The Scarlet Letter Lesson: That’s Scandalous!
Duration: 90-120 minutes
Priority standards: Reading: 11.01; Literature: 11.07, 11.12; Writing: 11.15
Brief overview of lesson:
This lesson is an extended project intended to offer students an assignment that challenges
them at their individual knowledge/skill levels. There are three leveled project options: based
on the results from the pre-assessment, place students in the level that reflects the skills they
are lacking or hold. This project offers practice in research, using and creating MLA citations,
and using evidence to support an analysis or argument, while directly addressing the unit’s
essential questions. The lesson assumes that students have been taught researching skills, but
if students need a lesson on how to locate, evaluate, and synthesize appropriate sources, please
refer to the “Research” section of the PPS Writing Craft Lessons packet. Students will briefly
research the “sins” of various contemporary characters, write about society’s responses to their
actions, and created a visual symbol to represent their character’s situation.
Materials needed:
“Scandalous People” photos to put up around the room; copies of the “That’s Scandalous!”
project descriptors; graphic organizers (for Group 1 only); computers with internet for each
student, and art materials including construction paper, magazines, markers, and any other
supplies that will be helpful in making a creative, colorful, paper letter.
Essential vocabulary:
Scandal, shunning, hypocrisy, conformity, vengeance
Addressing Essential Questions:
How do varying levels of religious influence on governments dictate moral and ethical law?
How does a society’s definition of “sin” influence/affect the individual?
How do hypocrisy, conformity, and vengeance affect the characters of The Scarlet Letter?
How do these same forces affect others?
Hook/Anticipatory Set:
1. Before class begins hang the “Scandalous People” pictures on the walls of your
room. As students come in, ask them to tour the photos and silently determine
what they all have in common; when students have come to their conclusion, they
should write their answers; collect them. Read the answers aloud (anonymously).
We recommend awarding an edible or extra-credit prize to the student with the
most accurate answer and the student with the most creative answer.
2. Ask students to discuss why these particular images of the individuals were chosen
and published. They may notice editorial biases in the visual imagery.
3. Explain that these photos are all of individuals who have been shunned for their
actions. While what they did was not necessarily against the law (as adultery was in
the 17th century), these people all wear an invisible label. Their transgressions are
often displayed on television, in magazines, and newspapers, similar to Hester
Prynne’s time on the platform.
Steps/Procedures:
1. Inform students that they will all be required to complete a project individually, but they
will be grouped into three different categories. The directions in their project folders
will be specifically aimed at their skill sets.

Group 1: Students who did not meet the standards it the pre-assessment.

Group 2: Students who meet the standard.

Group 3: Students who meet or exceed the standards.
2. Have students complete the assignment.
Closure:
Optional: Have students share their letters with the class. This can be a formal presentation and
follow your classroom’s presentation protocol or can be a short, informal pair-share.
Strategies for ELL students:
ELL students should complete the activity designed for Group 1.
Strategies for TAG students:
TAG students should complete the activity designed for Group 3.
There is an option for students to identify and research their own “shunned” individual.
THAT’S SCANDALOUS! – Research and Preparation
This project has three different parts which need to be completed in order. Read these
directions carefully and hold on to them! You will be referring to them throughout your
progress.
Part 1 - Research: Choose your “shunned individual” and research them! Follow the very
specific guidelines:

Using the GALE Database, Google Scholar, or another scholarly website (NO
Wikipedia or .com’s) find two sources that explain, in detail, why and how your
individual has been shunned by society. Print these sources to reference later for
quotes and information.

Create a “Works Cited” page. Go to:
http://secondary.oslis.org/resources/cm/mlacitationss and follow the instructions
closely. Sources must be listed alphabetically and the page must be titled “Works
Cited.”
Part 2 - Writing: Essay

Complete the attached graphic organizer.
Part 3 – Visual Representation: You will choose a letter to symbolize the individual’s
transgressions, or frowned-upon actions. This letter must symbolize the person’s “sin.”

For example: John Lennon was ostracized for saying that he and The Beatles were
“bigger than God.” His letter could be an “E” for “ego;” this letter could be
decorated with pictures of Jon Lennon’s head.
Choose one of the following individuals:
Monica Lewinsky
Ho Chi Minh
Mike Tyson
Bill Clinton
Rasputin
Michael Jackson
Marilyn Manson
Dennis Rodman
Camilla Parker Bowles
Karl Marx
Kim Sung
Francisco Franco
Josef Stalin
Fidel Castro
Tiger Woods
Benito Mussolini
Mao Tse-Tung
Marie Antoinette
That’s Scandalous!
Research Graphic Organizer
Section 1:
Reasons people are shunned (today):
Reasons people were shunned (in the 17th
Century):
Ex: Some drug addictions (Meth, Cocaine)
Ex: A lack of (Christian) religious faith.
Section 2:
Your chosen person’s actions:
How Society has reacted:
Section 3:
Similarities between your individual and
Hester:
Differences between your individual and
Hester:
THAT’S SCANDALOUS! - Group #2
This project has three different parts, which need to be completed in order. Read these
directions carefully and hold on to them! You will be referring to them throughout your
progress.
Part 1 - Research: Choose your “shunned individual” and research him or her! Follow the very
specific guidelines:

Using the GALE Database, Google Scholar, or another scholarly website (NO
Wikipedia or .com’s) find three sources that explain, in detail, why and how your
individual has been shunned by society. Print these sources to reference later for
quotes and information.

Create a “Works Cited” page. Use your Write Source book or the website:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/ to create the citations and
find the proper format.
Part 2 - Writing:
Write an analysis on the following prompt:
Hester was required to stand on a platform and wear a scarlet letter to declare her shame to the
community. While this sort of “punishment” may not happen today, society still finds a way to
deliver a sentence to those who have transgressed. Write a short three to five paragraph essay
discussing the ways modern society punishes individuals, using yours as the primary example.
Embed quotations from your research.
Part 3 – Visual Representation: You will choose a letter to symbolize the individual’s
transgressions, or frowned-upon actions. This letter must symbolize the person’s “sin” both
visually and literally.
For example: John Lennon was ostracized for saying that he and The Beatles were “bigger than
God.” His letter could be an “E” for “ego;” this letter could be decorated with photos of other
individuals who are known for their over-inflated ego.
Choose one of the following individuals:
Monica Lewinsky
Bill Clinton
Marilyn Manson
Karl Marx
Josef Stalin
Benito Mussolini
Ho Chi Minh
Rasputin
Dennis Rodman
Kim Sung
Fidel Castro
Mao Tse-Tung
Mike Tyson
Michael Jackson
Camilla Parker Bowles
Gary Condit
Francisco Franco
Tiger Woods
Marie Antoinette
THAT’S SCANDALOUS ! - Group #3
This project has three different parts, which need to be completed in order. Read these
directions carefully and hold on to them! You will be referring to them throughout your
progress.
Part 1 - Research: Choose your two “shunned” individuals from the list below and research
them! The people you choose must be from two different countries. Follow the very specific
researching guidelines:

Using the GALE Database, Google Scholar, or another scholarly website (NO
Wikipedia or .com’s) find two sources for each individual that explain, in detail, why
and how your individual has been shunned by their society. Print these sources to
reference later for quotes and information.

Create a “Works Cited” page. Use your Write Source book or the website:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/ to create the citations and
find the proper format.
Part 2 - Writing:
Write an analysis on the following prompt:
Shame and sin is viewed in a variety of ways in different countries and cultures: Hester did
something that is very common in America today, but is still considered a crime in some Middle
Eastern cultures. You will compare and contrast these differences in perspective. Relying
extensively on quotations from your novel and your four sources, explain how the different
cultural perceptions of sin have affected your two shunned individuals and Hester Prynne.
Part 3 – Visual Representation: You will choose a letter to symbolize one of your individuals’
transgressions, or frowned-upon actions. This letter must symbolize the person’s “sin” both
visually and literally.
For example: John Lennon was ostracized for saying that he and The Beatles were “bigger than
God.” His letter could be an “E” for “ego;” this letter could be decorated with photos of other
individuals who are known for their over-inflated ego.
Choose one of the following individuals:
Monica Lewinsky
Bill Clinton
Marilyn Manson
Karl Marx
Josef Stalin
Benito Mussolini
Ho Chi Minh
Rasputin
Dennis Rodman
Kim Sung
Fidel Castro
Mao Tse-Tung
Mike Tyson
Michael Jackson
Camilla Parker Bowles
Gary Condit
Francisco Franco
Tiger Woods
Marie Antoinette
Note: With teacher
permission, you may
choose another
“scandalous” public figure.
The Scarlet Letter Lesson Plan #7: What is “Sin?”
Duration: 90 minutes
Priority standards: Reading 11.02; Literature 11.12
Brief overview of lesson:
This lesson will help students gain a greater understanding of the varying levels of religious
influence on laws, culture, and individuals in different countries. Students will get into small
groups and each group will and pick a slip of paper from three different containers labeled
Taboos, Theocratic Governments and Non-Theocratic Governments. The groups will then
research, create, and present posters showing how different governments in different countries
treat “sin” and social taboos.
Materials needed:
3 containers, each with slips of paper with words from the following lists; access to computers
or resources for conducting light research on their two countries; materials for posters
including: 11 X 17” or other paper for poster, glue sticks, and markers.
Essential vocabulary:
Theocracy, taboo, sin, morals, ethics
Addressing Essential Questions:
How do varying levels of religious influence on governments dictate moral and ethical law?
How does a society’s definition of “sin” influence/affect the individual?
Hook/Anticipatory Set:
Students will be split up into groups of 3-5 (depending on class size) and every group must draw
one slip of paper from each container.
Steps/Procedures:
1. After students have split up into different groups and have drawn their slips, they will be
given 11x17 or other paper to make their group poster.
Each poster must include the taboo that their group has picked, and the two countries, each at
the top of one of two columns. Students may choose to provide a visual representation of the
taboo, in order to make the posters more visual.
2. Each group will conduct some type of research that addresses the question: How is this taboo
treated by law in the two selected countries?
3. Each group should record their findings in the two different columns.
4. After everyone has finished, each group will be asked to present their two countries’
treatments of the specified taboo. After each group has presented, follow up with the question:
What conclusions can be drawn by comparing each pair of countries’ treatments of the taboo?
Closure:
The groups will post their posters in the classroom and will be able to view and reflect on other
groups’ posters.
Strategies for ELL students:
You can, ahead of time, print out different countries’ laws in order to help students who might
otherwise find the legal language difficult.
Strategies for TAG students:
Students who would benefit from a challenge could compare more than two countries per
taboo, or could look up more than one taboo per country pair.
THEOCRATIC GOVERNMENTS:
Uganda
India
Sudan
Afghanistan
Vatican City
Yemen
Saudi Arabia
Iran
Pakistan
Homosexuality
(Female) Garb
Treason
Adultery
PDA/Indecency
Slander/Libel
Drug/Alcohol Use
Thievery
Prayer
TABOOS:
NON-THEOCRATIC GOVERNMENTS:
America
Norway
Brazil
Canada
Australia
Netherlands
England
Mexico
Germany
The Scarlet Letter Lesson Culminating Assignment:
Research-supported Literary Analysis
Duration: Determined by teacher
Priority standards: Reading: 11.01, 11.02; Literature: 11.07, 11.12; Writing: 11.15.2, 11.15.5,
11.15.6
Brief overview of lesson:
This culminating assignment gives students a chance to pull together and demonstrate the skills
they have practiced in this unit, including academic research, literary analysis, critical thinking
about the connections between literature and society, and expository writing. The project is
tiered to allow students to demonstrate proficiency at various levels, but each tiered project
addresses the same standards. For this project, students will research standards for certain
types of behavior in various contemporary cultures and write a paper on The Scarlet Letter in
which they examine the effects of various societal and legal sanctions on the individual.
Materials needed:
Copies for each student of the “Research-Supported Literary Analysis” handout [note: this must
be modified before use to include your important dates] and the post- assessment scoring
guide.
Essential vocabulary:
Literary analysis, analyze, evaluate, themes, primary and secondary sources.
Addressing Essential Questions:
How do varying levels of religious influence on governments dictate moral and ethical law?
How does a society’s definition of “sin” influence or effect the individual?
How do hypocrisy, conformity, and vengeance affect the characters of The Scarlet Letter?
How do these same forces affect others?
Steps/Procedures:
1. Hand out the “Research-Supported Literary Analysis Assignment”

Read the assignment together, clarifying class understanding.

Students who did not meet or just met standards can choose from prompt #1 and
prompt #2. Students who solidly met or exceeded standards (and/or who completed
the Group 3 assignment in the tiered project) need to respond to prompt #3.
2. Hand out the post assessment rubric

Discuss the rubric carefully, addressing any questions the students may have

Optional:
o
Give all students two different colored highlighters. Students should mark
wording/expectations in the rubric that are confusing with one color and mark
places they understand well enough to explain to someone else in the class in
the other.
o
When students are done reading/highlighting, they should pair up with another
student and work through points of confusion together, clarifying with the
teacher as needed.
3. Arrange for students to have adequate time for research and writing, including all the steps
of the writing process.
Closure:
On the day students are to hand the papers in, have them select a paragraph from the paper,
and have them share in small groups or as a class.
Strategies for ELL students:
ELL students should be assigned Prompt #1 or #2 on the Post-Assessment.
Strategies for TAG students:
Prompt #3 on the Post-Assessment is specifically designed for TAG students.
The Scarlet Letter: Research-Based Literary Analysis
The goals of this assignment are to help you:

become more knowledgeable about finding and using varied research sources

further develop your critical thinking skills and back up your points with evidence.

become more adept at synthesizing information obtained from multiple sources

discipline yourself to follow a scholarly research format to document in-text sources
and a reference page (bibliography).

compose a well organized, clear, concise, research-supported literary analysis paper to
expand and demonstrate your knowledge on a subject of interest to you and relevant to
our course theme.
Requirements:

Length: 3-5 pages

Sources: Minimum of 3 legitimate sources

Times New Roman, 12-point, double-spaced, 1 inch margins

Thesis statement that concisely states the purpose of your essay

MLA Format
.
Important deadlines:

[Determined individually based on class schedule, access to technology, etc.]
Prompts:
Choose the prompt that correlates with the level you used on your “That’s Scandalous” project.
Any changes must be discussed with me.
Prompt #1: Hester Prynne's life was dictated by her community's beliefs. If Hester committed
the same "crime" in another culture or country, how would her life and experiences have
differed from her life in 17th-century Massachusetts? Use what we know of Hester's character
from the novel to substantiate your claims. Cite specific laws and beliefs from your research in
your analysis.
Prompt #2: Shame and sin are viewed in a variety of ways in different countries and cultures:
Hester committed a "crime" that is very common in America, but is conversely a legitimate
crime in other countries around the world. Compare and contrast at least two other
countries/cultures to Hester. Relying heavily on quotes from the novel and outside sources,
explain how different cultural perceptions of sin have affected individuals in cultures, as well as
Hester Prynne.
Prompt #3: Conformity is often required in theocratic societies; this is reflected in Hester's and
Dimmesdale's life choices in The Scarlet Letter. Identify the forces that cause conformity in the
novel and demonstrate the effects that this extreme conformity has on specific characters’
lives. Compare and contrast this theme of conformity with the conformity required of and
found in other, modern theocratic societies. You may want to focus on Iran, Vatican City, Saudi
Arabia, or Israel.
Scoring Guide for The Scarlet Letter Unit Post-Assessment
Priority Standard
Exceeds
Meets
Does Not Meet
11.01 Analyze and evaluate the
merit of an argument by
examining evidence and by
comparing the evidence with
information available in other
sources.
Selects and uses reliable evidence
from multiple sources that strongly
supports paper’s thesis while fully
answering prompt.
Selects and uses reliable evidence
from multiple sources that mostly
supports paper’s thesis while
answering prompt.
Does not demonstrate ability to
select and use reliable sources.
Demonstrates original thought and a
thorough understanding of
important themes with evidence
used in the paper. Analysis is
relevant and insightful.
Demonstrates an understanding of
some important themes with
evidence used in the paper.
Analysis is relevant.
Student clearly understands the
historical context and relevance of
the novel, as evidenced in their
writing and research.
Writing evidences some
knowledge of the novel’s historical
context and relevance.
11.02 Analyze an author’s
unstated ideas and meanings
and analyzing evidence that
supports those unstated ideas.
11.12 Analyze the way in which
a work of U.S. literature is
related to the themes, issues,
political movements, and events
of its historical period.
Makes compelling historical or
Makes historical or cultural
Paper lacks original thought and
quotations used are often
irrelevant. There may be
misinterpretations.
Writing evidences little knowledge
of the novel or its
historical/cultural context.
11.15.2 Cite sources of
information as appropriate.
11.15. 5 Draw from both
primary sources and secondary
sources.
11.15.6 Draw supported
inferences about the effects of a
literary work on its audience.
cultural connections to the novel.
connections to the novel.
Demonstrates mastery of MLA
format, including in-text citations,
quotations are used effectively.
Demonstrates competence with
MLA format. In-text citations are
attempted; there are quotations
which support the arguments
Paper weaves together text from
short story, resources, and original
ideas for a strong synthesis.
Paper offers an informed, developed
position about effects of societal
beliefs on the individual.
Paper brings together text from
short story, resources, and original
ideas for a reasonable synthesis.
Paper offers a developed position
about effects of societal beliefs on
the individual.
Sources are either not used or not
cited.
Connections between nonfiction
sources and novel are
underdeveloped.
Paper may touch only briefly on
the effects of societal beliefs on
the individual.
The Scarlet Letter Lesson Plan #8: Final Reflection
Duration: 60 minutes
Priority standards: Reading: 11.01, 11.02; Literature: 11.06, 11.07, 11.12; Writing: 11.15.2, 11.15.5,
11.15.6
Brief overview of lesson:
This lesson closes the unit. The reflection gives students a chance to look back on and assess their
learning; helps them see how they have met the standards, and lets them consider, for a final time in
the unit, the essential questions. The reflection also encourages students to think about how they can
use knowledge and skills in future applications.
Materials needed:
“The Scarlet Letter Final Reflection” assignment/example handout; final reflection sheets to fill out
Essential vocabulary:
Literary analysis, analyze, evaluate, correlate, themes, primary and secondary sources, reflection
Addressing Essential Question(s):
How do varying levels of religious influence on governments dictate moral and ethical law?
How does a society’s definition of “sin” influence or effect the individual?
How do hypocrisy, conformity, and vengeance affect the characters of The Scarlet Letter?
How do these same forces affect others?
Steps/Procedures:
1. Handout the “The Scarlet Letter Final Reflection” assignment/example handout as well as final
reflection sheets to fill out
2. Read the assignment together, clarifying class understanding. It may be useful to let the
students brainstorm briefly with a partner before they start.
3. Have the students complete their reflections.
4. Recommended: Have students keep their final reflection and the correlating assignments;
students can file them in a paper or online portfolio.