Faces of Hatred Lesson Plan Lesson Plan
Faces of Hatred: Night
40 Minutes
Advanced 8th Grade
Objective
Students will analyze Elie Wiesel's emerging hatred for his oppressors in 'Night' by examining specific textual evidence from the ghetto liquidation, attributing reasons for this hatred, and connecting it to the broader concept of oppression.
Why This Lesson?
Understanding Wiesel's hatred in 'Night' offers critical insight into the psychological impact of oppression and genocide. This lesson helps students develop empathy, identify mechanisms of dehumanization, and recognize the human cost of systematic violence.
Prep
• Review slide deck and script (15 mins)
• Print Reading Excerpts (1 per student)
• Print Analyzing Hatred Worksheets (1 per student)
• Setup projector for warm-up
Materials
Faces of Hatred: Night Slide Deck
Ghetto Liquidation Reading Excerpts
Analyzing Hatred Worksheet
Lesson Script
Analyzing Hatred Answer Key
Moment of Reflection Warm Up
One Word Reflection Cool Down
Pens/Pencils & Projector
Instructional Sequence
5 MIN
Warm-Up: Moment of Reflection
Display warm-up on projector. Students silently reflect on a time they felt betrayal or frustration. Invite brief shares to connect personal emotion to the upcoming textual analysis.
3 MIN
Introduction: Setting the Scene
Use Slide Deck (1-2) to establish historical context of the Sighet ghetto. State objective: analyzing the birth of hatred during liquidation.
12 MIN
Reading and Initial Annotation
Distribute Reading Excerpts. Students read individually, highlighting phrases conveying strong emotions (anger, frustration) and making marginal notes on why these moments fuel resentment.
15 MIN
Worksheet Activity: Analyzing Hatred
Distribute Worksheet. Students identify specific instances of oppression and explain their connection to the birth of hatred. Encourage citation of textual evidence.
5 MIN
Discussion and Wrap-Up
Facilitate discussion based on Worksheet findings and Slide 6 questions. Conclude with the One Word Reflection cool-down.
Faces of Hatred Slides Faces of Hatred
The Genesis of Anger in Elie Wiesel's 'Night'
Elie Wiesel: A Witness to History
The Holocaust: A Dark Chapter
From Home to Horror: The Ghetto Experience
Understanding the Context
Before we dive into the text, let's remember:
1
Elie Wiesel: The author and narrator, sharing his personal experience.
2
Setting: The Jewish ghetto in Sighet, Hungary.
3
The Period: Just before the Jews are forcibly deported to concentration camps.
How do these moments shape a young boy's understanding of his oppressors?
Reading for Emotion & Oppression
As you read the excerpts, focus on:
Specific Actions
Taken by the Hungarian police or Gestapo.
Wiesel's Reactions
Descriptions of his feelings and internal shift.
Loss of Dignity
Words highlighting loss of freedom or humanity.
Underline or highlight passages that fuel hatred.
Analyzing the Hatred
Using your annotated text and the Analyzing Hatred Worksheet :
Identify specific instances of police actions.
Explain how these lead to hatred .
Connect to the broader theme of oppression .
Expectations
"Be ready to share your insights, supported by textual evidence from the reading."
Reflecting on Wiesel's Hatred
1. Key Moment
What specific actions or moments in the text do you believe contributed most to Wiesel's hatred?
2. The Nature of Oppression
How do these actions connect to the concept of oppression ? What does it mean to be oppressed?
3. Historical Weight
Why is it important to understand the origins of such deep-seated hatred in the context of the Holocaust?
Anger Hatred Loss Sorrow Truth Ghetto Silence Memory
One Word Reflection
In one single word , how would you describe the most important takeaway or feeling from today's lesson?
Be prepared to share.
Ghetto Liquidation Reading Excerpts Ghetto Liquidation
Excerpts from Night by Elie Wiesel
Task: As you read the following excerpts, highlight or underline any phrases, sentences, or descriptions that convey strong emotions—particularly anger, frustration, or the actions of the oppressors. Use the margins to note why these moments contribute to a feeling of hatred or resentment.
The Terrible News
"I have a bad feeling," said my mother. "This afternoon I saw new faces in the ghetto. Two German officers, I believe they were Gestapo. Since we've been here, we have not seen a single officer..."
It was close to midnight. Nobody felt like going to sleep, though some people briefly went to check on their homes. Others left but asked to be called as soon as my father returned.
At last, the door opened and he appeared. His face was drained of color. He was quickly surrounded.
"Tell us. Tell us what's happening! Say something..."
At that moment, we were so anxious to hear something encouraging, a few words telling us that there was nothing to worry about... But one glance at my father's face left no doubt.
"The news is terrible," he said at last. And then one word: "Transports."
The ghetto was to be liquidated entirely. Departures were to take place street by street, starting the next day. We wanted to know everything, every detail. We were stunned, yet we wanted to fully absorb the bitter news.
The Brutality Begins
By eight o'clock in the morning, weariness had settled into our veins, our limbs, our brains, like molten lead. I was in the midst of prayer when suddenly there was shouting in the streets. I quickly unwound my phylacteries and ran to the window. Hungarian police had entered the ghetto and were yelling in the street nearby.
"All Jews, outside! Hurry!"
They were followed by Jewish police, who, their voices breaking, told us: "The time has come...you must leave all this..."
The Hungarian police used their rifle butts, their clubs to indiscriminately strike old men and women, children and cripples. One by one, the houses emptied and the streets filled with people carrying bundles. By ten o'clock, everyone was outside.
The heat was oppressive. Children were crying for water. Water! There was water close by inside the houses, the backyards, but it was forbidden to break rank.
The Walk of the Defeated
On everyone's back, there was a sack. In everyone's eyes, tears and distress. Slowly, heavily, the procession advanced toward the gate of the ghetto. And there I was, on the sidewalk, watching them file past, unable to move.
They passed me by, one after the other, my teachers, my friends... defeated, their bundles, their lives in tow, having left behind their homes, their childhood. They passed me by, like beaten dogs, with never a glance in my direction.
Analyzing Hatred Worksheet Analyzing Hatred
The Ghetto Liquidation
Name:
Date:
Instructions: Using the Ghetto Liquidation Reading Excerpts , answer the following questions. Provide specific examples and direct quotes from the text to support your analysis.
1. What was the initial news that deeply impacted Eliezer and his community? How did people react, and what false hope did they cling to?
2. Describe the actions of the Hungarian police when they entered the ghetto. What specific details demonstrate their brutality and indifference?
3. Eliezer describes the procession as "like beaten dogs." What does this simile suggest about the state of the people and the intent of the oppressors?
4. Identify the moment Eliezer states he began to hate the police. What actions immediately precede this? How do these actions specifically fuel his animosity?
5. Beyond physical brutality, what other forms of oppression (psychological or spiritual) are evident? Provide textual examples. Moment of Reflection Warm Up Moment of Reflection
Instructions: Take a moment to silently reflect on the following prompt. You will not be asked to share specific personal details, but be prepared to discuss the feelings you experienced.
"Think about a time you felt incredibly frustrated, angry, or betrayed. What caused that feeling? How did it change your view of the situation or the people involved?"
Notes for reflection
One Word Reflection Cool Down One Word Reflection
Consider everything we discussed and read today about Elie Wiesel's experience and the nature of oppression.
Your Word
In one single word, how would you describe the most important takeaway or feeling from today's lesson?
Be prepared to share your word with the class.
Lesson Script Facilitation Script
Faces of Hatred: Night
0:00 - 0:05
Part 1: Warm-Up: Moment of Reflection
Action: Display the Moment of Reflection on the projector.
Teacher: "Good morning, everyone. To begin our lesson today, I want you to take a moment to silently reflect on the prompt displayed on the board: 'Think about a time you felt incredibly frustrated, angry, or betrayed. What caused that feeling? How did it change your view of the situation or the people involved?' You won't be asked to share specific personal details, but I want you to really consider the feelings you experienced. Take about a minute or two to think."
Wait: 1-2 minutes of silence.
Teacher: "Would anyone like to share briefly about the type of strong emotions they felt, or how those feelings impacted their perspective? You don't need to go into detail about the event itself, just the emotions. (Pause for responses). Thank you for sharing. We all experience powerful emotions, and today we're going to explore how such feelings—particularly hatred—can emerge in extreme circumstances, as seen in Elie Wiesel's Night ."
0:05 - 0:08
Part 2: Introduction: Setting the Scene
Action: Show Slide 1 & 2.
Teacher: "Today's lesson is titled 'Faces of Hatred: Night.' We're going to delve into Elie Wiesel's powerful memoir, specifically looking at the period just before the complete liquidation of the ghetto and the deportations. We're looking for the genesis of his hatred."
Teacher: "As a quick refresher: Elie Wiesel is sharing his firsthand experience from the Jewish ghetto in Sighet, Hungary. As you read today, pay close attention to the events and feelings described. Think about how these moments shape a young boy's understanding of his oppressors."
0:08 - 0:20
Part 3: Reading and Annotation
Action: Distribute Ghetto Liquidation Reading Excerpts.
Teacher: "You each have a copy of selected excerpts. Your task is to read these individually. Highlight or underline any descriptions that convey strong emotions—anger, frustration, or the actions of the oppressors. In the margins, make a quick note about why you highlighted that section—how might it contribute to a feeling of hatred? You have about 12 minutes."
Teacher Note: Circulate and remind students to focus on the reasons for the emotional shift in the narrator.
0:20 - 0:35
Analyzing Hatred Answer Key Answer Key
Analyzing Hatred: Ghetto Liquidation
1. Initial News & Reaction
Initial News: The "terrible" news was "Transports." The ghetto was to be liquidated entirely, with departures starting the next day.
Reaction & False Hope: People were stunned but tried to absorb the news. They clung to the false hope/rumor that they were going to work in brick factories in Hungary—a way to minimize the terror of the unknown.
2. Police Actions & Brutality
Actions: Entering with shouting ("All Jews, outside!"), using rifle butts and clubs to strike vulnerable people (old men, women, children, cripples), and conducting endless roll calls in oppressive heat.
Details: Forbidding children from drinking water that was "close by inside the houses" highlights their total indifference to human suffering and their intent to exert absolute, cruel control.
3. "Beaten Dogs" Simile
Meaning: Suggests the Jewish people were utterly defeated, stripped of dignity, and submissive due to abuse. It indicates they have been reduced to an animal-like status in the eyes of their captors.
Connection to Hatred: This deliberate dehumanization fuels hatred because it represents a profound violation of human rights and an extreme act of malice by the oppressors.
4. Birth of Hatred
Declaration: "That was when I began to hate them, and my hatred remains our only link today."
Preceding Actions: Being forced to run while exhausted, being struck with clubs, and being screamed at as "lazy good-for-nothings."
Fueling Animosity: The combination of physical abuse, verbal degradation, and being pushed beyond human limits for no reason acts as the catalyst for his intense hatred.
5. Other Forms of Oppression
Psychological: Secrecy regarding their destination and threats of execution if anyone talks.Spiritual: The desecration of the synagogue (altar shattered, walls bare) and forcing people to relieve themselves in a sacred space on the Sabbath.Emotional: Witnessing his father—his pillar of strength—cry for the first time, signaling a total breakdown of order.Social: The betrayal of neighbors ("friends of yesterday") who were likely waiting to loot their abandoned homes. 
