Revised Spring 2015 Literacy Performance Task 8 th Grade--- Holocaust UNIT OVERVIEW The Holocaust task is embedded in a 4-week curricular unit on multiple texts on the subject of the Holocaust. The students complete three assessment tasks that build in complexity and are sequenced to scaffold student learning. TASK DETAILS Task Name: Holocaust Grade: 8 Subject: ELA Depth of Knowledge: 3 Task Description: The Holocaust task asks students to analyze information from multiple texts and video. Students will write informational texts to demonstrate their ability to determine the central idea of text and analyze its development through the course of multiple texts. Students will write an argument essay demonstrating their ability to cite relevant evidence to support a position. Standards: • W.8.1. Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. • W.8.8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation. • RI.8.1. Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. • RI.8.2. Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text. • RL.8.2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.
Transcript
Revised Spring 2015
Literacy Performance Task 8th Grade--- Holocaust
UNIT OVERVIEW The Holocaust task is embedded in a 4-week curricular unit on multiple texts on the
subject of the Holocaust. The students complete three assessment tasks that build in
complexity and are sequenced to scaffold student learning.
TASK DETAILS Task Name: Holocaust Grade: 8
Subject: ELA
Depth of Knowledge: 3
Task Description: The Holocaust task asks students to analyze information from
multiple texts and video. Students will write informational texts to demonstrate their
ability to determine the central idea of text and analyze its development through the
course of multiple texts. Students will write an argument essay demonstrating their
ability to cite relevant evidence to support a position.
Standards:
• W.8.1. Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
• W.8.8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
• RI.8.1. Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• RI.8.2. Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text.
• RL.8.2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.
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• RL.8.3. Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.
• L.8.2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
• SL.8.2. Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and evaluate the motives (e.g., social, commercial, political) behind its presentation.
Required Materials:
• Kurt Messerschimidt’s visual testimony video clip taken from Echoes and Reflections; A Multimedia Curriculum on the Holocaust. To access:
1. Go to the iWitness link below 2. Click on "Studying the Holocaust." 3. Click on the picture of Kurt Messerschmidt
• Interview #1 from Into That Darkness by Gitta Sereny http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Stangl.html
Optional Materials (for modified lesson):
• Excerpts from play “Diary of Anne Frank” taken from McDougal Littell Literature Text page 486
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• Section A: Assessment Task #1: Student Name: _____________________________________ Class Period: ________ Space for Notes:
TASK: Think about what you know about Anne and her father’s relationship and Peter and his father’s relationship. Using passages from the text of Act One of the play, Diary of Anne Frank, complete a Venn diagram to compare and contrast these two relationships. You may use complete sentences or a bulleted list to demonstrate your understanding of these characters. For each characteristic you list in your comparison, cite specific evidence from the text to support your analysis and conclusions about the characters and their relationships.
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Student Name: _____________________________________ Class Period: ________
Anne and her father’s relationship Peter and his father’s relationship
TASK: Think about what you know about Anne and her father’s relationship and Peter and his father’s relationship. Using passages from the text of Act One of the play, Diary of Anne Frank, complete a Venn diagram to compare and contrast these two relationships. You may use complete sentences or a bulleted list to demonstrate your understanding of these characters. For each characteristic you list in your comparison, cite specific evidence from the text to support your analysis and conclusions about the characters and their relationships.
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StepBack Questions: Please answer the following questions in the space below. Your responses will be collected but not graded.
� What did you do to complete the Performance-Based Assessment task? List the steps that you took to complete the task.
� What did you find easy about the Performance-Based Assessment task?
� What did you find difficult about the Performance-Based Assessment task?
Revised Spring 2015
Section B: Scoring Guides for Assessment Task # 1
Score Point Description
4
Student responses in the Venn diagram demonstrate a deep understanding and critical analysis of character relationships.
3
Student responses in the Venn diagram show a general understanding of character relationships.
2
Student responses in the Venn diagram show a limited understanding of character relationships.
1
Student responses in the Venn diagram show no evidence of understanding of character relationships.
Primary Trait of Assessment Task # 1: RL.8.3: Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character or provoke a decision.
Scoring Guide
Revised Spring 2015
Assessment Task # 1 Explicit Statements about What Will Be Expected as Evidence of a Score Point 4 Score Point 4 Anne and her father’s relationship Peter and his father’s relationship
For each characteristic or trait listed, students should also list/cite a specific Act and Scene number, and quote the line of dialogue or set direction to support the conclusion. Examples: Openly loving (Ann and her father) Act 1, Scene 2: “(With his arm about her, they go over to the couch, sitting side by side.)” Does not show affection, critical (Peter and his father) Act 1, Scene 3: “You ought to be ashamed of yourself.” and “Not me. I can’t do anything with him. He won’t listen to me.”
*father is disrespectful to Peter *does not show affection *negative and pessimistic *discouraging and puts Peter down *low expectations *critical *selfish and does not demonstrate parental love *father is immature and gives no direction *insensitive
and love *father is mature and gives direction *sensitive and
considerate to others
*parent/father-child *in hiding *stressful living conditions *two parent family *Jewish faith
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Section A: Assessment Task #2: Student Name: _____________________________________ Class Period: ________ Space for Notes or Transcript:
TASK: View Kurt Messerschmidt’s visual testimony about his memories of Kristallnacht. In the space below, compose two paragraphs. In the first paragraph, identify the central idea of Messerschmidt’s testimony and summarize the incident he experienced. In the second paragraph explain why bystanders were reluctant to get involved. As you watch the visual testimony, take notes in the space below.
- Resources o Kurt Messerschmidt’s testimony from iWitness o Transcript
TASK: View Kurt Messerschmidt’s visual testimony about his memories of Kristallnacht. In the space below, compose two paragraphs. In the first paragraph, identify the central idea of Messerschmidt’s testimony and summarize the incident he experienced. In the second paragraph explain why bystanders were reluctant to get involved.
StepBack Questions: Please answer the following questions in the space below. Your responses will be collected but not graded.
� What did you do to complete the Performance-Based Assessment task? List the steps that you took to complete the task.
� What did you find easy about the Performance-Based Assessment task?
� What did you find difficult about the Performance-Based Assessment task?
Revised Spring 2015
Section B: Scoring Guides for Assessment Task # 2
Score Point Description
4
Student response concisely and accurately identifies central idea and objectively summarizes the incident. Response also contains critical analysis of character motivation by drawing inferences from the text.
3
Student response is generally accurate in identifying the central idea and summarizes the incident. Response also contains some analysis of character motivation.
2
Student response is limited in accuracy of the central idea and offers a brief summary. Response also contains a weak analysis of character motivation.
1
Student response demonstrates no understanding of a central idea, an inaccurate summary and no analysis.
Primary Trait of Assessment Task # 2: RI.8.2 Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text.
Scoring Guide
Revised Spring 2015
Score Point Description
4
Consistently uses standard capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
3
Generally uses standard capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
2
Only sometimes uses standard capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
1
Little evidence of use of standard capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
Secondary Trait of Assessment Task # 2: L.8.2 Demonstrate use of standard English focusing on standard capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
Scoring Guide
Revised Spring 2015
Assessment Task # 2 Explicit Statements about What Will Be Expected as Evidence of a Score Point 4
Score Point 4 The central idea of Kurt Messerschmidt’s testimony is that silence can be
harmful. Kurt and his colleague road their bicycles around Berlin after the night of
Kristallnacht. They toured the city to view all the damage done by the German soldiers.
Kurt and his friend stopped in front of a cigar shop where a crowd had formed. While the
group of bystanders watched silently, S.A. “brown shirts” were forcing the old shop
owner to pick up the glass pieces one by one. Kurt and his friend were the only
courageous witnesses willing to help the man clean up the glass slivers.
Some of the bystanders may have stayed silent because they supported the
Nazis. Others in the crowd refused to speak out even when they did not agree with what
the Nazis were doing. They feared being punished by the German soldiers. Unlike the
rest of the crowd, Kurt and his friend were not too afraid to stand up for what they
believed was wrong. By helping the man, they didn’t stay silent.
Primary Trait Assessment Task #2: RI.8.2 Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text.
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Section A: Assessment Task # 3 Student Name: _____________________________________ Class Period: ________ Space for Notes:
TASK #3: One of the major Nazi criminals from the Holocaust was Franz Stangl, a commander of the Sobibor and Treblinka extermination camps during the Holocaust. In 1961 his name appeared on an official list of “Wanted Criminals.” He was tracked down by Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal, and Stangl was arrested in Brazil on February 28th, 1967. He was tried for co-responsibility in the mass murder of 900,000 Jews at the Treblinka extermination camp and sentenced to life imprisonment on October 22nd, 1970. Read the two excerpts about Franz Stangl. The first, a biography, contains documented statistics from his actions in the concentration camps. In the second, an interview, Stangl explained why he thought he did not commit a crime during the Holocaust Write an argumentive essay in which you explain why Franz Stangl should have been held responsible for his actions. Use three quotes from the readings to support your argument. Your argumentive essay should be one page in length and should be written for an audience that is knowledgeable about the Holocaust. Your essay should follow the conventions of standard English, including capitalization, punctuation, and spelling. Use textual evidence from two of the three texts. The texts you should use may include:
- Franz Paul Stangl’s biography from the Holocaust Research Project - Interview #1 from Into That Darkness by Gitta Sereny
TASK #3: One of the major Nazi criminals from the Holocaust was Franz Stangl, a commander of the Sobibor and Treblinka extermination camps during the Holocaust. In 1961 his name appeared on an official list of “Wanted Criminals.” He was tracked down by Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal, and Stangl was arrested in Brazil on February 28th, 1967. He was tried for co-responsibility in the mass murder of 900,000 Jews at the Treblinka extermination camp and sentenced to life imprisonment on October 22nd, 1970. Read the two excerpts about Franz Stangl. The first, a biography, contains documented statistics from his actions in the concentration camps. In the second, an interview, Stangl explained why he thought he did not commit a crime during the Holocaust. Write an argumentive essay in which you explain why Franz Stangl should have been held responsible for his actions. Use three quotes from the readings to support your argument. Your argumentive essay should be three paragraphs in length and should be written for an audience that is knowledgeable about the Holocaust. Your essay should follow the conventions of standard English, including capitalization, punctuation, and spelling. Use textual evidence from two of the three texts. The texts you should use may include:
- Franz Paul Stangl’s biography from the Holocaust Research Project - Interview #1 from Into That Darkness by Gitta Sereny
StepBack Questions: Please answer the following questions in the space below. Your responses will be collected but not graded.
� What did you do to complete the Performance-Based Assessment task? List the steps that you took to complete the task.
� What did you find easy about the Performance-Based Assessment task?
� What did you find difficult about the Performance-Based Assessment task?
Revised Spring 2015
Section B: Scoring Guides for Assessment Task # 3
Score Point Description
4
Student response contains argument text that concisely and thoughtfully explains why Franz Stangl should be held responsible for his actions. Response also includes at least three quotes from the texts that explicitly support the argument.
3
Student response contains argument text that explains why Franz Stangl should be held responsible for his actions. Response also includes at least three quotes from the texts that support the argument.
2
Student response contains argument text that generally addresses why Franz Stangl should be held responsible for his actions, but does not show deep understanding. Response also includes at least two quotes from the texts that support the argument.
1
Student response does not give a reasonable argument. Response does not include adequate supporting quotes.
Primary Trait of Assessment Task # 3: W 8.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. Support the claim with logical reasoning by using the sources given and demonstrating an understanding of the topic.
Scoring Guide
Revised Spring 2015
Score Point Description
4
Consistently uses standard capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
3
Generally uses standard capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
2
Only sometimes uses standard capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
1
Little evidence of use of standard capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
Secondary Trait of Assessment Task # 3: L.8.2 Demonstrate use of standard English focusing on standard capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
Scoring Guide
Revised Spring 2015
Assessment Task # 3 Explicit Statements about What Will Be Expected as Evidence of a Score Point 4 Score Point 4 Franz Stangl was convicted and sentenced to prison for his part in the Holocaust.
Clearly, he was responsible for his actions, and he was punished for his crimes.
According to the biography, Stengl was the commander of Treblinka camp, and was even
honored for his service there. As the officer in charge of all the operations at the camp, he
was the one giving the orders and making the decisions, so he was responsible for
sending thousands of people to their death. A man who “proved himself a highly efficient
and organized organizer of mass murder” must be punished for those actions.
In the interview Stangl gave to Ms. Sereny, he talked about the way he considered
the Jews to be just like cattle being sent to a slaughterhouse. He talked about how the
cattle reminded him “…of Poland; that’s just how the people looked, trustingly, just
before they went into the tins…” This quote demonstrates that Stengl did not even
consider the Jews as human beings, and how he did not value their lives any more than
the life of a farm animal. Even many years later, he seems to imply that he did nothing
wrong. He appears to be explaining his actions by saying it was not wrong to kill Jews,
since they were just like animals to him. His words show he is not sorry for what he did,
and still does not take any responsibility for what he did. He admits that he sent them to
be killed just like cattle, so there is no question he is responsible.
In the interview, Stangl also admits that, when he sent people to be killed, he
never thought about the Jewish children as anything like his children. He never thought
about the Jews as parents like him. In fact, he says, “I can’t say I ever thought of it that
way. You see, I rarely saw them as individuals. It was a huge mass.” Obviously, Stangl
viewed the Jews as a problem to be eliminated, a mass of trouble he had to take care of.
They had no humanity, personality, or worth to him. They were just a huge mass to be
eliminated. Stangl’s view of the Jewish people led him to commit acts of mass murder,
and he actually admitted he did participate in the death camps. It is the obligation of a
civilized society to hold him responsible for what he did.
Primary Trait: W 8.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. Support the claim with logical reasoning by using the sources given and demonstrating an understanding of the topic.
