Hesley Classroom

I think most of us were surprised at Ms. Madeline's tale of how even though most of the world was at war, Hollywood endured and pushed out movies just as soon as they could! Movies were still a young art form compared to how they were today, and as we see in her diary, Anne is not immune to the power of the celebrities in cinema. We see her posting pictures in her Annex room and longing to be glamorous as a way to escape the harsh reality around her. Think about a time when you experienced hardship, a sad or frightening moment. How did you create your own happiness? Write a paragraph explaining your story and what made you happy. If you cannot think of a time, then imagine you are in Anne's position of living with that constant anxiety. What would you do to create your own happiness? 

 As we discussed with Ms. Madeline, as World War II progressed, daily supplies grew more and more scarce. Once plentiful fields of wheat and herds of livestock vanish, due to the needs of the military and to the consequences of war. In the novel, Miep and her companions do what they can to help those in hiding, but Anne and those in the Annex still go without. Think about how you would live in a world where everything from socks to Taki's chips is suddenly rationed. What would you have the hardest time giving up? What would be easiest to give up? How do you think this mentality would affect you?

 As we have already read in the diary, the Frank family is facing the dangers Ms. Madeline spoke to you about in Social Studies. Every day they live in fear of being called up to go to a camp, and when that day comes, the Frank family chooses to lie to the girls and tell them that it was him and not Margot called up. Given the fact that the Frank family, in particular Otto Frank, knew that those called up never returned to their families, do you think it was wise of him to lie to the girls? State your opinion and defend or condemn Mr. Frank's choice in a paragraph. Why was this the right or wrong choice? If you were in Anne's position - what would you have rather faced?

As Ms. Madeline presented to you in class today, World War 2 was a highly significant event that did not just happen overnight. Many things led to the eruption of violence, and one of the most well-known was the aggression of Adolf Hitler both onto the world around him and against some of his own people. As we begin to read Anne Frank, the diary of a young Jewish girl living in a world of increasing Nazi control, you can imagine she must have lived through or heard of some great horrors even before the war began. Think back on the instances of anti-Semitic behavior Ms. Madeline spoke of, and describe one of them that stuck out most to me in your own words. This should take the form of a paragraph. Why does this moment speak to you? What feelings arise when you think of this moment?