🎯 Learning Objectives
- Read Anne Frank's diary entry and understand her views on war
- Understand and use adjectives — position and comparison
- Write your own diary entries following the correct format
- Understand the vocabulary of war (positive and negative words)
- Understand 'Imagine' by John Lennon
- Write and deliver a speech on making the world a better place
2.1 Reading — Anne Frank's Diary: Wednesday, 3rd May 1944
📚 Anne Frank — Background
Who was Anne Frank? A German-born Jewish girl who, with her family, hid from the Nazis in a secret annex in Amsterdam from 1942 to 1944. She kept a detailed diary — which she addressed as 'Kitty' (her dear friend).
Fate: Discovered and arrested in August 1944. She died in February 1945 in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, aged 15. Her father Otto Frank survived and published her diary.
Why it matters: One of history's most powerful accounts of living through war — and one of the most optimistic, written by a teenager.
Diary Entry Summary — Three Parts:
| Part | Summary |
|---|
| Part 1: Anne Questions War | 'What, oh what is the use of the war? Why can't people live peacefully together?' She is puzzled by the contradiction: millions are spent DAILY on WAR, but there is not a penny for medical services, artists, or poor people. While food ROTS in some parts of the world, people STARVE in others. |
| Part 2: Who is Responsible? | Anne refuses to blame only politicians and capitalists. She says: 'The little man is just as keen' — ordinary people also want to destroy and kill. Until ALL of mankind undergoes a great change, wars will continue. |
| Part 3: Anne's Personal Optimism | Despite living in danger, Anne has never been in despair. She treats her hardships as amusing. She has decided to lead a DIFFERENT life from other girls. She recognises her buried qualities: courage, cheerfulness, strength, appreciation of beauty. She ends: 'Why, then, should I be in despair?' |
Comprehension Answers:
| Question | Answer |
|---|
| Why did Anne name her diary 'Kitty'? | She considered her diary as her best friend. Naming it made the diary feel like a real companion she could confide in every day. |
| What is 'the question' no one can answer? | 'What is the use of war and why can't people live peacefully together?' Simple because no one really wants war — yet wars keep being fought. |
| What puzzles Anne most? | That millions are spent DAILY on war but no money for medical services, artists, or the poor. And food ROTS in some places while people STARVE in others. |
| Who is responsible for war? | EVERYONE — not just politicians. 'The little man is just as keen.' There is an urge to destroy in ALL people. |
| Is Anne a cynic? Why/why not? | No. A cynic finds fault with everyone. Anne, despite witnessing the worst of humanity, remains ULTIMATELY OPTIMISTIC. She counts her blessings and refuses to give in to despair. |
| What are Anne's 'buried qualities'? | Courage, adventurousness, inner growth, cheerfulness, strength, appreciation of beauty, ability to laugh even in danger. |
2.2 Vocabulary — Positive and Negative Words
| ✅ POSITIVE WORDS | ❌ NEGATIVE WORDS |
|---|
| beautiful nature, great adventure | revolt, rage, destroyed |
| cheerfulness, strength, interesting | disfigured, grumble, dangerous |
| laugh, happy nature, developing inwardly | despair, downcast, kill, murder, war |
| Word in Diary | Synonym / Meaning |
|---|
| surplus | Excess — more than what is needed (food rotting when others starve) |
| prefabricated | Parts of a building ready to be fitted/assembled — built in advance |
| grumble | To complain |
| starve | To suffer from severe hunger; to die from lack of food |
| revolt | Violent uprising/action against those in power; rebellion |
2.3 Grammar — Adjectives
BEFORE A NOUN (Attributive)
Adjective directly before the noun
...a satisfactory answer.
...a dangerous adventure.
...the most dangerous moments.
AFTER VERBS (Predicative)
Adjective after a linking verb (is, was, seems, looks)
I have often been downcast.
I am young and strong.
How good the people are!
📝 Adjectives from Anne's Diary
downcast, dangerous, romantic, interesting, amusing, different, ordinary, sole, humorous, young, strong, great, happy, whole, beautiful, good, buried
2.4 Writing — Diary Entry Format
📓 Diary Format
Every diary entry must have:
•
Day and date — e.g. 'Wednesday, 3rd May 1944'
•
Dear [Name/Diary] — addressing the diary as a friend
•
An event or situation — what happened that day
•
Feelings expressed — how you felt
•
Personal thoughts — your reflections and opinions
•
Sign off — your name at the end
Zlata's Diary — Sample Entries:
"I'm trying to concentrate but I simply can't. Something is going on in town. You can hear gunfire from the hills. On TV I see people in front of the parliament building. The radio keeps playing the same song: 'Sarajevo, My Love.' My stomach is still in knots and I can't concentrate on my homework anymore. Mimmy, I'm afraid of WAR!!!"
"Today is Daddy's birthday. I gave him a kiss and a 'Happy Birthday' card... They want to publish a child's diary and it just might be mine! You're coming out for the UNICEF week! SUUPER! And now super good news — the electricity is back. Ciao! Zlata"
2.5 Listening — 'Imagine' by John Lennon
🎵 About the Song
John Lennon (1940-1980) — member of The Beatles. 'Imagine' (1971) is his most famous solo song — a powerful anthem for world peace.
Theme: Imagine a world without borders, religion, possessions — just people living in peace and sharing the world.
Completed Lyrics (Fill in the Blanks):
Imagine there's no heaven / It's easy if you try
No hell below us / Above us only sky
Imagine all the people living for today
Imagine there's no countries / It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for / And no religion too
Imagine all the people living life in peace
You, you may say / I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one
I hope some day you'll join us / And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions / I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger / A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people sharing all the world
And the world will live as one
💡 Key Themes in 'Imagine'
- No heaven/hell — no religious divisions to fight over
- No countries — no wars over borders and territory
- No possessions — no greed, no hunger, no inequality
- Brotherhood of man — all humanity as one family
Practice Questions & Answers
Q1. Why did Anne Frank write a diary? Why did she call it 'Kitty'?
Anne wrote a diary because it was her way of coping with the terrifying and isolating experience of hiding from the Nazis. In hiding, she had no real friends she could talk to freely. She called her diary 'Kitty' because she treated it as her BEST FRIEND — a dear companion she could confide in every day.
Q2. What is Anne's main question about war? Why has no one answered it?
Anne's main question: 'What, oh what is the use of war? Why can't people live peacefully together?'
It is a SIMPLE question because nobody really wants war — most people want peace.
But NO ONE has answered it because, despite not wanting war, people still have an urge to destroy, kill, and dominate. Ordinary people support and participate in wars even though they claim they want peace.
Q3. What are the key elements of a diary entry? Write a sample entry.
Key elements: Day + Date + Year | 'Dear [Name]' | An event | Feelings expressed | Personal thoughts | Sign-off
Sample:
Friday, 28th May 2026
Dear Diary,
Today was the day I received my exam results. I had been nervous for weeks. When I saw the envelope, my hands were trembling. I opened it slowly. I passed — with distinction! For a moment, I couldn't believe it. Then I laughed and cried at the same time. I want to remember this feeling forever.
Yours, Tariq
Q4. What is the theme of John Lennon's 'Imagine'?
The central theme is a VISION OF WORLD PEACE through the elimination of all sources of conflict:
1. No religion — no religious wars
2. No countries — no wars over borders
3. No possessions — no greed, no hunger, no inequality
The song asks us to IMAGINE a world where all of humanity lives as one brotherhood, sharing the world.
Q5. Anne says 'The little man is just as keen.' What does this mean?
'The little man' = ordinary citizens, common people. Anne is saying that wars are NOT just the fault of politicians. ORDINARY PEOPLE also want to fight, destroy, and dominate. If ordinary people truly wanted peace, they would RISE IN REVOLT against their leaders. But they support the war and join the army. This means ALL of humanity shares responsibility for war.
Q6. Compare Anne Frank and Zlata Filipovic. What do they have in common?
SIMILARITIES:
1. Both were young girls (teenagers) living through WARS
2. Both kept diaries addressing them as dear friends ('Kitty' and 'Mimmy')
3. Both express FEAR about war but also show RESILIENCE and optimism
4. Both diaries were PUBLISHED and became important historical documents
5. Both ask why war exists
Difference: Anne Frank died in a concentration camp; Zlata survived the Bosnian war.
Q7. Identify adjectives in: 'I am young and possess many buried qualities; I am living a great adventure. I have been given a happy nature.'
downcast, dangerous, romantic, interesting, amusing, different, ordinary, sole, humorous, young, strong, great, happy, buried, whole, beautiful, good
Q8. Write 3 adjectives each to describe: a) war b) peace c) childhood d) hope
War: brutal, senseless, devastating
Peace: beautiful, precious, fragile
Childhood: carefree, innocent, joyful
Hope: powerful, persistent, life-giving
Q9. Is Anne's question — 'Why do people make war?' — answered today?
No, Anne's question has NOT been answered. Even today, wars rage around the world. Despite the United Nations, international laws, and treaties, wars continue.
Anne's deeper insight remains true: it is not just politicians who cause wars. As long as ordinary people harbour prejudice and support leaders who benefit from conflict, wars will continue. John Lennon's vision in 'Imagine' remains a dream, not a reality.
Q10. Write a short speech on 'Why we must make peace, not war'.
My fellow human beings,
We live in a world of breathtaking beauty — mountains, rivers, forests, and the laughter of children. Yet we fill it with bombs, borders, and hatred. Why?
As Anne Frank wrote from her hiding place: 'What is the use of war? Why can't people live peacefully together?'
As John Lennon sang: 'Imagine all the people living life in peace.'
War costs us our children, our futures, and our humanity. Every bullet fired is a school not built. Every bomb dropped is a hospital not funded.
I say to you today: let us choose life over death, brotherhood over borders, and hope over hatred.
Thank you.
Let Us Sum Up — Quick Revision
- Anne Frank: A 14-year-old Jewish girl hiding from Nazis. Questions war, its cost, its senselessness. Ultimately optimistic.
- Diary Format: Day + Date + Year | Dear [Name] | Event | Feelings | Thoughts | Sign-off
- Anne's Key Insight: Not just politicians are guilty — 'the little man is just as keen.' All of humanity must change.
- Adjectives: ATTRIBUTIVE (before noun): a dangerous adventure. PREDICATIVE (after verb): I am young.
- Positive Words: beautiful nature, great adventure, cheerfulness, strength, interesting, happy nature
- Negative Words: revolt, rage, destroyed, disfigured, grumble, despair, kill, murder, war, downcast
- 'Imagine' — Lennon: No countries, no religion, no possessions → brotherhood, sharing, living as one