February 22, 2016 Agenda

1)Brain Buzzer: Describe a time when someone helped

you or you helped someone. Please write a 5
sentence paragraph.
2)

Learning target: I can closely read a text

by analyzing three layers.
3)Discuss brain buzzer
4)Questions as we go One question per page. ***DO
THIS ON SEPARATE SHEET OF PAPER TO TURN IN AS
EXIT SLIP ON YOUR WAY OUT THE DOOR TODAY.***
5)Read pages 47 mid 56

Page 47
Explain what Elie means when he
writes, A smile would linger in his
gray-blue eyes?

Page 48
A) What does it mean when Elie
describes the tent leader as
having an assassins face?
Provide one detail from the
story to support your answer.
B) What does Elie mean when he
writes, Who would have dared
to admit the opposite? Provide
one detail from the text to
support your answer.

Page 49:
For this page, think about authors
word choice. Write down any word
or phrase you think is used for a
specific reason. Explain why the
use of the word or phrase is
important.

Page 50 / What does Elie mean

when he writes, He paid as much
attention to us as would a
shopkeeper receiving a delivery of
old rags.
Provide one detail from the story to
support your answer.

Page 51 - 52:
Why didnt Elie have his gold
crown removed by the dentist?

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?