Anne Frank Memorial

As part of our Anne Frank unit, we had to either design a memorial for Anne Frank or create a commercial that would spread her message to everyone. My teammates and I decided to design a memorial. Below, is a description of it, reasons why we used the objects we used, who did what and the ESLRs that we completed.

Light is all you can see when you enter the memorial and cautiously step onto the moving travelator disguised as a railway line. Far away in the distance, you can hear the faint noises of moving trains and horns. Then suddenly, pictures before the Holocaust appear on your left and a few precious moments of Anne Frank’s life before the dilemma appears on your right. As you gaze at these pictures and listen to the calm uplifting music, the corridor in which you are passing tightens, the light disappears, shadows fall upon you and you can distinctly here Hitler’s voice making a speech just inches from your ear. You look around but everything is covered in darkness. Soon, Hitler’s voice dies down and the marching sound of soldiers can be heard. Suddenly, you see a small light up ahead. As you reach this light, you realize that it is a spotlight on a can, filled with the gas used in gas chambers and another light is on a small model of a bed in the camp. Between these two is a wall screen, projecting pictures of people being taken away from their homes and put into trains. There is also a timeline about the Holocaust and what happened during Hitler’s reign. The train sounds get louder but you are stopped in your tracks. On your right, is a timeline about Anne Frank’s life. You are allowed to leave the travelator and wander around the place, however, you have to finish your journey.

All of a sudden, as you continue, the corridor opens up into a large circular room that is intentionally split in half. On one side, is a curved wall filled with pictures from a concentration camp in Germany, a PowerPoint presentation on how the war affected everyone in Europe and halfway is a door leading to another room. Enter this room and you will see eight touch screens, each showing a different camp in
Germany and you are able to walk through each one with a running documentary. On the other hand, the other side has seven pictures of the seven people who hid in the Secret Annex for two years and their helpers from the outside. The other side also has a separate room with eight touch screens as well. These eight touch screens take you through the Secret Annex and the different rooms in it, with written information. After visiting all this, you step onto the ‘railway line’ and leave the room. In a little while, the travelator splits into two and you choose your path. The left takes you through a corridor with wall screens depicting the aftermath of the Holocaust and the thousands that died. The place is very bright and the music is peaceful yet sad. A sense of respect and awe fills over you as you see the many brave people who stood up for their religion. Take the other path and you also feel the similar emotions. It is bright in there too and the music is the same. The wall screens explain what happened to Anne Frank and the six others who hid in the Secret Annex. If you wish, there are corridors leading back to the split of the travelator and you may take the other path. Both the paths lead back to a room that is filled with sunlight and electrical light. In the middle, on a pedestal, is a picture of the Diary of Anne Frank and several pages from within. There are two windows on either side, a little higher than usual and an open glass window on the roof. The walls have different quotes from her diary such as “In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart. I simply can’t build up my hopes on a foundation consisting of confusion, misery, and death.” Once everyone has seen them, the light dims down and the doors are closed. Spotlights come on and beautiful white doves are released from the two windows and they leave the room through the open window on top. The room has a dramatic yet tranquil music and a voice says these words, “Anne Frank always wanted to live on even after her death, her wish has come true. Her diary was discovered and now it has become the second most read book. She has carried on living, not only through her diary but also through each and every one of us. Remember that Anne Frank was only one voice among millions.” A door opens in front and everyone is allowed to leave. Outside, there is a shop where people can buy the book, The Diary of Anne Frank and various quotes from her diary engraved on a framed piece of paper.

Images, Sounds and Symbols

We used various sounds, images and symbols to stir emotions in this memorial. The sounds we used were: sad, dramatic, uplifting, calm, Hitler’s speech, trains, soldiers marching and a sound achieved from nature would be the chirping of the doves. The speech made by Hitler, trains and soldiers marching were used to create a sense of fear and anger because we wanted the people to feel how it was like to be in that depressing situation which the Jews had no control over. The sad and calm sounds were used to create sadness among the people but still make them realize that Anne Frank, a 13 year old child, was able to face this traumatic time with a positive reaction. The uplifting sounds were used for a sense of happiness and order before the Holocaust and a sense of relief after the issue ended. The dramatic sounds were mainly used only for the doves because we wanted the audience to pay attention to the doves. The chirping of the doves was used to create a sense of hope for the audience.

The images we used would fall into many categories: before the Holocaust, during the Holocaust, after the Holocaust, the Secret Annex, Anne Frank’s happy moments and the seven who hid in the Secret Annex. The images from before the Holocaust and Anne Frank’s happy moments showed how all was good in life and everything was in order. The images of during the Holocaust, the Secret Annex and the seven who hid in the Secret Annex, was meant to show how one person was able to change the lives of millions because of his dislike for that particular race. People were forced to change their lifestyle in order to save themselves and their families. The pictures depicting the aftermath of the Holocaust showed how the Holocaust had changed
Europe and the lives of people forever. The people who survived were scarred for life and millions lost their lives.

The Symbols we used were the gas cans, the duplicate of a bed at the camp, the travelator disguised as a railway line, the doves and the open windows. The gas cans and the bed at the camp symbolized the torture and pain at the camp while the moving railway line symbolized the seemingly never-ending journey that the Jews had to go through. It also symbolized the anticipation and fear that the people had to face. The open windows implied the ideas of freedom and hope that Anne Frank had and the doves signified hope as well. Another reason the doves were symbols was because they hopefully told everyone that if a young 13 year old girl can remain hopeful during the Holocaust, then why can’t we be hopeful and think positively during our daily lives.

Which is the most powerful? We would say that the sounds and music in the memorial is the most powerful. This is because, nowadays, music is a very important aspect of everyone’s life, so therefore, listening to music would spread the effect we wanted everyone to have. Music is very powerful also due to the fact that no one can stop themselves from hearing it. People can choose not to look at pictures or symbols but no one can prevent themselves from listening to music.

Please realize that this memorial is for all ages. The older ones, however, may find the Holocaust and pictures too gory, so we designed the place in such a way that the people are allowed to choose which side interests them the most: the information about the Holocaust or Anne Frank’s life during these stressful times.

ESLRs

For this project, we completed many Expected Schoolwide Learning Results (ESLRs). This project basically covered all the required ESLRs such as, Critical Thinker, Academic Achiever, Involved Citizen, Effective Communicator and Self-Directed Learner.

Critical Thinker: We managed to accomplish this ESLR because we used information from various sources, such as the internet and one main book and solved problems using a variety of strategies. One example of this would be when we had a PowerPoint presentation and didn’t know how to fit it into the project. Eventually, we altered our memorial and made space to place the presentation.

Academic Achievers: We did this ESLR by accessing information from a variety of sources. We gained knowledge from the diary of Anne Frank and found information from the internet.

Self-Directed Learners: We accepted the responsibility for our own learning by realizing that in order to accomplish this project we needed to get the information for ourselves. We took creative risks to develop untried ideas and demonstrated competency in goal setting, time management, and organizational skills. We did this by trying different ideas for the memorial and setting time goals to complete this project.

Involved Citizens: We achieved this ESLR by trying to improve other people’s lives by designing this memorial. We wanted others to know what happened during the Holocaust and learn a lesson from a simple girl that would make them a better person.

Effective Communicator: We were effective communicators because we demonstrated out creative talents to convey ideas by excelling in the task we were given. Fred used his good knowledge of computers, Honoka used her artistic talents and I used my good writing skills. We listened respectfully and asked questions to facilitate understanding and achieve insight by asking questions when we didn’t understand the other person’s thoughts about the plan of the project. We collaborated with each other to achieve goals by coming to a compromise in order to finish the project. We conveyed information through visual and written sense by creating a blueprint of the memorial, the PowerPoint presentation and writing the required information. Finally we demonstrated awareness of the role of the audience by realizing that some of the people that would come to the memorial may find the pictures too gory, so we separated the memorial.

Who Did What?

This project was quite complex and due to the time restraint, we had to divide the work equally among the three of us. Our team managed to complete the project and we are extremely proud of ourselves. After deciding what to do, all three of us sat down together and jointly came up with the creative ideas and excellent plans. Honoka and I (Arathi), planned out the memorial and Fred designed the short movie on a PowerPoint document. Although we planned separately, we still advised each other and took the comments into consideration. Afterwards, when the real work began, Honoka worked on the blueprint of the memorial and Fred completed the PowerPoint presentation and wrote a description explaining it. Finally, I did the write-up: the description, the reasons, the ESLRs and who did what. Honoka and Fred were very efficient in completely their tasks and the final outcome is really good. I also believe that I did a good job of completing my task as well. We believe that this project was very interesting, partly because it allowed us to openly express our ideas and partly because it meant working with others and collaborating with them. Thank You Mr. R for this interesting project!

Some pictures of our project:

            “But you are only a young child!” These words…these exasperating words are the words that spill out of many parents’ lips when they talk to their children. Parents of preteens and teens, including mine, feel that young adults don’t know anything and don’t worry about vital issues in life. The truth is these parents are highly mistaken. Preteens and teens worry about many things and like Anne Frank mentioned in her diary, we do have a great deal going on in our “souls”. We don’t only worry about hair, nails and who likes who, we also worry about the most crucial points in our life.

            One fundamental worry for all teenagers including me is the future and what I want to achieve. How will the world be when I grow-up? Can I make a difference in the world? How can I make sure I excel in my studies? What do I want to achieve in life? What do I want to be? These are just a few questions that run in my mind from time to time and I’m sure most teenagers will agree, that they have at least pondered over these questions once. One more thought is what goals I should make and how I will achieve them. These goals can range from making sure I do my homework tomorrow to getting a good job twenty years from now. Any goal I make is important but whether I accomplish them or not and how I do that is much more significant. Making goals has been taught in many of my classes and although I sometime find it quite tiresome, I realize that it is a very valuable lesson that you carry with you throughout your life.

   Another wonder is relationships from the past, present and future. Due to traveling, I have made many friends, some which have ventured away from me and others who I have left. I think about them every time and always wonder whether I will see them again or would they always be a chapter from my past. I always dream and wish that I would meet an old friend while working in my dream job.

            Apart from worries about the future, I also have many current problems in my life that bother me. One main dilemma is my worry about my grades. Starting a new school and catching up with work is very difficult and therefore, my grades are great concerns. I fear that my grades might not come up to be my parents’ expectations and that they will punish me for that. I have begun to realize that my grades from this year onwards are very critical and can determine my future. Thus, I have decided to work extra hard to achieve my goals. The final thing I have pondered over many times is how to make precious and important friends. Travelers, like me, go through the process of making friends and leaving them behind. Going through this procedure again makes me realize how hard it is to make friends. Although I worry about whether I will make friends or not, I have realized that if someone can’t accept you for who you are, then that person is not a worthy friend.

            I have many wonders that I ponder on from hours on end but I believe that these are the most important ones to me. Hopefully, you can see that a teenager’s life is not as superficial and easy-going as it may seem. We also have many thoughts and questions that run through our minds like every other person on this planet.  

During their time in hiding, Anne and her family go through some difficult phases during which many fiery remarks are thrown between each member. Anne complains that her parents are always blaming her for everything and dislikes the treatment she receives everyday, sometimes good, and sometimes bad. She also protests that her parents immediately take on Margot’s side even if they don’t know what the problem is. Anne also mentions that she dislikes her mother but adores her father. I agree with Anne in many ways but I disagree with her too.
“My treatment varies so much.” Anne, like every other preteen, was annoyed that her parents treat her differently. I certainly agree with her and can relate to her problem very easily. “He doesn’t notice that he treats Margot differently from me.” Just like Mr. Frank, my parents sometimes treat my brother and me in very different ways without even realizing it. During particular conflicts, I receive all the blame and my brother receives none. This angers me very much and I always reach my bursting point. Although I feel all this rage, I bottle it all up inside me and carry on with life.”It wasn’t right of Daddy to judge without knowing what the squabble was about.” Another annoyance for Anne is how her parents always take on her sister’s side even though they don’t know what’s going on. This is another crisis that occurs to me very often too. Sometimes, during a fight between my brother and me, my parents instantly take on my brother’s side even though they don’t know the situation. Somehow, during these situations, I manage to get my say and I sort out the matter.
“I love them; but only because they are Mummy and Margot. With Daddy it’s different.” In her diary, Anne frequently declares that she adores her father but really dislikes her mother and Margot. This is something I strongly disagree with. Unlike Anne, I adore both my parents in different ways. My father is fun to hang out with, loves sports and enjoys all the leisure time in life. However, he is a disciplined person too. My mother, on the other hand, is the perfect person to talk to about issues and always has time for me. My brother can be a little annoying but is also very kind and helpful to me to.
Overall, this diary entry of Anne Frank’s was very interesting because I could relate to it easily.

In Anne Frank’s diary, there’s a point when her parents mention that they are leaving and force her sister and her to pack their belongings into a small backpack. Anne packs up the most unusual and unnecessary belongings claiming that memories are more important to her than clothes. If I was in Anne’s situation, I would have had a difficult time figuring out what to pack. I believe that I would bring clothes, such as t-shirts, jeans and sweaters, because these would be my basic necessities. I would also bring some of my favorite books along. Being isolated from the world can lead to boredom and therefore, I believe that reading books can eliminate this boredom. Nowadays, electronics are part of everyday life and for that reason, I would bring my cellphone and my Ipod. Since music is very important to me, these items are definitely required. The rest of the backpack would be filled with my most prized possessions that I received from my relatives and friends. A beaded bag that my grandmother gave me, a silver watch that my father gave me and various photographs of my family and friends. Unlike Anne, I believe that memories are just as important as my basic necessities.

Now here is a picture of my precious item, my cellphone:

Courage, in my opinion, has several valuable meanings. Courage isn’t just about being brave and fighting, it could mean facing a difficult emotional problem as well. For example, just this Monday, I had my first day at a new school. Although I was terrified, I plucked up all my courage and managed to get through a whole day. As you can see, being courageous doesn’t always involve being heroic, it could also be shown in very simple situations, as mentioned above. On the other hand, courage can involve great, bold acts as well. One courageous act remembered by all is in the mythical story about how Hercules fought a fierce lion. Now that was a very dangerous but very brave thing to do! Another important point in being courageous is that it can be a selfless act or it can be a show of bravado. Saving a person or animal is a selfless act while taming a lion at the circus is just a show. Overall, I believe that courage and being courageous is difficult to show, especially when you are in a terrifying situation that requires fast action. Although heroic acts are important, I believe the small, selfless acts are the ones that show the most courage.