Drawing upon the online archives of the U.S. Holocaust Museum, this lesson helps students to put the events described by Anne Frank into historical perspective, and also serves as a broad overview of the Nazi conquest of Europe during World War II. After surveying the experiences of various countries under Nazi occupation, the lesson ends with activities related specifically to the Netherlands and Anne Frank.

This lesson concentrates on Anne Frank as a writer. After a look at Anne Frank the adolescent, and a consideration of how the experiences of growing up shaped her composition of the Diary, students explore some of the writing techniques Anne invented for herself and practice those techniques with material drawn from their own lives.

Genuis Hour project idea for ELA researching a topic of student's choice regarding WWII and/or the Holocaust. Preview image Photo by Karsten Winegeart on Unsplash

In this social studies skill builder, students will learn about the life and death of Anne Frank. Students will be able to recognize what it means to empathize with the experience of others after reading about Anne Frank's life. This skill builder is most appropriate for students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade. It is estimated this lesson will take about 15-25 minutes to complete. Through virtual field trips, class collaboration, and independent practice, students use reading comprehension and observation skills to learn about Anne Frank and her family's life before and during World War II. They will also learn about the trials and hardships the Jewish people faced and the importance of empathizing with others.

Thumbnail: screenshot of Nearpod lesson by Christina Nelson 7/27/2022