thematicunitintro

ELICIA EBERHART'S THEMATIC UNIT

Samples of Unit Contents

"I Still Believe: The Diary of Anne Frank"
A Three-Week Thematic Unit Exploring the Holocaust
Eighth Grade

Sample Lesson 1

The thematic unit, �I Still Believe: The Diary of Anne Frank� focuses on the issues of the Holocaust through literature written by adolescents and young adults and is tailored for eighth grade. Instead of reading Anne Frank�s entire diary, the class will witness the dramatic events in Anne�s life by reading a two-act play adaptation written by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett found in the class� textbook, Elements of Literature (Second Course: Holt, 2003). In addition, other forms of Holocaust literature and education materials will be utilized, including short stories, movies, musical scores, photographs, and excerpts from books.

As more Holocaust survivors are lost through old age, it is important for students to read real life stories of Holocaust victims and survivors. While students may receive information about the Holocaust in history classes, the stories of actual survivors will make more of an impact as they view the persecuted as �real people� and elaborate on the historical perspective of the event. As the most inhumane annihilation of innocent individuals in modern human history, students need to be aware of the impact of the Holocaust and to witness firsthand why they cannot allow something similar to happen again.
Using young characters such as Anne Frank as the springboard for a Holocaust unit, students will develop an appreciation and understanding of the Holocaust and the events surrounding the extermination of six million people by using texts with real-life characters around their same age acting as the storyteller. Alongside with studying the Holocaust as a historical event, I hope to instill an appreciation, a celebration, and a respect for human diversity throughout this unit.

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