Institut für Erziehungswissenschaft
Abteilung Lehrerinnen- und Lehrerbildung
FD II: Englisch
lic. phil. I Hansjürg Perino
Anette Jaworski und Miriam Kieliger
Lesson plan of The Crucible
FS 13
23.5.2013
“”Lesson plan: Arthur Miller’s The Crucible
Duration: 8- 10 weeks
Level: (upper-intermediate) advanced
Last two weeks: presentations of 5 minutes on the following topic: Write a letter to the governor of Massachusetts asking that the accused
(that you have chosen) be pardoned. (material for this writing is to be found on
http://salem.lib.virginia.edu/people?group.num=all&mbio.num=mb13 )
* look at document “The Crucible describing lessons” for more detailed description of the lesson”
Lesso
n
Phase
Aims / Content
Procedure / Method


1/2
General
informa
tion:

Drama
Puritans
Witches
Arthur
miller


Historical background
Of the Puritans
Introduction to the
theme of Witchcraft
Introduction to
Drama
Materials / Media
required





Pre-reading activity :
Explain what we expect from them and how we
want to achieve this.
Show pictures to introduce historical background
topic of Witchcraft and history of Puritans.
Open discussion: opinion/thoughts/
Reading
Emphasize the opening stage direction so
students understand where the first action takes
place.
Start reading Act 1

Powerpoint /Pictures

The Crucible

Game : “Which is the witch”
Homework:
students have
to read it for
next lesson


Act I
Voc.
Institut für Erziehungswissenschaft
Abteilung Lehrerinnen- und Lehrerbildung
FD II: Englisch
lic. phil. I Hansjürg Perino

3


Act I

4
Act II

Make sure they
have read
/understand the
first Act
Summarize
Diagram
Summarize Act 2
Vocabulary. Make
them aware of the
importance of the
vocabulary.
Anette Jaworski und Miriam Kieliger
Lesson plan of The Crucible
FS 13
23.5.2013

Class discussion. Summarising the first Act.

A list of prepared questions
They have to guess who said that. (group work)

Short extracts from the first
act.

Empty list with the
characters of the Drama

Diagram

Class discussion on the characters.

Create a diagram with the characters all together
Fill in the information we have.

Game: to summarize Act 2

Everybody writes down a few sentences about
what they remember.



Teacher starts with the summary of Act II.
She throws a ball to a student who adds info
(snowball)


The Crucible
Questions on the 2Act.

Vocabulary trees to be filled
in.




Act 2
Voc.
Act II
Voc.
Institut für Erziehungswissenschaft
Abteilung Lehrerinnen- und Lehrerbildung
FD II: Englisch
lic. phil. I Hansjürg Perino

Speaking and writing
skills
Main themes of the
Drama (voc.)


Working with the
computer
Practicing Questions

5
Act II

Help students
discover their own
interpretation of the
text and the
relationships
between the
Anette Jaworski und Miriam Kieliger
Lesson plan of The Crucible
FS 13
23.5.2013

Divide the class in groups: Divide Act I and II
students look for vocabulary related to :
witchcraft, religion, law/court, nature


Which character do they like /why
How do they think the Drama continues?

With the computer programme they take a
sequence from the book and create the inner
dialogue, deducing from the outside.


The Crucible
Computer
Institut für Erziehungswissenschaft
Abteilung Lehrerinnen- und Lehrerbildung
FD II: Englisch
lic. phil. I Hansjürg Perino
Anette Jaworski und Miriam Kieliger
Lesson plan of The Crucible
FS 13
23.5.2013
characters

6*
Examine the historical
facts of a consciously
historical work of
literature
Historical
facts

7*
Discussion of act
three



Act III

8*
9*
11
Act I-IV
Students look at the picture and talk with their 
partner about how the accused feels. They will
examine the oil painting and discuss what they
see.
In groups of three students will find answers
to comprehension questions on Act III.
Picture of George Jacobs on
transparency or projection
with beamer:
http://salem.lib.virginia.edu/
people?group.num=all&mbio.
num=mb13
Map of Salem Village:

http://www.pbs.org/wnet
/secrets/previous_seasons
/case_salem/salem.html
John Proctor as Tragic
Hero

Students will first watch an exerpt from the
film The Crucible by Nicholas Hytner. Then
they will answer the questions in groups of
two.


Worksheet
DVD/beamer

Acting out key scenes

The study of The Crucible will involve acting out
one key scene. Class will be divided into four or
five groups and each group will act out a key
scene of the play including all acts.

Play

Presentations

Students will learn more about the real
individuals that were accused of witchcraft. In
this way they will be able to sympathize with
them and write the letter to the governor.


Play


Play
Act IV
Act I-IV


Act IV
10
Students visit the homepage in order to read
about the real Salem story, about the accused
individuals.
They fill out the worksheet “Which is a Witch?”

Presentations
http://salem.lib.virginia.ed
u/people?group.num=all&
mbio.num=mb13
http://salem.lib.virginia.ed

Act III
Act IV
Institut für Erziehungswissenschaft
Abteilung Lehrerinnen- und Lehrerbildung
FD II: Englisch
lic. phil. I Hansjürg Perino
Anette Jaworski und Miriam Kieliger
Lesson plan of The Crucible
FS 13
23.5.2013
u/people?group.num=all&
mbio.num=mb13