The Diary of Anne Frank: Literature & Film Guide

Banned Books

The Diary of Anne Frank is one of the most frequently banned books in America. Before discussing with your students the reasons why books are banned, find background materials and helpful facts in A Guide to Teaching Challenged and Banned Books, which covers issues such as the First Amendment, freedom of speech, and censorship. Then, ask students the following questions:

1. The Diary of Anne Frank continues to be one of the most frequently banned books in America. Why do you think the book is banned? Make a list of the features and scenes in the diary that you think might be viewed as controversial.
2. Read more about frequently banned books online and at your school library. Start here: http://www.infoplease.com/spot/banned-kids-books.html
3. Find out more about the phenomenon of banned books by investigating a case – locally or nationally – in which citizens attempted to have the diary banned. What arguments were presented on both sides, and what was the outcome? In your opinion, was the outcome appropriate? Explain. Visit "Culpeper County Public Schools Pulls Explicit Text" (http://www2.starexponent.com/cse/news/local/article/ccps_pulls_explicit_text/51217) to learn more about a specific situation in which The Diary of Anne Frank was challenged and/or banned.

Adapted from MASTERPIECE CLASSIC The Diary of Anne Frank Teacher's Guide, created by Bennett Singer for the WGBH Educational Foundation/MASTERPIECE © 2010 WGBH.

PBS's MASTERPIECE has been airing lavish, magnificently acted adaptations of British classics for most of the series' 40-year history. Educators have received award-winning, teacher's guides for many of these programs and can continue to find them—free of charge and online at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/learn/. To view a schedule of upcoming programs, visit http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/schedule/index.html