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Introduction To Anne Frank

The Anne Frank in the World: 1929-1945 Teacher's Guide provides educators with information on available resources to aid in teaching about Anne Frank and the Holocaust. Related subjects, such as prejudice, discrimination, civic responsibility, and cultural pride are also included. This guide was created in conjunction with the Anne Frank Exhibit but designed to be used with or without it. The activities included that are directly related to Anne Frank can be used in conjunction with the Exhibit itself, or her diary, the play, and even one of the many videos on her life. In this way the guide will serve its purpose for years to come.

Anne's story is a complex and sensitive subject to address with students. Her viewpoint of the Holocaust is invaluable because she was a teenager during the Nazi period and had many interests and concerns similar to today's teenagers despite her terrible misfortune. Anne's diary alone does not explain the events or the sociopolitical forces which made her life. Background lessons are included to enable students to connect global and individual events.

The materials in this packet are designed to reflect the four themes presented in the Anne Frank Exhibit:

  1. Discrimination is cruel and irrational.
  2. It is the ordinary citizen who discriminates.
  3. Discrimination is a matter of personal choice.
  4. Discrimination still exists today.

Young people today must be prepared for active citizenship in a society where respecting differences is a necessity, not just a civic ideal. There are many activities included here that focus on respect of other cultures as well as pride in one's own heritage. They take the message of Anne's life one step further. By sensitizing students to cultural differences, teachers help to foster pride in each student's own history. In turn, students learn to respect other cultures. The activities included emphasize the delicate balance between unity and diversity.

It is hoped that you take the opportunity to carefully review these materials and that you find them helpful for use with your students.