You
Can't Handle the Truth: A Web Quest on The Crucible
Project URL:
http://teachersnetwork.org/teachnet-lab/MBHS/Scragg/Crucible/opening.html
How it works:
This unit, based on Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible, is designed in
Web Quest form. The lessons are truly student
pages that have links to web resources. There are additional
pages for teachers who are planning a unit, such as writing assignments, examples of
work, web pages designed by
students, and a hotlist of relevant websites. A full range of
information pertaining to the play's subject matter is presented. Students
learn the history of both the Salem witch trials and the
Hollywood blacklisting of the 1950s, and a discussion of tragedy as a
literary concept links The Crucible to other dramatic
works such as Greek drama and Shakespeare. Students design their own
web page, create their own notes on the play, and receive acting
advice from professionals via the Internet. They are also able to take
a virtual tour of present-day Salem, Massachusetts.
Standards addressed:
Students read a literary work of
quality and complexity, and produce a response to literature, a report of
information, and a narrative account. They participate in group
meetings, respond to drama using
interpretive and critical processes, and develop a multi-media
presentation utilizing on-line sources to
exchange information for writing and presenting a
research paper.
Materials
used:
Computers with Internet connections (one computer per group of
five to six students) and web authoring software
such as Dreamweaver are required.
The students:
You Can't Handle The Truth was designed for high-performing and/or honors-level students who
were juniors in high school with above-average writing skills and more
motivation than the typical student population.
Overall value:
Students use the Internet as a resource for a wide range of purposes:
for information and research, and also as a tool for performance-based
objectives such as acting and presenting. They also make connections to literary criticism and historical data
that is essential to the understanding of The Crucible.
Tips:
You may want to return to each lesson for a day or two depending on
the level of your students. You can also just create written notes if your class is not
yet up to producing a web page. You don't need a computer for every student--you can do many of
the activities in small groups, with only 5-7 computers in your
classroom.
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