LESSON DAY 8:

 

TITLE: Crucible Act II & III: Viewing, Reading, Discovering Meaning

SUBJECT: American Literature and Composition

GRADE: 10^th

QCC(s): 29, 36, 38, 41

 

GENERAL OBJECTIVES: (IRA/NCTE standards for the English Language Arts)

Students will:

• Apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics). (No. 3)

• Participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities. (No. 11)

 

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES: (Georgia’s Quality Core Curriculum)

Students will:

• Read, discuss, and analyze American literature representing diversity (e.g., gender, ethnicity). (Topic: Reading/Literature – L.A. 9-12 No. 29)

• Engage in discussion as both speaker and listener, critically and constructively interpreting, analyzing, and summarizing ideas. (Topic: Reading/Literature – L.A. 9-12 No. 36)

• Evaluate messages and effects of mass media (newspaper, television, radio, film, and periodicals). (Topic: Speaking/Listening – L.A. 9-12 No. 38)

• Write in narrative, descriptive, persuasive, and expository modes with emphasis on exposition. (Topic: Writing/Usage/Grammar – L.A. 9-12 No. 41)

 

PROCEDURES/TEARCHER NOTES:

Daily Writing Prompt:[10 minutes]

As students enter the class each day they will be given a new expository prompt either in a handout, written on the board or projected by an overhead. Students will respond to the text by writing a paragraph.

 

Prompt:

“DRIVE”  INCUBUS

Sometimes, I feel the fear of uncertainty stinging clear.

And I can't help but ask myself

how much I'll let the fear take the wheel and steer.

It's driven me before,

and it seems to have a vague,

haunting mass appeal.

But lately I am beginning to find

that I should be the one behind the wheel.

Whatever tomorrow brings,

I'll be there with open arms and open eyes.

So if I decide to waiver my chance to be

one of the hive will I choose water over wine

and hold my own and drive?

It's driven me before and it seems to be the way

that everyone else gets around.

But lately I'm beginning to find

that when I drive myself my light is found.

So whatever tomorrow brings,

I'll be there with open arms and open eyes.

Yeah. Would you kill the Queen to crush the hive?

Would you choose water over wine....

hold the wheel and drive?

 

Question the students will answer: Think about what you have just read. Write an expository paragraph to turn in explaining your response to the text.

 

Quick Write: Students will create a fast response paragraph as quickly as possible. When the students have finished their fast response, they should place it in their class folder, put their pen/pencil down and remain quiet.

 

 

Overview of main lesson:

The teacher will review Act I & II with students.

 

Step 1: [15 minutes]

Introduction –The teacher will ask a few review questions to get students focused on the material before the quiz. Possible questions could be:

Act I

1)     Why has Reverend Parris sent for a doctor as the play begins?

2)     What does Parris question his niece Abigail about?

3)     What did Parris see in the woods the previous night?

4)     What has Elizabeth Proctor said about Abigail?

5)     Who does Abigail accuse of conjuring spirits?

6)     What happened in the past between John Proctor and Abigail? How do each of them feel about it now?

7)     How does John Proctor feel about Reverend Parris?

8)     Who does Tituba accuse of being a witch?

 

Act II

1)     Why has Mary Warren disobeyed her employers and gone to Salem?

2)     What news does Mary Warren reveal to John and Elizabeth about the trials?

3)     What does Elizabeth realize when she finds out that she has been accused?

4)     Why does Reverend Hale visit the Proctors?

5)     How does John Proctor respond to questions about why he has not been to church?

6)     Why does Elizabeth say that she doesn’t believe in witches at this point?

7)     What has Rebecca Nurse been accused of?

8)     Why do Ezekial Cheever and Marshal Herrick arrive at the Proctor home?

9)     What does John ask Mary Warren to do?

 

 

Step 2: [25 minutes]

QUIZ: Students will receive the quiz (see attached) and begin working.

 

Step 3: [35 minutes]

The students will view the next 35 minutes of the film The Crucible. This amount of the movie will cover the events in Act III.

 

CLOSING: With any remaining time, the teacher answer any questions about the essay paper; instructions, tips on picking the topic and starting to write. The students will be reminded that their essay paper is due on the following Monday (Day 11). The teacher will also let them know that a portion of time in the next class will be devoted to working on their paper.

 

Homework: Students need to read Act III, p. 8-120.

 

MATERIALS: Copies of the quiz, The Crucible, TV/VCR, Film The Crucible

 

ADDITIONAL TEACHER NOTES: What also needs to be touched on in discussion is the difference between the film version and the text version of The Crucible. Possible questions:

a)     Are the differences, confusing or distracting?

b)     Does the film version give too much additional information?

c)      How do the differences effect your view of the characters: their personalities and their motivations?

 

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS: Students will need to have paper, pen/pencil.

 

EVALUATION:

Discussion: The students’ response to Act I & II prompter questions will show how well students understand the film and the text of The Crucible.

 

Quiz: How well the students do on the quiz will show their level of understanding of The Crucible.

 

Essay: The students’ essay paper will provide a final assessment of the level of understanding each student has reached on The Crucible.

 

ACCOMMODATIONS: See accommodation sheet

 

REFERENCES:

Boyd, Brandon., Einziger, Michael., Katunich, Alex., Kilmore, Chris., Pasillas II,

José Antonio. INCUBUS. “Drive.” Make Yourself. CD. Sony Music, 1999

Miller, Arthur. and Weales, Gerald, ed. The Crucible: Text and Criticism. New

York: Penguin Books, 1996.

The Crucible: Unit Plan [English Online]. 22 Nov 2001.   

http://english.unitecnology.ac.nz/resources/units/crucible/home.html

The Crucible, Dir. Nicholas Hytner. Perf. Daniel Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder, Paul

Scofield and Joan Allen.  1996. Videocassette.  Fox Video,  1997.

 

 

QUIZ Acts I and II:

Maximum latitude is allowed for student responses as long as they are accompanied by evidence (examples) from the text.

 

 

1. As the play opens Rev. Parris is questioning his niece. What is he questioning her about and what exactly is his real concern?

 

 

 

 

 

2. Explain in detail the relationship of John Proctor, Elizabeth Proctor, and Abigail Williams.

 

 

 

 

 

3. Exactly why is Rev. Hale in Salem?

 

 

 

 

 

4. Why does Abigail Williams accuse people at the end of Act I?  Why does Betty Parris accuse people?.

 

 

 

 

 

5. Why doesn't John Proctor tell the court immediately what he knows concerning what has been happening?

 

 

 

 

 

6. When Elizabeth is taken away in chains, John Proctor tries to convince Mary Warren to testify against Abigail. What does Mary Warren warn him will happen if he testifies against Abigail?  What does he eventually decide to do and why?