Saturday, November 10, 2007
THE CRUCIBLE PROJECT unit summary
Jerre Borland
AWP Teacher Consultant
New Iberia, Louisiana
This four week unit focused on the drama, THE CRUCIBLE, by Arthur Miller. The products for this project included an I AM poem, three one to two page writing assignments, and an on-line journal. The general goal of the project was to use technology as a teaching tool for the play and to generate more interest in the Salem Witch Trials and this period of history in our country.
Before we began reading the play, students went to the library and researched five pre-reading activities which included varied information about both the play and the historical time period. They were asked to journal about what they learned as they looked through the sites, including “A Day in the Life of the Colonies”, information about the author, “Facts and Fiction About THE CRUCIBLE”, and other interesting information. This took about an hour to an hour and a half. Students were aloud to complete any unfinished work at home.
Once this was done, it was on to the on-line journal about telling a lie. The prompt asked students to describe a time when a lie they told got out of hand. Students responded in their journals and on-line using a seedwiki I set up beforehand and linked to my blogsite.
Finally, students were assigned a group project to write an I AM poem together, but they decided, instead. to turn in individual poems. This was a better alternative for these particular classes. They also were assigned three of four writing assignments of no less than 300 words each which asked them to 1. Write a first-person account of an event from the play from that character’s point of view; 2. Choose a song they thought related to the play and prove its relationship, and 3. Research about Joe McCarthy and see if they thought he was the villain history depicted him to be or if they thought there was more to the story. Students had approximately three weeks to work on their writing during the time we were reading and studying the text. We had time in class for editing some of the writing and for talking about problems they might be having in coming up with ideas for writing. I used student examples of first drafts to give ideas about what I was expecting to see along the way.
Jerre Borland
AWP Teacher Consultant
New Iberia, Louisiana
This four week unit focused on the drama, THE CRUCIBLE, by Arthur Miller. The products for this project included an I AM poem, three one to two page writing assignments, and an on-line journal. The general goal of the project was to use technology as a teaching tool for the play and to generate more interest in the Salem Witch Trials and this period of history in our country.
Before we began reading the play, students went to the library and researched five pre-reading activities which included varied information about both the play and the historical time period. They were asked to journal about what they learned as they looked through the sites, including “A Day in the Life of the Colonies”, information about the author, “Facts and Fiction About THE CRUCIBLE”, and other interesting information. This took about an hour to an hour and a half. Students were aloud to complete any unfinished work at home.
Once this was done, it was on to the on-line journal about telling a lie. The prompt asked students to describe a time when a lie they told got out of hand. Students responded in their journals and on-line using a seedwiki I set up beforehand and linked to my blogsite.
Finally, students were assigned a group project to write an I AM poem together, but they decided, instead. to turn in individual poems. This was a better alternative for these particular classes. They also were assigned three of four writing assignments of no less than 300 words each which asked them to 1. Write a first-person account of an event from the play from that character’s point of view; 2. Choose a song they thought related to the play and prove its relationship, and 3. Research about Joe McCarthy and see if they thought he was the villain history depicted him to be or if they thought there was more to the story. Students had approximately three weeks to work on their writing during the time we were reading and studying the text. We had time in class for editing some of the writing and for talking about problems they might be having in coming up with ideas for writing. I used student examples of first drafts to give ideas about what I was expecting to see along the way.
Friday, September 21, 2007
I AM (Model Poem)
I AM--MODEL
FIRST STANZA
I am (two special characteristics you have)
I wonder (something you are actually curious about)
I hear (an imaginary sound)
I see (an imaginary sight)
I want (an actual desire)I am (the first line of the poem repeated)
SECOND STANZA
I pretend (something you actually pretend to do)
I feel (a feeling about something imaginary)I touch (an imaginary touch)
I worry (something that really bothers you)
I cry (something that makes you very sad)
I am (the first line of the poem repeated)
THIRD STANZA
I understand (something you know is true)
I say (something you believe in)
I dream (something you actually dream about)
I try (something you really make an effort about)
I hope (something you actually hope for)
I am (the first line of the poem repeated)
FIRST STANZA
I am (two special characteristics you have)
I wonder (something you are actually curious about)
I hear (an imaginary sound)
I see (an imaginary sight)
I want (an actual desire)I am (the first line of the poem repeated)
SECOND STANZA
I pretend (something you actually pretend to do)
I feel (a feeling about something imaginary)I touch (an imaginary touch)
I worry (something that really bothers you)
I cry (something that makes you very sad)
I am (the first line of the poem repeated)
THIRD STANZA
I understand (something you know is true)
I say (something you believe in)
I dream (something you actually dream about)
I try (something you really make an effort about)
I hope (something you actually hope for)
I am (the first line of the poem repeated)
Monday, September 3, 2007
Pre-Reading Assignment Five
http://school.discovery.com/schooladventures/salemwitchtrials/
Go to this site and discover all you can about the Salem Witch Trials before we begin working on Arthur Miller's THE CRUCIBLE.
What are some of the reasons they list for this tragedy and who are some of the key players they discuss? What role did Cotton Mather and Ann Putnam play in this historic event? Who was responsible--the children or the adults--for the events that led to the hangings and the deaths of 24 innocent people?
Go to this site and discover all you can about the Salem Witch Trials before we begin working on Arthur Miller's THE CRUCIBLE.
What are some of the reasons they list for this tragedy and who are some of the key players they discuss? What role did Cotton Mather and Ann Putnam play in this historic event? Who was responsible--the children or the adults--for the events that led to the hangings and the deaths of 24 innocent people?
Pre-Reading Six
Read from THE WONDERS OF THE INVISIBLE WORLD on page 79 of your literature book and answer the following questions:
1. Why is Martha Carrier being indicted?
2. Who is brought to testify against her and what do they accuse her of doing?
3. What had Carrier's children confessed to before the trial?
4. Who do you think is the victim(s) in the trial? Do you sympathize with Carrier or her accusers? Explain your choice.
5. What is your impression of Cotton Mather after reading this story?
1. Why is Martha Carrier being indicted?
2. Who is brought to testify against her and what do they accuse her of doing?
3. What had Carrier's children confessed to before the trial?
4. Who do you think is the victim(s) in the trial? Do you sympathize with Carrier or her accusers? Explain your choice.
5. What is your impression of Cotton Mather after reading this story?
Monday, February 5, 2007
The widening Circle of Witchcraft Accusations
Tituba
*****
Eccentrics and Outcasts
*****Examples: Bishop and Osborn
Grudge Victims
*****Examples: Nurse and Burroughs
Witchcraft Skeptics
*****Examples: Proctor and Corey
Why was it easier for the townspeople to believe that people like Tituba and Goody Bishop and Goody Osborn were witches, but believing became more difficult when Goody Nurse and John Proctor and others like them were charged? Be ready to talk about it in class and explain your answer.
*****
Eccentrics and Outcasts
*****Examples: Bishop and Osborn
Grudge Victims
*****Examples: Nurse and Burroughs
Witchcraft Skeptics
*****Examples: Proctor and Corey
Why was it easier for the townspeople to believe that people like Tituba and Goody Bishop and Goody Osborn were witches, but believing became more difficult when Goody Nurse and John Proctor and others like them were charged? Be ready to talk about it in class and explain your answer.
Writing an "I AM" poem
1. Pre-write: Brainstorm a list of statements about the character you have chosen that begin with I AM... Try to draw out as many things about the character him/herself that you learned through the play. Examples: I am the wife/husband/son/daughter of..., I am an adulterer/accuser/coward/critic. I am innocent, yet accused. Hopefully, you get the idea.
2. Once you have the list together, try to match up statements that go together and from them, construct a poem about that person from all of the things you have listed. Each stanza should begin with "I AM..." but not every line in the play. I will answer any questions you have in class before it is due.
3. Work with a group if possible, so you can gather as many good ideas as possible about your character. If you are the only one in the class that chose that particular character, then you may work on your own, or I will help you.
2. Once you have the list together, try to match up statements that go together and from them, construct a poem about that person from all of the things you have listed. Each stanza should begin with "I AM..." but not every line in the play. I will answer any questions you have in class before it is due.
3. Work with a group if possible, so you can gather as many good ideas as possible about your character. If you are the only one in the class that chose that particular character, then you may work on your own, or I will help you.
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