Content Area: English

Grade Level: 11

Writing Standard:

What do students need to know?

What do students need to be able to do?

11.C Develop
innovative
perspectives on
texts, including
historical, cultural,
sociological, and
psychological
contexts.

The major themes of both The

Crucible and The New Jim Crow
and how these themes connect
to each other. The terms mass
incarceration, hysteria, and
marginalized

Collaborate with others to write a short scene

that has multiple characters and dialogue.
Speak in front of their classmates and teacher

11.D Create poetry,

stories, plays, and
other literary forms
Lesson Objective:
Write and present a scene with your group that changes the context of The Crucible from the Salem Witch
Trials to mass incarceration.

Lesson Outline and Task for the students:

Have the desks separated into four groups of five and one group of six so when students sit down they are
already in their groups. Have on the board the assignment: Create a scene with your group of what you
imagine The Crucible would be like if it was written about mass incarceration and not the Salem Witch Trails.
You may re-write a scene from the play or create your own that draws connections to themes of The Crucible
such as hysteria, the court, marginalized groups, and who is benefitting from the convictions. You will have 30
minutes to write a three-minute scene in which everyone speaks; add characters to a scene if there arent
enough. You will present your scene to the class using notes if you need to. Walk around the room
supporting groups in their planning and strategy development. Spend no more than two minutes per group
before moving on to the next one during the first ten minutes, making sure every student is contributing to
writing the scene. Then, spend more time with groups that continue to struggle. Before the thirty minutes are
up, ask groups individually to volunteer to go first and then to fill each subsequent spot. Each group should
pay attention to the group that is presenting.

Summative Assessment (how will you know if students hit the objective at the level of the standard?):
Walk around to make sure every student has a voice in choosing the topic of their groups scene and the
character dialogue. As groups present their scene, check to see that they are synthesizing information from
both texts to create a new perspective

This lesson plan was designed using the NYS Common Core Learning Standards. Out of state teachers may
wish to use Writing Standard 3.B, Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection,
and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters, and 3.D, Use precise words and

phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting,
and/or characters, of the Common Core. To ensure students hit standard 3.D, incorporate its language into
the assignment so students remember to use sensory language and precise words in the dialogues they
create.

This assignment covers three of the Universal Design for Learning Guidelines: 4.2 Vary the methods for
response and navigation, 6.2 Support planning and strategy development, and 8.3 Foster collaboration and
community.
Finally, this assignment falls on Hesss Cognitive Rigor Matrix at Create Level 4 as it requires students to
synthesize information across multiple sources or texts and to articulate a new voice, alternate theme, new
knowledge or perspective