Night by Elie Wiesel - Abuse of Power Activity Slides, Article, and Assignment

Night by Elie Wiesel - Abuse of Power Activity Slides, Article, and Assignment: Help students understand how systems of power can distort morality with this powerful connection activity linking Night by Elie Wiesel and the Stanford Prison Experiment. After learning about this famous psychological study, students draw parallels to key moments in Night where individuals abuse power under oppressive authority. This lesson fosters deep reflection on how ordinary people can be influenced to participate in cruelty—and how we can recognize and resist those pressures. Assign this activity after students have read Chapter 4, which features many parallels to the experiment.

This is included in a unit plan:
>>> Night by Elie Wiesel Unit Plan

Included in the Stanford Prison Experiment & Night by Elie Wiesel Activity:

➡️ Stanford Prison Experiment Presentation Slides: Use this engaging and thought-provoking presentation to introduce students to the Stanford Prison Experiment, its purpose, outcomes, and implications. The presentation also outlines the Nazi power structure and explores how authority, fear, and conformity contributed to Holocaust atrocities—setting the stage for comparison to Night by Elie Wiesel.

➡️ Nonfiction Reading Article – The Stanford Prison Experiment: Students read a nonfiction article explaining the experiment. It outlines how quickly people can adopt abusive roles when given power, offering essential background for the literary connection to Night by Elie Wiesel.

➡️ Night by Elie Wiesel Connection Assignment: Using a structured graphic organizer, students identify three scenes from Night that involve an abuse of power and compare each to elements of the Stanford Prison Experiment. The assignment includes a final reflection where students analyze how power influences behavior and how to prevent similar abuses today. An answer key is provided. 

How the Stanford Prison Experiment & Night by Elie Wiesel Activity Works:

1. Begin with the presentation to introduce the Stanford Prison Experiment and the concept of power structures.
2. Assign the nonfiction article as a class read or an independent activity to build background knowledge on the psychological study.
3. Students complete the Night by Elie Wiesel connection assignment by identifying scenes from the memoir where power is abused and explaining how each relates to findings from the experiment.
4. Students finish with a reflective writing prompt related to the lesson.

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