behind the scenes — dreams of anne frank - Lewis Family Playhouse

B E H I N D T H E S C E N E S - -
DREAMS OF ANNE FRANK
A Resource Guide for Teachers and Parents
A C T I I – B R I N G I N G T H E P L A Y INTO T H E CLASSROOM
DISC USSI O N QU ES TI ONS
1. Prejudice is a preformed opinion, usually an
unfavorable one, based on insufficient knowledge,
irrational feelings, or inaccurate stereotypes. It
often causes suffering, and can lead to violence. In
Anne’s world, prejudice against the Jews caused
millions of people to be killed. Sadly, there is still
prejudice in the world. How do we learn
prejudice? Where does it come from? Have you
ever been a victim of prejudice, or seen an incident
where someone was behaving in a prejudiced way?
2. Discrimination is the unfair treatment of a
person, a racial group or any minority. Prejudice
which leads to the different treatment of a certain
group of people is called discrimination. This can
lead to certain groups not being served in shops or
restaurants, or receiving medical treatment, or
jobs, etc. Does discrimination happen today? What
makes people discriminate against other people?
3. Religion has often been the cause of
misunderstandings and hatred between people. In
extreme cases it can lead to war. In World War II,
Hitler singled out the Jews as the cause of all that
was evil and bad in Germany. Many ordinary
people continued their daily routine without trying
to stop the fascists. Could this happen today?
AFTE R THE SH O W ACTI VITI ES
Create your own diary : Anne wanted to be a
writer and spent her days commenting on the world
around her. Have students spend a week writing in
their own diaries. What do they observe about their
living situations? Have them describe their family
activities and also their thoughts. How is a diary
like a blog? (English/Language Arts: Writing
Applications 2.0)
Maps: Otto Frank kept a map of Europe on the
wall of the Annexe to track the progression of the
war. Have students create their own maps. These
can either be of Europe (compare the Europe of
Anne’s time to now), or of their own
neighborhoods. Use different types of materials to
create the maps. (Visual Arts: Creative Expression)
Religion and Ritual: In the play, Anne dreams
that she and Peter get married, and they have a
Jewish wedding ceremony. Compare the customs,
stories and rituals of various religions or ethnic
groups. (History- Social Science: Historical
research)
Essay Contest: Here are some ideas for student
essays based on ideas mentioned in the play:
imprisonment, heroism, loyalty, family, friendship,
first love, nightmares, trusting people, working
together, where we live. (English-Language Arts:
Writing)
Music: The play uses music to help tell the
audience when Anne is using her imagination. The
songs are sometimes exaggerations of what is
happening in “reality”. Have students create their
own musical compositions based on a dream or
other piece of their imagination. (Music-Creative
Expression)
We’d love to see your essays or diaries! Send them
to us at and we’ll post some on our website! Email
us at: info@lewisfamilyplayhouse.com
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