Night by Elie Wiesel Activity - Holocaust Poetry Jigsaw Analyzing Poems Activity

Night by Elie Wiesel Activity - Holocaust Poetry Jigsaw Analyzing Poems Activity: Enhance your Night by Elie Wiesel unit with this powerful poetry jigsaw activity that brings multiple voices and perspectives to your study of the Holocaust. Students engage with five carefully selected poems that relate in some way to the Holocaust and Night, exploring key themes such as resistance, silence, remembrance, and hope. They analyze their assigned poem in small groups, then regroup to share insights in mixed “jigsaw” teams, broadening their grasp of Holocaust experiences through poetry. This activity works best after Chapter 5, but it can also be used at any point during their reading of the memoir.

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

Included in the Night by Elie Wiesel Poetry Jigsaw Activity:

➡️ Night Poetry Jigsaw Presentation Slides: Use this 11-slide PowerPoint presentation to introduce each poem’s historical context and author background. Each poem is paired with a clickable link to an online version, and a clear breakdown of expectations for both group and jigsaw work is provided.

➡️ Student Poetry Analysis Worksheets: For each poem, students complete a guided analysis page where they summarize the poem, identify figurative language, determine its central message, and make meaningful connections to Night by Elie Wiesel. Detailed answer keys are included for each.

➡️ Night Jigsaw Poetry Organizer: As students join new groups to share their poem as an “expert,” they record key insights from each peer’s analysis and reflect on recurring themes across all five poems.

Poems Included in the Night by Elie Wiesel Poetry Jigsaw Activity:

• O The Chimneys by Nelly Sachs
• Refugee Blues by W.H. Auden 
• The Butterfly by Pavel Friedmann 
• First They Came by Martin Niemöller
• Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas

How the Night Poetry Jigsaw Activity Works:

1. Divide the class into five groups and assign each group one of the five poems.
2. In their poem groups, students read the poem aloud, complete the analysis sheet, and prepare to share key insights.
3. Rearrange students into jigsaw groups so that each new group includes one representative from each poem group.
4. Students take turns reading their assigned poem and leading a brief discussion, while group members complete the Night Jigsaw Poetry organizer.

To conclude, students reflect on the shared themes across all poems and how these deepen their understanding of Night.

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