Lesson Summary: The Crucible and The Salem Witch Trials/8th grade English Language Arts

I chose to study Arthur Miller’s The Crucible for this assignment.

There are many suitable lesson plans on the following website for an in-depth study of this novel:

http://www.webenglishteacher.com/crucible.html

This lesson addresses 8th grade North Carolina English Language Arts standards:

Competency Goal 1: The learner will use language to express individual perspectives through analysis of personal, social, cultural, and historical issues.

Competency Goal 2: The learner will use and evaluate information from a variety or resources.

Competency Goal 3: The learner will continue to refine the understanding and use of argument.

Competency Goal 4: The learner will continue to refine critical thinking skills and create criteria to evaluate print and non-print materials.

Competency Goal 5: The learner will respond to various literary genres using interpretive and evaluative processes.

Competency Goal 6: The learner will apply conventions of grammar and language usage.

Overview
This lesson plan is a designed to give students an introduction to the Salem Witch Trials which will be discussed in 9th grade US History and examine Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. As a mood enhancer, this unit is to be completed during the September and October class period meetings. As a hook, students will watch the following video clip:

http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schooladventures/salemwitchtrials/story/story.html

Theme Openers, Pre-Writing Assignments, & Handouts
Each student will also be required to complete the Researching the Salem Witch Trials: Inference and Evidence handout. This handout will be useful in completing the final assignment once the novel has been concluded.

Other pre-reading and theme openers may be found on the following websites:

http://www.mrjeffrey.com/English%20III%20P/The%20Crucible/Anticipation%20Guide.doc

http://www.classzone.com/novelguides/litcons/crucible/guide.cfm

Learning Objectives

After completing this lesson, students will be able to
• Examine the historical context of a historical work of literature
• Compare facts with the fictional or dramatic treatments of the facts
• Ponder the differences between history and literature
• Discuss what makes a drama or tragedy compelling
• Recognize the close ties between a nation’s history and culture and the literature it produces
• Consider the ways in which an historical event and a work of literature may mean different things for different generations of citizen readers.

Reading the play

As students read the 4 acts of The Crucible, they should keep a daily journal. In this journal, students should:
• Note vocabulary terms which they are unfamiliar with
• Keep a list of characters as they appear in the novel
• Note important passages and/or scenes
• Note lingering thoughts after reading the assigned passages.
• Focus on the portrayal of assigned historical figures
o How is the character similar to the person revealed in the court transcripts or biography?
o How is the character different?
• ask the key question:
o Why has Miller chosen to portray a historical figure in a certain way?
o How has he embellished the figure to suit his own dramatic aims?
o And, what are Miller’s dramatic aims?
o Do students agree with how Miller has presented the historical figures?
o How would they have presented the figure differently?

As students finish reading each Act, students should be divided into
small working groups to discuss their journal notes. Two useful instructional strategies for group discussion are Socratic Seminars and Collaborative Strategic Reading.

Final Projects

Part One: As a final project students will be required to write an essay independently. Students who have completed the worksheet Researching the Salem Witch Trials: Inference and Evidence will find it a useful aid for developing and supporting a thesis. Possible topics include:

• Further exploration of the comparison between the student’s historical figure and its dramatic counterpart. In a well-argued analysis, show the reader how Miller works with a historical figure to make him or her a compelling, dynamic, dramatic figure. Point to examples from history and from the play text.
• How or why does The Crucible still speak to audiences today? Students who are particularly savvy about current events could begin with Miller’s own quotation in the introduction of this lesson plan and spin a paper off from it.
• Analysis of The Crucible as an American tragedy with John Proctor as an American tragic hero.

As an alternative to the essay assignment, students may choose to complete a Multi-genre research paper assignment of any character. Students will be required to complete a minimum of five different literary genres to receive full credit for this option.

Part Two: Students will be divided into groups of 4-5. The following instructions will be given:

“Pretend that you are a playwright who has a keen interest in history. Tonight is the night that your writers’ group meets to discuss individual projects. Your goal is to present to the rest of the class (fellow playwright group members) your idea for dramatizing a past event—it may be a recent current event. You must describe why your small working group thinks the event would make good drama and how you would dramatize it. Be sure to think carefully about story, conflict, character, and resolution.”
Each group will be required to make short 10-15 minute presentations to the class concerning your playwright suggestion. Each group member will be required to speak a minimum of 2 minutes on your suggestion. You may choose to assign group members similiar responsibility roles as those of a Literature Circle. Examples include:
Event Overview
Introduction to Story
Conflict
List of Characters
Resolution

The following websites also provides many useful teaching resources:

http://www.fcps.edu/westspringfieldhs/academic/english/1project/crucible/teacher.htm

http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/cruc/cructg.html

The following websites may be used to enhance student comprehension:

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/crucible/

To buy the book, click here.
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I chose this topic to research because I recall studying it in my 8th grade Language Arts class. It was such and interesting topic that I kept my classroom notes. At that time, I did not realize that I would be a teacher and could one day use them for my own students. I also like the idea of integrating this lesson with the pending Halloween season. We often discuss literary terms which we want our students to become familiar with. I feel completing this unit during the Halloween season will enhance students’ comprehension of “mood.” This lesson could easily be taught in social studies classrooms. Social Studies and Language Arts educators could team up while teaching this unit. Overall, I think this is an interesting and engaging lesson. I can’t wait to share my excitement on this classic playwright and its historical background with my students

Unit 4: Reading Responses

“’I’ Poems: Invitations for Students to Deepen Literary Understanding”
I have never really cared for poetry. I struggle to make sense of what the author is trying to say. I was pleasantly surprised by the notion of using “I” poems in all curriculum areas. I am especially found of the “I am” format listed in the article. For students like me, who aren’t sure where to begin, the “I am” format can be used as a guide to illustrate the narrator’s point of view. One other notable attribute of using “I” poems is that this teaching style may be used as a pre-reading or post-reading assignment.

One question the article left me with was, “How can teachers elicit such attention and care from students?” The only suitable solution, I feel is that educators must invest time into planning activities and integrate concepts that are engaging and creative.

I also questioned if there were other examples of poetry relevant to middle graders which may be used as a pre-writing or post-writing activity. I found the Poems for Two Voices to be beneficial in comparing and contrasting. This concept can easily be carried over into the mathematical curriculum to enhance math concept comprehension.

“The Multi-genre Paper: Increasing Interest, Motivation, and Functionality in Research”
I disliked having to complete research-based assignments in middle and high school. I felt as if the assigned topics were not relevant to me or my educational experience. Since graduating high school—even college—I have found no relevance for completing research-based assignments. I have never been required to write any in my career. Since I often thought of research-based assignments as “busy work,” I really appreciated that many educators are implementing new strategies to make these assignments more interesting. Until reading this article, I had never heard of the Multi-genre paper; now, I can’t wait to offer it as an alternative to research-based assignments. It allows students to tap into their creative talents that are too often overlooked inside of the classroom.

One question I had with using Multi-genre papers is, “If I were using this approach for middle grades, which genres would be most appropriate to use for young adolescents?” Some of the genres which I would include are birth certificates, obituaries, poetry, posters, and letters. Most of these genres students are already familiar with by the time they reach middle grade classrooms. I would also include newspaper and journal articles, and I would incorporate media literacy into the instructional time committed to these genres.

A second question I had after reading the article was, “For students who elect to do the traditional research based paper, how can I allow students to exhibit their creative talents in non-traditional ways?” I would suggest that students consider including multi-genre “add-on’s” to research papers which can be listed as appendixes.

“A Professional Development Initiative for Developing Approaches to Vocabulary Instruction With Secondary Mathematics, Art, Science, and English Teachers”
This was one of my favorite articles to read this semester, because it listed examples of how vocabulary instruction is crucial in middle and secondary schooling. Although the English courses are often the primary context for vocabulary study, this article proved that if educators are creative, students may find vocabulary engaging beyond the English classrooms. Something I found most useful regarding this information were the activity tables listed for developing rich representations of word meanings and learning about how words work. Both tables list basic starting points so that any curriculum teacher can integrate these concepts in their respective content area.

Summary: “The Multi-genre Paper: Increasing Interest, Motivation, and Functionality in Research”

As I was reading “The Multi-genre Paper: Increasing Interest, Motivation, and Functionality in Research,” I found myself wondering back to my educational experience. I remember being required to write my first “research paper” in the 8th grade, a standard that I am certain has been experienced at a much younger age by today’s students. I then recall having to complete several more research based papers in high school, concluding with the renowned “Senior Project.” All of the research papers I was asked to complete had no relevance to my life. I did the research and submitted the assignment, but I mostly thought of research papers as “busy work” or “to prepare me for college.”

I really appreciated how this article suggests that many teachers are making changes to research-based papers by using content that is “relevant to students’ lives and interest.” Incorporating resources other than books, “such as interviews and Internet data,” allows students to tap into resources which they already feel comfortable using. I feel as if these are mandatory changes which need to be made in order for students to get the most educational experience from completing research-based assignments.

The article goes on to list examples of approaches that teachers have taken implementing the changes listed above. One I found particularly helpful (and interesting) was the mystery paper. A mystery paper allows students to research unsolved murder cases using documented news coverage. The “research” aspect of this assignment was presented by having students offer solutions in “a narrative format that still allowed for formal documentation of sources.”

A second example given in the article is known as “I-search” papers. These types of papers allow students to research any topic of personal interest. Students are required to use both print materials and interviews. In conclusion, students are to give a personal narrative about “what and how they learned.”

Survey-based projects are a third approach discussed in the article. Using this approach, students work both independently and collaboratively with their classmates to “produce position papers, surveys, graphs of survey results, I-search papers, and fictional ‘saturation reports.’”

The fourth approach given in the article addressed the “traditional research aspect” while changing the method of presentation. Using this approach, students are allowed to present their research using alternative methods, such as developing a newspaper on the topic or “presenting their findings in letter-style reports with separate bibliographies.”

The multi-genre project was the final approach given in the article, and ultimately what this entire article is centered on. This approach allows students to use traditional tools to complete the research on a person or event using all the tools of research available, but students were required to use different “genres of writing to present different aspects of their research.” For instance, I really enjoyed the examples given in the article about “rather than stating that someone is born in a particular year and place, the student might create a birth certificate, the flyleaf of a Bible, a birth announcement, a hospital invoice, or a letter to or from the new parents.” A second example using this approach would be instead of “describing a traumatic event, the student might write a newspaper article, a personal letter, a condolence note, or a journal entry to provide a particular tone and voice to the event.”

While students are using the multi-genre approach, students are required to “think about what has been researched and interpret it from the subject’s point of view or the point of view of others from that time period.”

Overall, using a new, improved approach to research-based assignments proved to be a win-win situation for students and teachers alike. Students were interested and excited about the assignments, and teachers were able to teach research and documentation skills in more meaningful ways.

An Unstructured Experiment
Like the article we read on “I-poems” the article on Multi-genre papers also implies that pre-service teachers were asked to complete this assignment so that they may fully understand what they will be asking of their future students. One dilemma that the pre-service teachers quickly encountered was that they “didn’t know what one [multi-genre paper] actually looked like.” As the group researched their topics, they kept learning logs “which included notes on presentation ideas,” along with drafts and research notes. Two other problems which were encountered during the trial-run of the pre-service teachers were the inability to teach all of the “forms of different genres,” and the grading criteria for the assignment. Ultimately this article is useful for showing us “what multi-genre paper can look like” and “whether or not they are a feasible and useful options to the traditional research paper.”

The Students’ Multi-genre Papers
As pre-service teachers completed the assignment, they were encouraged not to use authors as a topic of interest because the instructor felt “the temptation to use the author’s words might be too great and because it might be difficult for them to imitate an author’s style if they chose to write from the author’s point of view.” As students took notes on their research they were advised to be considering which type of genre would fit the information best and add rough drafts to their learning log. The most commonly used types of genres’ for the pre-service teachers were poems, letters, posters, obituaries, interview articles, and lists. Other genres which were used include “sheet music, a receipt, a tabloid cover, a wedding invitation, and a recipe.” (Refer to the list given on page 531 for a full list of genre’s used by the group.) Students also choose to use white space as an indication of changing time period and/or genre.

As the papers were turned in, it became evident how important the endnotes requirement became. The endnotes “provided an explanation of each genre that included the source for the material and how the genre had been selected or inspired.” The endnotes allowed the students to extensively share more knowledge than the genre itself. In my opinion, I feel as though the endnotes served as what we view the traditional research-based paper.

What the Students Thought
In the pre-service student reflections, most were overwhelmingly in favor of using multi-genre research papers in their future teaching endeavors. It was said that this method allowed students to be creative, and although the work wasn’t hard per se, it was time consuming considering the amount of time spent researching and pairing that research to an appropriate genre. If anything, this approach can be offered as an alternative to the traditional over-used research papers.

Discussion and Implications
Ultimately, the multi-genre approach is a viable alternative to the traditional research based paper. It “allows teachers to teach research skills per the English curriculum,” and “it allows teachers to teach note-taking and bibliography skills.” Students are using a wide variety of researching skills by keeping learning logs and developing endnotes. The endnotes themselves prove that the information has been thought deeply about and applied to current knowledge of genre writing. I like most that this approach “notes the importance of writing for different audiences” and is a “valuable exercise in writing for life rather than school.” Most importantly, it makes exemptions for creativity which is too often overlooked inside of the classroom.

Three Thinking Questions:
1. If I were using this approach for middle grades, which genres would be most appropriate for young adolescents?
2. For students who elect to do the traditional research based paper, how can I allow students to exhibit their creative talents in non-traditional ways?
3. If I were going to complete my own multi-genre paper so my students had a visual example, what would it look like? What topic would I chose? Which genres would I include?

Summary: “I” Poems: Invitations for Students to Deepen Literary Understanding

Before reading “’I’ Poems: Invitations for Students to Deepen Literary Understanding,” I had no idea what an “I poem” was. In short, it is a poem that is written in the first person point of view which allows students to become the narrator and express thoughts and feelings from the narrator’s point of view. According to the article, “I” poems can be used to “deepen their [students’] literary experiences of characters, setting, plot, and narrative point of view.” As students are asked to write about something they have read, they begin “to think about it in a deeper ways and to notice what they overlooked at first glance.” Using writing assignments such as this allow students to enhance their comprehension of the text.

As a means for enhancing student comprehension from the reading, this article suggests that the notion of writing is supported by both cognitive and aesthetic theories. Since both reading and writing require active engagement “on the part of readers and writers,” students are expected to cognitively be able “to understand and be understood, to call upon knowledge of authors and how they work, and to know what to expect as part of an audience.” Aesthetically, by allowing students to engage in creative writing (such as writing “I” poems), students are allowed to participate in “self-reflective closure.” Pearson and Fielding suggest that “students understand and remember ideas from one form to another.” While creating “I” poems, children engage in transformative activity while supporting their creative, imaginative abilities. “I” poems allow students to look at and think differently about situations or events.

As the article continues, two instructional examples are given for writing “I” poems as “ways to deepen students’ understanding of setting, character, plot, and narrative point of view.” For each instructional strategy, a short summary of the novel that students were reading an analysis of how using supported writing to enhance understanding, and an “I” poem example is given. One thing that really stood out to me upon reading the article was having pre-service teachers complete the same assignment. I really respected the idea of teaching “prospective teachers as they would have them teach,” so that pre-service teachers could experience the same kind of learning that their students would experience.

The first instructional example uses Sarah, Plain, and Tall written by Patricia MacLachlan and the book’s setting to illustrate “I” poems as a pre-reading activity. In this novel, there are two very distinct settings: the coast of Maine and the Kansas prairie. A list is formed of the various plants and animals mentioned throughout the novel, and students are asked to select one topic to research. By the end of the assignment, “students were well aware of Sarah’s sense of dislocation as she looked out on the Kansas prairie.” However, even though the Kansas prairie was a direct setting, students understood the relevance of using the coast of Maine as an indirect setting. By using “I” poems as a prewriting assignment, it helped the students to build background information about the novel.

In contrast, “I” poems can be used following the completion of a reading assignment. The second instructional strategy suggests using “I” poems as a chance for students “to respond to the reading.” For this example, Out of the Dust written by Karen Hesse is used. It is a historical fiction set “in the Dust Bowl of Oklahoma.” The entire novel is series of “I” poems written from the narration of Billie Jo. This strategy concludes with using an example given by Levstik and Barton by providing “slots” for students to fill in the blanks. This example of the “I am” format is listed below:

I am_______________
I wonder _______________
I hear _______________
I see _______________
I want _______________
I am _______________
I pretend _______________
I feel _______________
I touch _______________
I worry _______________
I cry _______________
I am ______________
I understand _______________
I say _______________
I dream _______________

The article concludes with a section on writing “I” poems in response to read-aloud. This section suggests that the concept of writing “I” poems can be used as early as elementary grades. After reading When Marian Sang, a picture book written by Ryan, children as young as 4th graders were able to imagine that they were Marian Anderson and write about the thoughts and feelings she would have written about.

I love the way the article concludes. It says, “’I’ poems can be compelling invitations for students to try out the poet’s way of knowing. Poets pay attention. They notice. They take time to look and listen. They sift experience. They turn things over again and again. When they have something to say, they choose their words carefully. They are precise and concise.” After reading this article, I think by using “I” poems, even I could be a poet. Overall, I feel like using “I” poems could have potentially enhanced my reading experience of several novels had I been introduced to them as a student.

3 Thinking Questions:
1) How can teachers elicit such attention and care from students? (I borrowed this one from the article.)
2) The article lists several examples of “I” poem usage. Are there others which middle grade students may be able to relate to?
3) Are there other types of poetry which can be used as pre-writing or post-reading activities?

To purchase materials used in the two instructional strategies mentioned above:
Sarah, Plain and Tall

Out of the Dust