Ms. J. Martselos

Lincoln High School, Yonkers, New York

English

Arthur Miller

Preliminary Concerns

Place yourself in Salem, Massachusettes 1690. You are living in a time when it is forbidden to be an “individual.” You must dress and act according to strict rules. Your daily activities include tending to farm chores, studying the Bible, and praying. You may not speak unless spoken to and you cannot laugh aloud. The only thing celebrated is “raising the roof” of a new farmhouse. You do not celebrate birthdays, or even religious holidays.

You are a young adult living in Salem. You are to maintain a dairy for a month in which you explore issues of the time, such as the witch trials, society’s expectations, personal expectations, and your truthful feelings, fears, and reactions to what is occurring. People you know are being accused of being witches…Your whole life, you have relied on Salem’s religious leaders…You are questioning Salem’s governing laws…

Image borrowed from http://www.iath.virginia.edu/salem/generic.html

Introduction

We will be reading the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller and researching Salem of 1690. The themes of separation of church and state, individual freedom and mass hysteria are prominent. Innocent people were accused of being in consort with the devil and, ironically, the only way to “prove” their innocence was to “confess” that they were indeed witches but have found God and, thus, are redeemed. The political and judicial leaders of the time thought that they were following God’s law to rid Salem of the devil.

http://www.imagesjournal.com/issue02/reviews/crucible.htm#top

Task

While we are reading The Crucible, you will maintain a diary as if you were a citizen of Salem in 1690. You will also research this time period intensively. Your diary must have a minimum of 10 entries spanning a month. In it, you must include historical facts, laws, and citizen reaction. The diary entries must include personal commentary. At the end of the month, your diary will be confiscated by the court in order to expose your “individuality and free expression” which may or may not agree with Salem’s expectations. You will be placed on trial for your peers to determine whether you are working with the devil as a witch. You will present your “diary” to the class, which will serve as the jury.

Process

Your diary must define the social problem in Salem, gather evidence from the play and from research, evaluate the existing public policy and make suggestions that would remedy the injustice. Click on each hyperlink to help you. Remember, you are a citizen of Salem 1690, not a current citizen of Yonkers.

• Define the problem As an individual writing in your diary, you may express your thoughts and reactions to Salem’s events in 1690.
• Gather evidence Provide examples from the witch trials to serve as a background.
• Identify causes What are you challenging?
• Evaluate a policy Identify the advantages and disadvantages of Salem’s society.
• Develop solutions Develop suggestions, goals, and actions to take.
• Select best solution Conclude with the best possible solution for the most effectiveness.

Resources

Click on the topic which will lead you to the website.

National Geographic

Salem Witch Trials

The World Behind the Hysteria

Salem Witch Trial Archives

EyeWitness to History

McCarthy Trials/The Red Scare

Evaluation

Presentation Rubric www/ncsu.edu/midlink/rub.pres.html

	Evaluating Student Presentations
Developed by Information Technology Evaluation Services, NC Department of Public Instruction
	1	2	3	4
Organization	Audience cannot understand presentation because there is no sequence of information.	Audience has difficulty following presentation because student jumps around.	Student presents information in logical sequence which audience can follow.	Student presents information in logical, interesting sequence which audience can follow.
Subject Knowledge	Student does not have grasp of information; student cannot answer questions about subject.	Student is uncomfortable with information and is able to answer only rudimentary questions.	Student is at ease with expected answers to all questions, but fails to elaborate.	Student demonstrates full knowledge (more than required) by answering all class questions with explanations and elaboration.
Graphics	Student uses superfluous graphics or no graphics	Student occasionally uses graphics that rarely support text and presentation.	Student's graphics relate to text and presentation.	Student's graphics explain and reinforce screen text and presentation.
Mechanics	Student's presentation has four or more spelling errors and/or grammatical errors.	Presentation has three misspellings and/or grammatical errors.	Presentation has no more than two misspellings and/or grammatical errors.	Presentation has no misspellings or grammatical errors.
Eye Contact	Student reads all of report with no eye contact.	Student occasionally uses eye contact, but still reads most of report.	Student maintains eye contact most of the time but frequently returns to notes.	Student maintains eye contact with audience, seldom returning to notes.
Elocution	Student mumbles, incorrectly pronounces terms, and speaks too quietly for students in the back of class to hear.	Student's voice is low. Student incorrectly pronounces terms. Audience members have difficulty hearing presentation.	Student's voice is clear. Student pronounces most words correctly. Most audience members can hear presentation.	Student uses a clear voice and correct, precise pronunciation of terms so that all audience members can hear presentation.

Diary Rubric
	4	3	2	1
Thesis	Student makes a thesis and explains it.	Student makes a thesis but doesn't explain it.	Student’s thesis is buried, confused and/or unclear.	Student doesn't make a thesis.
Reasons in support of the claim	Student gives clear and accurate reasons in support of thesis.	Student gives reasons in support of thesis but may overlook important reasons.	Student gives 1 or 2 weak reasons that don’t support thesis and/or irrelevant or confusing reasons.	Student does not give convincing reasons in support of thesis.
Organization	Writing has a compelling opening, an informative middle and a satisfying conclusion.	Writing has a beginning, middle and end. It marches along but doesn't dance.	Writing is organized but sometimes gets off topic.	Writing is aimless and disorganized.
Voice and tone	It sounds like student cares about the issues and shows how he/she thinks and feels about it.	Tone is OK but paper could have been written by anyone. Student needs to tell more about how he/she thinks and feels.	Writing is bland or pretentious. There is either no hint of a real person in it or it sounds like a fake.	Writing is too formal or too informal. It sounds like student is distanced from the topic.
Word choice	Words used are striking but natural, varied and vivid.	Routine word choices.	Words used are often dull or uninspired or sound like student is trying too hard to impress.	The same words are used over and over and over and over. Some words may be confusing to a reader.
Sentence fluency	Sentences are clear, complete, and of varying lengths.	Well-constructed sentences.	Sentences are sometimes awkward, and/or contain run-ons and fragments.	Many run-ons, fragments and awkward phrasings make essay hard to understand.
Conventions	Correct use of grammar, spelling, and punctuation.	Generally used correct conventions with few errors	Enough errors to distract a reader.	Numerous errors make paper hard to understand.

Adapted from: http://www.pz.harvard.edu/Research/RubricsSelfPE.htm

Conclusion

NYS English Language Arts Standards
STANDARD 1 Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding. As listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas, discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically produced texts. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information.	STANDARD 2 Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and expression. Students will read and listen to oral, written and electronically produced texts and performances, relate texts and performances to their own lives, and develop an understanding of the diverse social, historical, and cultural dimensions the texts and performances represent. As speakers and writers, students will use oral and written language for self-expression and artistic creation.
STANDARD 3 Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and evaluation. As listeners and readers, students will analyze experiences, ideas, information, and issues presented by others using a variety of established criteria. As speakers and writers, they will present, in oral and written language and from a variety of perspectives, their opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information and issues.	STANDARD 4 Students will read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction. Students will use oral and written language for effective social communication with a wide variety of people. As readers and listeners, they will use the social communications of others to enrich their understanding of people and their views.

This project will allow you and your classmates to experience the Salem Witch Trials and all implications associated during the trials. You will have an opportunity to share the information you learned and express your opinions with your classmates. After the mock trial, you will either be exonerated with a clear name or be formally accused of being a “witch” and finding yourself in need of a defense. All students will formulate an opinion and policy that Salem should follow and maintain for the benefit of its citizens.

Other Concerns

Project Beginning Date:

Diary Due Date:

Presentation Date: