried as beloved?
What is the importance of mentioning an SS stood
every few yards? How is that different than the
author saying he saw SS men?
What does the phrase trained on us do for the
senetence? Would it sound less powerful to say,
Every few yards an SS man had a gun.
What is important about the SS man coming toward
them wielding a club? Would it be different if an
SS man was standing there holding a club?
What about the use of the word commanded?
How would it be different if the author used the word
said or requested?

The beloved objects that we had carried with us from

place to place were now left behind in the wagon and,
with them, finally, our illusions.
Every few yards, there stood an SS man, his machine
gun trained on us. Hand in hand, we followed the
throng.
An SS came toward us wielding a club. He
commanded:
Men to the left! Women to the right!

Third layer (deeper meaning / inferencing / etc.):

What are illusions? What were the illusions the
prisoners had? Why were they left behind in the
wagon?
Why is the author walking hand in hand with his
father? We typically dont hold our parents hands
except when were young.
Could the word we mean everyone was holding
hands? If so, why?

Eight words spoken quietly, indifferently, without

emotion. Eight short, simple words. Yet that was the
moment when I left my mother. There was no time to
think, and I already felt my fathers hand press against
mine: we were alone. In a fraction of a second, I could
see my mother, my sisters, move to the right. Tzipora
was holding mothers hand. I saw them walking farther
and farther away Mother was stroking my sisters blond
hair, as if to protect her. And I walked on with my father,
with the men. I didnt know that this was the moment in
time and place where I was leaving my mother and
Tzipora forever. I kept walking, holding my fathers hand.

First layer: What is the basic idea of what is happening?

Eight words spoken quietly, indifferently, without

emotion. Eight short, simple words. Yet that was the
moment when I left my mother. There was no time to
think, and I already felt my fathers hand press against
mine: we were alone. In a fraction of a second, I
could see my mother, my sisters, move to the right.
Tzipora was holding mothers hand. I saw them walking
farther and farther away; Mother was stroking my
sisters blond hair, as if to protect her. And I walked on
with my father, with the men. I didnt know that this was
the moment in time and place where I was leaving my
mother and Tzipora forever. I kept walking, holding my
fathers hand.

Second layer: Look at the word choice the author uses.

Why is it important for you as a reader to know that
the words were spoken, indifferently, without
emotion?
Why does the author write that Elies father
pressed his hand against mine? How is this
different than just saying held my hand?

 Why does the author refer to Elie and his father as

being alone? Isnt alone meaning someone is by
themselves?
What does the phrase fraction of a second help
you to understand about the passage?
Why does the author describe Mother stroking my
sisters blond hair? Explain how this adds emotion
to the passage.
What does the use of the word forever do for the
reader? Usually this is a positive word. Is it positive
here? Why?

Eight words spoken quietly, indifferently, without

emotion. Eight short, simple words. Yet that was the
moment when I left my mother. There was no time to
think, and I already felt my fathers hand press against
mine: we were alone. In a fraction of a second, I could
see my mother, my sisters, move to the right. Tzipora
was holding mothers hand. I saw them walking farther
and farther away; Mother was stroking my sisters blond
hair, as if to protect her. And I walked on with my father,
with the men. I didnt know that this was the moment
in time and place where I was leaving my mother and

Tzipora forever. I kept walking, holding my fathers

hand.

Third layer: (deeper meaning / inferencing / etc):

What is significant about Elie walking with the
men? What does this say about him?
What can you infer about whether the author ever
sees his other sisters (besides Tzipora) again?
Explain.
What does the fact that Elie and his father kept
walking holding eachothers hands say about
them? What does it say about their emotions?

You try it Page 33

We continued our march. We were coming closer and

closer to the pit, from which an infernal heat was rising.
Twenty more steps. If I was going to kill myself, this was
the time. Our column had only fifteen steps to go. I bit
my lips so that my father would not hear my teeth
chattering. Ten more steps. Eight. Seven. We were
walking slowly, as one follows a hearse, our own funeral
procession. Only four steps more. Three. There it was
now, very close to us, the pit and its flames. I gathered
all that remained of my strength in order to break rank
and throw myself onto the barbed wire. Deep down, I
was saying goodbye to my father, to the whole universe,

and against my will, I found myself whispering the words:

Yisgadal Veyiskadash, shemy raba May His name be
exulted and sanctified My heart was about to burst.
There. I was face to face with the Angel of Death.
No. Two steps from the pit, we were ordered to turn
left and herded into barracks.

First layer:
1. What is the basic idea of what is happening?

We continued our march. We were coming closer and

closer to the pit, from which an infernal heat was rising.
Twenty more steps. If I was going to kill myself, this was
the time. Our column had only fifteen steps to go. I bit
my lips so that my father would not hear my teeth
chattering. Ten more steps. Eight. Seven. We were
walking slowly, as one follows a hearse, our own funeral
procession. Only four steps more. Three. There it was
now, very close to us, the pit and its flames. I gathered
all that remained of my strength in order to break rank
and throw myself onto the barbed wire. Deep down, I
was saying goodbye to my father, to the whole universe,
and against my will, I found myself whispering the

words: Yisgadal Veyiskadash, shemy raba May His

name be exulted and sanctified My heart was about to
burst. There. I was face to face with the Angel of Death.
No. Two steps from the pit, we were ordered to turn
left and herded into barracks.

Second Layer: Look at the word choice an author uses.

1. Why does Elie use the words against my will to
describe his praying? Provide one detail for support.
2. Why does he use three one word sentences on page
33?
3. Why does he use the phrase throw myself onto
instead of walked into?

We continued our march. We were coming closer and

closer to the pit, from which an infernal heat was rising.
Twenty more steps. If I was going to kill myself, this was
the time. Our column had only fifteen steps to go. I bit
my lips so that my father would not hear my teeth
chattering. Ten more steps. Eight. Seven. We were
walking slowly, as one follows a hearse, our own funeral
procession. Only four steps more. Three. There it was
now, very close to us, the pit and its flames. I gathered
all that remained of my strength in order to break rank
and throw myself onto the barbed wire. Deep down, I
was saying goodbye to my father, to the whole universe,

and against my will, I found myself whispering the

words: Yisgadal Veyiskadash, shemy raba May His
name be exulted and sanctified My heart was about to
burst. There. I was face to face with the Angel of Death.
No. Two steps from the pit, we were ordered to
turn left and herded into barracks.

Third Layer: deeper meaning / making inferences

1. Why didnt Elie want his father to hear his teeth
chattering? Provide one detail for support.
2. Why would the Nazis force the Jews to walk past the
burning pit if they didnt have any intention of killing
them at that moment? Provide a detail for support.
3. Why does he whisper the prayer instead of saying
it loudly?