The Crucible Schedule/Assignments
Intro/Act I 11/29 / Writing Lab 30 / Act I 12/1 / Act I 2 / Act I 3¨ Opening Journal: What makes a community vulnerable to hysteria (like that seen in Salem and 1950s)? Could our present community be vulnerable to such hysteria?
¨ The setting/atmosphere of play influences the plot and motivations of the characters. Read setting (3-8) & take notes—How does Miller describe the “set” for Act I? How do his notes describe the atmosphere? Why does Miller set Act I in a minister’s house?
¨ Describe the mood or feeling evoked by Miller’s stage description AND list the words or phrases that contribute this.
¨ Read 8-12
¨ Closing Journal: Write about a time when you either… 1. thought you might be in trouble and you lied to avoid it. OR 2. found yourself "in over your head" because of a bad choice you made. / SAT Essay
25 Minute Prompt / ¨ Opening Journal: Describe Parris in a paragraph—what kind of man does he seem to be? What does he care about? How do you know?
¨ Review characterization: direct vs. indirect, STEALE: Speech, Thoughts/Feelings, Effect on Others, Actions, Looks, and Environment
¨ Review Character motivation chart—fill in information for first four characters so far.
¨ Read 12-17—Fill in chart
¨ Closing Journal: Why, given what we now know about Parris, do you think he is one of the leaders of the witch-hunt? / ¨ Opening Journal: What sort of girl is Abigail? What positive qualities does she seem to possess? What negative qualities does she possess? Characterize her with two adjectives and defend your choices with examples of her speech or actions in the play.
¨ Read 17-24—Fill in chart
¨ Closing Journal: What do we learn about Abigail? How would you revise your characterization based on what you know now? If she were a GHS student, where might she "fit in" in terms of classes, activities, sports, etc.? Or would she? Explain. / ¨ Opening Journal: Think of a personal grudge you have held against another person; what caused the grudge and how has that event shaped your feelings about and treatment of that person now?
¨ Read 24-32—Fill in chart
¨ Closing Journal: Why are Mrs. Putnam and Thomas Putnam so eager to interpret Betty’s reactions as satanic signs? What could they gain by claiming that there is witchcraft in Salem? Who do you think they would accuse?
Act I 6 / Act II 7 / Act II 8 / Act II 9 / Act III 10
¨ Opening Journal: Conflict is the tension between two opposing forces that helps drive the action of a story. Act I reveals many of the sources of conflict, jealousy, and suspicion among the Puritans of Salem. Which of the people are in conflict with each other? Make a list (ex: Proctor vs. Self, Proctor vs. Hale) and explain what their conflict is.
¨ Introduce Conflict Web
¨ As you finish reading, make additional notes about the conflicts between the characters. (32-48—Note Rev. Hale on Motivation chart)
¨ Finish webs (partner?)
¨ Closing Journal: Which do you think is the biggest conflict in the story? Explain using details from the story. / ¨ Opening Journal: Act II takes place in John Proctor’s house; what do you predict will happen? Who will show up? Why?
¨ Read 49-52—Fill in chart
¨ Closing Journal: What do you think will happen now that Mr. Hale has arrived? Explain why you think that based on what you know of Mr. Hale and what has happened in the play so far. / ¨ / ¨
The Crucible Schedule/Assignments Revised
Act II 13 / Act II 14 / Act II 15 / LMC LAB 16 / Act III 17
¨ Opening Journal: Review what has happened so far in ACT II with the Proctors and Mary Warren at court. What do you think will happen? Explain why you think that based on what you know of the trials, the people involved, and what has happened in the play so far.
¨ Read 63-72—Fill in chart
¨ As you finish reading, make additional notes about the conflicts between the characters. (—Note Rev. Hale on Motivation chart)
¨ Closing Journal: What do you think about Rev. Hale? Do you think he is a good man? Do you think he is a wise man? Why or why not? / ¨ Opening Journal: Much of the hysteria in the play is the result of other conflicts; because the girls didn’t want to get in trouble, they start pretending. Because the Reverend doesn’t want to look like he can’t run his own house, he blames the devil. Name two other “causes” that contributed to this “witch hunt problem”—and explain their effects.
¨ Read 72-81—Fill in chart
¨ Have students complete Conflict Chart & Cause/Effect Relationships
¨ Closing Journal: Write about a time when either 1. Honesty (your own or someone else's) or 2. Jealousy played a role in a conflict in your life. / ¨ Opening Journal: “an everlasting funeral marches round your heart”—Think of the literal meaning of these words. What would an everlasting funeral look like? How would it feel to be trapped in one? What would happen if it marched around your heart?
¨ Review Figurative Language
¨ Introduce Chart Assignment; divide the class into groups to complete their section of the chart—each group presents their analysis to the other group with the quote
¨ Have groups share with the class; other students should take notes on their charts.
¨ RAFT / RAFT: Take the role of a character. Write a diary entry, letter, or speech that one of the characters would have written about their situation and how he/she feels about others at the end of Act II. While the Role, Audience, and Format is your choice, you must describe that character’s situation and feelings using figurative language and strong visual and sensory images to create a lasting impression on your reader. / ¨ Opening Journal: Act III trakes place in the Salem courts. What do you predict will happen at court? Why? Who will be involved, and what will be their motivations?
¨ Review Persuasion: Tools and Techniques
¨ Create chart: Defendant/ Accusations of Crimes/ Nature of Evidence
¨ Read 83-91
¨ Closing Journal: Why don’t people believe Proctor? Do you think this is fair? Why or why not?
Act III 20 / 21 / 22 / In School Concert ½ Day
¨ Opening Journal: Review what has happened so far in ACT III with the court. What do you think will happen? Explain why you think that based on what you know of the trials, the people involved, and what has happened in the play so far.
¨ Continue chart: Defendant/ Accusations of Crimes/ Nature of Evidence
¨ Read 92-105+
¨ Closing Journal: Explain how Mary Warren's character has changed. How was she portrayed at the beginning of the play? How is she portrayed now? To what do you attribute these changes? / ¨ Opening Journal: Mary Warren is subjected to intense peer pressure from Abigail and the other girls. How would you compare the intensity of the peer pressure she faces with that extended on young people today? What advice might you give Mary Warren for coping with the peer pressure she faces?
¨ Read 105-120
¨ Closing Journal: Almost a century after the witch trials, delegates to the Constitutional Convention decided to make a clear separation between church and state. How might the court proceedings in Act III have differed if that separation had been in place in 1692? In current events following Sept. 11th, is there still a clear separation between church and state? Explain. / ¨ Opening Journal: Read the following quote from “Why I Wrote The Crucible” and respond: “The more I read into the Salem panic, the more it touched off corresponding ages of common experiences in the fifties: the old friend of a blacklisted person crossing the street to avoid being seen talking to him; the overnight conversions of former leftists into born-again patriots; and so on.” How does the play relate to the witch hunts during the McCarthy era? What do the two events have in common?
¨ The Majestic: Answer questionsà / The Majestic Questions:
¨ P1- What is the setting of the film?
¨ P1- Why is he accused? Does he deserve to be?
¨ P1- How could he fight back?
¨ P2- What is the atmosphere in the courtroom?
¨ P2- How did he fight back?
¨ Closing Journal/Chart: How were the courtroom scenes similar? Different? How are the themes are similar? / ¨
Journal Requirements: Journals are a way of sorting out all the jumbled, confusing thoughts racing around in our heads and lead to us being better writers. At the beginning of each indicated class, please complete a journal entry (7-10 SENTENCE MINIMUM). Then for homework at the end of each class, you must write another journal entry (unless another writing assignment is indicated).
At the end of the play, you will pick your top five favorite journals to showcase and revise them, along with your RAFT and APPEAL assignments for your Crucible Portfolio.
Act III 3 / Writing Lab 4 / Act IV 5 / Act IV 6 / Act IV 7
¨ Opening Journal: What happened in Act III? Write a summary of the events, and then give your evaluation: was the trial fair, or unfair?
¨ Plan Appeal: Divide class into groups—each is a “lawyer” responsible for arguing for or against their defendant accused of their “crime”: John Proctor, Giles Corey, Rebecca Nurse, Mary Warren, Abigail Williams, and Elizabeth Proctor.
¨ Go back to the reading: find supporting details from the play for their arguments. / ¨ Write Act III Appeal (Argument): You are responsible for writing an organized appeal to Deputy Governor Danforth, using logical and emotional appeals to argue whether the accused (your character) is guilty (2-3 reasons) and what should happen. You must use supporting details from the play in your arguments. / ¨ Begin Act IV: Read 121-131
¨ Closing Journal: What is the aftermath of the trial? Are you surprised people feel this way? / ¨ Opening Journal: Explain how the storyline might be different if there were no Governor Danforth. How does his presence in the play affect the storyline? If he were removed, how might that affect the play overall?
¨ Define symbolism and crucible—as read, determine the “crucible” each person has to bear (131-145)
¨ Come up with fitting symbols for characters
¨ Closing Journal: Write an explanation of one choice of a symbol for a character based on how the character grew/changed & what the character has learned throughout the play. / ¨ Opening Journal: Think of a 20th-century person who suffered or died for his / her beliefs, and compare this person to John Proctor.
¨ Tragic Hero Criteria (Each takes one as Pro/Con [10 total] to find evidence for/ argue for)
· A character of noble or great stature who experiences a fall from greatness
· A character possessing a tragic flaw that leads to his undoing
· A character possessing excessive pride
· The character is at least partially responsible for his own downfall (not merely a victim of unfortunate or malicious circumstances)
· There is a redeeming moment of self-discovery that results from the hero’s downfall.
¨ Closing Journal: Write an obituary for John Proctor, the tragic hero.
*Act IV 10 / Writing Lab 11 / 12 / 13 / 14
¨ Opening Journal: Irony is when what is expected is different from the reality; what might be an example of irony in the play? In life?
¨ Read Ironic Non-fiction (RFI)?
¨ What are the final ironies of the play? (Handout)
¨ Review Journal Reqs / Revise Journals (Portfolio)/Test Review / Film / Film / Final Test on The Crucible