Planning Guide

Creating Learner-Focused
Schools

* Madison-Oneida BOCES- This document may not be reproduced in any form without the expressed written consent of the District Superintendent or his designee.

 

LU Title: The Crucible, by Arthur Miller

Author(s): Jacqueline Barnett, Nadia Caleo, Anita Eannace, Kathleen Fiozzo

Grade Level: 11

School Address:

Subject Area: English

School Phone/Fax: (315)792-2110

 

CONTENT KNOWLEDGE

Declarative

Procedural

  • Historical Background
  • Create a plot chart
  • McCarthyism
  • Create a visual representation of characters
  • Author facts
  • Create a visual model of Salem Village alliances Create a flow chart of levels of hysteria
  • Puritan Viewpoint
  • Apply literary terms fluently
  • Construction of Historical Drama

 

  • Terms

 

 

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

 

INITIATING ACTIVITY

Show a video documentary on witchcraft history.

Read background selections on witchcraft history.

Read current selections on witchcraft practices in present day.

 

Connection to State Learning Standards

Content Area: English

Level: 11

Benchmarks: #1 Read and listen to The Crucible. Write answers to the Reading Guide.

 

Benchmarks: #2 Produce a graphic organizer for plot.

 

Standard: ELA #1 Students will read, write, speak, and listen for information and understanding.

 

Standard: ELA #1

 

Unit Theme:

The Crucible:
Examination of a modern historical drama

Standard: ELA #1

 

Standard: ELA #3 Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and evaluation.

 

Benchmarks: #3 Students will use the Internet to search assigned websites for background information.

 

Benchmarks: #1 Students will produce an analytical literary response essay.

Learning Experiences

Declarative Knowledge

What declarative knowledge should e in the process of acquiring & integrating? As a result of the unit, the student will know or understand…

What experiences or activities will be used to help students acquire & integrate this knowledge?

What strategies will be used to help students construct meaning, organize and/or store the knowledge?

Describe what will be done.

 Characters in The Crucible

 

 

 

Themes of The Crucible

Collaborative pairs will examine characters in the play

 

 

Students will use a central idea graph to explore a theme

Students will complete a biopoem of a chosen character

 

 

Students will complete worksheets on general themes in the play

Working in pairs, students will evaluate characters by creating a biopoem which will be presented to the entire class

Students will complete central idea graph depicting supporting evidence of a particular theme

 

Learning Experiences

Procedural Knowledge

What procedural knowledge will students be in the process of acquiring & integrating? As a result of this unit, students will be able to:

What will be done to help students construct models, shape & internalize the knowledge?

Describe what will be done.

Use library and classroom reference books to look up background and relevant information

 

Use the Internet resource site: http://www.educeth.ethz.ch/english/readinglist/miller
,arthur.html to look up relevant information

Students will use a written set of steps to complete library research

 

 

 

Students will use a written set of steps to use the Internet

Prior to beginning research, students will form teams, and select from a list of topics including: author background, historical background, political background, and past performances

Teams will present gathered information in a report to the class

 

Learning Experiences

Extending and Refining

What knowledge will students be extending and refining? Specifically, they will be extending and refining their understanding of…

What reasoning process will they be using?

Describe what will be done.

 Plot, character, and theme in The Crucible

Comparing

Classifying

Inductive Reasoning

Deductive Reasoning

  • Error Analysis

Analyzing Perspectives

  • Constructing Support
  • Abstracting
  • Other:

 Students will be divided into teams. Each team will stage a modern day talk show with guests from The Crucible to discuss themes of the play. (Analyzing perspectives, comparing, classifying)

Each team will use the school's video studio to tape each segment which will then be presented to the class. (Comparing, classifying, inductive and deductive reasoning)

 

Planning Guide

 

Unit:

 

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

What knowledge will students be using meaningfully? Specifically, they will be demonstrating their understanding of and ability to...........

What reasoning process will they be using?

Describe student's products and performances and the criteria for evaluation.

 

[ ] Decision Making
(selecting from seemingly equal alternatives or examining the decisions of others)
[ ] Problem Solving
(seeking to achieve a goal by overcoming constraints or limiting conditions)
[ ] Invention
(creating something to meet a need or improve on a situation)
[ ] Experimental Inquiry
(generating an explanation for a phenomenon and testing the explanation)
[ ] Investigation
(resolving confusions or contradictions related to a historical event, a hypothetical past or future event, or to the defining characteristics of something)
[ ] Systems Analysis
(analyzing the parts of a system and how they interact)
[ ] Other:

Products/Performances

Criteria for evaluation

Rubric:

Key Questions:

What are the key elements, traits, or dimensions that will be evaluated?

Are the identified elements of equal importance or will they be weighed differently?

Element #1

Element #2

Element #3

Element #4

Elements


Scale

 Opening and Conclusion

Focus

Support

Mechanics

Weights

25%

25%

25%

25%

4

 Clearly and completely states the central idea to be developed in the analysis. Title and author of the work are stated. concludes with a statement that clearly and creatively summarized the central idea.

Organizes all information in the analysis around a single focus (theme, effects on the reader, historical significance, character, influence of setting, literary symbols, or literary elements).

Provides well-developed and accurate examples, reasons, and details to support the position or central idea. May acknowledge opposing position or central idea. May acknowledge opposing position but includes reasons for discounting it.

Correct spelling, correct punctuation, excellent transitions, and sentence variety.

3

Clearly states the central idea to be developed in the analysis. Title of the work and the author are stated. Concludes with a statement that clearly summarizes the central idea.

Organizes information in the analysis around a single focus.

Provides accurate examples, reasons and details to support the position or central idea.

Correct spelling, punctuation, adequate transitions, adequate sentence variety.

2

Unclearly state the central idea to be developed in the analysis. Title of the work and author are stated. Concludes with a statement that does not clearly summarize the central idea.

Organizes most of the information around a single focus in the analysis but a few of the pieces of information actually belong to another focus.

Provides some accurate examples, reasons, and details for the support but may have some inaccurate or incomplete examples, reasons, or details.

Some spelling, punctuation, usage errors. Adequate transitions. Adequate variety.

1

Central idea to be developed in the analysis is not stated. Title of the work and/or the author may be missing. Contains no concluding statement, or the statement does not accurately summarize the central idea.

Organizes information around no clear single focus in the analysis.

Provides few if any examples, reasons, or details to show support for the central idea.

Improvement needed in sentence writing (fragments, run-ons, too many spelling, punctuation, usage errors).

 NOTE: Rubric or other performance assessment instruments may be used.

 

Have You Considered These Yet?

Learn to Learn Skills:

 Students will receive individual coaching on the use of the Internet and the TV studio equipment.

Assessment Modifications:

 Individualized instructions for students who receive resource help according to their IEP's.

Unit Schedule/Time Plan:

 Unit should fit within a single marking period time frame.

Written Overview:

 MEANINGFUL USE TASK:

What knowledge will students be using meaningfully? Specifically, they will be demonstrating their understanding of and ability to..

..solve problems effectively.

What reasoning processes will they be using?

Problem solving. Seeking to achieve a goal by overcoming constraints or limiting conditions.

DESCRIBE WHAT WILL BE DONE:

After a seminar in conflict resolution techniques, students will attempt to mediate some (2 or more) of the conflicts that led to the Salem Paradox.