Download Charlotte Stephens

Charlotte Stephens
TE 407
Unit Plan: The Crucible
Audience: This unit is designed for an eleventh grade English class, and should be
conducive to either an Urban or Suburban setting.
Assessment: Individual project: “Mapping ‘The Crucible’” or Essay or Group Project:
Dramatic Performance or presentation
Standards:

CE 3.1.2 Demonstrate an understanding of literary characterization, character
development, the function of major and minor characters, motives and causes for
action, and moral dilemmas that characters encounter by describing their function
in specific works.

CE 3.1.3 Recognize a variety of plot structures and elements (e.g., story within a
story, rising action, foreshadowing, flash backs, cause-and-effect relationships,
conflicts, resolutions) and describe their impact on the reader in specific literary
works.

CE 3.1.4 Analyze characteristics of specific works and authors (e.g., voice, mood,
time sequence, author vs. narrator, stated vs. implied author, intended audience
and purpose, irony, parody, satire, propaganda, use of archetypes and symbols)
and identify basic beliefs, perspectives, and philosophical assumptions underlying
an author’s work.

CE 3.1.8 Demonstrate an understanding of historical, political, cultural, and
philosophical themes and questions raised by literary and expository works.

CE 3.1.9 Analyze how the tensions among characters, communities, themes, and
issues in literature and other texts reflect human experience.

CE 3.1.10 Demonstrate an understanding of the connections between literary and
expository works, themes, and historical and contemporary contexts.
Goals:
 Students will understand the content and major themes, symbols, motifs, etc. of
the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller.

Students will be able to connect the socio-historical context of the play (the Salem
Witch Trials) with the modern day portrayal of it by the author.

Students will be able to use their understanding of how decision-making can
affect outcome and use this idea to develop their own interpretations of the play.

Students will express their understanding through blogs, projects, essays, and inclass reading and discussion.
Themes, Motifs, and Symbols:
 Intolerance
 Hysteria
 Reputation
 McCarthyism and the 1950s
 Empowerment
 Accusations, Confessions, Trials
Objectives:
 SWBAT:
o Understand and examine the living conditions of the time period and
dynamics of Puritan life
o Compare and contrast the Salem Witch Trials to McCarthyism in the
1950s
o Reflect on the meanings of the word “crucible”
o Identify and explore major themes, motifs, and symbols present in the play
o Compare and contrast the actual court proceedings of the Witch Trials
with Miller’s portrayal of them in the play
o Participate in their own “trial” and connect it to the reading/put themselves
in the characters’ place
o Analyze the affects and consequences of human behavior
o Explore the use of dramatic theatre as a means to convey political, social,
and cultural beliefs and as a catalyst for change
o Better understand and examine the relationship between religion and
society
o Relate the main ideas of the play to their own lives and emotions, and
society as a whole
o Interpret the lines creatively through the use of their own devices and
make predictions based on their reading of the text
Outline of Unit by Days (2 weeks):
 Previous Friday:
Introduction to Arthur Miller and The Crucible
Homework: First half of Act 1
 Day 1 (Monday):
o 1st half of class Activity: Historical explorations of time period/Witch
trials online in computer lab, report findings to class, discuss Puritan life
and living conditions.
o 2nd half of class: Vocabulary Handout for entire play (go over), Begin
reading through Act 1, Entrance of John Proctor to Reverend Hale,
Address any questions they might have, Debrief and summarize in class
o Homework: Second half of Act 1
 Day 2 (Tuesday):
o In class: Review previous readings, continue with Entrance of Reverend
Hale until the closing scene of Act 1.
o Activity: Character exploration. In partners or small groups students will
use handout to answer who characters are, what emotions they are being
ruled by, and make inferences/predictions about their relationships with
other characters and plot development. Afterwards we will discuss in
class. We will look back over this sheet at the end of the unit. Final ten
minutes will be used for updating reading blogs with thoughts, ideas,
reactions, questions or concerns, etc. to Act 1
o Homework: Read Act II
 Day 3 (Wednesday):
o In class: Review Act II, add to character exploration worksheet (10
minutes) and go over new vocabulary
o Activity: (25 minutes)
 “You’ve been accused!” Students are split into small groups and
must come up with reasons why a person would have been accused
of witchcraft during this time. They will make a list of all the
things that they can think of that could possibly get them accused
of witchcraft based on what they know about the Puritan society.
 Afterwards each person from the group will write one from their
list on a slip of paper and put it in a hat provided by me. Every
person in the room will then draw one from the hat and see what
they’ve been accused of! (this should highlight the ridiculousness
of it)
 Now form a circle and have discussion based on question (10
minutes): “Somebody once said that the best defense is a good
offense”
 Would John Procter agree with this? What was he hinting at when
he asked why the accusers are always innocent now? How would
you feel if you were actually being accused of these things? What
if you were the accuser?

Homework: One page response: Write about a time when you or someone
you know felt that they had a lot of power. What gave you or that
person their power? Did they use it for good or evil? What were
the consequences?
 Day 4 (Thursday):
o In class: I will introduce the topic of “hysteria” and we will talk about how
it relates to what we are reading, why they think it happens, and what can
be the effects, and then that will segway into…
o Activity: Lesson: McCarthyism and the 1950s
 Small group activity with venn diagrams: compare and contrast
o Homework: Response (that will be entered into reading blog later): What
do you personally feel about what we learned in class today? Do you feel
the characters/situation is portrayed accurately by Miller, and if no, why
not? Why do you think he did this? In what ways was the “red scare”
reminiscent of the hysteria of the Witch Trials? Do you think these
reactions are typical of humans? Do the events that transpire indicate that
this is true?
 Day 5 (Friday):
o In Class: In partners/small groups, give handout of dramatic literature and
fairy tales. How has witchcraft been important in plays? Why (consider
social, cultural, economic, political reasons)? And finally, what factors
generate the belief in witchcraft (psychological)? Based on your reading
so far and our handout, would you say this is a “morality play”?
o Activity: Dramatic reading of Act II in class. Act out in small groups
using props, costumes. What emotions are you trying to convey?
o Homework: Read Act III over the weekend, List the roles in Puritan
society (young women, wives, men, reverend, etc.) and example from the
text about how these roles relate to “status” in the community in Act III as
you are reading through it. Bring to class. Prepare for trial!
 Day 6 (Monday):
o In class/Activity: “He said/She Said Trial”
 Debrief trial and discuss before the end of class
o Homework: Read Act IV, Think about it for reading blog, work on end of
unit assessment project, paper, etc. due Friday
 Day 7 (Tuesday):
o In class: Group discussion and handouts for notes about themes, etc. in
Act lV. Were your predictions correct? If you could rewrite the end, how
would you do it differently? Was Miller’s way effective? How?
o Activity: Watch “The Crucible” (the one with Wynona Ryder)!!! (or as
much of it as we can. We can finish it next week or on Friday)
o Homework: Work on end of unit project
 Day 8 (Wednesday):
o In class: Wrap up of the play: Present pictures of all the different
meanings of the word “crucible” but don’t tell students what the pictures
have in common. Ask if they know, and then tell them the activity.
o Activity: split class into as many groups as there are definitions of the
“crucible” and give them each one to focus on. They must try to relate the
definition to the themes of the text, what we have discussed in class, etc.,
and prove how it fits. Afterwards, they will share with class all the
different definitions and their argument for them.
 Which one best symbolizes the play? Why do you think so?
o Homework: come prepared next time to work on end of unit project
 Day 9 (Thursday):
o In class: Today I will meet with them to discuss their end of unit project
and any questions or concerns they might have. They will have time in
the computer lab to work on it during most of the hour.
o Homework: Work on projects
 Day 10 (Friday):
o In class: Present end of unit projects or scenes!!!
o Work on reading blogs if time
o Introduction to next lesson if time
Assessment:
For my ongoing assessment over the course of the two weeks, I will be using the
students’ reading blogs to have them post any commentary or questions they have, reflect
upon the ideas and what they’ve read or connect it with something. Sometimes I will
give them a prompt, sometimes I won’t; it doesn’t have to be very long, just enough for
me to see if they are understanding the reading, making connections, and also what
questions, if any, they might have so I can address those in class if necessary. This will
be especially helpful if they think of questions later or don’t want to ask them in class.
They will have about 10 minutes during the class period (maybe not every class period,
but I will attempt to make it most) to post their blogs in the computer lab, as some of
them might not have the resources available to them at home.
For my end of the unit assessment, they will have a few choices of what they can
do. They can either do a group project or an individual project. They will need to clear
whatever they plan on doing with me at the beginning of the second week so I can
monitor them and plan for whatever class time we might need. For the individual project,
they can choose to either map The Crucible digitally using the MyMaps application on
google maps (or using another program that they know of) or by hand using a scrapbook
or poster setup, or they can write a compare and contrast essay or an essay in which they
explore a theme or idea or make a connection and provide evidence. For the group
project, they can either choose a scene to perform in front of the class and submit an
explanation of why they chose the scene and why they think it is important, or they can
choose to do a presentation that parallels McCarthyism and The Salem Witch Trials, or
that addresses a specific theme from the text and puts it in context.
If they choose to do either of the individual projects, they will need to post it in
their blogs so that the other students and I can see it or read it. For the mapping project,
they will need to choose a character from the text and create a visual representation of
their lives using pictures, quotes from the text, relevant places, and historical information.
This will have very loose guidelines, because I am interested in seeing what the students
can create from this and whether or not they can make meaningful connections on their
own. They will all be made aware that this is what I am looking for in the rubric for the
assignment(s). If they choose to write the paper, they will need to write a 2-3 page essay
comparing or contrasting something or addressing a particular theme. I will give them a
list of possible topics to write about to keep it academically focused and valid.
If they choose the Group project, they will be responsible for presenting their
project to the class. I will require it to be a 7-10 minute presentation. They can use
costumes if they want for their performance and we will present them the last day of the
unit on Friday. I will provide them with a rubric that I will hand out on Monday when I
go over the options in class. Afterwards they will hand in a typed up explanation of why
they chose the scene and how it fits in with what we discussed in class. This will be 1
page.
Lesson Plans
“He said/She said Trial”
GRADE: English 11
DATE: October
UNIT: The Crucible
OBJECTIVE/Aim: What will my students be able to do by the end of class?
SWBAT examine the main themes of the play in relation to their “trial” and compare and
contrast it to the trials in the play, and relate to the characters based on their own
experiences.
CHECK FOR DEEP UNDERSTANDING:
BIG IDEAS: What 1-2 major
How will I know concretely that all of my students themes/ideas do I want students to
have mastered the objective?
walk away with?
Debriefing after the trial with guiding questions
that I have provided, as well as updating their
reading blogs
 The difficulty of proving
something in court and the
persuasive power of words
 The powerful effect of
accusations
HOOK: What will you do to get the students invested in the lesson?
I will take the first couple minutes of class to show a youtube clip of a trial
proceeding, or if I can find one, a dramatic reenactment of the Salem Witch Trials
MINI-LESSON: How will I convey the knowledge/skills of the lesson? What will my
students be doing to process info?
We will review the information sheet that I gave them the night before to study
about how a trial is conducted and go over the rules. This worksheet will state the
“situation” that I have come up with that the court proceedings will be dependent
upon (e.g. the crime that the accused has committed, the punishment, and any
circumstances). Then I will assign roles to the students such as judge, jury,
executioner, defendant, prosecutor or accuser, etc. Everyone will have a role. We
will have about 20-25 minutes to conduct the trial itself.
GUIDED PRACTICE: How will I work with my students to ensure that they are
understanding the objective?
I will provide them with a guide for the trial so they don’t get lost while they are
conducting it, I will also be there helping them along although mainly they will be
doing it themselves.
INDEPENDENT PRACTICE/GROUP WORK: What will the students do to show
mastery of the objectives?
After the trial is over and the decisions have been reached, we will debrief for the
last 10 or 15 minutes of class, and I will guide them along with questions I have
prepared:
 We conducted a fair trial? Do you think that the trial in the book was fair?
 Was there evidence provided in the text against the accused? If so, what was
Materials:
Worksheet
Podium
Gavel
“proof”
wksht and
notepaper
it? Do you think this was valid evidence?
 How does this connect with what we learned in class about McCarthyism
and the trial of Arthur Miller?
 How did the role in which you were placed affect you? Why?
Share Back: Will students share/interpret knowledge for others in the class?
The next time they update their reading blogs they will be asked to comment on the
trial and share their thoughts, questions, and opinions.
Closing: How will students summarize what they've learned? How will it
reinforce the objective's importance and its link to past and future learning?

Homework: Think about it for reading blog, work on end of unit assessment
project, paper, etc. due Friday
“McCarthyism and the 1950s”
GRADE: English 11
DATE: October
UNIT: The Crucible
OBJECTIVE/Aim: What will my students be able to do by the end of class?
SWBAT compare and contrast McCarthyism (1950s) to the Salem Witch Trials (1600s)
CHECK FOR DEEP UNDERSTANDING:
BIG IDEAS: What 1-2 major
How will I know concretely that all of my students themes/ideas do I want students to
have mastered the objective?
walk away with?
Reading blog prompt at end of class
Turn in class work to me for grading
 Similarities and differences
between history and today
 How history will repeat itself
 Human predictability/effects
HOOK: What will you do to get the students invested in the lesson?
Clip of McCarthy and clip of Arthur Miller on youtube (10 min.)
MINI-LESSON: How will I convey the knowledge/skills of the lesson? What will my
students be doing to process info?
I will show a powerpoint that I have made with details and info about McCarthyism
and how it relates to Arthur Miller, I will make sure to include important quotes and
documents. They will be taking notes while this is going on (15 minutes)
GUIDED PRACTICE: How will I work with my students to ensure that they are
understanding the objective?
 I will go around to small groups and help them, go over a venn diagram and
pass out templates for filling one out.
Materials:
Clips of
McCarthy
commenting
and Miller
commenting
Venn
Diagram
chart
INDEPENDENT PRACTICE/GROUP WORK: What will the students do to show
mastery of the objectives?
 Students will complete a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting
McCarthyism and the Salem Witch Trials in small groups, they will have
about 10 minutes to complete this.
Share Back: Will students share/interpret knowledge for others in the class?
Small groups will present quickly what they came up with in class and I will create a
venn diagram on the board for the whole class so we are all on the same page.
Closing: How will students summarize what they've learned? How will it
reinforce the objective's importance and its link to past and future learning?

Homework: Reading blog prompt: What do you personally feel about what
we learned in class today? Do you feel the characters/situation is portrayed
accurately by Miller, and if no, why not? Why do you think he did this? In
what ways was the “red scare” reminiscent of the hysteria of the Witch
Trials? Do you think these reactions are typical of humans? Do the events
that transpire indicate that this is true?
Notepaper