1. The Crucible Unit Calendar
Thursday, September 31st (10 mins) Lesson 1: Friday, November 1st (50 mins)
Give out Crucible books while students are getting back from
taking the My Access essay test.
Day to get excited about The Crucible, its questions and themes, to
build background knowledge, and to work collaboratively.
Four corners activity: the four corners ofthe room will represent
Disagree, Strongly Disagree, Agree, Strongly Agree. The following
questions will be asked ofthe class and the students will position
themselves according to their opinions.I will ask a student from
each grouping for each question why they hold the opinions they
hold.
1. Humans have an innate need to tell others about their
wrongdoings.
2. Humans are innately vengeful.
3. Fear of isolation and fear ofthe unknown are universal.
4. Witch hunts do not happen anymore.
5. There is only one version of the truth and it cannot
mean different things to different people.
6. Courage and clarity ofmind in an individual always gives
them the power to achieve dignity and liberty.
What do we already know about Puritan England from The Scarlet
Letter?
Hand out Context Packets containing questions and cartoons
regarding Puritan England in the time ofthe setting of The
Crucible, McCarthyism and the Red Scare, and Arthur Miller.
Assign each student one ofthe three sections to work on
researching individually in the computer lab. The questions will
highlight the important aspects ofPuritan life for The Crucible,
highlight aspects ofMcCarthyism that are important to the
understanding of The Crucible, give the students background on
the author of this work, and highlight how a play is unique as a
genre and how dialogue carries it. After students arefinished,the
class will fill in the resttogether by taking volunteers for each
question. These will be turned in at the end ofclass.
Homework: On a separate pieceoflined paper, answer one ofthe
questions from the bottom ofthe packet pages in at least one
paragraph and read Act 1.
Questions:
1. How does Parris feel toward his parishioners?
2. Why do Proctor and Rebecca speak out againstHale’s
coming?
3. Why has Proctor set himselfagainst Parris?
4. Why does Abigail accuse Tituba?

2. Tuesday, November 5th Lesson 2: Thursday, November 7th (90 mins) Lesson 3: Friday, November 8th (90 mins)
No class. Reader’s Theatre and Character charts.
Short discussionbased in the short responses whichwere
homework.
Collect the short response homework.
Reader’s Theatre: Pages 8-12 in mybook;18-19;26-30.
Pass out Character Chart packets. Runthrougha list and take
suggestions onthe boardof ways to describe a character
physically, interms of their desires, interms of their
affiliations, etc.
Assignstudents groups anda character andthe groups will
work together to create a poster of their character’s
characteristics andtextual evidence ofthose. After doing a
Gallery Walk and seeing each other’s ideas, the students will
have a few minutesto go aroundandcopydownsome of the
features and evidence from other posters.
If we have time, continue Reader’s Theatre past where they
should have read for today.
Homework: Continue addingto your charts as you read. Read
all of Act 2. Write downa questionabout the playsofar at the
top of a lined piece of paper with your name andbring them in
tomorrow.
Tracking themes:critical commentary on McCarthyism (video
clip?), “proof,” and the crumbling of Puritan theocracy.
Act 2 Quiz
Before theyget out their homework, write the followingquote
on the board:“A drum beat starts at the beginningof this play
and continues to the end.” –Laurence Oliver. What does Oliver
mean bythis?Doesthe “drumbeat” grow louder or faster?
How does Miller create this feeling of tension?
Silent discussion activity—students will swaptheir homework
questions with a partner. Theywill respondto the question
and then trade papers withanother student. Once they
respondto that new question, theywill swapone more time
before everyone gets their papers back. Discussion of
interesting answers.
Further discussiontopics: WhydoesProctor insist that Mary
Warren testifyinElizabeth’s defense?WhydoesMaryWarren
refuse?
Do you believe Maryis helping Abigail frame Elizabeth, or is
she just anunwitting part ofthe scheme?
Creation ofBig Boardof Crucible Themes: add “drumbeat”
and the themes that arose from the discussionof the
homework to it. Make sure to hit on “proof” andthe crumbling
of Puritantheocracy. Orthodox New EnglandPuritanism, at the
end of the 17th and beginningof the 18th centuryhad
"crystallized," andwas beginning to "crack," and would
eventually"crumble." As we work throughthe play, we’re
going to identifyevidence of the loosening ofthe tight
orthodox Puritancommunity (for instance, the gold
candlesticks; Proctor and others’ plowing on Sunday). Why
does Miller portraythis?
Homework: Read Act 3 for Tuesday. I will askthem to narrow
in on a character that interests them—positivelyor negatively
and give themwritingexercises inorder to explore their
chosen characters more in-depth. I will have them research
this character’s actions, words, what is said about them, what
theythinkabout certain issues. This willprepare students for
the culminatingassignment.
Completedcharacter charts due the 19th.

3. Lesson 4: Tuesday, November 12th (90s mins) Lesson 5: Thursday, November 14th (90 mins) Lesson 6: Friday, November 15th (50 mins)
Building an understanding of characterization, narrowing their
interest to one specific character, and watching this play
roughly preformed.
Read selections from“WhyI Wrote the Crucible” byMiller.
Students will read this to the class.
As a sociallyconscious writer, Miller intendedthis playas a
comment onMcCarthyism. What are the parallelssofar
betweenthe incidents Miller dramatizes andthe acts of
Senator McCarthyinthe 1950s?
Act 3 Quiz
1. Whyis Giles Coryexpelledfrom court? Whywon’t
Danforth hear hisevidence?Whyis Coryarrested?
2. Whyis MaryWarren in court? What doesshe tell
Danforth? Whyis Danforthsuspicious of her andof
Proctor? Whydoes Proctor remindher of the angel
Raphael?
3. How does Parris nullifyProctor’s testament? How is
Giles’s depositionturned against him?
Debriefquiz.
Anything to addto our Big Board of Crucible Themes?
I will pass out tinybits of the descriptionof Mr. Sir from Louis
Satchar’s Holes. “From those whohaven’t read Holes, what
can you tell me about Mr. Sir just fromthis tinylittle blurb?
How? That’s characterizationin a novel. In a playit’s a lot
different because youcan’t have descriptions or little inside
thoughts (with Miller it’s a little different because he
sometimes gives us a downanddirtyon the character) so how
is characterizationmainlyaccomplishedina play?” Dialogue.
Where are some moments where you came to understanda
character better basedon what theysaid, what theydid, or
how theyreacted to something? Students will workon adding
to their “What TheySay” sectionof their character charts.
Dialogue Project—students will partner up witha character
who is not the same as theirs and write a dialogue between
these two characters on Google Docs inthe computer lab. One
will be the expert on one character andthe other will be the
expert on the other. 2 points extra credit for a Puritanstyle of
speech.
Homework: Dialogue assignment ifnot completed by the endofclass.
Keep on your radar: Completedcharacter charts due the19th.
Exploration of Act 3 and explanation of the final assessment.
Take students to the lab to post their dialogues onthe blog.
Writingprompt to get their brainjuices flowingfor
Inner/Outer Circle. Options:
1. What is the professed purpose ofthe court? Why
doesn’t the court need witnesses? What does this
suggest about the proceedings?
2. Whydoes Proctor confess lechery? Whydoes he
think Danforth and Hawthorne will believe his
confession? Whydon’t theybelieve him?
3. How is Elizabeth’s testimonyusedagainst Proctor?
Whyis this anunfair test of Elizabeth’s word against
John’s?
4. How does Abigail turn the court against Mary
Warren?
5. Whydoes Hale denounce the proceedings?What
should have beenthe effect of hisdenunciation?
Whyis it not?
6. Proctor’s summationof the trials is that “Vengeance
is walkingSalem.” Is he right?
Inner/Outer Circle.
Debriefing anda revisiting ofthe Big Board of Crucible
Themes:truth/proof, vengeance, fear of isolation, McCarthy
criticism, “drum beat” drama, the crumbling of the theocracy
(add instanceson crumbling).
“Them that will not confess will hang.” Explainthe major irony
of that kindof confession.
Explanation of the final assignment.
Students will choose anoption and theywill be sent home
with one of twopackets with information, examples, and
questions that will helpthemwith their final assignments. I
will collect the back page of thisand provide feedback before
the final assignment is due.
Homework: Comment on a post for tomorrow. Back page of
the final assessment packet for tomorrow. Completed
character charts due the 19th.
Beginning of exploration of Act 4 and Reader’s Theatre.
What is a crucible? How is it used?JustifyMiller’s use of The
Crucible as a title for his play.
Reader’s Theatre: Students will be assignedgroups and scenes
from Act for to act out for the class as a continuous
performance. Popcorn, pushedback chairs, andprops.
Homework: Character charts due Tuesday.

4. Lesson 7: Tuesday, November 19th (90 mins) Thursday, November 21st (90 mins) Friday, November 22nd
Exploration of essential question in relation to Act 4.
On board:“The tragedyof The Crucible is the everlasting
conflict betweenpeople sofanaticallyweddedto this
orthodoxythat theycouldnot cope withthe evidence of their
senses” -Miller. “The onlything necessaryfor the triumph of
evil is for goodmento donothing.” –Burke “Ideas are
bulletproof.” –V, inV For Vendetta
On board:Does courage andclarityof mindinanindividual
always give themthe power to achieve integrityandliberty?
Whydoesn’t the news that Abigail and Mercyhave left town
affect the decisionof the court? Whywill Proctor not let
Danforth have his signedpaper?
Collect Character Charts.
Pass back packet feedbackand other items.
Finish Reader’s Theatre for the rest of Act 4.
Whyis Echoes Downthe Corridor the ending? Whynot just
end withAct 4 as is?
Project facts list onthe board.
Read the facts. Have themteach me what The Crucible has to
do with McCarthyism.
The Crucible shows that the crueltyandhysteria of Salem
witch trials is not some sort of historicalanomalybecause it
happenedagaininthe 50’s inthe U.S. It happenedinHitler’s
Germany, Stalin's Russia, Pinochet's Chile, Mao's China. What
is it about humannature doyou thinkthat makessuch
hysteria possible?
How is this familiar to us in the present?What are some
modern instances of people having fear basedonsomething
real, thenaccusingpeople without proof?
- Since 9/11, manyfear of the danger that Muslims
pose to non-Muslims, despite the fact that the
perpetrationof crimes between these two groups
typicallyfalls heavy-handedlyonthe part of non-
Muslims.
- Drivingwhile black—racial profilingof black drivers
to be pulledover andsearchedwithout reason.
- Bullying—not stickingup for victims for fear that
you’ll became the next victim.
Day for catch-up and to work on speeches and essays in class.
One-to-one conferences with those who would like to sit down
with me.
Answer questions.
Students without make-upworkor whodo not wishto work
on their speechesor essays inclass will stayinthe roomand
watch The Crucible movie.
Students will work on making uplate work or on their final
assignments in the media center.
When I get students set upwith make-upwork, I will
conference with some of them about their speeches or essays
if I have concerns.
Homework: Speech/essaydue the 25th.
No class.

5. -
Read selections from“AgainTheyDrink From the Cup of
Suspicion” byArthur Miller:
http://www.nytimes.com/books/00/11/12/specials/miller-
drink.html.
Discuss the article.
- Where dowe see fear of the unknowninThe
Crucible?Fear of socialisolation?
- “Sacrifice illuminates delusion”— Whichsacrifices
illuminateddelusioninThe Crucible?
Using the endof this play, the McCarthyparallels, Miller’s own
words onhis writing of this play, the three quotes uponthe
board, or the whiteboardfull ofimportant themes (or none of
these things), student will write a one page double-spaced
reflection or response to the end of this play.
Students will share one idea or sentence fromwhat theywrote
to the class.
Look at real-life Proctors, Rebeccas, and Coreys—people of our
world whohave stood upto pressure to defendtheir personal
principles.
Put through projector: “Acts ofCourage byOrdinaryPeople”
http://matadornetwork.com/bnt/10-revolutionary-acts-of-
courage-by-ordinary-people/)
Ask students to readthe first or first two paragraphs for each
person. Ask questions alongthe way.
What does The Crucible teach us about ourselves?
Homework: Speech/essaydue the 25th.
Monday, November 25th (90 mins)
Assignments are due.
Present speeches.
Closure.
Questionnaire of what theyliked, what theythought they
learnedthe most about andwhy, andwhat more theyfelt they
needed.