Lesson 1 (from Introduction)
Martha documents her life as a midwife for 27 years in her diary. The objective of this lesson is to explore the nature of diaries.
Lead the class in a discussion about diaries. Begin with a definition and ask the students to offer any initial thoughts they have on the topic. What do they think is the purpose of a diary? Is it something generally kept only by emotional girls and women? Or can men write diaries without being seen as too sensitive or emotional? Do any of the students keep a diary today? Have they had one in the past? What were their motivations for creating it? Does the diary become a safe place to vent feelings? Is it a place to document facts? Or both?
Diaries can be considered sacred spaces among those who keep them; The Diary of Anne Frank is the...
This section contains 6,044 words
(approx. 21 pages at 300 words per page)