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Edsitement! - Anne Frank: One of Hundreds of Thousands
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Activity Description
This lesson invites you to supplement your students' reading of The Diary of a Young Girl by connecting the diary to the study of history and to honor the legacy of Anne Frank, the writer, as she inspires your students to use writing to deepen their insights into their own experiences and the experiences of others.
In the class activity, students look at a series of maps to gain an idea of the territorial changes in Europe after World War I up to the beginning of the defeat of Germany. They complete a map intended to show the speed and reach of Germany's wartime expansion. Then students share information about the German occupation in some European countries, which they then compare to the situation in the Netherlands. Lastly, students analyze a map.
Preparation
- Review the lesson plan.
- Download the chart, World War II in Europe (available as a PDF), that will be used in this lesson.
- Prepare copies of the maps, articles, and chart, as necessary.
How-To
Activity 1 Anne Frank: One of Hundreds of Thousands
- Review with the class the territorial changes that were forced on Germany after World War I as shown in the map German Territorial Losses: Versailles Treaty 1919.
- Have students record the month and date of each country's defeat by Germany. Germany's occupation of European countries can be seen in a map of Europe in 1942, and a timeline of occupation provided in the second paragraph of the brief essay, World War II in Europe.
- Divide students into groups and assign each an article about one country.
- Read with the class the article "Netherlands,".
Teacher Tips
•Material about the Holocaust must be presented to young people with great sensitivity. An excellent list of methodological considerations is available on page 13 of Teaching about the Holocaust: A Resource Book for Educators; guidelines may also be found in the online workshop Teaching about the Holocaust. This lesson should take 3 class periods.
More Ways
Students interested in learning more about The Holocaust can explore The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's The Holocaust: A Learning Site for Students: "Organized by theme, this site uses text, historical photographs, maps, images of artifacts, and audio clips to provide an overview of the Holocaust. It is the first step in a growing resource for middle and secondary level students and teachers, with content that reflects the history as it is presented in the Museum's Permanent Exhibition, The Holocaust."
Program Areas
- ASE: High School Diploma
Lesson Plan
Objective: Engage students in prior knowledge activation and personal reflection.
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- Begin with a Think-Pair-Share activity: Display a powerful quote from Anne Frank’s diary (e.g., “In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.”) and ask students to reflect on its meaning.
- Have students discuss in pairs: What does this quote mean to you? How do you think it connects to history?
- Invite a few volunteers to share their thoughts with the class.
Objective: Provide historical context and introduce the significance of Anne Frank’s diary.
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- Show a brief video clip (2-3 minutes) about Anne Frank and the historical context of World War II.
- Use a digital interactive timeline of World War II to illustrate key events leading up to the Holocaust.
- Ask students: How might understanding history change the way we read a personal diary from that time?
Objective: Connect Anne Frank’s experiences to the larger historical context of World War II.
- Geographical Changes
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- Display the map German Territorial Losses: Versailles Treaty 1919 and discuss the impact of these losses on Germany.
- Guide students in analyzing maps showing German expansion and occupation from 1939 to 1942.
2. Group Research Activity:
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- Divide students into small groups and assign each a different occupied country.
- Each group will read an assigned article about the occupation of their country and summarize key points.
3. Collaborative Discussion:
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- Groups present their findings, and the class compares different experiences under German occupation.
- Facilitate a discussion: How did occupation policies differ across countries? How did they affect people’s daily lives?
Objective: Engage students in active learning through map analysis and discussion.
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- Provide students with a blank map of Europe in 1942 and have them label the occupied countries and dates of occupation.
- Use an interactive digital map tool to visualize the expansion of Nazi Germany over time.
- In pairs, students answer questions: How did the occupation of the Netherlands compare to other occupied countries?
Objective: Assess student understanding through discussion and reflection.
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- Exit Ticket: Students write a short response to the prompt: How did learning about the geographical and historical context deepen your understanding of Anne Frank’s experiences?
- Quiz (optional): A short multiple-choice or open-ended quiz on WWII occupation timelines and Anne Frank’s significance.
Objective: Encourage students to apply historical understanding to personal reflection and modern connections.
- Creative Writing: Students write a diary entry from the perspective of a teenager living under occupation in a country of their choice.
- Connection to Today: Discuss the importance of documenting personal experiences in modern times. Ask students to research and present on a current event where people’s rights are being suppressed and compare it to Anne Frank’s time.
- Holocaust Remembrance: Students can explore The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s online learning site to deepen their knowledge and create a multimedia project on Holocaust remembrance.
Documents
- Anne Frank.png - Screenshot of the Anne Frank: One of Hundreds of Thousands Lesson Plan
Subjects
- English Language Arts
- American Literature
- Language Arts - Reading
- Comprehension
- Social Studies
- World History
Standards
- Reading
- CCR Anchor 1 - Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
- CCR Anchor 2 - Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
- CCR Anchor 3 - Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
- CCR Anchor 4 - Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
- CCR Anchor 5 - Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.
- CCR Anchor 6 - Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.
- CCR Anchor 7 - Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
- Speaking and Listening
- CCR Anchor 1 - Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
- CCR Anchor 2 - Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
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