THE war on terrorism in Afghanistan is just 10 days old yet the newspapers and other media have been saturated by many different accounts.

From stories of British journalists being released by the Taliban, to accounts of refugees stuck in camps on the Pakistan border, there is reading material for everyone.

It's at times like these that history lessons and other classes can come to life as we learn from what goes on around us.

It has also been a time to take stock and talk about the world, rather than happily live in a cocoon protected from everything.

The first few days following the strikes in the US led to lots of questions being asked in the classroom, but how can teachers answer questions that world leaders find difficult?

What do you do when an 11-year-old pupil is told by a relative to be nasty to Asian classmates to "teach them a lesson"?

Teacher-training and even years of experience are unlikely to have prepared schools for the events of the past few weeks.

Although Worcester has remained a peaceful city, there have been instances of vandalism and pupil defiance across the country.

One pupil refused to observe a three-minute silence until it was agreed it would be for all victims of terrorism and war.

Pupils normally learn about the First and Second World Wars in history as well as the Arab-Israeli conflict and other battles.

Where better to learn about life than by using examples of real-time events?

Pupils in history lessons focussing on wars and other conflicts can develop their understanding by watching what is going on in this war.

An old adage goes along the lines of "the past is the key to the present and the future".

From the Afghanistan conflict we can learn about the history of other terrorist strikes. And, hopefully, it will be the key to preventing terrorism in the future.

What has been learnt from the war so far is that there are many different views.

One is from the perspective of the refugees fleeing their war-torn homes.

Children across Worcestershire have been invited to learn about a key figure from the past and put themselves in a similar position.

The Anne Frank exhibition will be arriving in Worcester in January. It documents the life of the teenage Jewish girl who wrote a diary about her family's suffering at the hands of the Nazis during the Second World War.

The exhibition has travelled around the world and educated millions of people about cultural differences.

Most schools in Worcestershire have been invited to the exhibition and, so far, more than 40 have signed up, which means that at least 4,000 children will be taking part.

Children aged 11 up are also invited to take part in a diary competition and all their entries will be displayed in the Cathedral, which is hosting the exhibition.

It aims to bring the lessons learnt from the Holocaust into the modern day.

Children are asked to keep a diary as if they were a displaced person recently arrived in a British transit camp.

"The issues of racism and prejudice are still relevant - the whole aim is to bring them up to date," said Annie Morphy, education liaison officer for the Anne Frank project.

"The children taking part in the project have been asked to write a diary as if they're an asylum seeker or refugee coming into this country now.

"It's a modern day look at Anne Frank and is aiming at cultural diversity."

One school in London can use truth as its base for any similar exercise.

Afghan teenager Farid Ahmed arrived in the UK in January after fleeing he country on foot and by truck.

The 16-year-old is now living with his brother and does not know whether the rest of his family is still alive.

Following the US strikes he approached his assistant headteacher in order to tell his story.

More than 20 refugee students have now joined forces and plans are under way to turn their stories into a polished product.

The story of Anne Frank is an inspiration for us all, whether we're bystanders to the war that is unfolding around us, or whether we have a part to play.

The exhibition that will visit next year is an opportunity not to be missed and is open to all members of the public from Monday, January 7, until Monday, January 28.

"It's a wonder I haven't abandoned all my ideals, they seem so absurd and impractical.

"Yet I cling to them because I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart.

"And yet, when I look up at the sky, I somehow feel that everything will change for the better, that this cruelty too shall end, that peace and tranquillity will return once more. In the meantime I must hold on to my ideals.

"Perhaps the day will come when I'll be able to realise them."

- Anne Frank