ELA 9-10 Wiesel Speech

ELA 9-10 Wiesel Speech. Through this lesson, students will analyze The Perils of Indifference by Elie Wiesel for purpose, text structure, language features, and knowledge domains. 

PDF icon ELA 9-10 Wiesel Speech
Microsoft Office document icon ELA 9-10 Wiesel Speech

Standards & Objectives

Essential and guiding questions: 

Prior Knowledge:

  • Who is Elie Wiesel? What do you know about him?

Comprehension:

  • What is the author’s purpose? Give specific evidence from the text to support your answer.

Significance:

  • Identify a moment that strikes you as significant to Wiesel’s argument. Explain why you consider this moment to be significant. Give specific evidence from the text to support your answer.

Analysis:

  • How is the speech organized in order to develop his purpose? Give specific evidence from the text to support your answer.
  • What methods does Wiesel use to build and support his argument? Give specific evidence from the text to support your answer.

Interpretation:

  • What does Wiesel mean when he says “Better an unjust God than an indifferent one”? Give specific evidence from the text to support your answer.

Activity/Task Variations

Blooms taxonomy level: 
Analyzing
Differentiation suggestions: 

Scaffolding and support for special education students, English language learners, and struggling readers:

  • There are multiple meanings embedded in the text, but with scaffolding, students should be able to comprehend. This is a good piece for close reading. Attention should be paid to unfamiliar vocabulary, including preview and think-alouds. In addition, sections of the speech could be read aloud to the whole class or students could be paired with stronger readers to partner read. Students could annotate the text during a second reading by summarizing the main ideas contained in a paragraph or two. Copies of notes should be available to students who may need the extra help.
Originator: 
Tennessee Department of Education