Voices in Hiding

Overview

Students read carefully selected excerpts connected to Anne Frank to practice determining word meaning (including figurative/connotative uses) and analyzing how repetition and sound patterns create impact. They also explore theme and cultural context, culminating in a speaking task that supports comprehension.

Learning intentions

• Students will be able to determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings.
• Students will be able to analyze how rhyme, repetition of sounds, or repeated words affect a verse or stanza-like passage.
• Students will be able to determine a theme or central idea and explain how it develops across the text.
• Students will be able to identify how setting and circumstances shape characters’ choices and relationships.
• Students will be able to speak using evidence from the text by summarizing and responding thoughtfully in pairs and small groups.

Success criteria

• I can explain what a challenging word/phrase means in context and provide a reason from the text.
• I can identify a repeated word, phrase, or sound pattern and explain how it changes mood or meaning.
• I can state a theme or central idea and describe how the author develops it over multiple moments.
• I can contribute to a discussion using quoted details and clear sentence frames.

Curriculum links

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.4 — Determine word meanings in context; analyze impact of repetition of sounds and repeated language.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.2 — Determine a theme or central idea; analyze development; provide an objective summary.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.3 — Analyze how setting shapes characters and plot.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.9 — Compare a fictional portrayal and a historical account to understand how authors use or alter history (used through guided discussion, not a full essay).

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–6 min · Cultural context hook (ESL friendly). Teacher displays two short prompts on the board: “What does it mean to hide?” and “What might you do to keep hope?” Students do a quick think-write, then share with a partner using one of the stems: “I think hiding means…”

2. 6–14 min · Mini-lesson: meaning in context. Teacher models with a sentence from the selected excerpt, highlighting one academic/connotative phrase and showing how context clues (nearby sentences, tone, or contrast) reveal meaning. Students underline one word/phrase they think is important and write a guess plus one text clue.

3. 14–28 min · Reading comprehension: two-pass reading. Teacher gives students a short, age-appropriate Anne Frank–related excerpt (diary-style selections) and a “Reading Lens” sheet with three guiding questions:

• What is happening in this moment?
• What feeling or idea does the author communicate?
• Which sentence shows that most clearly? Students read once for gist, then again to annotate using a code: circle unfamiliar words, box evidence sentences, and star one place where language feels repeated or patterned.

4. 28–38 min · Word study + figurative/connotative analysis. Teacher prompts: “Choose one circled phrase. What does it mean here, not in general?” Students complete a short “Context Meaning” box: Word/Phrase → Meaning in this text → Evidence sentence → Why that clue matters.

5. 38–50 min · Repetition and sound impact. Teacher explains that writers sometimes use repeated words or sound patterns (for example, repeated wording, echoing phrases, or near-rhyme in diary-like voice) to build emphasis or mood. Teacher reads a passage aloud and marks two repeated elements found in students’ annotations. Students discuss in groups of 3: “How does this repetition make the author’s feelings clearer or more intense?”

6. 50–58 min · Speaking activity: evidence-based discussion. Teacher assigns roles: Speaker A summarizes, Speaker B connects to theme, Speaker C asks a question and points to evidence. Students use the sentence frames:

• “One theme in the text is ____ because ____.”
• “The repetition/word choice affects the mood by ____.”
• “The setting influences ____ by ____.” Groups share one insight with the class.

7. 58–60 min · Exit ticket (quick check). Students answer two prompts:

• Write the theme or central idea in one sentence.
• Choose one word/phrase and explain its meaning using evidence.

Resources

• Printed excerpt(s) from Anne Frank–related diary selections (teacher-selected for grade appropriateness)
• Reading Lens worksheet (annotation prompts and evidence box)
• Context Meaning chart (word/phrase → meaning → evidence → reason)
• Speaking role cards and sentence frames
• Highlighters or annotation pencils
• Board/chart paper for modeling repetition and theme
• Timer for partner/group rotations

Assessment

• Formative checks during guided annotation: teacher circulates to confirm students’ context-clue reasoning
• Mid-lesson spot check: review completed “Context Meaning” entries for accuracy and evidence
• Exit ticket: evaluate theme statement and word meaning explanation for RL.7.2 and RL.7.4 alignment

Differentiation

• Provide sentence frames and word banks (emotion words, theme verbs like “reveals,” “shows,” “develops”)
• Offer a highlighted “target sentence” in the excerpt so ESL learners can focus on one key phrase first, then choose a second independently
• Allow EAL learners to discuss with a partner before writing; accept paraphrase plus one short direct quotation
• Extension for strong readers: identify an additional repeated phrase and propose an alternative interpretation of its effect on mood or theme