Mercado,+Karen-Midterm

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FINAL PROJECT: NYS Learning Standards have changed and several anchor standards have been added to each strand. Along with aspects of the original standards for 11th and 12th grade ELA, this prereading lesson addresses many of the new standards (listed below).

**Reading Standards for Informational Text** ...read, annotate, and analyze informational texts on topics related to diverse and non-traditional cultures and viewpoints **Responding to Literature** ...develop personal, cultural, textual, and thematic connections within and across genres as they respond to texts through written, digital and oral presentations, employing a variety of media and genres **Writing Standards** ...create interpretive and responsive texts to demonstrate knowledge and a sophisticated understanding of the connections between life and the literary work -engage in using a wide range of prewriting strategies, such as visual representations and the creation of factual and interpretive questions, to express personal, social and cultural connections and insights -develop innovative perspectives on texts, including historical, cultural, sociological, and psychological contexts -create poetry, stories, play and other literary forms (e.g. videos) **Speaking and Listening Standards** ...(meets all comprehension and collaboration standards including this new one) - seek to understand other perspectives and cultures and communicate effectivelky with audiences or individuals from varied backgrounds

Arthur Miller's play - //The Crucible// Some ideas on how to interest students in the play before they read :) Unfortunately, most English students don't come to class motivated to read everything in the curriculum. My final project is a prereading exercise designed to introduce Arthur Miller's play, //The Crucible.// There are three options from which to choose and lots of choices within each option. Various learning styles and levels of difficulties make this perfect for teachers who wish to remix this lesson. In general, this unit is appropriate for high school students.

Option #1 - Before beginning the play, place students in groups and have each group research one of the following topics. Students may choose their manner of presenting or be assigned a specific project (such as: powerpoint, wikki, informational pamphlet, etc.) Teachers may choose to have students evaluate presentations based on a rubric. Teachers may assign students to listen to the presentations and then write a summary of the information. (NY State ELA Teachers may choose to have students listen to the presentation and then answer multiple choice questions in preparation for the state regents exam).


 * The Puritans of Salem 1620**

[|The Puritans of Salem] for permission and terms of use see: []

[|The Salem Witchcraft Trials of 1692] Douglas O. Linder (2011) UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-KANSAS CITY (UMKC) SCHOOL OF LAW
 * The Salem Witch Trials**

[|Hunting for Witches] Web Resources for Educators by Midge Frazel

[|21st century witches] for copyright information go to: []
 * Modern Day Witches**

[|Notable Biographies - Arthur Miller] Copyright © 2011 Advameg, Inc.
 * Arthur Miller**

[|Arthur Miller biography] Copyright © 1994-2010 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

[|Arthur Miller - McCarthyism] for permission to use and terms of use see: []
 * McCarthyism**

Option #2 -Before assigning this, have students write down everything they know about the actual Salem Witch Trials. Since this [|Scavenger Hunt] (mailto:miglis@schenectady.k12.ny.us is based on the witch trials, students can add information to their original ideas OR complete the assignment as written. Students must go to various web pages to locate the answers to questions provided. This is a good overview of the Salem Witch Trials in preparation for reading Arthur Miller’s //The Crucible// and one which ensures that each student does his/her own backround research. This can be assigned using teams or pairs - as a race - as a homework assignment etc.

Option #3 – For students who enjoy video games, try this interactive witch hunt or this site where. [|You're Accused!] of being a witch! As students go through this interactive online witch hunt that changes based on their choices yet ultimately takes them through the experience and horror of being hunted, they can keep a journal of their thoughts OR have students write a before journal (what they think they might have done had they been accused of being a witch) and an after journal expressing their feelings after having gone through the process.

another interactive website [|you are a witch] reenacts the process as students are accused of being witches and taken through the process of examination, trial, testimony and conviction. copyright information- ([])