Subject Area: Social Studies, Behavioral Studies

Reading Level: 3.5

Book Summary
The haunting story of Anne Frank is presented in a fresh way in this factual reader. Illustrations of the fragments of Anne's life will fascinate students even as they are chilled by her tale.

Objective
Students will become familiar with the life and times of Anne Frank.
Standard: Students will gain an understanding of the fact that people often like or dislike other people because of membership in or exclusion from a particular (social) group.
Standard: Students understand that specific ideas had an impact on history.
Standard: Writes in response to literature.

Teaching Plan

Timeline
Help your students put Anne Frank's life in historical perspective.

1. Before introducing the book, create a timeline on your chalkboard or a large piece of paper. Depending on the abilities of your students, you may wish to make your timeline rather long (beginning with the causes of World War II) or brief (the events that transpired while Anne was alive). You may need to provide a brief historical introduction about World War II.
2. As you read through the book, record events from Anne's life on your timeline. Briefly discuss each event as you fill in the timeline.
3. Leave the timeline prominently displayed after finishing The Story of Anne Frank. Encourage your students to conduct some independent research to fill in more of the timeline.

What I Would Have Done
Some very brave people helped Anne and her family. What would your students have done?

1. Hold a classroom discussion about the people who helped the Frank family, especially Miep Gies.
2. As you read through the book, ask students to list other people who helped the family and explain how they did so.
3. Once they've all finished the book, have your students think about what they might have done to help the Franks.
4. Ask each student to write a brief story about their imagined experience with the Franks. What would they have done to help? How would they have carried out their plan? How would they have avoided detection?
5. Share the stories aloud with the class.
6. Talk about the importance of doing what is right, even in the face of strong opposition.

Further Reading About Anne Frank
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl
by Anne Frank
The original: Anne's actual diary; her father arranged its publication immediately after the war's end.

Anne Frank: Beyond the Diary: A Photographic Remembrance
by Ruud Van Der Rol and Rian Verhoeven
Anne's story is presented and amplified by original photographs and artifacts.

Anne Frank Remembered: The Story of the Woman Who Helped to Hide the Frank Family
by Miep Gies
Miep Gies, who once worked for Anne's father, risked her life again and again by bringing supplies and food to the Franks in hiding. Her story is monumental and inspiring.

Anne Frank: The Biography
by Melissa Muller
Chock-full of facts and the minutiae of Anne's life, this book will enhance readers' understanding of Anne and her times.

Other Books by Brenda Ralph Lewis
Coins and Currency
Stamps! A Young Collector's Guide
Growing Up in Aztec Times
The Aztecs Hitler Youth: The Hitlerjugend in War and Peace, 1933-1945

Lesson Plan Written by Rebecca Gomez