Refugee by Alan Gratz Activity The Perils of Indifference Elie Wiesel Connection
Refugee by Alan Gratz Activity The Perils of Indifference Elie Wiesel Connection: Challenge your students to think critically and encourage thoughtful discussion with this activity connecting Refugee to Elie Wiesel’s powerful speech The Perils of Indifference. As students explore Wiesel’s message and compare it to events in the novel, they’ll reflect on how indifference affects real people during times of crisis—and how that theme unfolds across the storylines of Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud.
This is included in our popular unit plan:
>>> Refugee by Alan Gratz Unit Plan
Included in the Refugee Perils of Indifference Connection Activity:
➡️ Perils of Indifference Activity Teacher Instructions Page: These detailed teacher instructions outline how to guide the listening, group discussion, and written reflection.
➡️ 12 Student Discussion Task Cards: Lead small-group discussions using these task cards, featuring impactful quotes from Wiesel’s speech to spark meaningful connections to the novel.
➡️ Perils of Indifference Refugee Connection Assignment: Assign students a written task where they connect the theme of indifference to specific plot events and respond to one quote in greater depth.
➡️ Connection Assignment Teacher Answer Key: Use this completed sample of the connection to support class discussion, provide examples, or assist students as they plan their own evidence-based responses.
How the Refugee Perils of Indifference Connection Activity works:
- Students will begin by listening to Elie Wiesel’s speech The Perils of Indifference and reflecting on its central message.
- Next, students will work in small groups to discuss a series of task cards featuring quotes from the speech. They’ll analyze each quote and connect it to moments in Refugee.
- Finally, students will select one quote to respond to in more depth, drawing a connection between Wiesel’s message and a key event from the novel that shows the cost of indifference.
This activity is best used anytime after students have completed Chapter 45 of the novel, once they are familiar with how each protagonist has witnessed or experienced the consequences of indifference from individuals, governments, or the world at large.
© Presto Plans
➡️ Want 10 free ELA resources sent to your inbox? Click here!