Page 211 - SpringBoard_ELA_Grade8_Flipbook

aCTIvITy 3.4
continued
Making Thematic Connections
WorD CoNNeCTIoNS
Roots and Affixes
The Latin root -commun- in communist means “common.” There are a few distinctions
in the definition of common. In this case it refers to something that is shared
or owned together by
several people or groups.
In communism, land and factories are owned by the community. This root occurs in communal, communicate, and communion.
The word democrat contains the Greek root demo-, which means “people,” and the Greek suffix -crat, which means “rule.” Democracy is a government run by the people.
My Notes
First They Came
About the Author
Martin Niemöller (1892–1984) was a German Protestant pastor. During World War II, he opposed Hitler’s religious policies and was sent to concentration camps. He survived and, after the war, joined the World Peace Movement. This poem is his response to the question “How could it happen?”
poetry
for the Communists
by Martin Niemöller
When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats, 5 I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists, I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.
10 When they came for the Jews, I did not speak out;
I was not a Jew.
When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.
Second Read
• Reread the poem to answer these text-dependent questions.
• Write any additional questions you have about the text in your Reader/Writer Notebook.
5. Key Ideas and Details: How does each stanza contribute to a developing sense of doom?
184 SpringBoard® English Language Arts Grade 8
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