write a letter to anne frank assignment

• Forgiveness
• Resurrection

“Dear Anne…” My letter to Anne Frank for Holocaust Memorial Day 

For Holocaust Memorial Day 27 January 2016

 “In the long run, the sharpest weapon of all is a kind and gentle spirit.” – Anne Frank

What would you make of it all?

Would you be surprised at what has happened to the Jewish people since your death and how the Jewish story is unfolding in the 21st century? Would you be shocked at how we have misused the memory of the Holocaust? Would you be dismayed at the mess we have made of your legacy?

What words would you be writing in your diary today? What would you hope for and dream of?

It was supposed to be the genocide to end all genocides. The final warning of the monumental power of hatred. But then there was Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, Darfur.

And all that we have learnt is that we will never learn.

Each generation must discover that there is no victory over hatred, only reprieves and endless vigilance.

Many have asked what should it mean to be a Jew after Auschwitz, after Belsen, after Treblinka? What should it mean to be a Jew after Anne Frank?

Anne, you have become the representative of the one and a half million Jewish children murdered by Hitler and the Nazis during their war against the Jewish people. We cannot comprehend all of those lost lives but we can treasure yours. As you said once in your diary: “I wish to go on living after my death.”   That’s what I would like for you too. Your faith in humanity and your belief that goodness can triumph in the harshest of times, is a message we must hold onto tightly.

But what happens when your death, and all of those you have come to represent, becomes abused by your own people and used to justify the blotting out of another people, their identity, their history and their heritage?

What have we done to your memory, Anne, when we choose to label every critic of Israel as anti-Semitic and every Palestinian a modern-day Nazi? What happens to the meaning of your life when we choose to see ourselves as endless victims, endlessly threatened?

The truth is that after more than 70 years the Jewish people are still suffering from a terrible trauma. It is a trauma that has skewed our collective thinking and our sense of identity. A trauma that has sent our moral compass into spasm.

In Israel, and throughout Diaspora Jewry, the Holocaust has been used to explain and justify every aggression, every Palestinian family dispossessed, every piece of land stolen, every house bulldozed, as necessary acts of security to prevent a second Holocaust.

As the Israeli commentator Boaz Evron wrote in 1980:

“Two terrible things happened to the Jewish people in this century: the Holocaust and the lessons learned from it.”

Zionism took the Holocaust as the ultimate vindication of its theory of Jewish history. Jews had no future in Europe, they were outsiders who would never be totally accepted and only a Jewish state of our own could bring us normalcy and safety. But in the 21st century what looks more abnormal and anachronistic than an ‘ethno-cratic’ Jewish state that by its very nature must favour one group of citizens over another.

With tragic irony, we have created for ourselves an ever more strident nationalism based on beliefs of ethnic, religious and cultural superiority. We have recreated in our ancestral homeland the very factors that caused our persecution in Europe and yet we describe it as a miraculous rebirth.

Today there are Jewish voices of compassion and contrition. But the voices of arrogance and chauvinism that prefer might to right and Jewish power over Jewish ethics are heard more loudly.

Anne, today we need your simple good faith in human nature like never before. We need you to live on after your death.

Do you remember writing these beautiful words?

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”

Anne, may your bright spirit be remembered. May your hopes live on through others. May your learning be our learning.

Yours in search of justice, kindness and humility.

Robert  Cohen

Writing from the Edge on Facebook and Twitter

• Uncategorized

• Library of World Religions
• Advertise With Us
• Write for Us
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Service
• Do Not Sell My Data
• Radiant Digital
• Manage Newsletter Subscriptions
• Unsubscribe From Notifications

Top of page

Letters About Literature: Dear Anne Frank

July 16, 2014

Posted by: Erin Allen

Share this post:

For the last two weeks, we’ve been featuring the winning letters  from the Letters About Literature initiative, a national reading and writing program that asks young people in grades 4 through 12 to write to an author (living or deceased) about how his or her book affected their lives. Winners were announced last month. National and honor winners were chosen from three competition levels: Level 1 (grades 4-6), Level 2 (grades 7-8) and Level 3 (grades 9-12). You can read the letters from the Level 1 winners here and here .

Following is the Level 2 National Prize winning letter from Jisoo Choi of Ellicott City, Md., who wrote to Anne Frank, author of “The Diary of a Young Girl.”

I hold your diary in my hands, and I feel as if you are speaking to me from years past. You are telling me how much it annoys you that the van Daans are always quarreling. You’re whispering sadly that you think you will never become close with your mother. Your scream rings in my ear, and the echo tells me you’re tired of crying yourself to sleep. And it tears my heart in half. Thank you for speaking to me. Thank you for your diary. Thank you for your legacy you have left for the world; for me.

I am thirteen years old, the same age you were when you first went into hiding. The same age you were when you set foot into the solitary world you would know for over two years. And at such a young age, your dreams have inspired so many all over the world. And because of you, I have learned not to wait until I am older to achieve my dreams, not to think about “when I grow up, I will…” but to strive to inspire at my age, just as you have. The fact that you have become an amazing, worldwide inspiration both comforts and challenges me.

Reading your account of the two years you spent in hiding, I cried with you, learned with you, dreamed with you. I came to know you and came to appreciate you for who you were. You cried to me so many times about how your family can’t love you for being you. If only you had known that your diary would be published for the world to be inspired by … If only you had known that the “musings of a thirteen-year-old schoolgirl” that you thought nobody would want to read made such a difference on another thirteen-year-old schoolgirl.  Anne, in the beginning of your diary, you wrote that you did not have your one true friend. And throughout the progression of your diary, you continuously wished that you could have a friend to confide all your sorrows and aspirations in. That was Kitty.

You thought that the only person reading your letters would be you. Your letters so filled with fantasies one day and frustrations the next.  But, Anne, the world has become your Kitty. I have become your Kitty. And I am so grateful.

Every time there’s a disagreement or commotion in the Secret Annex, you always come back to your diary.  You’ve even wrote once, “When I write I can shake off all my cares. My sorrow disappears, my spirits are revived!” As an inspiring writer, just like you, I also find solace in writing. I have school notebooks filled with fragments of ideas for stories, planners with a poem on every other page. But, like you again, I also wonder if I really have talent, worry if I’ll ever be able to write something great. I worry about the same things as you, and although you may have thought they were petty concerns, they’re everything I challenge myself to overcome. And reading your unabashedly honest and real narrative, I found a real friend in you.

As a girl reading your diary over a half a century since you penned them, I know the ending to your story. To the absolutely amazing and inspiring story of your life. And I’m sorry you had to face such injustice.  Those who live the most deserving lives always seem to be silenced so unfairly and so brutally. You dreamed so ardently of the days after the war. You wrote yourself to freedom in the space which confined your body but not your soul.  I am grateful, for although the world never heard your voice, you have left your words as your story. I’ve gone through hardships in my life as well, though none have been as trying as your years in the Annex, and I’ve gone through them by writing and dreaming my way out, just as you have those long two years. You dared to dream, in spite of the reality that threatened you daily, and you have allowed me to dream as well. “There are no walls, no bolts, no locks that anyone can put on your mind.” You are truly a role model to me. You have shown me the subtle beauties in life. You have let me experience the sheer power of words, the words that connect generations across the globe. 

You have left a spark in my heart that will kindle the flames of hope in my darkest days. Whenever I despair, or consider giving up, your voice will be whispering your dreams and hopes, because they are mine also.  Anne, you needn’t worry those times when you felt no one understood. Because, dearest Anne, because your Kitty understands.

Jisoo Choi 

Comments (13)

great idea to write letters to people who do not have who have gone

Piękny i ciekawy list do Anny Frank. I oby nigdy takie tragiczne czasy nie przyszły , jakie spotkały tę żydowską dziewczynkę z Holandii.

As a fellow Anne Frank admirer, I enjoyed reading the words of another teen who respects and admires Anne Frank. Thank you for your thoughtful analysis! Best of luck to you as you embark on your own journey!

I love this letter although I am only in 5th grade

It’s a really good letter I liked it because it’s quietly true the van daans always annoys anne. I read anne’s diary from 1-100 its and by the way the one who has written this letter is a good writter.

This is a wonderful letter.. After all, this is quite a remembrance to those who have been killed during the holocaust with movies reliving the dreadful lives of those in concentration camps. With the grievances of a family relative being in one of those camps I have come to know the nightmares the survivors must be having and the demons coming and haunting them..

The level of writing skill this letter is amazing. I felt the same emotion when I read her diary.

I love this poem bc my gf name is Anne

I love this beacause the horrors of the halocaust is bestowed upon them.This diary helps see emotions at its finest.How Jews were in hiding and of coarse those who died.

Wow, just wow…

Truly beautiful letter , t’was heartrending .

This is great I love the word choice nice grammar as well! I’m glad you decided to take the time out to write this! This is beyond beautiful!

amazing letter, i loved reading it sm <3

See All Comments

Add a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

• Mathematics
• Reading and Writing
• Intervention
• Professional Learning
• Virtual Events
• What is Phonics?
• Teaching Grammar
• Vocabulary Games
• What is Virtual Learning?
• About Sadlier
• Find a Sales Representative
• International Distributors
• International Programs
• Online Catalogs
• Sadlier School Site Map
• Pricing & Ordering Information
• Sadlier’s W-9
• Sadlier’s Sole Source Letter
• Sadlier’s Credit Application
• Privacy Policy
• Return Policy
• Terms & Conditions

Sadlier's English Language Arts Blog

• Author Interviews
• Interactive Read Alouds
• Close Reading
• Vocabulary/Vocab Gal
• Writing with Vocabulary
• Assessments
• Charts/Posters
• Graphic Organizers
• Back to School
• End of School
• Classroom Management
• Grammar & Writing
• Thinking Routines
• About Our Bloggers

June 6, 2019 CG Lessons 6-8 , CG Writing Lessons K-5 , ELA K-5 , ELA 6-8 , ELA Resources - Activities , ELA Focus - Writing , ELA PD - Grammar Writing , Core Grammar

Diary of anne frank activities that will strengthen descriptive writing, grades 3–8, by: tiffany rehbein.

The story of Anne Frank is one of the most well-known in literature. Today, I want to honor this remarkable historical figure by sharing a couple Anne Frank activities you can use in the classroom to strengthen writing. Plus, download an amazing Diary of Anne Frank Worksheet and 33 Journal Writing Prompts for free! Although these printable resources can be used in the classroom all year long to celebrate the life of Anne Frank, they are a great way to celebrate her birthday on June 12th!

Anne Frank Activities to Strengthen Writing

“When I write I can shake off all my cares. My sorrow disappears, my spirits are revived!” Anne Frank wrote those words in her work: The Diary of a Young Girl . As a lover of words and writing, it makes sense to agree with Anne Frank.

The story of Anne Frank is one of the most well-known in literature. If you haven't read her writings, then most likely you've seen one of the many films, documentaries, television adaptations created since 1947. Here are activities you can use in the classroom to celebrate the writings of Anne Frank and reflect on her life and legacy.

#1 The Diary of Anne Frank Worksheet 

This free printable worksheet is a great way to honor Anne Frank and her love of writing! Students have the opportunity to brainstorm descriptive traits about Anne Frank and themselves, complete a writing prompt, reflect on what it would be like to live in an annex. Download the  Anne Frank Worksheet  now. 

#2 Diary and Journal Writing in Honor of Anne Frank

Anne Frank's writings both showcase the hopeful spirit of a young girl and the horrors of World War II. Above all, Anne Frank's life and writings show the importance of journal writing!

Daily writing in journals provides a low-risk writing experience for students, so they can fully explore thoughts, ideas, and topics. Journal writing helps improve students’ skills in five distinct ways:

Increases students’ ability to respond to various writing situations

Helps students respond to their personal issues

Provides low-risk writing experiences

Allows teacher-insight into their students

Builds confidence

Teachers can implement journal writing smoothly into their classrooms. When students enter the classroom, they are often talkative and active. A writing prompt is one way to get students settled down and focused on a task. At the same time, the prompt will allow students to practice writing for a variety of purposes. and practice the conventions of standard English. The more students write, the more practice they are given to work with language, grammar, and mechanics. To learn more about the benefits of diary and journal reading, CLICK HERE .

Download 33 writing prompts that will encourage students to engage in journal writing.

Anne Frank's journal entries show us that writing is essential to preserving stories, history, and tales of the human spirit. Use the printable Diary of Anne Frank activities worksheet and journal writing prompts in this article to encourage students to become lovers of words and writing!

History of Sorts

My letter to anne frank.

You don’t know me, but I know you. In fact, nearly everyone knows you, and yet no one really knows you.

We know you through the personal stories you wrote in your diary. We see each word, each letter and each paragraph, but we don’t see your hopes, your fears or your anxiety. You write about them, and regardless, we cannot imagine how it must have been. I know I can’t.

Although because of a virus which has engulfed the world now, we are all told to stay at home as much as possible, we get a bit of an inkling of how it must have been for you and your family, but not really. All we have to do is to stay at home and enjoy ourselves. We can write as you did, but we don’t have to stay silent, we don’t have to be afraid to be dragged out of our house. We can do whatever we want to do.

In your time there was also a virus, it was fueled with and by hate, a sickening ideology.

I have a daughter who is about the same age as you, she even looks a bit like you. I genuinely don’t know what I would do if something would happen to her, I am sure I would be devastated, sad and angry and more than likely would want some sort of revenge, but those are just speculation for I try not to think of an event like that.

I once passed by your house or rather the place you hid in, I could not get in because there was a queue of several hundred meters of people who had booked a ticket to see the annexe. A thought came to me—what if I had been a similar queue on the morning of 4 August 1944, the day you and your family were arrested? What if all the people on that queue protested against the arrest? Would that have made a difference?

You would be happy to know your book has become one of the bestselling books ever, only in recent times has been surpassed by the books about another teenager, a boy called Harry Potter. His story is fictional, whereas yours is a brutal reality. I am sure you would have loved his stories.

Even now there are people who dispute the genuinity of your writing. They say your father tempered with it. I am not angry with those people, I pity them, their indifference blinds them to the power of your words  and the lessons to be learned from them.

What saddens me the most is not so much that you died a horrible death but the fact it is not even known when you died, it says about the date February or March 1945.

Dear Anne, I am not going to say you are a hero because you weren’t really. You were a young teenage girl whose diary should never have been published, but whose life should have been lived to the fullest. Nothing excuses your death, it should not have happened.

Maybe one day when I leave my earthly coil behind we may meet, but for now, know this—your memory lives on. Evil was not able to silence you.

Yours truly

Dirk de Klein, a father of a teenage girl.

Share this:

One response to “my letter to anne frank”.

Reblogged this on History of Sorts .

Leave a comment Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Instagram / TikTok / X

Designed with WordPress

You must be logged in to post a comment.

• Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
• Subscribe Subscribed
• Copy shortlink
• Report this content
• View post in Reader
• Manage subscriptions
• Collapse this bar

From the Diary of Anne Frank Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English

From the Diary of Anne Frank Class 10 Extra Questions & Answers are available here. Class 10 English From the Diary of Anne Frank extra questions and answers are prepared by our expert teachers. All these questions are divided into two or three sections. They are short type questions answers, long type question answers and extract based questions. Learning these questions will help you to score excellent marks in the board exams.

From the Diary of Anne Frank Extra Questions and Answers

Very short answer questions.

1. What prompted Anne to maintain a diary? Answer:  Anne maintained a diary because he had no friends.

2. Who became Anne’s friend and the what was the friend’s name? Answer:  Anne’s diary became her friend and her name was Kitty.

3. For whom was Anne’s “a birthday present” and why? Answer:  She was a birthday present for her sister because she went to Holland later.

4. When did she make her first entry in her diary? Answer:  She made her first entry in her diary on 20th June 1942.

5. Which subject did Anne find difficult? Answer:  Anne found Mathematics difficult.

6. Why was Mr Keesing annoyed with Anne? Answer:  He was annoyed with Anne because she talked in the class.

7. What was a strange experience for Anne? Answer:  Writing in a diary was a strange experience for Anne.

8. How old was Anne? Answer:  She was thirteen years old.

9. According to Anne What has more patience than people? Answer:  According to Anne paper has more patience than people.

10. What was the name of Anne’s sister? Answer:  Her name was Margot.

11. What was the name of Anne’s maths teacher? Answer:  His name was Mr Keesing.

12. What was the topic of the first essay? Mr Keesing asked Anne to write? Answer:  ‘A Chatterbox.’

13. What was the name of the essay on which Anne had to write the second time? Answer:  ‘An Incorrigible Chatterbox.’

14. Who helped Anne to write the essay in poetry? Answer:  Anne’s friend Sanne.

15. What was the title of the third essay? Answer:  ‘Quack. Quack. Quack. said Mistress Chatterbox.’

16. What was the name of Anne’s mother? Answer:  Her mother’s name was Edith Hollander Frank.

17. Who was Mrs. Kuperus? Answer:  She was as the headmistress of Anne’s school in both standards.

18. Where did Anne’s family migrate from Germany too? Answer:  Her family migrated from Germany to Holland.

19. Who was Kitty? Answer: It was the name went to her diary by Anne.

Short Answer Type Questions

1. What does Anne write in her first essay?

Answer:  In her first essay, titled ‘A Chatterbox’, Anne wanted to come up with convincing arguments to prove the necessity of talking. She wrote three pages and argued that talking was a student’s trait and she would do her best to keep it under control.

2. Mr. Keesing is a kind, but strict teacher. Explain.

Answer:  Mr. Keesing is a kind but strict teacher. He was annoyed with Anne as she was a very talkative girl. He warned her several times but she didn’t change. So, he punished her by giving an essay to write.

3. How did Sanne help Anne Frank in writing the third essay?

Answer:  Senile was Anne’s close friend, and good at poetry. She helped Anne write the third essay in verse. It turned out to be a good poem, and even the teacher, Mr. Keesing, took it in the right way.

4. Why did Anne prefer confiding in her diary? Or Why does Anne want to keep a diary? Why does she feel she can trust a diary more than the people?

Answer:  Anne did not have a true friend to whom she could confide, hence she started writing a diary. Moreover, she knew that paper had more patience than people and her secrets would be safe in a diary. She could trust a diary more than people.

5.   How does Anne feel about her father, grandmother, Mrs. Kuperus and Mr. Keesing?

Answer:  Her father was the most adorable father, she loved him very much. She also loved her grandmother and often thought of her with reverence after her death. She was deeply attached to her teacher, Mrs. Kuperus and was in tears when she left her. Anne did not have a good impression of Mr. Keesing, her maths teacher and often called him ‘old fogey’.

6.   ‘Paper has more patience than people.’ Do you agree/disagree? Give reason.

Answer: I do agree with the above statement. People sometimes get bored, tired or have no mood or time to listen to you. They can get irritated, grudge or complaint about forcing them to listen to you but paper never grudges. It definitely has more patience than people.

7.   How did Anne want her diary to be different?

Answer:  Anne did not want to jot down the facts in her diary, the way most people do. She wanted the diary to be her friend. She called it a kitty. She wrote about her feelings and experiences in it. It was a mature work, reflecting deep insight.

8.   Explain ‘teachers are the most unpredictable creatures’.

Answer:  Anne and her classmates thought that teachers were the most unpredictable creatures’ as nobody would know what there was in their minds and what their next step would be.

9. Why did Anne think that she was alone? Give reasons.

Answer:  Anne had losing parents and an elder sister she had lost aunts and a good home She had a member of blends also Rut there was no one in whom she could confide So she thought that she was alone.

10. How do you know that Anne was close to her grandmother?

Answer:  Anne lived with her grandmother for some months when her parents went to Holland. She loved her deeply. When her grandmother died, Anne felt sad. She often thought about her. So she was close to her grandmother.

11. Why was Anne in tears when she left the Montessori School?

Answer:  When Anne was in the sixth form in the Montessori School, her teacher was Mrs. Kuperus, the headmistress. Anne loved her teacher deeply. She also showed affection to Anne. So when Anne left the Montessori school, she was in tears.

12. Why was the entire class quaking in its boots?

Answer:  The time for declaring the annual results were coming closer. Soon a meeting would be held. The teachers would decide whom to pass and whom to retain in the same class. That is why the whole class was quaking in its boots.

13. Why does Anne feel that writing in a diary is really a strange experience?

Answer:  It must be remembered that Anne Frank was just a thirteen-year-old girl. She was in hiding and cut off from the larger world. She was hesitant that no one would be interested in the musings of a young girl. She had never written anything before. So, it was naturally a strange experience for her.

14. What motivated Anne Frank to write in a diary? Or Why did a thirteen-year-old girl start writing a diary? Did her suffocation lead her to it?

Answer:  It should not be forgotten that Anne was living in hiding. She couldn’t have normal dealings with the people outside. She could talk about ‘ordinary things’ with her family and friends. She couldn’t talk highly personal and intimate issues with them. She didn’t have any real friends. She felt utterly lonely and depressed. Writing in a diary could get all kinds of things off her chest.

15. Give a brief life-sketch of Anne Frank.

Answer:  Anne was born on 12 June 1929. She lived in Frankfurt until she was four. Her father emigrated to Holland in 1933. Her mother went with him to Holland in September. Anne and her elder sister, Margot, were sent to Aachen to stay with their grandmother. Margot, went to Holland in December and Anne followed in February. She started right away at the Montessori nursery school. She stayed there until she was six, where she started in the first form. His grandmother died in January 1942, when she was thirteen.

16. Why does Anne say: “Paper has more patience than people”?

Answer:  Anne doesn’t seem to have much faith in the people around her. She was living in hiding and couldn’t trust people so easily. Moreover, people do react. Sometimes people react rather negative, unpleasant, vulgar and violent manners. Paper is an impersonal and non-reactive object. Whatever you write on it, it receives it without giving any such reactions.

17. Why doesn’t Anne want to jot down facts as most people do in a diary? Why does she call it her friend ‘Kitty’?

Answer:  For Anne Frank, a diary writing is a highly personal and intimate experience. He is not like other diary writers who load it with facts and non-personal matters. She wants to compensate her loss of having no ‘true friends’ with opening out of her heart in the pages of her diary. She wants the diary to be her true friend and calls it `Kitty’.

18.   Why does Anne think it prudent and wise to provide a brief sketch of her life?

Answer:  Anne Frank calls her diary ‘Friend Kitty’. She addresses all her writings to Kitty. For readers, it would be rather difficult to understand ‘the word’ of her stories to Kitty. So, instead of plunging ‘right in’, she thinks it wise to provide a brief sketch of her life. Though she dislikes doing so.

19. Why did Anne Frank feel suffocated?

Answer:  Anne Frank was a very sensitive girl. She was cut off from the mainstream of life, her friends and her people. She was living in a hiding to escape being arrested by the Nazi agents in Holland. Moreover, even with so-called friends, she could not share her intimate and personal feelings and problems. She felt suffocated. She was left with no alternative than opening out her heart through the pages of her diary. ‘Kitty’ her diary became her most intimate friend

20. Give a brief description of Anne Frank’s family.

Answer:  Anne confesses that she has ‘lovely parents’. Her father Otto Frank is ‘the most adorable father’ she has ever seen. Her elder sister Margot was born in Frankfurt in Germany in 1926. Her mother Edith was 25 when she married her father. She and her elder sister stayed with their grandmother before they were sent to live with their parents in Amsterdam.

21. Anne Frank had a great attachment with her grandmother. Justify your answer.

Answer:  There is no doubt that Anne Frank had a great attachment with her grandmother. When her parents migrated to Holland, she along with her elder sister Virago were sent to live with her grandmother in Aachen. The grandmother died in January 1942. She thought of her quite often and still loved her.

22. Why was the entire class quaking in its boots?

Answer: It is true that the whole class was shaking with fear. The teachers were to decide about the fate of the students. They were to decide who would go up in the next class or not. Half of the class was making bets. The verdict of the teachers could go either way. They were quite unpredictable creatures on earth.

23.   Why did Anne Frank says that teachers are the most unpredictable creatures on earth?

Answer:  Anne Frank felt that nothing could be predicted about the mood of the teachers. They were the most ‘unpredictable creatures on earth’. It depended on their choice who would go up in the next class. Only they could decide who would be kept back. Half the class was making bets.

24.   How was Anne getting along with her teachers? Why was Mr. Keesing annoyed with her?

Answer:  No doubt, Anne Frank was getting along well with all her nine teachers— seven men and two women. Mr. Keesing was an old-fashioned man who taught them math. He was annoyed with her for a long time. The reason was simple. He didn’t like Anne as she talked so much in the class.

25. Why did Mr. Keesing assign Anne to write an essay entitled ‘A Chatterbox’?

Answer:  There was only one teacher with whom Anne was not getting along well. He was Mr. Keesing. The maths teacher was annoyed with her because she talked too much in the class. After several warnings, he gave her extra homework like a sort of punishment. She was assigned to write an essay on the topic, ‘A Chatterbox’.

26. How did Anne justify her habit of talking in her first essay on ‘A Chatterbox’?

Answer:  Anne Frank wrote three pages on the topic, ‘A Chatterbox’. In the essay, she justified her habit of talking. She argued that talking was a student’s trait. She would never be able to cure herself of the habit. Her mother talked as much as she did, if not more. She would do her best to keep it under control. However, it was very difficult to control her inherited trait.

27. What were the second and third essays assigned to Anne Frank as punishment?

Answer:  Mr. Keesing had a good laugh at Anne’s arguments in the first essay on ‘A Chatterbox’. He assigned her a second essay on ‘An Incorrigible Chatterbox’. She did write on the subject. Mr. Keesing was not satisfied. He said, “Anne Frank, as punishment for talking in class, write an essay entitled — ‘Quack, Quack, Quack’, said Mistress Chatterbox’.

28. How did she write the last essay “Quack, Quack, Quack, said Mistress Chatterbox”?

Answer:  The third essay assigned to Anne Frank was also related to ‘Chatterboxes’. She had lost her originality on the subject. Her friend Sanne was good at poetry. She offered to help Anne in writing the essay in verse. The poem was about a mother duck and a father swan with three ducklings. The poor ducklings were bitten to death by the father because they quacked too much.

29. How did Mr. Keesing take Anne’s third essay in verse? How did he react? Do you find a change in him?

Answer:  Mr. Keesing took Anne’s joke the right way. He got the message Anne wanted to give to him by narrating the death of three ducklings. He read the poem to the class, adding his own comments. Since then, she had been allowed to talk and hadn’t been assigned any extra homework as he was transformed man now.

Long Answer Type Questions

1. “Paper has more patience than people.” Elucidate.

Answer:  Anne Frank felt lonely in the world. She had loving parents, an elder sister and a number of friends. But she was not intimate with anyone. She could talk to them about common everyday matters. But she could not express her inner feelings to them. She wanted a patient listener with a sympathetic heart. But she found that people had no patience to listen to her. She could not relieve the feelings of her heart to anyone. Anne wanted to lighten the burden of ideas in her heart. So she decided to maintain a diary. A diary is not a human being. It has a lot more patience than man. One can express one’s thoughts freely. The diary does not get bored. It is a true friend. It never rejects the offer of friendship. That is why Anne Frank says that paper has more patience than people.

2. Give a brief sketch of Anne’s life.

Answer:  Anne Frank was a young Jewish girl. She lived with her parents in Germany. But Hitler’s Nazi party was against the Jews. The Nazis were killing the Jews or forcing them to work in the concentration camps. The Frank family fled from Germany in 1933 and took shelters in the Netherlands. But in 1940, Germany attacked the Netherlands and captured it. Now the Nazis started arresting the Jews and sending them to the concentration camps. The Frank family went into hiding. They lived secretly in the upper floors of their business premises. They hid there for 25 months. Their non-Jewish friends gave them food.

Anne had started writing her diary before going into hiding. In August 1944, the Germans came to know of their hiding. They were arrested and sent to Germany. Anne, her sister, Margot, and her mother soon died in a concentration camp. Her father survived and published part of Anne’s diary. In this diary, Anne gives a moving and tragic account of the difficulties faced by her family and the other Jews. The part of the diary reproduced in this chapter is about the days when Anne was a schoolgirl and she, and her family had not yet moved to the secret quarters.

3. (i) Why did Mr Keesing punish her? (ii) What was the punishment? (iii) How did Anne finally stop Mr Keesing from punishing her?

Answer:  Anne Frank was in the habit of talking in the class. Mr Keesing was her Maths teacher. He was annoyed with Anne as she talked much in the class. He gave her several warnings but it had no effect. One day, he punished her by giving her extra homework. He asked her to write an essay on the subject “A Chatterbox’. Anne wrote the essay, giving very amusing arguments in it. Mr Keesing liked the essay. But Anne again talked in the class. So he gave the task of writing another essay. This time, the subject was, An Incorrigible Chatterbox.’ After that. for two lessons, Anne did not get any punishment.

But during the third lesson. Mr Keesing saw Anne talking again He was very annoyed. He asked her to write another essay. The subject of this essay was, “Quack. Quack. Quack. Said Mistress Chatterbox.” The whole class laughed. Mr Keesing was trying to play a joke on Anne. But she wrote the essay in an amusing way. Mr Keesing liked the essay and did not punish Anne after that.

4. How do you assess Anne’s character? You can choose appropriate words from the following box and write a paragraph. Responsible; caring and loving; humorous; talkative; sensible; patient; mature for her age; lonely; accurate in her judgement; childish; intelligent?

Answer:  Anne was a girl of thirteen years. She was very intelligent. She had a sharp brain. She was different from the other girls of her age. She could think clearly and deeply. She had deep thoughts and ideas that she wanted to share with someone. But she found that her friends were not able to understand her completely. Their mental level as not equal to that of Anne. They could talk to Anne about the ordinary everyday matter only.

She had loving parents, an elder sister and loving aunts also. But she could not share her deep thoughts with anyone. So she decided to make her diary to her friend. She wrote down her inner thoughts and feelings in a diary. Anne had an argumentative mind. She argued in her first essay that parental trans arc inherited by children. She had a good sense of humour. Her Maths teacher. Mr Keesing tried to play a joke on her. But she wrote the essay in verse in such a way that the Joke was turned on him.

5. Why did Anne Frank maintain a diary?

Answer:  Anne decided to keep a diary, as she had no “true” friend. She figured paper had more patience than humans did. She felt that there was no one with whom she could share her thoughts and feelings. She had caring parents, a sixteen-year-old sister, and about thirty people she could call her friends. She could not talk about anything except ordinary everyday matters. She could have a good time with them. However, she did not have any true friends. She did not confide in any of her friends. She knew the situation would never change so she decided to keep a diary.

6. What does Anne say about her parents, elder sister and her stay in the Montessori School?

Answer:  Anne calls her father very adorable. When her parents were married, her father was thirty-six and the mother was twenty-five. Margot was Anne’s elder sister. She was born in Frankfurt in 1926. Three years later, Anne was born. She lived in Frankfurt until she was four. Her father migrated to Holland in 1933. Her mother, Edith Hollander Frank, went with him. Anne and her sister Margot were sent to Aachen to stay with their grandmother.

Margot went to Holland in December and Anne went three months later. Anne started studying at the Montessori School. She stayed there until she was six at which time she was in the first form. When was in the sixth form, her teacher was Mrs Kuperus. the headmistress. Both loved each other. When she left school, both Anne and her teacher were in tears.

7. Anne had loving parents and a number of friends. Even then she thought that she was alone. Why?

Answer:  Anne Frank was a thirteen-year-old girl. She had loving parents and an elder sister. She had loving aunts and lived in a good home. She had about thirty friends also. Even then she felt that she was alone in the world. She had no intimate person. She had no true friend with whom she could share her feelings. She could not confide in anyone. She had a number of thoughts that she wanted to express to someone.

But she could not get close to anyone. She could have a good time with them. She could talk to them about ordinary everyday matters of life. But there was no one with whom she could share the deepest thoughts of his heart. Thus she felt lonely in the world. She wanted a true friend so she decided to make the diary her friend.

8. Why was the whole class shaking in its boots? How does Anne Frank describe the behaviour of her classmates?

Answer:  The time of the declaration of the annual results was. coming closer. The teachers were going to hold their annual meeting. In that meeting, they were going to decide which of the students would be promoted to the next class and which of them would be kept back in the same class. As a result, the students were nervous because of the worries of their future. Half the class was making bets.

Anne and her friend G.N. laughed heartily like their classmates, C.N. and Jacques had staked their entire holiday savings on their bet. They were all the time speculating who would pass and who would not. Anne was angry with many of them. But they would not calm down. There were many dummies in Anne’s class. She felt that at least half of them should not be promoted to the next class. But she also felt that teachers are the most unpredictable persons on earth.

9. Describe the three essays written by Anne Frank.

Answer:  Anne Frank was in the habit of talking in the class. Her Maths teacher, Mr Keesing was annoyed with her. One day, Mr Keesing gave her extra homework as a punishment. He asked her to write an essay on the subject, ‘A Chatterbox’. She gave amusing arguments in her essay. She wrote that it was a trait of a student to talk. Moreover, she could not cure herself of this habit as her mother also talked as much as she did. It was an inherited trait. Mr Keesing liked the essay. But Anne talked again for the class. So he asked her to write another essay on the topic, ‘An Incorrigible Chatterbox.’ Now for two lessons, she did not get any punishment. But she talked again. This time, Mr Keesing asked her to write an essay on the topic, ‘Quack, Quack, Quack, Said Mistress Chatterbox.’ Anne wrote this essay in verse form. She wrote about a mother duck and father swan. They had three ducklings. But the father killed the ducklings because they quacked too much. Mr Keesing liked the essay greatly. He read it out to the class. He read it to other classes also. After that, he stopped punishing Anne.

Anne Frank was a young girl who lived during World War II and was known for her diary, which chronicled her life during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. In addition to her diary, Anne Frank also wrote several essays, which provide insight into her thoughts and feelings during this difficult time. Here are three of her essays:

1. My Ideas on Ghosts

In this essay, Anne Frank explores her beliefs about ghosts and the afterlife. She begins by describing her own experiences with ghosts, including a dream in which she saw her deceased grandmother. Anne then goes on to discuss different theories about ghosts, including the idea that they are the spirits of dead people and the idea that they are simply figments of our imagination. Ultimately, Anne concludes that she cannot say for sure whether ghosts exist or not, but that she believes in the power of the human spirit to live on after death.

2. A Letter to a Friend

In this essay, Anne Frank writes a letter to a friend, in which she shares her thoughts and feelings about the war and the occupation of the Netherlands. She describes the fear and uncertainty that she and her family feel, and expresses her frustration with the restrictions placed on them by the Nazis. Anne also talks about her hopes for the future, and her belief that the war will eventually end and that she will be able to live a normal life again.

3. The Importance of Reading and Writing

In this essay, Anne Frank reflects on the importance of reading and writing in her life. She describes how reading and writing have provided her with an escape from the difficult realities of the war, and have allowed her to express her thoughts and feelings in a way that she cannot do in other ways. Anne also talks about her love of books, and how they have opened up new worlds and ideas to her. Finally, she encourages others to read and write, and to never take the power of words for granted.

Overall, these essays provide a glimpse into the mind of a young girl trying to make sense of the world around her in the midst of war and turmoil. They show her curiosity, her intellect, and her hope for the future.

10. Anne believed that paper has more patience than people. She could confide more in her diary than in people. Why did she feel so? Was she free from bias and stereotypes? Explain in 100-120 words the values we need to imbibe from the diary as a friend.

Answer:  Anne was a sensible and intelligent girl. She believed that paper has more patience than people as it can confine secrets and shared confidence better than people. Anne didn’t have a true friend hence she shared her thoughts and feelings with her diary. She felt people may not be interested in what you have to say. They also may not be there when you need them. However, paper can never show disinterest and is free from bias and stereotypes. It can’t talk and hence can keep your secrets. She felt paper was more dependable than people and hence treated her diary as her friend.

11. Mr Keesing punished Anne by giving her an essay to write. Did he lack empathy and compassion? Was it not in his attitude to respect differences among the students? What values would you like to inbuilt in him and why? Write in 100-120 words .

Answer:  Mr Keesing was annoyed with Anne as she was a very talkative girl. He warned her several times, but when she didn’t change, he punished her by giving an essay to write. I think he lacked empathy and compassion. As a teacher, he should be more patient and considerate and should have understood Anne’s condition. He lacked the qualities of a good teacher. A good teacher understands that all students are not the same, and there are different ways to teach different students. But Anne was able to change his attitude through her essays. She taught him that talking was a student’s trait and that it was the teacher’s responsibility to change it.

12. Anne wanted to write convincing arguments to prove the necessity of talking. What does this tell you about her? Did she possess a sense of freedom? Explain the values she possessed to justify herself in 100-120 words.

Answer:  Mr Keesing punished Anne by giving her an essay to write on the topic, ‘A Chatterbox’. Anne, in her essay, argued that talking was a students’ trait. The only thing that she could do was to try to control. But that would not be very effective. Her mother talked as much and hence nothing could be done about an inherited trait. Then in her next essay, which she wrote in verse, she expressed her quality of talking through a story. In the poem, a father swan bites his three ducklings to death as he could not bear their excessive quacking. This changed Mr Keesing’s attitude and he never punished her after that. This shows that besides being talkative, Anne was an intelligent, and sensible girl and had a good sense of humour.

13. Anne justified her being a chatterbox in her essay. Do you agree that she has the courage to defy the injustice? What values do you learn from Anne’s character through this? Write in 100-120 words.

Answer:  Anne was a 13-year old intelligent and sensible girl. She was very talkative and hence her maths teacher punished her and asked her to write an essay on ‘A Chatterbox’. She expressed her ‘talking’ as a students’ trait. She defied the injustice through her three essays on the same topic. She said that she could do nothing with her inherited trait. Finally, she wrote her third essay in verse. It was about three ducklings bitten to death by their father swan because they quacked too much. This changed Mr Keesing and he never punished her after that. This showed the power of the pen to express her feelings and the sense of injustice done to her, without annoying others.

14. What made Anne Frank write a diary? Did she think that people would be interested in her writings? Why did she feel that paper has more patience than people?

Answer:  Ant Anne Frank was a highly sensitive girl. She was a thirteen-year-old girl. She didn’t find herself very comfortable in the society she was growing up. It should be remembered that she and her family were made to live in hiding to escape arrests. They were Jews. Those were horrible times. Nazis had let loose untold atrocities on the Jews. Living in such unpleasant circumstances, the young girl could not confide in the people around her.

She couldn’t share her personal and intimate issues with her so-called friends. She needed to get all kinds of things off her heart. She realised that `paper has more patience than people’. She wanted the diary to be her friend. She called this friend ‘Kitty’. She knows it clearly that people would not be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year-old girl.

15. On the one hand, Anne Frank says that she is not all alone in the world. On the other hand, she says that she seems ‘to have everything, except my one true friend’. Why can’t she confide in and come closer to her friends?

Answer:  Anne Frank seems to be a split personality. On the surface, there are about thirty people she can call her friends. She doesn’t seem to be alone in the world. She has loving parents and a sixteen-year-old elder sister. She has loving aunts and a family. She has the ‘most adorable father’. However, she feels very lonely. She can’t talk about but ordinary things with them. Personal and intimate issues can’t be shared with them. She can’t confide or repose complete trust in them. She has reasons to believe that `paper has more patience than people’. Therefore, she wants her diary to be her only true friend. She can power out her heart and express her most intimate emotions through her writings in her diary.

16. Give a brief character-sketch of Anne Frank highlighting the contradictions and conflicts she faced in her short life.

Answer:  Anne Frank was a very sensitive, sharp and mature girl of thirteen. Actually, unpleasant circumstances she was living in, made her mature and wise beyond her years. Being a Jew, she was constantly hounded by the Nazis. She was living in terrible times. Born in Germany, she and her family had to migrate to Amsterdam to escape persecution. They were forced to live in hiding when the Nazis occupied Holland.

No doubt, she had a family, relatives, and friends. But she was an introvert. She felt utterly lonely and couldn’t confide in others. She needed a true friend before whom she could open out her heart and share her innermost feelings. She found that true friend in ‘Kitty’, her diary. She was very emotional. She loved her grandmother very much. She was in tears as she said a heartbreaking farewell to the headmistress, Mrs Kuperus. She was `a Chatterbox’ and annoyed her maths teacher, Mr Keesing as she talked too much in the class. He punished her by giving extra homework to write essays on this subject. But her joke pleased him very much.

17. Give a brief character sketch of Mr Keesing highlighting the transformation that comes to him in the end.

Answer:  Mr Keesing was an old fashioned teacher of maths in Anne Frank’s school. He was rather strict with his students and didn’t allow much talking in class. He was annoyed with Anne as she talked too much in the class. Being irritated, he gave several warnings to her. Ultimately, he assigned her to write an essay on ‘A Chatterbox’. Anne wrote the essay justifying that talking is a student’s trait. She inherited this trait from her mother. Mr Keesing was not amused. He assigned her two more essays. They were: ‘An Incorrigible Chatterbox’ and ‘Quack, Quack, Quack, said Mistress Chatterbox’. Anne wrote the story of three ducklings who were beaten to death by their cruel father because they quacked too much. The essay gave the right message to Mr Keesing. By chance, the joke fell on him. He was a transformed man now. He allowed Anne talking and never assigned her any extra homework again.

18. Why was the whole class ‘quaking in its boots’? Why were teachers the most unpredictable creatures on earth?

Answer:  It was the day of destiny for students. The reason was quite simple. In the forthcoming meeting, the teachers were going to decide who would move up in the next class. They were to decide who would be kept back in the same class. The entire class was ‘quaking in its boots’. Half the class was making bets. Two silly boys C.N. and Jacques had staked their entire’ holiday savings on their bets. One would encourage the other. “No, I’m not.” Anne felt that there were so many dummies or worthless students in the class. She felt that a quarter of the class should be kept back. Anne also felt that teachers were the most unpredictable creatures on earth. They work according to their whims. Naturally, the girls and boys were worried. They waited for the verdict with their fingers crossed.

19. How did Anne turn the table on Mr Keesing who tried to make a joke on her by asking her to write the third essay or the ridiculous subject: ‘Quack, Quack, Quack, said Mistress Chatterbox’? Or How did Anne Frank outsmart her maths teacher, Mr Keesing by giving the right message in her third essay to him?

Answer:  In her first essay, Anne justified her habit of talking. She claimed that talking is a student’s trait. However, Mr Keesing was not amused by her arguments. He decided to punish her for talking in the class. He assigned her to write her third essay on rather a ridiculous subject: `Quack, Quack, Quack, said Mistress Chatterbox’. She class roared. Mt Keesing was trying to play a joke on her with this `ridiculous subject’. But Anne decided to pay him in the same coin.

Anne was lucky that a friend of hers, Sanne, was good at poetry. She helped her to write the essay in verse. The essay was about a mother duck and a father swan. They had three ducklings. The baby ducklings were beaten to death by the father because they quacked too much. Luckily, Mr Keesing took the joke in the right way. The message was very clear. He read the poem to the class, adding his own comments. He was a transformed man now. He allowed Anne to talk and never troubled her by assigning any extra homework.

20. Do you agree that Anne Frank was far more intelligent, mature and witty than her age? Give a reasoned answer.

Answer:  There is no doubt that Anne Frank was mature and intelligent beyond her age. Just imagine a girl of thirteen writing a diary! She knew that not many people would be interested in her musings. Being a very sensitive girl, she was aware of the difference between a real friend and the so-called crowd of friends. Her diary didn’t describe facts and figures. But she opened out her suppressed self. Being an intelligent girl, she knew that paper has more patience than people. She couldn’t confide in everybody and anybody. Only ‘Kitty’, her diary was her true friend.

The highly emotional Anne could be witty and practical too. She knew how to defeat people in their own games. The argument she gave in favour of talking in her first essay spoke volumes of her practical wit. Mr Keesing who wanted to play a joke on Anne by giving her to write on a ridiculous subject was paid in the same coin. Luckily, Mr Keesing understood the message in the right way. Her writing transformed him. He allowed her to talk and stopped troubling her by assigning any extra work.

Extract Based Questions

Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow:

Question 1: All I think about when I’m with friends is having a good time. I can’t bring myself to talk about anything but ordinary everyday things. We don’t seem to be able to get any closer, and that’s the problem. Maybe it’s my fault that we don’t confide in each other. In any case, that’s just how things are, and unfortunately they’re not liable to change. This is why I’ve started the diary.

a) What are Anne’s views on friends? b) What is her fault? c) Explain ‘unfortunately they’re not liable to change’. d) What is the problem which the speaker has with her friends?

Answer: (a) Anne could only think of having a good time with friends, nothing more.

(b) Her fault was that they did not confide in each other, and hence, weren’t very close.

(c) It means that regrettably, the situation was not likely to change, as she couldn’t confide in friends.

(d) She feels that her friends do not confide in her, and nor does she reveal her secrets to them.

Question 2: ‘Paper has more patience than people.’ I thought of this saying on one of those days when I was feeling a little depressed and was sitting at home with my chin in my hands, bored and listless, wondering whether to stay in or go out. I finally stayed where I was, brooding: Yes, paper does have more patience and since I’m not planning to let anyone else read this stiff-backed notebook grandly referred to as a ‘diary’, unless I should ever find a real friend, it probably won’t make a bit of difference.

a) Why did Anne think that ‘paper has more patience than people’? b) Why did Anne feel depressed? c) When would Anne allow one to read her diary? d) Why did Anne think she could confide more in her diary than in people?

Answer: (a) She thought so because paper is much better than people in sharing thoughts, keeping secrets and it never shows disinterest.

(b) Anne felt depressed because she did not have a true friend.

(c) She would allow one to read her diary when she would find a real friend.

(d) She was never so close to people as to pour her heart out to them. She could do so only in her diary because she considered the diary to be her true friend.

Question 3: However, during the third lesson he’d finally had enough. “Anne Frank, as punishment for talking in class, write an essay entitled— ‘Quack, Quack, Quack, said Mistress Chatterbox’.”

The class roared. I had to laugh too, though I’d nearly exhausted my ingenuity on the topic of chatterboxes. It was time to come up with something else, something original. My friend, Sanne, who’s good at poetry, offered to help me write the essay from the beginning to end in verse and I jumped for joy. Mr Keesing was trying to play a joke on me with this ridiculous subjects, but I’d make sure the joke was on him.

a) Who is ‘he’? What did ‘he’ had enough? b) How was this essay different from the one written earlier? c) Why was Anne punished? d) Why did the whole class roar with laughter?

Answer: (a) He is Mr Keesing, Anne’s maths teacher. He was tired of Anne’s talking habit.

(b) This essay was written in verse.

(c) Anne was punished because she had been continuously talking for three periods.

(d) This was because the topic of the essay given to Anne as punishment was absurd and funny.

Question 4: Our entire class is quaking in its boots. The reason, of course, is the forthcoming meeting in which the teachers decide who’ll be kept back. Half the class is making bets.

a) What does ‘quacking in its boots’ imply? b) Why was the entire class quacking in its boots? c) What were they betting for? d) What opinion did Anne have about her classmates?

Answer: (a) ‘Quacking in its boots’ implies shaking with fear and nervousness.

(b) There was going to be a meeting of all the teachers to decide whom to promote to the next form and whom to detain in the same class.

(c) They were betting for — who would be promoted to the next class.

(d) She thought that girls were better in studies than the boys and most of them were dummies.

Question 5: I wrote the three pages Mr Keesing had assigned me and was satisfied. I argued that talking is a student’s trait and that I would try to keep it under control, but I would never be able to cure myself of the habit since my mother talked as much as I did if not more, and that there’s not much you can do about inherited traits.

a) Which fact shows that the narrator was intelligent? b) Which trait of students did she mention in her essay? c) Why did she say that she could never be able to cure herself of the habit of talking? d) How did Anne justify her being a chatterbox in her essay?

Answer: (a) Anne came out with convincing arguments in support of her habit of talking.

(b) Anne mentioned the trait of talking in her essay.

(c) This was because she inherited it from her mother and it was difficult to cure inherited habits.

(d) She argued that talking was a student’s trait. Moreover, she had inherited it from her mother.

Self- Assessment Test

Short Answer Questions

1. Why does Anne want to keep a diary? 2. Why, according to Anne, is writing a diary really a strange experience? 3. Why did Anne prefer confiding in her diary? 4. What was the impact of Anne’s first essay on Mr Keesing? 5. What information does Anne give about her family?

Long Answer Questions

1. Describe the three essays written by Anne Frank.

2. Why was the whole class shaking in their boots? How does Anne Frank describe the behaviour of her classmates?

3. Anne wanted to write convincing arguments to prove the necessity of talking. What does this tell you about her? Did she possess a sense of freedom? Explain

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Home » Learning Scenarios » Letters to Anne Frank (LS-RO-305)

Letters to Anne Frank (LS-RO-305)

Starting from the idea that education is not memorizing that Hitler killed six million people, but focusing on the fact that it means understanding how millions of ordinary Germans were convinced that it was required, and it is learning how to spot the signs of history repeating itself, this learning scenario aims to teach students about a young girl, Anne Frank, who lived during that period of time.

Democracy, human rights and European socio-cultural patrimony

Created by Nadina Carmen NICOLICI, a Romanian teacher of English, this lesson is targeted at students aged 16-17 who learn history by the means of English and French, and it addresses issues such as democracy, civism and human rights, inter-personal relationships, and the European socio-cultural patrimony. It makes use of the materials in the Europeana Collection about Holocaust and Anne Frank , and it includes the following activities:

• A warm-up activity aimed to get students closer to the topic of the lesson.
• Watching a short video and discussing it, an activity during which students make use of their existing knowledge about the Holocaust and Anne Frank, and they also learn new things on these topics.
• Reading activity, during which students read a short extract from “The Diary of a Young Girl” and then they work in groups and identify the similarities and the differences between their lifestyles as teenagers of the 21 st century and Anne Frank’s lifestyle before and during the Holocaust. They also learn how to write letters to this young girl.
• Final conclusion related to the ways in which war affects people’s lives in general, and teenager’s lives in particular.
• An assignment for which students pick up one of the letters written by their mates and reply to it as if they were Anne Frank.

Aim of the lesson

The aims of these activities are to:

• Develop students’ critical thinking skills by having them analyze, compare and contrast information.
• Develop and improve students’ knowledge about the Holocaust, with a special focus on human rights, civism and democracy.
• Develop and improve student’s skills of collaboration, communication (in foreign languages and in mother tongue), and creativity as they will work in groups with their mates.

The lesson makes use and integrates project-based learning, collaborative learning and it is student-centered.

Would you like to know more about this learning scenario? You can download it below:

If you find this learning scenario interesting, you can have also a look at:

• Life on the trenches by Marco Neves
• Face of War by Adam Stepinski
• Letters and postcards from war times by Heathcliff Schembri

CC BY-SA 4.0 : the featured image used to illustrate this article has been found on Europeana Collections and provided by Fortepan .

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

© 2024 Teaching With Europeana - All texts are CC BY-SA, images and media licensed individually

• Rating Count
• Price (Ascending)
• Price (Descending)
• Most Recent

Anne frank writing activities

Anne Frank , Collaborative Poster, Writing Activity , Group Project

THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK Activity - Quickwrite Writing Journal Questions Prompts

Also included in:  THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK Play Unit Plan Activities PRINT & DIGITAL Quiz Writing

ANNE FRANK Biography Informational Texts Activities Gr 4-6 PRINT and EASEL

Also included in:  Anne Frank Helen Keller Harriet Tubman Biography BUNDLE PRINT and EASEL

THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK Activity - Quickwrite Writing Journal Questions DIGITAL

Anne Frank Writing Craft Women's History Month Activity

Also included in:  Interactive Writing Crafts Women's History Month Bulletin Board

The Diary of Anne Frank , Narrative Writing , Postcard Activity

Also included in:  The Diary of Anne Frank, Novel Study Bundle, Digital Resources

Anne Frank Letter Writing Activity

Anne Frank Biography Poem Activity and Writing Paper

Also included in:  Women in History Month Biography Poem Activity Writing Papers BUNDLE

Anne Frank (Drama) Daily Bellwork Writing Activities

Anne Frank Remembered Writing Activity I am not a hero...

Also included in:  Anne Frank Remembered Resources

The Diary of Anne Frank , Characterization Writing Activity , GOOGLE SLIDES

The Diary of Anne Frank , Timeline & Metaphor Writing Activity , GOOGLE SLIDES

Anne Frank Remembered Nobel Peace Prize Writing Activity

THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK Play Unit Plan Activities PRINT & DIGITAL Quiz Writing

The Diary of Anne Frank Play Study Unit Bundle of Projects, Exam, Activities

The Diary of Anne Frank Novel Study and Project Menu; Digital Option

Also included in:  World War II Novel Study Bundle, Seven Complete WWII Literature Units!

Virtual Field Trip Amsterdam Anne Frank House - Holocaust Google Slides Activity

Also included in:  Upper Elementary and Middle School Virtual Field Trips GROWING Bundle Digital

Anne Frank Activities Project Biography Research Graphic Organizer Note Taking

Also included in:  Biography Research BUNDLE - Informational Report - Book Report Template Poster

Holocaust Activity : Collaborative Poster and Writing Activity

Blank Headstone - Tombstone for Writing Character Epitaphs or Dead Word Funeral

Anne Frank Biographical Article and Activities for ESL (CCSS Aligned)

Freedom Writers Collaborative Poster and Writing Activity

Also included in:  Home School Bundle

The Diary of Anne Frank Novel Study

Anne Frank Close Reading Comprehension Activities | 3rd Grade & 4th Grade

Also included in:  Anne Frank Close Reading & Biography Bundle | 3rd Grade & 4th Grade

• We're hiring
• Help & FAQ
• Privacy policy
• Student privacy
• Terms of service
• Tell us what you think

• Mathematics
• Reading and Writing
• Intervention
• Professional Learning
• Virtual Events
• What is Phonics?
• Teaching Grammar
• Vocabulary Games
• What is Virtual Learning?
• About Sadlier
• Find a Sales Representative
• International Distributors
• International Programs
• Online Catalogs
• Sadlier School Site Map
• Pricing & Ordering Information
• Sadlier’s W-9
• Sadlier’s Sole Source Letter
• Sadlier’s Credit Application
• Privacy Policy
• Return Policy
• Terms & Conditions

The Diary of Anne Frank Worksheet

Honor Anne Frank and her love of writing in your classroom with The Diary of Anne Frank Worksheet . With this worksheet students will:

• Brainstorm descriptive traits about Anne Frank
• Brainstorm descriptive traits about themselves
• Complete a short writing prompt
• Reflect on what it would be like to live in an annex and have limited personal possessions

Fill out the form to download your  The Diary of Anne Frank Worksheet now.