Heidi E Johnson
Fall 2007
The Crucible Original Unit Plan Overview
11th grade English
Unit Objectives:
1. Students will be able to reflect on the situation of the Salem Witch Trials
2. Students will be able to discuss some historical events of the Salem Witch Trials
and information on the Puritan religion compared to The Crucible
3. Students will be able to identify conflicts within each act.
4. Students will be able to draw connections between the McCarthy Trials and the
Salem Witch Trials
5. Students will be able to write a letter and an essay in connection to The Crucible
Standards:
I. Reading and Literature
Students will read and understand grade-appropriate English language text.
B. Vocabulary Expansion
Standard: The student will apply a variety of strategies to expand vocabulary.
1. Acquire, understand, and use vocabulary by learning words through
explicit vocabulary instruction and independent reading, and appropriately
using these words in writing.
C. Comprehension
Standard: The student will understand the meaning of informational, expository,
or persuasive texts, using a variety of strategies and will demonstrate literal,
interpretive, inferential and evaluative comprehension.
4. Analyze a variety of nonfiction materials selected from journals, essays,
speeches, biographies, and autobiographies.
D. Literature
Standard: The student will actively engage in the reading process and read,
understand, respond to, analyze, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate a wide variety
of fiction, poetic, and nonfiction texts.
1. Read, analyze, and evaluate traditional, classical, and contemporary
works of literary merit from American literature.
11. Demonstrate how literary works reflect the historical contexts that
shaped them.
13. Read, analyze, and critique dramatic selections by comparing and
contrasting ways in which character, scene, dialogue, and staging
contribute to the theme and dramatic effect.
II. Writing
Students will write clearly and coherently for a variety of audiences and purposes.
A. Type of Writing
Standard: The students will write in narrative, expository, descriptive, persuasive,
and critical modes.
1. Plan, organize, and compose narrative, expository, descriptive,
persuasive, critical, and research writing to address a specific audience and
purpose.
Key Questions Answered in Unit:
1. How do the Salem Witch Trials and the McCarthy Trials connect to The
Crucible?
2. How did the views of the Puritan religion affect the outcome of the Salem Witch
Trials and how is that shown in The Crucible?
3. How does writing as if you are in the Salem Witch Trials help improve your
writing skills?
Previous Knowledge:
1. Students will have a vague knowledge of what the Salem Witch Trials were
about.
2. Students will have heard of the McCarthy Trials.
3. Students will know how to write a letter.
4. Students will know how to write a five paragraph essay.
5. Students will know what a conflict is in a piece of literature.
Declarative Knowledge:
1. Students will learn facts about the McCarthy Trials and the Salem Witch Trials.
2. Students will learn facts about the Puritan religion.
3. Students will learn how history can affect literature.
4. Students will learn what a proverb is and how proverbs relate to literature.
Procedural Knowledge:
1. Students will learn how to connect literature to the historical content on which it
is based.
2. Students will learn how to understand a play and its contents.
Connections between objectives, standards, and questions:
I chose to focus on the connection between this play and the historical events that
inspired Miller to write this play. It is important to understand this connection because
understanding that people were actually hanged on false pretenses makes The Crucible
more accessible to the reader. It is also important that the students improve their
vocabulary by learning new vocabulary connected to the play. It is also important that
students improve their writing skills by writing in different forms. For example, they will
be writing a letter and an essay but both of them connect to the play.
I also chose to focus on how the Puritan religion influenced the decisions made by
both the court and the accused in both the Salem Witch Trials and The Crucible. It is
important for students to understand this because they will then be able to think about
how they would react to the same situation based on their beliefs.
Timeline of Unit Plan:
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14
Day 15
Day 16
 Pre-test on Salem Witch Trials, Puritanism, McCarthy
Trials, and The Crucible
 Simulation activity
 PowerPoint: Salem Witch Trials, Puritanism, McCarthy
Trials
 Character Profiling: Wanted Posters
 Present Character Profiles
 Hand out books
 Vocabulary Scramble: Act I
 Anticipation Activity
 Read Act I
 Accountability Check: Act I
 Conflict Worksheet
 Vocabulary Scramble: Act II
 Read Act II
 Finish Act II
 Accountability Check: Act II
 Proverbs activity
 Proverbs Activity
 Vocabulary Scramble: Act III
 Read Act III
 Accountability Check: Act III
 McCarthy reading and questions
 Finish McCarthy activity
 Vocabulary Scramble: Act IV
 Read Act IV
 Accountability Check: Act IV
 John Proctor’s letter
 Write own letter
 In-class essay
 Post test
 Scenario activity (if time)
 Extra day for room if we don’t get something done and need
one more day
Cultural Connections:
The Salem Witch Trials and the McCarthy trials were a part of our American
history. The McCarthy trials in particular affected many of the famous people in the 50’s
and affected American life all together. Also, there were still slaves in the time of the
Salem Witch Trials and Tituba shows how slaves were treated during that time.
Literacy Strategies:
The most important literacy strategy used in this lesson is reading aloud. Students
are probably not used to reading plays and to read them aloud will help with their
comprehension.
Developmental Appropriateness:
I think this unit is developmentally appropriate because we will be doing all of the
reading in class and, most of it, aloud. Therefore, it will help all of my students with
comprehension and, especially, my ELL students. Students will also be writing a letter
and an essay which is an appropriate writing level for juniors. They should be able to
write both before they graduate from high school.
Technology:
Students will be taking notes on a PowerPoint presentation and video. They will
also be using the computer lab to write their in-class essays in which they will be word
processing. If I had more time with the lesson, I may have them research Puritans or
either of the trials which would be more technology.
Unit Evaluation:
The major portions of the unit will come from the assessments after each act and
the final test. These will be graded objectively because they are either multiple choice,
matching, and true/false.
Lesson Number
Type of Assignment
Total Points
1 simulation activity
5 (participation points)
2 PowerPoint notes
5 (participation points)
3 Wanted Posters
15
5 Accountability Act I
50
5 Conflict Worksheet
5 (participation points)
7 Accountability Act II
60
7 Proverbs activity
10
10 Accountability Act III
81
10 McCarthy questions
5 (participation points)
13 Accountability Act IV
102
13 Witch Trial Letter
10
14 In-class essay
20
15 Post-Test
??
15 Scenario (if time)
5 (participation points)
Materials and Resources:
 Copies of The Crucible
 Pre-test
 Vocabulary Scramble envelopes: Act I, II, III, and IV
 PowerPoint
 Wanted Poster templates
 Anticipation Worksheet
 Accountability Checks: Act I, II, III, and IV
 Conflict Worksheet







Proverbs worksheet
McCarthy reading
McCarthy reading questions
John Proctor’s Letter
In-class Essay prompt
Post Test
Scenario Activity
The Crucible Revised Unit Plan Overview
11th grade English
Unit Objectives:
6. Students will be able to reflect on the situation of the Salem Witch Trials
7. Students will be able to discuss some historical events of the Salem Witch Trials
and information on the Puritan religion compared to The Crucible
8. Students will be able to identify conflicts within each act.
9. Students will be able to draw connections between the McCarthy Trials and the
Salem Witch Trials
10. Students will be able to write a letter and an essay in connection to The Crucible
Standards:
I. Reading and Literature
Students will read and understand grade-appropriate English language text.
B. Vocabulary Expansion
Standard: The student will apply a variety of strategies to expand vocabulary.
1. Acquire, understand, and use vocabulary by learning words through
explicit vocabulary instruction and independent reading, and appropriately
using these words in writing.
C. Comprehension
Standard: The student will understand the meaning of informational, expository,
or persuasive texts, using a variety of strategies and will demonstrate literal,
interpretive, inferential and evaluative comprehension.
4. Analyze a variety of nonfiction materials selected from journals, essays,
speeches, biographies, and autobiographies.
D. Literature
Standard: The student will actively engage in the reading process and read,
understand, respond to, analyze, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate a wide variety
of fiction, poetic, and nonfiction texts.
1. Read, analyze, and evaluate traditional, classical, and contemporary
works of literary merit from American literature.
11. Demonstrate how literary works reflect the historical contexts that
shaped them.
13. Read, analyze, and critique dramatic selections by comparing and
contrasting ways in which character, scene, dialogue, and staging
contribute to the theme and dramatic effect.
II. Writing
Students will write clearly and coherently for a variety of audiences and purposes.
A. Type of Writing
Standard: The students will write in narrative, expository, descriptive, persuasive,
and critical modes.
1. Plan, organize, and compose narrative, expository, descriptive,
persuasive, critical, and research writing to address a specific audience and
purpose.
Key Questions Answered in Unit:
4. How do the Salem Witch Trials and the McCarthy Trials connect to The
Crucible?
5. How did the views of the Puritan religion affect the outcome of the Salem Witch
Trials and how is that shown in The Crucible?
6. How does writing as if you are in the Salem Witch Trials help improve your
writing skills?
Previous Knowledge:
6. Students will have a vague knowledge of what the Salem Witch Trials were
about.
7. Students will have heard of the McCarthy Trials.
8. Students will know how to write a letter.
9. Students will know how to write a five paragraph essay.
10. Students will know what a conflict is in a piece of literature.
Declarative Knowledge:
5. Students will learn facts about the McCarthy Trials and the Salem Witch Trials.
6. Students will learn facts about the Puritan religion.
7. Students will learn how history can affect literature.
8. Students will learn what a proverb is and how proverbs relate to literature.
Procedural Knowledge:
3. Students will learn how to connect literature to the historical content on which it
is based.
4. Students will learn how to understand a play and its contents.
Connections between objectives, standards, and questions:
I chose to focus on the connection between this play and the historical events that
inspired Miller to write this play. It is important to understand this connection because
understanding that people were actually hanged on false pretenses makes The Crucible
more accessible to the reader. It is also important that the students improve their
vocabulary by learning new vocabulary connected to the play. It is also important that
students improve their writing skills by writing in different forms. For example, they will
be writing a letter and an essay but both of them connect to the play.
I also chose to focus on how the Puritan religion influenced the decisions made by
both the court and the accused in both the Salem Witch Trials and The Crucible. It is
important for students to understand this because they will then be able to think about
how they would react to the same situation based on their beliefs.
Timeline of Unit Plan:
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14
Day 15
Day 16
Day 17
Day 18
Day 29
Day 20
 Pre-test on Salem Witch Trials, Puritanism, McCarthy
Trials, and The Crucible
 Simulation activity
 Character Profiling: Wanted Posters
 Present Character Profiles
 Vocabulary Scramble: Act I
 Part I of PowerPoint: Salem Witch Trials, Puritanism,
McCarthy Trials
 Anticipation Activity
 Read part of Act I
 Finish Act I
 Conflict Worksheet
 Watch Act I of movie
 Character information packet
 Act I review questions
 Finish Character information packet
 Begin Act II
 Finish Act II
 Act II review questions
 Proverbs activity
 Vocabulary Scramble: Act II
 Poem “Half-Hanged Mary”
 McCarthy reading and questions
 Discussion of first half of play
 Finish McCarthy activity
 Create-Own Crossword
 McCarthy Cartoons
 Watch Act III
 Vocabulary activity
 Begin Act IV
 Finish Act IV
 Full play discussion
 John Proctor’s letter
 Write letter from jail cell
 Junior Seminar
 REVIEW DAY
 Final test
Cultural Connections:
The Salem Witch Trials and the McCarthy trials were a part of our American
history. The McCarthy trials in particular affected many of the famous people in the 50’s
and affected American life all together. Also, there were still slaves in the time of the
Salem Witch Trials and Tituba shows how slaves were treated during that time.
Literacy Strategies:
The most important literacy strategy used in this lesson is reading aloud. Students
are probably not used to reading plays and to read them aloud will help with their
comprehension.
Developmental Appropriateness:
I think this unit is developmentally appropriate because we will be doing all of the
reading in class and, most of it, aloud. Therefore, it will help all of my students with
comprehension and, especially, my ELL students. Students will also be writing a letter
and an essay which is an appropriate writing level for juniors. They should be able to
write both before they graduate from high school.
Technology:
Students will be taking notes on a PowerPoint presentation and video. They will
also be using the computer lab to write their in-class essays in which they will be word
processing. If I had more time with the lesson, I may have them research Puritans or
either of the trials which would be more technology.
Unit Evaluation:
The major portions of the unit will come from the assessments after each act and
the final test. These will be graded objectively because they are either multiple choice,
matching, and true/false.
Lesson Number
Type of Assignment
Total Points
1 simulation activity
5 (participation points)
2 PowerPoint notes
5 (participation points)
3 Wanted Posters
15
5 Conflict Worksheet
5 (participation points)
6 Character Information
5
6 Act 1 Review Questions
13
8 Act II Review Questions
9
9 Proverbs activity
10
10 “Half-Hanged Mary”
18
12 McCarthy Questions
5
12 Create-Own-Crossword
15
13 McCarthy Cartoons
5 (Participation Points)
17 Proctor’s Letter
20
20 Post-Test
80
Materials and Resources:
 Copies of The Crucible
 Pre-test













Vocabulary Scramble envelopes: Act I, II, III, and IV
PowerPoint
Wanted Poster templates
Anticipation Worksheet
Accountability Checks: Act I, II, III, and IV
Conflict Worksheet
Proverbs worksheet
McCarthy reading
McCarthy reading questions
John Proctor’s Letter
In-class Essay prompt
Post Test
Scenario Activity