Bullying, as modeled in the plays The Crucible by Arthur Miller and The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, still exists in present day high school.

Ms. Maniglia, Cardinal Spellman High School

Introduction:

Definition of bullying

The social problem of bullying is a prevalent theme in our reading of The Crucible by Arthur Miller and The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. In current day society the problem exists extensively in high schools. Is the problem of bullying prevalent in Cardinal Spellman High School?

Task:

You will incorporate example(s) in a newspaper article for your Salem Newspaper specifically relating to the theme of bullying in The Crucible or The Scarlet Letter.

You will move from finding evidence of how bullying presents itself in the play or novel to finding evidence of whether or not bullying is present in Cardinal Spellman High School. You will write an article for The Pilot using your findings.

Process/Resources:

Your teacher will divide the class into six groups.

You will utilize the six steps of the Public Policy Analyst (PPA) model:

1. Define. Define bullying using the definition in the link provided and transcribe onto Worksheet #1. Continue filling out Worksheet #1.

2. Gather Evidence. Using the literature used complete Worksheet #2, write an article for the Salem Newspaper including this evidence. Your grade will be incorporated in the grade for your group newspaper.

3. Examine Existing Policy. Now come into modern times and ponder this social issue at Cardinal Spellman High School by filling in the top of Worksheet #3.

Use Cardinal Spellman High School’s Handbook to fill in the bottom of worksheet #3.

4. Develop Solutions. Your group will now research the phenomenon of bullying specific to Cardinal Spellman High School by conducting surveys. Use the survey sheet that follows the worksheets. You will write an article for The Pilot including findings and suggestions from the surveys

5. Select the Best Solution. Complete Worksheet #4 and evaluate the data.

· The Scarlet Letter

· The Crucible (offline)

· Cardinal Spellman Handbook (offline)

Evaluation:

Your group will receive a grade out of 100 points according to the following rubric:

	20	15	10	5
Organization	The story is very well organized. One idea or scene follows another in a logical sequence with clear transitions.	The story is pretty well organized. One idea or scene may seem out of place. Clear transitions are used.	The story is a little hard to follow. The transitions are sometimes not clear.	Ideas and scenes seem to be randomly arranged.
Focus on Assigned Topic	The entire story is related to the assigned topic and allows the reader to understand much more about the topic.	Most of the story is related to the assigned topic. The story wanders off at one point, but the reader can still learn something about the topic.	Some of the story is related to the assigned topic, but a reader does not learn much about the topic.	No attempt has been made to relate the story to the assigned topic.
Accuracy of Facts	All facts presented in the story are accurate.	Almost all facts presented in the story are accurate.	Most facts presented in the story are accurate (at least 70%).	There are several factual errors in the story.
Spelling and Punctuation	There are no spelling or punctuation errors in the final draft. throughout.	There is one spelling or punctuation error in the final draft.	There are 2-3 spelling and punctuation errors in the final draft.	The final draft has more than 3 spelling and punctuation errors.
Illustrations	Original illustrations are detailed, attractive, creative and relate to the text on the page.	Original illustrations are somewhat detailed, attractive, and relate to the text on the page.	Original illustrations relate to the text on the page.	Illustrations are not present OR they are not original.

Conclusion:

You have learned that art imitates life as shown in the literature of The Crucible and The Scarlet Letter. The phenomenon of bullying is not a new concept. It persists today and you have learned how it affects your own high school. Additionally, you have collected survey information and evaluated possible solutions with regard to their effectiveness and feasibility.

Standards:

NYS core standards for research, reading for information, and writing for an audience have been utilized.