English 11
Dana Busby
Lesson: Going deeper with The Crucible, a differentiated activity for higher order thinking.
Standards:
RL. 11-12.3 Analyze the impact of the author's choices regarding
how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is
set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and
developed).
W. 11-12.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce,
publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to
ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.
SL 11-12.5 Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual,
graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance
understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
Background:
The class has taken a comprehension quiz on Act III of The Crucible. Based on their results, they were assigned separate
assignments based on a reading taxonomy (Doug Beuhl). The assignment is a two
part (and two day) activity. The first part is done individually and the second
part is done in small groups. I assigned the groups after they took the
comprehension quiz.
Objectives:
Students respond to questions in their notebooks and then use these responses
with their groups to create a visual representation of their topics.
Procedure (Day 1):
1.
Handout the assignment and discuss.
a.
Point out all required elements.
b.
Discuss the concept of a symbol.
2.
Students work on responses and check in with me
when done.
3.
Students divide into small groups and begin work
on their visuals.
Procedure (Day 2):
1.
Students complete the visuals, working in their
small groups.
2.
Students share their visuals with a partner from
another group.
a.
Students make a list of things that were
different and/or interesting about another group’s visual.
3.
Class discussion regarding the different ideas,
symbols, text references that came about from each group’s visual.
Below are the assignment handouts given to the students. If they scored higher on the comprehension quiz, they were given the Analyzing and Evaluating handout; if they scored lower they were given the Understanding and Applying handout.
English 11
The Crucible
Two Day Activity
Analyzing: I can notice
how the author wrote this story.
Evaluating: I can
critically examine the author’s story.
Tasks: Step 1: Respond
thoughtfully to two prompts. Step 2: Create a detailed visual with a group. (Day
One: complete response & begin visual. Day Two: complete visual)
Response Directions:
- Answer the following questions
in your notebook. Include specific references to the text along with 1-2
direct quotations for each question.
Question for analyzing:
We know that Arthur Miller changed Abigail’s age and invented the affair
between her and John Proctor. What other advantages does Abigail’s older age
offer to the telling of the story?
Question for evaluating:
How does Miller develop the mood of the story in Act III? (Remember that mood
is how the author wants the reader to feel while reading the story.)
2. Check in with Mrs. Busby to ensure that you are
ready to move on to step 2.
- Once your responses have been approved, work with your assigned group to create a visual representation of Abigail’s character and the mood of The Crucible. To do this you may use Glogster, Prezi, or Google slides. Include key references to the text or clever insights from your responses.
Visual Directions:
- Using your chosen mode of
presentation, create a visual representation of both Abigail’s character
and the mood of Act III.
a) Provide at least two specific examples from the
text to support your ideas. (Feel free to draw from your responses to the
questions above.)
b) Include at least three images for each Abigail’s
character and the mood. These images should be symbolic in nature. (i.e. NOT
pictures of the actress from the movie)
- Once you have completed your
visual, upload it to the drop box on Moodle.
- Each group member will share
his/her groups’ visual with the member of another group.
English 11
The Crucible
Two Day Activity
Understanding: I can
understand what the author is telling me.
Applying: I can use my
life experiences and/or knowledge to understand the story.
Tasks: Step 1: Respond
thoughtfully to two prompts. Step 2: Create a detailed visual with a group.
(Day One: complete response & begin visual. Day Two: complete visual)
Response Directions:
- Answer the following questions
in your notebook. Include specific references to the text along with 1-2
direct quotations for each question.
Question for understanding: What is the significance of Elizabeth’s
actions in Act III? What do the mean for her husband?
Question for applying: One of the themes of Act III is that pride and power can
be damaging. What modern day examples can you think of that fit with this
theme?
2. Check in with Mrs. Busby to ensure that you are
ready to move on to step 3.
- Once your responses have been approved, work with your
assigned group to create a visual representation of Elizabeth’s character
and the power/pride theme of Act III. To do this you may use
Glogster, Prezi, or Google slides. Include key references to the text or
clever insights from your responses.
Visual Directions:
- Using your chosen mode of
presentation, create a visual representation of both Elizabeth’s character
and the power/pride theme of Act III.
a) Provide at least two specific examples from the
text to support your ideas. (Feel free to draw from your responses to the
questions above.)
b) Include at least three images for each
Elizabeth’s character and the theme. These images should be symbolic in nature.
(i.e. NOT pictures of the actress from the movie)
- Once you have completed your
visual, upload it to the drop box on Moodle.
- Each group member will share
his/her groups’ visual with the member of another group.
Assignment Rubric
English 11
The Crucible Act III Activity
Individual
Notebook Response
___/2 Clarity:
Addresses all parts of each question.
___/2
Development: Specifics from the text, including 1-2 direct quotations for each
question, are provided to fully develop the ideas presented in the response.
___/2
Conventions: There are few, if any errors that do not distract the reader or
impede understanding.
Group Visual
___/4 Textual
Support: At least two specific and relevant examples from the text are used to
support ideas.
___/3 Images: At
least three images are provided for each section of the visual. The images are
thoughtful, relevant, and mostly symbolic in nature.
___/3 Quality:
The final product is neat and generally free of errors.
____/16
=Total Score
I found this assignment to be really successful. The whole class was able to work with the same text and build on where they were individually with comprehension.
