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Performance Task:
Informational Essay
Assignment
Write an informational essay in which you answer the following question:

In what ways do the experiences of Anne Frank and her family show the power of hope?

Cite examples from the play The Diary of Anne Frank, which you read during Whole-Class Reading. Use the elements of informational essays in your writing.

Informational essays are brief works of nonfiction in which a writer conveys ideas, concepts, and information about a topic.

Elements of Informational Essays
Purpose:
to examine a topic and provide information


Characteristics
a clear central idea, or thesis
analysis of relevant text evidence, which is presented as summaries, paraphrases, and direct quotations
appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion and to clarify the relationships among supporting points and concepts
precise language and specific vocabulary that explains the topic
standard English conventions, including correct use of capitalization, punctuation, and spelling

Structure
a well-organized structure that includes:
an interesting introduction that previews what is to follow
coherence within and across paragraphs
a strong conclusion that follows from your information
Use Academic Vocabulary
Try to use one or more of the unit’s academic vocabulary words in your essay: theorize, sustain, declaration, pronounce, enumerate.

Take a Closer Look at the Assignment
Understanding the assignment will help you write a better essay by choosing the right words and ideas for your purpose and audience.

Explain the assignment in your own words
Do I understand the basic vocabulary of the assignment? What is it asking me to do (in my own words)?
Is my purpose for writing specified in the assignment?
Does the assignment ask me to use specific types of evidence? Where will I get the evidence? What kinds of sources will I consult?
Enter your answers below.

Answers

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Answered by GPT-5 mini
Explain the assignment in my own words
- What is it asking me to do?
The assignment asks me to write an informational essay that explains how Anne Frank’s and her family’s experiences in the play The Diary of Anne Frank demonstrate the power of hope. I should use evidence from the play (summaries, paraphrases, and direct quotations) and include the features of an informational essay: a clear thesis, organized paragraphs, transitions, precise language, and a strong conclusion.
- Do I understand the basic vocabulary of the assignment?
Yes. Informational essay = nonfiction writing that explains a topic. Evidence = examples, paraphrases, and quotes from the play. Thesis = main idea I will support. Transitions = words and phrases that connect ideas.
- Is my purpose specified?
Yes. My purpose is to examine and explain ways the play shows the power of hope.
- Does the assignment ask me to use specific types of evidence? Where will I get the evidence?
Yes. I must use text evidence from the play The Diary of Anne Frank. I will use direct quotations from Anne’s lines, paraphrase key scenes (e.g., hiding in the annex, receiving gifts from Miep, family interactions), and summarize relevant moments that show hope.
- What kinds of sources will I consult?
The primary source is the play The Diary of Anne Frank (the stage adaptation read during Whole-Class Reading). I will rely on scenes and lines from the play as my evidence.

Informational Essay
Thesis: In The Diary of Anne Frank, the experiences of Anne Frank and her family show the power of hope by sustaining courage during confinement, creating emotional bonds that keep them going, and inspiring personal growth and moral strength despite danger.

Introduction
The Diary of Anne Frank presents a family living in hiding under constant threat, yet the play repeatedly shows how hope shapes their responses to fear and uncertainty. By examining how hope sustains the characters day to day, strengthens their relationships, and fosters Anne’s inner growth, we can see how hope becomes a powerful force that helps people endure hardship.

Body paragraph 1 — Hope sustains courage and endurance
Hope gives the annex residents the strength to continue living in secret. The very act of hiding and maintaining daily routines—work, cleanliness, and quiet—depends on the belief that survival is possible. Anne’s optimism is explicit when she writes, “I keep my ideals, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart.” This declaration, spoken in the play, functions as more than a personal comfort; it supplies emotional energy that helps the group persevere through long confinement and the fear of discovery. We can theorize that this hope is the force that turns fear into persistence, allowing the family to follow rules and plan for a future even when the present is bleak.

Body paragraph 2 — Hope creates and sustains emotional bonds
Hope also appears in the ways the characters support one another. Small acts—Miep’s visits with food and gifts, the celebration of birthdays or Hanukkah in secret—are visible signs that the outside world still cares and that life continues. These gestures, and the family’s attempts to keep some normalcy, reinforce communal hope. For example, when the inhabitants share jokes or stories, they are not simply passing time; they are sustaining trust and connection that make isolation bearable. The play shows that hope is contagious: one person’s attempt to remain upbeat helps others cope, which in turn strengthens the whole group’s resolve.

Body paragraph 3 — Hope inspires moral strength and personal growth
Anne’s hope leads to significant personal development and moral reflection. Even under stress, she examines human nature and her own identity; she often writes about future ambitions and the value of inner freedom. Her line, “Where there’s hope, there’s life. It fills us with fresh courage and makes us strong again,” captures how hope motivates her to imagine life beyond the annex and to hold fast to principles. In contrast, characters who give in to despair lose their sense of purpose; this contrast helps enumerate the play’s lesson that hope supports moral and psychological resilience. Anne’s hopeful reflections ultimately give readers and other characters a model of dignity in the face of atrocity.

Conclusion
The Diary of Anne Frank shows that hope is not merely wishful thinking but an active, sustaining power. It helps the annex residents endure the practical hardships of hiding, it builds and preserves human connections that lessen the pain of isolation, and it promotes inner growth and moral courage in Anne herself. By portraying these effects, the play pronounces a clear message: hope can transform suffering into the possibility of meaning and survival.