Anne Frank was just thirteen-years old when she and her family went into hiding behind the Amsterdam office of her father to avoid persecution by Hitler's Nazis. One of her dearest possessions was the diary she had just received as a birthday present. Anne died of typhus in March of 1945 at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, but her father survived to publish her diary in 1947. Today, translated into sixty-seven languages, Anne Frank's diary has been read by millions.
"The powerful writings of a teenager from the darkness of her hiding place during the Holocaust can teach us much about making a difference for the 21st century." Using Anne's diary as a framework, these online lessons from the St. Petersburg Times address prejudice, hatred, and discrimination. Many of the thirty-five single-page chapters conclude with topics for classroom discussion and journal writing.
Millions of people from all over the world have visited the house in Amsterdam where Anne Frank wrote her famous diary. Best educational clicks are the Anne Frank and Diary sections, which house a treasure trove of details for school reports. And to put a modern twist on the lessons of the holocaust, don't miss the Out of Line exhibit which explores what happens when freedom of speech clashes with a person's right to be protected against discrimination. Should neo-Nazis be allowed to spread their racist message on the Internet? Should the offensive lyrics of hip-hop artists be censored? Where do you draw the line?
Anne Frank Center USA is my pick of the day for its excellent photo scrapbook of Anne's life, the timeline (starting in 1889) that shows the Frank family history in parallel with the development of the Nazi party, and the fabulous teacher resources. Other sections worth exploring are Students (look for the 43 FAQs and the Glossary) and Diary Excerpts.
The following links are either new discoveries or sites that didn't make it into my newspaper column because of space constraints. Enjoy!
The Anne Frank HouseAnne Frank Internet Guide | Anne Frank Webquest |
Free Surfnetkids Newsletter ...Get educational website recommendations in your mailbox every week:Our Privacy Pledge: your email address is never shared with anyone. |
Headline Feed | Online Safety Feed | Newsletter Feed
