Historical Background for the Play

The Diary of Anne Frank

 Scenario

During your study of drama this year, you will be reading the play, The Diary of Anne Frank, which is based on the journal of a Jewish teenager who lived in Amsterdam during World War II. Anne, a victim of the Holocaust, died in a German concentration camp in 1945, just months before World War II ended. Anne Frank's diary has become a famous document reflecting hope and optimism during a turbulent and fearful time. To better understand the play and its historical context, you will need to investigate various people and events from that time period. Your research should enable you to answer the following question:

How does learning about the historical period help you to better understand the play, The Diary of Anne Frank?

Task and Product

Your task will be to research an important aspect of World War II and/or the Holocaust with another class member. You will become specialists on this topic and will then present your findings to the class in an informative and creative way. You will be researching one of the following topics:

• Conditions in Europe leading up to World War II
• Hitler's rise to power and his political beliefs
• The Nazi Party in Germany
• Concentration camps and death camps, esp. Bergen-Belsen
• Jewish religious holidays and the Star of David
• The S. S. and the Gestapo (the green police)
• Kristallnacht
• Restrictions on Jewish-German life in the 1930's
• The invasion of Holland and the treatment of the Jews in the Netherlands
• The Resistance movement during World War II
• Anne Frank and the people with whom she went into hiding
• The Secret Annexe (the place in which the Frank family hid)
• Hitler's defeat and death
• D-Day
• The liberation of the concentration camps
  

Assessments

You will be graded on your daily work on the research process as well as on your final product.

Research Process - Daily Assessments

Assessment for Oral Report - Final Product

Research Process - Summative Assessment - Student/Self
Research Process - Summative Assessment - Teacher

Question

Gather and Sort

Gather information about your topic from a variety of sources.

Sort your research findings. Record your findings using a graphic organizer or notecards. Be sure to avoid plagiarism and keep track of your resources for a bibliography.

Organize

Analyze your completed graphic organizers and/or note cards:

What new insights have emerged about your topic?
Which facts are the most compelling and would have the greatest impact on your audience?
Which facts are unnecessary or repetitive and therefore should be left out?

Evaluate the effectiveness of your research for the task using the following questions:

Have you gathered sufficient details about your topic?
Are your details organized in the right categories or sub-topics to make sense for your audience?

Plan your presentation with your partner. In reviewing the information that you both have gathered, ask the following questions:

Which facts are the most compelling and would have the greatest impact on your audience?
Which facts are unnecessary or repetitive and therefore should be left out?
Which details will be presented by which of the two team members?
What visual will you create to enhance your presentation? Who will be responsible for its creation?

Conclusion

Your report will be presented to your classmates at an appropriate time during the reading of the play. For instance, the topic of the Jewish holidays and the Star of David should be presented before the class reads the last scene of Act I, when the Hanukkah celebration takes place. Your teacher will decide when the most appropriate time will be for you and your partner to give your presentation. During your fellow classmates' presentations, be sure to record the most relevant and important information about each subtopic for your own notes.

Reflection and/or Extension Activities:

• Think about what it would be like if your family were suddenly forced to go into hiding. What about that situation would be the most difficult for you? What would be easiest? How would you maintain your optimism and hope about your future? Write a sourcebook entry that answers these questions.
• Write a sourcebook entry telling how your topic helped you to clarify or develop a deeper understanding for the play, The Diary of Anne Frank. How did the historical events shape the story? Use this scoring tool to evaluate your response.