Students in Mrs. Maughan’s English class learn from history

Submitted by tiffanie.miley on

Many people feel that one of the great things about English class is that it can incorporate all other subjects.  Students can write a science fiction story or read a book about history.  Mrs. Maughan, an English teacher at SJHS, has been helping her students learn from historical literature.  Students in Mrs. Maughan’s class have recently been reading the play "The Diary of Anne Frank."  The play is about a Jewish girl who lived during the Second World War. She lived in The Netherlands when the Nazis took over and was forced to go into hiding in a secret room above her father’s business. The students have been reading for a little while, and are now just starting the second act of the play.

But how does learning history help you in English class? According to Mrs. Maughan, not only does it help you learn about something in history, but it helps you become a better reader and thinker as well.  She also said Anne Frank is a great thing to read because “It’s really relatable to kid’s lives, since Anne is the same age as them.”

Most students are really enjoying reading Anne Frank. According to Brock Randall, an eight grader in Mrs. Maughan’s class, it is exciting and fun to read about the history of the Second World War, especially about the Jews that had to go into hiding.

Now that students are really getting into the play, they are starting to understand the characters more.  In the second act of the play, the characters are getting  to know each other and starting to learn things about one another and treat others differently. But it is hard to live in a small area with seven other people. Brock said, “In Act 1, they are just getting used to each other and the place they live in. Now that they know each other they are a lot meaner.”  According to Mrs. Maughan, there is more tension between one another now that they have been living together longer. Most kids in Mrs. Maughan’s class are excited to find out what will happen in the end.

Attributions
Christopher Taylor, SJHS Staff Writer