Voices of the Secret Annex
NARRATOR: The year is 1942. The city of Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, is under the control of the Nazi party during World War II. For many people, especially Jewish families like the Franks, the world has become a dangerous place. To stay safe, Anne Frank, her family, and four other people have gone into hiding in a small set of rooms hidden behind a movable bookcase. This place is known as the Secret Annex.
ANNE: (Writing in her diary) Dearest Kitty. That is what I call my diary, you know. I hope I shall be able to confide in you as I have never been able to confide in anyone. It feels strange for someone like me to keep a diary. Not only because I have never written anything before, but because it seems to me that neither I nor anyone else will be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year-old schoolgirl. But it doesn't matter. I want to write, and I have a great need to get all kinds of things off my chest.
- Annex:
- An extra building or a set of rooms attached to a larger building.
- Confide:
- To share secrets or private information with someone you trust.
- Resilience:
- The ability to stay strong or recover quickly after something difficult happens.
- Prejudice:
- An unfair feeling of dislike for a person or group based on things like their religion or race.
- Tranquility:
- A state of being calm, peaceful, and quiet.
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Main Idea
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Context Clues
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Summarize
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Point of View
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Purpose
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Structure
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Language & Tone
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1Where was the Secret Annex located and how was it hidden?
- 2Why did the Frank family and others have to go into hiding in 1942?
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About this reader's theater passage for Upper Elementary
“Voices of the Secret Annex” is a reader's theater reading passage about Anne Frank, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 5 minutes to read (782 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.