Teaching Empathy by Remembering Anne Frank (June 12)

 

Can you put yourself in someone else's shoes? We don't mean literally of course. We all know this figure of speech to mean feeling what another person may be feeling. As teachers, we understand the concept of empathy, but it can be a difficult one to teach. Anne Frank suffered a horrific experience, but with her being close in age to that of your students, they will discover how to feel empathy, and put themselves in her “shoes”.

 

 

 

 

 

The Holocaust

 

 

 

The Holocaust was an extraordinarily terrifying incident that occurred in recent history. It can be extremely scary to children as they learn the horrors of what actually took place. However, it must be taught, but done so in a way that teaches compassion and empathy.

 

 

 

In 1933 Hitler and the Nazis decided that they, as Germans, were racially superior to all other races. Their goal was to annihilate anyone who was unlike them. Their main target was the Jewish population whom they determined to be racially inferior (other groups were deemed to be inferior as well), and from then on would make all attempts to wipe out the entire Jewish community. The Jews were killed immediately, kept tortured in concentration camps until their death, or were in hiding until discovered and killed or, with some, fled to safety. In all, approximately six MILLION Jews were murdered (one million of them being children).

 

 

 

Whether or not your students have learned about the Holocaust yet, they will have many questions. One of those will concern the age of the victims being the age that they are now. Most likely they will feel sad and even afraid, and they will want to know more. Anne Frank's life can be an eye opening experience to many young people.

 

 

 

History of Anne Frank

 

 

 

Anne Frank was born in Germany on June 12, 1929. This year she would have been 84 years old. We all know Anne Frank as the girl who kept a diary while in hiding during the Holocaust, a time when the Nazis were slaughtering all Jewish people. She was only 13 years old when her family was forced to go into hiding, and for two long years filled with fear of being caught, Anne Frank kept her diary. Today, it is well read and used to illustrate the traumatic time that was the Holocaust.

 

 

 

Instruct students to:

 

• Access prior knowledge: what do you know about the Holocaust?

• Relate feelings: the Holocaust was a horrifying event, how does it make you feel?

• Be thankful: Imagine having to hide like Anne Frank? Try to place yourself in her shoes.

 

 

 

A class discussion about Anne Frank is a good idea. Allow students to air their thoughts and feelings. When they say things such as that they felt scared for Anne, or that her story made them cry, tell them that is exactly what empathy is.

 

 

 

 

 

Empathy

 

 

 

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, empathy is described as “the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.”

 

 

 

Students can:

 

• Share a time when they felt empathy for a sibling or friend.

• Explain why having empathy makes you a good person.

• A time when they would hope others would have empathy for them (past or future).

 

 

 

Remind students that they can feel empathy towards anyone, even if they have not met them or barely know anything about them.

 

 

 

Creating a Connection with Anne Frank

 

 

 

To truly experience empathy towards another individual, you must have a strong connection with them. It is one thing to have sympathy, or feel bad for someone; when you are empathetic you, in a sense, feel for that person.

 

 

 

Anne Frank was 13 years old when she was chased into hiding by the Nazis. She spent 2 years in a secret annex until they were found and shipped off to concentration camps.

 

 

 

Pupils will:

 

• Relate to Anne Frank as a teenager.

• Sense the fear of living in hiding.

• Imagine the horror of knowing you may die.

 

 

 

Anne Frank kept a diary during her two years in seclusion. Her writing was well beyond her teenage years. One quote from her diary: "I've reached the point where I hardly care whether I live or die. The world will keep on turning without me, and I can't do anything to change events anyway."

 

 

 

Instruct students to:

 

• Share some things they write about in their diary (or would write about if they kept one).

• Discuss the impact of the quote from Anne Frank's diary.

• Find other powerful quotes in the Diary of Anne Frank.

 

 

 

It was not long before Anne Frank contracted typhus, a deadly disease. She died just weeks before the concentration camp she was incarcerated in was liberated. She was only 15 years old.

 

 

 

With pupils:

 

• Discuss: do you feel empathy after reading about Anne Frank? What are the feelings going through your mind and your heart?

• Write: How do you think you would feel if you were in the same situation as Anne Frank? What would you do? What would you write about?

• Share: If you could talk to Anne Frank today what would you tell her? Will you share the story of her life with others? Do you think they would feel empathy towards her?

 

 

 

 

 

Related Articles:

 

 

 

Anne Frank Secret Annex: http://www4.nau.edu/clde/lessonplanpdf/AnneFrankSecretAnnex.pdf Upon learning about Anne Frank, students write an essay depicting what they believe the Secret Annex looked like.

 

 

 

The Holocaust and Anne Frank: http://web.archive.org/web/20040920021247/http://www.pa-academy.org/pt3/portal/resources/Lesson_Plans/Integration/holocaust/holocaust_LessonPlanFinal.htm Reading, writing, and listening are all components to this diversity teaching lesson.