The Secret Annex Project

I often teach parts of a text at Alternative Schools because of the changing student population. It is extremely difficult to teach a novel because students enter your class at varying times during a semester. While I've never taught the entirety of Anne Frank's  The Diary of a Young Girl, I have discussed the text with students and read portions of the text with them.

We read about Anne's secret annex. We talked about how she decorated it and what items she had to include or not include for her safety. We discussed World War II, the Nazis, the Holocaust, and Anne's ultimate fate.

I believe it is an educator's responsibility to develop empathetic curriculum. I asked students to empathize with Anne and her plight and create their own secret annex diorama using donated magazines. They had to think about what items they would have to have to feel safe and happy. They also had to think what items would make them less safe. While some students still wanted to make their annexes super extravagant, they also had to write a reflection about their choices and compare them to Anne's. It helped them better understand the real Anne Frank and her dangerous situation.

Secret Annex Project