Lesson Plan
Crucible Character Showcase
Students will collaboratively analyze a chosen character from Acts 1 and 2 of 'The Crucible,' identifying their motivations, conflicts, and development, and present their findings creatively.
Understanding character drives plot and theme. This project helps students delve deeply into literary analysis, develop critical thinking, and practice collaboration and presentation skills, essential for academic and real-world success.
Audience
11th Grade Students
Time
90 minutes
Approach
Students will work in small groups to analyze a character and prepare a presentation.
Materials
Crucible Character Showcase Slide Deck, Crucible Character Project Guide, Character Showcase Rubric, Copies of 'The Crucible' (Acts 1 & 2), Chart paper or whiteboard for brainstorming, Markers, and Computers/Tablets (optional, for digital presentations)
Prep
Teacher Preparation
30 minutes
- Review the Crucible Character Showcase Lesson Plan, Crucible Character Showcase Slide Deck, Crucible Character Project Guide, and Character Showcase Rubric.
- Ensure copies of 'The Crucible' (Acts 1 & 2) are available.
- Prepare chart paper/whiteboard and markers.
- Assign students to small groups (3-4 students per group), considering varied strengths and needs, especially for IEP/504 differentiations.
Step 1
Warm Up: Character Clues
10 minutes
- Begin with the Character Clues Warm-Up.
2. Display a few quotes from different characters in Acts 1 and 2 of 'The Crucible.'
3. Ask students to identify the character and explain what the quote reveals about them. (5 minutes)
4. Briefly discuss how authors use dialogue to reveal character. (5 minutes)
Step 2
Introduce Project: Crucible Character Showcase
15 minutes
- Use the Crucible Character Showcase Slide Deck to introduce the project.
2. Distribute the Crucible Character Project Guide and review the project objectives, requirements, and timeline.
3. Emphasize the collaborative nature of the project and the importance of each group member's contribution.
4. Review the Character Showcase Rubric to clarify grading expectations.
Step 3
Group Work: Character Selection and Brainstorming
30 minutes
- In their pre-assigned groups, students will choose one character from Acts 1 or 2 of 'The Crucible' for their showcase. Encourage a variety of character choices across groups.
2. Using the Crucible Character Project Guide as a reference, groups will brainstorm key aspects of their chosen character: motivations, relationships, internal/external conflicts, significant actions, and important quotes.
3. Circulate among groups to provide support, answer questions, and ensure productive collaboration. Offer specific guidance for IEP/504 students, such as providing sentence starters for analysis or graphic organizers for brainstorming.
Step 4
Planning and Preparation
25 minutes
- Groups will begin to plan their presentation based on the chosen format (e.g., character monologue, debate, interview, visual presentation with explanation).
2. They should assign roles for the presentation and outline the content they will cover.
3. Remind students to integrate textual evidence (quotes, paraphrases) from Acts 1 and 2.
4. For IEP/504 students, consider allowing them to use pre-selected quotes, providing sentence frames for their analysis, or offering a choice board for presentation formats that play to their strengths (e.g., more visual vs. more verbal).
Step 5
Cool Down: One Word Character
10 minutes
- Conclude the session with the One Word Character Cool Down.
2. Ask each student to write down one word that describes their chosen character from 'The Crucible' based on their group's discussion so far.
3. Have a few students share their word and a brief reason why they chose it. (5 minutes)
4. Collect these as an exit ticket to gauge initial understanding and engagement. (5 minutes)
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Slide Deck
Crucible Character Showcase: Acts 1 & 2
Get ready to bring a character to life!
Welcome students and introduce the day's focus: deep diving into characters from 'The Crucible'. Emphasize the engaging nature of the project.
Our Objective Today
Students will:
- Collaboratively analyze a character from Acts 1 and 2 of "The Crucible."
- Identify their motivations, conflicts, and development.
- Present their findings creatively to the class.
Clearly state the learning objective so students understand the goal of the lesson and project.
What's the Showcase?
This is your chance to become an expert on a character from 'The Crucible'!
- Small Groups: You'll work together.
- Deep Dive: Analyze a character from Acts 1 or 2.
- Creative Presentation: Share your insights with the class.
Explain what the project entails at a high level. Mention it's a group effort.
Choose Your Character!
Select ONE character from Acts 1 or 2:
- Reverend Parris
- Tituba
- Abigail Williams
- John Proctor
- Elizabeth Proctor
- Reverend Hale
- Giles Corey
- Martha Corey
- Rebecca Nurse
- Francis Nurse
- Mary Warren
- Mercy Lewis
- Betty Parris
- Ann Putnam
- Thomas Putnam
Guide students on which characters they can choose. Remind them to stick to Acts 1 and 2.
Your Presentation Options
Choose ONE way to showcase your character:
- Character Monologue: Write and perform a speech from your character's perspective.
- Character Interview: Stage an interview with your character (one person plays the character, another the interviewer).
- Character Debate: Argue for or against your character's actions/motivations with another group.
- Visual Presentation: Create a poster, digital presentation, or multimedia project explaining your character.
Introduce the presentation options. Encourage creativity while reinforcing the need for analysis and evidence.
Key Aspects to Analyze
For your chosen character, explore:
- Motivations: Why do they do what they do?
- Relationships: How do they interact with others?
- Internal & External Conflicts: What struggles do they face?
- Significant Actions: What key choices do they make?
- Important Quotes: What do their words reveal?
Outline the key areas of analysis. Stress that textual evidence is crucial.
How You'll Be Graded
Your project will be assessed using the Character Showcase Rubric.
Focus on:
- Depth of analysis
- Use of textual evidence
- Creativity and clarity of presentation
- Group collaboration
Explain the importance of the rubric and how students will be assessed. Refer to the handout.
Let's Get Started!
- Get into your groups.
- Choose your character from Acts 1 or 2.
- Start brainstorming using your Crucible Character Project Guide.
- Remember to include specific evidence from the text!
Provide clear next steps for group work. Remind them to use the Project Guide.
Project Guide
Crucible Character Showcase: Acts 1 & 2
Project Overview
Welcome, detectives of Salem! In this project, you and your group will become experts on a chosen character from the first two acts of Arthur Miller's The Crucible. You will delve into their motivations, relationships, and struggles, then creatively present your insights to the class. This is your chance to bring a character to life and show a deep understanding of their role in the unfolding drama!
Learning Objectives
By the end of this project, you will be able to:
- Collaboratively analyze a character from Acts 1 and 2 of "The Crucible."
- Identify and explain your character's key motivations, internal and external conflicts, and significant actions.
- Support your analysis with specific textual evidence (quotes and paraphrases) from the play.
- Present your character creatively and clearly to your classmates.
Group Roles & Collaboration
Everyone in your group is expected to contribute equally. Discuss and assign roles early on, such as:
- Lead Researcher: Focuses on finding and documenting textual evidence.
- Analysis Coordinator: Helps the group make connections and draw conclusions about the character.
- Presentation Designer: Plans the structure and visuals (if applicable) of the presentation.
- Time Keeper/Facilitator: Keeps the group on track and ensures everyone has a voice.
Character Selection (Choose ONE from Acts 1 or 2)
- Reverend Parris
- Tituba
- Abigail Williams
- John Proctor
- Elizabeth Proctor
- Reverend Hale
- Giles Corey
- Martha Corey
- Rebecca Nurse
- Francis Nurse
- Mary Warren
- Mercy Lewis
- Betty Parris
- Ann Putnam
- Thomas Putnam
Character Analysis: What to Explore?
For your chosen character, your group will analyze the following, using evidence from Acts 1 and 2:
- Motivations: What drives your character? What do they want, and why?
- Relationships: How does your character interact with other characters? How do these relationships shape them or the plot?
- Internal & External Conflicts: What struggles does your character face within themselves (internal) or with others/society (external)?
- Significant Actions: What key decisions or actions does your character take? What are the consequences?
- Important Quotes: Select at least three significant quotes from your character (or about your character) from Acts 1 and 2. Explain what each quote reveals about them.
Presentation Options (Choose ONE)
Your presentation should be 5-7 minutes long and include the key analysis points above with textual evidence.
- Character Monologue: Write and perform a monologue (a long speech by one character) from your character's perspective. The monologue should reveal their inner thoughts, conflicts, and motivations based on events in Acts 1 and 2.
- Character Interview: Stage a mock interview where one group member plays the character, and others act as interviewers, asking probing questions about their experiences and feelings in Acts 1 and 2.
- Character Debate: Prepare to debate another group about a key action or motivation of your chosen character (e.g., Was Abigail justified in her actions? Was John Proctor truly a good man?). This requires strong analytical arguments.
- Visual Presentation: Create a poster, digital presentation (e.g., Google Slides), or other multimedia project that visually represents your character's journey, motivations, and conflicts in Acts 1 and 2. You will present and explain your visual.
Differentiation & Support (IEP/504)
- Pre-selected Quotes: For students who benefit from structured support, the teacher can provide a selection of key quotes related to their chosen character.
- Sentence Starters/Frames: Use provided sentence starters or frames to help structure analytical responses (e.g., " " indicates that " " because " " ).
- Graphic Organizers: Utilize graphic organizers to help organize research and analysis of character traits, conflicts, and motivations.
- Flexible Grouping: Teachers may intentionally group students with complementary strengths to foster peer support.
- Extended Time: Accommodate requests for extended time for research, writing, or presentation preparation as needed.
- Choice of Presentation Format: Allowing students to choose from various presentation formats can cater to different learning styles and strengths.
- Reduced Requirements: Adjust the number of required quotes or analysis points based on individual student needs, in consultation with IEP/504 plans.
Rubric
Character Showcase Rubric
Project: Crucible Character Showcase: Acts 1 & 2
Student Name(s):
Character:
| Criteria | Exemplary (4 points) | Proficient (3 points) | Developing (2 points) | Beginning (1 point) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Character Analysis (Motivations, Conflicts, Relationships, Actions) | Provides a thorough, insightful, and accurate analysis of the character, exploring all key aspects with depth. | Provides a clear and accurate analysis of the character, addressing most key aspects. | Provides a basic or somewhat superficial analysis of the character, missing some key aspects. | Demonstrates minimal understanding or provides an inaccurate analysis of the character. |
| Textual Evidence (Quotes & Explanations) | Integrates ample, highly relevant textual evidence (3+ quotes) seamlessly, with sophisticated explanations of how evidence supports analysis. | Integrates relevant textual evidence (3 quotes) with clear explanations of how evidence supports analysis. | Integrates some textual evidence (2 quotes), but explanations may be limited or connections are weak. | Provides minimal or irrelevant textual evidence (0-1 quote), or lacks explanation. |
| Presentation Quality (Clarity, Creativity, Engagement, Time) | Presentation is exceptionally clear, creative, and highly engaging; delivered confidently within the time limit (5-7 mins). | Presentation is clear, creative, and engaging; delivered effectively within the time limit (5-7 mins). | Presentation is somewhat clear or creative; may lack engagement or go slightly over/under time. | Presentation is unclear, uncreative, disengaging, or significantly outside the time limit. |
| Collaboration (Group Roles, Contribution) | All group members demonstrate outstanding collaboration, equal contribution, and effective role fulfillment. | All group members demonstrate effective collaboration and contribute meaningfully to the project. | Some group members contribute more than others, or collaboration efforts are inconsistent. | Limited or no evidence of collaboration; one or two members carry the workload. |
Total Score: _________ / 16
Warm Up
Character Clues Warm-Up
Instructions: Read the following quotes from The Crucible, Acts 1 and 2. For each quote, identify the character who most likely said it or who it is about, and explain what this quote reveals about their personality, beliefs, or situation.
-
"I have fought here three long years to bend these stiff-necked people to me, and now, just when some good respect is rising for me in the parish, you compromise my very character."
- Character:
- What it reveals:
- Character:
-
"Abigail, I have come to you to beg your charity. I have not come to you on my own in this place for a good purpose."
- Character:
- What it reveals:
- Character:
-
"I have seen too much fear in this village. I have seen people accused for ridiculous things. I will not have my name sullied by such nonsense."
- Character:
- What it reveals:
- Character:
Cool Down
One Word Character Cool Down
Instructions: Based on your group's discussion and initial brainstorming today, choose ONE word that best describes the character your group selected from The Crucible, Acts 1 and 2. Then, briefly explain why you chose that word.
My Group's Character:
One Word to Describe My Character:
Why I Chose This Word:
Project Guide
Crucible Character Showcase: Acts 1 & 2
Project Overview
Welcome, detectives of Salem! In this project, you and your group will become experts on a chosen character from the first two acts of Arthur Miller's The Crucible. You will delve into their motivations, relationships, and struggles, then creatively present your insights to the class. This is your chance to bring a character to life and show a deep understanding of their role in the unfolding drama!
Learning Objectives
By the end of this project, you will be able to:
- Collaboratively analyze a character from Acts 1 and 2 of "The Crucible."
- Identify and explain your character's key motivations, internal and external conflicts, and significant actions.
- Support your analysis with specific textual evidence (quotes and paraphrases) from the play.
- Present your character creatively and clearly to your classmates.
Group Roles & Collaboration
Everyone in your group is expected to contribute equally. Discuss and assign roles early on, such as:
- Lead Researcher: Focuses on finding and documenting textual evidence.
- Analysis Coordinator: Helps the group make connections and draw conclusions about the character.
- Presentation Designer: Plans the structure and visuals (if applicable) of the presentation.
- Time Keeper/Facilitator: Keeps the group on track and ensures everyone has a voice.
Character Selection (Choose ONE from Acts 1 or 2)
- Reverend Parris
- Tituba
- Abigail Williams
- John Proctor
- Elizabeth Proctor
- Reverend Hale
- Giles Corey
- Martha Corey
- Rebecca Nurse
- Francis Nurse
- Mary Warren
- Mercy Lewis
- Betty Parris
- Ann Putnam
- Thomas Putnam
Character Analysis: What to Explore?
For your chosen character, your group will analyze the following, using evidence from Acts 1 and 2:
- Motivations: What drives your character? What do they want, and why?
- Relationships: How does your character interact with other characters? How do these relationships shape them or the plot?
- Internal & External Conflicts: What struggles does your character face within themselves (internal) or with others/society (external)?
- Significant Actions: What key decisions or actions does your character take? What are the consequences?
- Important Quotes: Select at least three significant quotes from your character (or about your character) from Acts 1 and 2. Explain what each quote reveals about them.
Presentation Options (Choose ONE)
Your presentation should be 5-7 minutes long and include the key analysis points above with textual evidence.
- Character Monologue: Write and perform a monologue (a long speech by one character) from your character's perspective. The monologue should reveal their inner thoughts, conflicts, and motivations based on events in Acts 1 and 2.
- Character Interview: Stage a mock interview where one group member plays the character, and others act as interviewers, asking probing questions about their experiences and feelings in Acts 1 and 2.
- Character Debate: Prepare to debate another group about a key action or motivation of your chosen character (e.g., Was Abigail justified in her actions? Was John Proctor truly a good man?). This requires strong analytical arguments.
- Visual Presentation: Create a poster, digital presentation (e.g., Google Slides), or other multimedia project that visually represents your character's journey, motivations, and conflicts in Acts 1 and 2. You will present and explain your visual.
Differentiation & Support (IEP/504)
- Pre-selected Quotes: For students who benefit from structured support, the teacher can provide a selection of key quotes related to their chosen character.
- Sentence Starters/Frames: Use provided sentence starters or frames to help structure analytical responses (e.g.,