1. Palm Beach Performance Assessment #1
INFORMATIVE ESSAY
“THE DIARY OF A YOUNG GIRL”
“THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK”

2. READ THE PROMPT CAREFULLY
Now write a multi-paragraph response in which you examine how Anne’s struggles contribute to her personal growth in becoming who she wants to be. Make sure to include information from both passages in your essay.
WHO SHE WANTS TO BE
PERSONAL GROWTH
Anne’s struggles

3. USE YOUR PLANNING SHEET
How are you going to organize your essay?
1. By excerpt
2. By struggle
3. By growth
4. By who she wants to “be”

4. Find the best quotes to prove your point
If it doesn’t prove your point – it’s not the best quote.
If it doesn’t help you respond to the prompt – it’s not the best quote.
If you can’t “make it work,” it’s not the best quote.

5. Some of the best quotes:
“I hope I’ve got at least a touch of that insight, and I’ll find an occasion to put it to good use.”
“I want to reexamine the van Daan’s and decide for myself what’s true and what’s been blown out of proportion.”
“I want to take a fresh look at things and form my own opinion, not just ape my parents, as in the proverb “’The apple never falls far from the tree.’”
“As of today, my gossiping is a thing of the past.”
“I won’t say anything negative about my own family, though that doesn’t mean I won’t defend them if somebody else does.”
“I’ll have to stick with my own opinions and judgements.”

6. What brings her to these realizations?

7. Some of the best quotes: (Cont’d)
“It’s a phase…You heard Father…Most girls go through it…”
“Was I awful? Did I yell terribly loud? Do you think anyone outside could have heard?”
“Oh, Pim. I dreamed that they came to get us! The Green Police! They broke down the door and grabbed me and started to drag me out they way they did Jopie.”
“I’m a terrible coward. I’m so disappointed in myself. I think I’ve conquered my fear…I think I’m really grown up…and then something happens…and I run to you like a baby.”
“I can’t help it. I only told the truth. I didn’t want her here…Oh, Pim. I was horrible, wasn’t I?”
“And the worst of it is, I can stand off and look at myself doing it and know it’s cruel and yet I can’t stop doing it.”
“What’s the matter with me? Tell me. Don’t say it’s just a phase! Help me.
“I’m trying. I really am.”

8. Some of the Best Quotes: (Cont’d)
“I’m trying. Really I am.”
“Every night I think back over all of the things I did that day that were wrong…I say to myself, that was wrong. I make up my mind, I’m never going to do that again. Never!”
I keep trying to switch them around and have the good Anne outside and the bad Anne inside and be what I’d like to be. And might be…if only…if only…only…
“I have a nicer side, Father…But I’m scared to show it.”
“And be what I’d like to be. And might be…if only…if only…only…”
“I have a nicer side, Father, a sweeter, nicer side. But I’m scared to show it. I’m afraid that people are going to laugh at me if I’m serious. So the mean Anne comes to the outside and the good Anne stays on the inside and I keep trying to switch them around and have the good Anne outside and the bad Anne inside and be what I’d like to be. And might be…if only…if only…only…”

9. Now try your planning sheet again
1. Anne has a bad dream.
2. She realizes how ____________ she’s been.
3. She vows to change.

10. Introduction:
The introduction might be the biggest reason your planning sheet is so important. Figure out what you want to say so you can let the reader know what is coming.
Make sure to answer the prompt in the introduction. In this case, answering the prompt would look like this:
Anne’s struggles contribute to her personal growth in becoming who she wants to be.
Then elaborate. Anne has a dream and her response to her dream shows her that she is ______________. However, Anne imagines herself as _______________. She commits to Pim (her father) that she wants to change and that she doesn’t want to be ______________________ anymore.

11. Conclusion:
Most of the conclusion is restating the introduction. Make sure you restate though and don’t use the same words. Add a bit of new information, if you can, but don’t make any new points here. Making new points here will distract the reader, who will wonder why you didn’t make them in the body of your paper.

12. Other guidelines:
Cite quotes correctly. Surround your quote with quotation marks. Write the quote verbatim (word for word)
Use end punctuation correctly!
Make sure you explain your quotes.
Capitalize the title of the article/excerpts correctly! “Diary of a Young Girl” “Diary of Anne Frank”
No back to back quotes without explaining the significance of your quotes.
Spell characters’ names and other significant words found in the text correctly Mrs. van Daan Diary

13. Last thought: Reading is thinking Writing is thinking.
When you are reading and when you are writing, your brain should hurt.

14. Anne frank trailer