Lesson Plan Year 10 Religion

Date: Tuesday 5th Nov

Time: 1:50-2:35

Unit: __Genocide

Lesson #: 6

Learning Area: Religion

LLearniArea:________
Curriculum

Level: Year 10

(Year Level Description that this lesson is building towards)

Strand: Christian Life
Sub Strand: Mission and Justice
Description: Religious Knowledge and Deep Understanding
Assisted by the Holy Spirit, the Church draws on the teaching of Jesus and its living tradition to
respond to emerging moral questions about economic structures and development. Catholic social
teaching proposes principles for reflection, provides criteria for judgment and gives guidelines for
action. CLMJ11

Lesson Objectives:
(Key Knowledge and Skills students should achieve in the lesson)
This lesson aims to familiarise students with another act of genocide, the Holocaust. Students
will be provided with an overview of the holocaust and in particular, the life and story of
Jewish holocaust victim, Anne Frank.
Students will look at the holocaust from the point of view of Anne by writing their own entry
into her journal.
They will also access an interactive virtual tour of the secret annex which will provide
them with information on her life whilst in hiding, as well as deepening their understanding
of the holocaust.

Students Prior Knowledge:

This term students have been learning about genocide. They have briefly touched on the Holocaust in
an earlier lesson so most students should have at least a basic understanding of the Holocaust (who,
what, when, where, why, how). However, it is unlikely that many students will know much about the
story of Anne Frank and so it should be assumed that all students have minimal knowledge on her.

LESSON STRUCTURE:
Time

Introduction & Motivation:

Teaching Approaches &

Resources

2 min

Welcome students as they sit down and inform them that

today the lesson will be about the Holocaust and Anne
Frank.

5 min

Ask the students what they know about the Holocaust.

If there are no responses prompt with: -Where was it?
-Who was
involved?
-What happened?
-How did it end?
ETC.
Write answers on the board for students to copy down.

Question lead discussion.

TUNE IN:
Play the students the video Why go into hiding?
(http://www.annefrank.org/en/Subsites/Home/) to capture
students interests.

Laptop & Projector: Project

video onto whiteboard so all
students can view clip easily.

Time

Main Content:

5 min

Ask the students if anyone has ever heard of Anne Frank,

and if so, what do they know about her?
-Who is she?
-Why is she important?
-What happened to her?

Teaching Approaches &

Resources
Discussion.

Whiteboard: Write answers on

whiteboard to help with
student comprehension. Use a
mind-map.

[Anne Frank was a young Jewish girl who went into hiding with her family after the
Nazis invaded the Netherlands in 1914. Her family, along with five other Jews went
into hiding, living in a secret annex in the building of Annes fathers business. For two
years the 8 people lived in hiding, with 13-year-old Anne who documented their lives
inside her diary, until one day when they were betrayed. The Gestapo captured them and
sent them to concentration camps. Unfortunately Annes father Otto was the only one to
return, with Anne dying of typhoid in a camp in 1945 only a few days before the camp
was liberated. Otto fought for Annes diary and other writings to be published, and
thanks to him, she is now one of the most well known figures of the Holocaust.]

1-2
min

CLASS ORGANISATION:
Divide the class into two groups split down the middle of
the room. Explain that there will be two activities, which
will provide them with interesting information for their
assignment. Both groups will have fifteen minutes to
complete learning experience A and B before swapping
with a verbal reminder two minutes before changing.

20 min
appro
x

LEARNING EXPERIENCE A:
Group activities
Briefly explain the learning activity making expectations
clear. Inform them that they must take notes on the secret
annex with a minimum of five dot points written in
workbooks (about Anne and her life in the annex). Explain

Individual student laptops are

required for both learning
experiences.

to students that they can work independently or in pairs to

explore a 3D virtual tour of the secret annex where Anne
Frank lived in hiding for two years. Clarify that they can
use the house plan in the top right hand corner to navigate.
Students can move through the annex however they wish,
but they must visit and listen to: The Bookcase, Annes
room and the attic. Emphasise that these three rooms
provide specific information about Anne, which will be
beneficial for their assignment.
LEARNING EXPERIENCE B:

Cooperative Learning:
Students can choose to work
together or individually.
Experience A caters for visual
and auditory learners in the
class.

Students are to make connections with the information on

the website and extracts from Annes diary on the hand
out, and infer what her next diary entry would have been in
written format.
Students are to imagine that they are Anne Frank and are
hiding during the Holocaust. Every morning those who
keep them hidden tell of the horrors of the outside world.
Students are to independently write a short entry into
Annes diary using the following scenario:
When Anne was captured and taken away from her safe
haven and family (except her sister) imagine she still had
her diary. Write her next diary entry.
Students have the option of writing the diary entry in a
word document or on the hand out.
Support and/or Extension Activities
Extension Activity:
If time runs short instruct students to explore
http://www.annefrank.org/ to deepen their
knowledge on Anne Frank.
Support:
The website The Secret Annex Online is used
both for the video and the 3D virtual tour of the
annex.
http://www.annefrank.org/en/Subsites/Home/
This will cater for both visual and auditory learners. It has
a plethora of information to capture student interest.
Those students who require additional support will
have the opportunity to use peer tutoring during
Learning Experience A.
After observations of Learning Experience B, I will
identify and select three or four students who have
written high quality examples to be shared aloud.
This will provide oral information for those
students having difficulty as well as provide
positive reinforcement for the selected students
whose work is exemplary.

Experience B caters for visual

learners.
Handout: Excerpts from The
Diary of a Young Girl by
Anne Frank.

Time
5-10
min

Conclusion:
THINK, PAIR, SHARE
Ask students think about their most interesting, intriguing
or important information gathered from Learning
Experiences A and B. They pair up with the person seated
beside them. I will encourage students to then share this
information with the whole class and record any extra
notes they may have missed.

Teaching Approaches &

Resources
Think, Pair, Share approach.

Assessment of Learning
(List all assessment and state if it is formative or summative)
Formative: The assessment of the students can be seen in the responses to the questions at the
beginning of the lesson as well as their results from the two activities undertaken during class.

Evaluation

Did I complete everything I set out to do?

Were my objectives for the class met?
Was there anything I was unable to finish, and therefore need to cover next lesson?
Did the students comprehend and follow the lesson? (Note taking and diary entries)
Did the students engage in the lesson? Were they interested? Did they enjoy it?
Were all tasks successfully completed?
Did the lesson work well as a whole?
Is there anything I should do differently next time?

Safety Considerations

Is the classroom clean and tidy, with all desks and chairs in a safe and stable manner?
Am I able to clearly see all students, and can they clearly see the board and myself?
Do I have any students in this class with any health problems, or learning difficulties that
may possibly need attendance? If so, in what way?
Is the classroom well ventilated and at a comfortable temperature?
Is there any content in the lesson, which may offend or upset any students?

Excerpts from The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

Sunday, 5 July 1942
A few days ago, as we were taking a stroll around our neighbourhood square, Father began to
talk about going into hiding. He said it would be very hard for us to live cut off from the rest of the
world. I asked him why he was bringing this up now.
Well, Anne, he replied, you know that for more than a year weve been sending our clothes,
food and furniture to other people. We dont want our belongings to be seized by the Germans. Nor do
we want to fall into their clutches ourselves. So well leave of our own accord and not wait to be hauled
away.
But when Father? He sounded so serious that I felt scared.
Dont you worry. Well take care of everything. Just enjoy your carefree life while you can.
That was it. Oh, may these sombre words not come true for as long as possible.
The doorbells ringing. Hellos here, time to stop.
Yours, Anne
Friday, 21 August 1942
Dear Kitty,
Now our Secret Annexe has truly become secret. Because so many houses are being searched for
hidden bicycles, Mr Kugler thought it would be better to have a bookcase built in front of the entrance to
our hiding place. It swings out on hinges and opens like a door. Mr Voskuijl did the carpentry work. (Mr
Voskuijl has been told that the seven of us are in hiding, and hes been most helpful.
***
Its a beautiful day outside, nice and hot, and in spite of everything, we make the most of the
weather by lounging on the folding bed in the attic.
Yours, Anne
Thursday, 19 November 1942
Dearest Kitty,
Just as we thought, Mr Dussel is a very nice man. Of course he didnt mind sharing a room with
me; to be honest, Im not exactly delighted at having a stranger use my things, but you have to make
sacrifices for a good cause, and Im glad I can make this small one. If we can save even one of our
friends, the rest doesnt matter, said Father, and hes absolutely right.
***
Mr Dussel has told us much about the outside world weve missed for so long. He had sad news.
Countless friends and acquaintances have been taken off to a dreadful fate. Night after night, green and
grey military vehicles cruise the streets. They knock on every door, asking whether any Jews live there.
If so, the whole family is immediately taken away. If not, they proceed to the next house. Its impossible
to escape their clutches unless you go into hiding.
***
No one is spared. The sick, the elderly, children, babies and pregnant women all are marched to
their death.
Were so fortunate here, away from the turmoil. We wouldnt have to give a moments thought to
all this suffering if it werent for the fact that were so worried about those we hold dear, whom we can
no longer help.
***
I get frightened myself when I think of close friends who are now at the mercy of the cruellest of
monsters ever to stalk the earth.
And all because theyre Jews.
Yours, Anne

Friday, 26 May 1944

My dearest Kitty,
Ive asked myself again and again whether it wouldnt have been better if we hadnt gone into
hiding, if we were dead now and didnt have to go through this misery, especially so that others could be
spared the burden. But we all shrink from this thought. We still love life, we havent yet forgotten the
voice of nature, and we keep hoping, hoping for everything.
Let something happen soon, even an air raid. Nothing can be more crushing than this anxiety. Let
the end come, however cruel; at least then well know whether we are to be the victors or the
vanquished.
Yours, Anne M. Frank
Friday, 21 July 1944 (Annes second last entry)
Dearest Kitty,
Im finally optimistic. Now, at last, things are going well! They really are! Great news! An
assassination attempt has been made on Hitlers life, and for once not by Jewish Communists or British
capitalists, but by a German general whos not only a count, but young as well. The Fuhrer owes his life
to Divine Providence: he escaped, unfortunately, with only a few minor burns and scratches. A number
of the officers and generals who were nearby were killed or wounded. The head of the conspiracy has
been shot.
This is the best proof weve had so far that many officers and generals are fed up with the ar and would
like to see Hitler sink into a bottomless pit, so they can establish a military dictatorship, make peace with
the Allies, rearm themselves and, after decades, start a new war.
***
Yours, Anne M. Frank
YOUR ENTRY INTO ANNE FRANKS DIARY
When Anne was captured and taken away from her safe haven and family (except her sister) she was
taken to a concentration camp. Imagine she still had her diary with her. Write her next diary entry.
It could be about:
When the police discovered them and took them away
Her life in the concentration camp Bergen-Belson
When her and her sister become deathly ill with Typhoid
A TOPIC OF YOUR CHOICE

Dearest Kitty,

Yours, Anne M. Frank