What Does Success Look Like?
Scholars explain Roger Rosenblatt’s perspective on the relevance of Anne Frank’s diary. They also analyze Charles Bukowski’s advice on how to be a good writer.
Seminar 1: “The Diarist Anne Frank,” from Time Magazine (Nonfiction), and “so you want to be a writer?” (Poem)
Do Now — 10 minutes
- Play classical or jazz music to establish a calm work environment.
- Scholars revise their Exit Tickets from yesterday’s seminar based on the feedback you gave them.
Launch — 2 minutes
- Tell scholars that today they will be reading two texts: a nonfiction piece, “The Diarist Anne Frank,” and the poem “so you want to be a writer?” by Bukowski. Build excitement by telling scholars that both texts will develop their background knowledge about concepts important in Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl.
Read and Discuss 1 — 35 minutes
Display “The Diarist Anne Frank.”
Preview the Text (2 minutes):
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- Have scholars read the title and scan the passage to frame their thinking.
- Call on scholars to share what they noticed about the text and what they will think about as they are reading.
Read (3 minutes):
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- Say: As you are reading, think, What is this article mostly about?
- Read the text aloud while scholars follow along on their digital copies.
Discuss (3 minutes):
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- Scholars discuss the following question in pairs: What is this article mostly about? Call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars back up their claims with evidence from the text.
Read (15 minutes):
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- Say: As you are rereading, think, Why did the author write this article?
- Read the article aloud as scholars follow along on their digital copies. While reading aloud, pause to ask the questions below:
- Stop after line 23, “… and hope for the future of human beings.”
- Partner Talk: According to the author, why is Anne Frank such a “memorable figure”?
- Stop after line 31, “Trapped at last in their homes, they were ‘disappeared.’”
- Partner Talk: Why did Anne’s family go into hiding?
- Stop after line 40, “… living even after my death.”
- Partner Talk: Why does the author refer to Anne’s diary as an “instrument of freedom”?
- Stop after line 57, “… for perhaps the time will come when I shall be able to carry them out.’”
- Partner Talk: Why does the author characterize Anne Frank as a “recognizable human being” (line 48)?
- Stop after line 73, “… What they could not know is that she already escaped.”
- Partner Talk: What does the author mean when he says that Anne “had already escaped”?
- Discuss: Why did the author write this text?
Main Idea Jot (2 minutes):
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- Scholars jot a main idea in a comment next to the title of the text.
- While scholars are working, circulate to determine which scholars have a bull’s-eye main idea jot and which do not.
Discuss (8 minutes):
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- Scholars discuss the following questions as a whole class:
- What argument is the author making about the relevance of Anne Frank’s diary?
- How do lines 58–69 support the author’s argument?
Give scholars 2 minutes to revise their main idea jots based on the discussion.
Write — 10 minutes
Write an essay of no more than 200 words:
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- According to the author, what makes Anne Frank’s diary so powerful? Justify your argument with at least two concrete pieces of evidence from “The Diarist Anne Frank.”
Wrap-up — 5 minutes
- Show an exemplar essay to scholars. Have scholars discuss what makes the claim clear and compelling. Set your expectations for what scholars must do differently when approaching the next text.
Read and Discuss 2 — 30 minutes
Display “so you want to be a writer?”
Preview the Text (2 minutes):
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- Have scholars read the title and scan the poem to frame their thinking.
- Call on scholars to share what they noticed about the text and what they will think about as they are reading.
Read (10 minutes):
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- Say: As you are reading, think, What is this text mostly about? Why did the author write this poem?
- Scholars independently read and annotate the text on their Chromebooks. When they are finished, they jot a main idea in a comment next to the title of the text.
- While scholars work, circulate to determine the major trend in scholars’ work and conference with two or three scholars.
Discuss (5 minutes):
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- Scholars discuss the following questions in pairs: What is this poem mostly about? Why did the author write this poem? Call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars back up their claims with evidence from the text.
Give scholars 2 minutes to revise their main idea jots based on the discussion.
Read (6 minutes):
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- Say: As you are rereading, think, How do lines 58–64 contribute to the main idea
of the poem?
- Reread lines 58–64 with scholars.
Discuss (5 minutes): Scholars discuss the following question as a whole class:
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- How do lines 58–64 contribute to the main idea of the poem?
Exit Ticket — 8 minutes
Write an essay of no more than 200 words:
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- What advice does the speaker offer to those who want to be writers? Justify your argument with at least two concrete pieces of evidence from the poem.
Homework
- Based on the Wrap-up, revise the essay question.
