The Crucible Final Projects

Part I---MANDATORY:

Defending The Crucible
English III – Foster

The school board has decided that we may no longer teach The Crucible by Arthur Miller. Their reasoning is that we might “cross the line” into teaching theology rather than literature and that there is no real inherent value in this play/curriculum. (Note: this is a hypothetical situation – not real)

Your task:

Work with 3-4 other people (total group size of no more than 5)
Plan a 3-4 minute presentation for the school board as to why The Crucible should remain part of the BHS curriculum. Things to consider:
Valuable “themes” (good vs. evil, honesty vs. dishonesty, separation of church and state, group hysteria vs. common sense of the individual, individual vs. society)
Understanding drama as a literary form
Literary elements: character motivation and development, types of conflict, plot development, irony, allusion
What have YOU personally gained from the reading?

You will be given the chance to film your presentation using the Flip video technology - We will begin working on this phase next week; however, your planning must be complete and thorough before that time. Essentially, you are making a “movie trailer” type presentation for the play itself, focusing more on the literary than the fascinating. Complete the attached pages to complete the planning process for your project.

Group Members: _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

As a group, what have you decided is the “value” of the play? ___________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In the space below, write a “script” for what will be said in your presentation. Be sure to write it as you would a dramatic production: include the name of the person speaking, any stage directions, and their words (just like in The Crucible). Use the back, if necessary

What role will each person in the group play in the presentation/production of the project?

What props/costumes, etc… will be needed, and who will be responsible for procuring these items? Plan for EVERYTHING. If you plan to show a copy of the book, make sure you have a book on your list of items needed.

Part II: You choose ONE assignment

Directions: Choose one of the projects below for a final project to complete on your own (no partners). When you choose a project let me know and I will check you off. You need to complete a rough draft on a sheet of paper showing me what you intend to do and say in your final draft before you start working on it. DO NOT START WORKING ON YOUR FINAL PROJECT UNTIL YOU SHOW ME YOUR ROUGH DRAFT AND I APPROVE IT.

Your final poster will not be graded unless you have: completed a rough draft, followed directions, and have shown evidence of attention to detail and color in your final project.

1. Create a map of the places found in The Crucible. You need to include the locations of every scene as well as major landmarks and cities with all of the features of a real map: legend, North orientation, symbols, property lines, event locations, etc. For full credit, your poster needs to have clear (no pencil) writing, evidence of attention to detail, and color.

· Example: Stephen King's Dark Tower Mid-World Map

· Example: The Lord of the Rings Middle-Earth Map 1

· Example: Real Map of Salem to use as a starting point

2. Create a fake newspaper front page with headlines and articles related to the major events that occur in The Crucible. Your final paper front pages needs to have: a title for your newspaper, one major headline and brief “to be continued on page ?” article and picture, two minor headlines and even briefer “to be continued on page ?” articles, and other layout details that are associated with newspaper front pages (sections, a date, etc,). For full credit, your poster needs to have clear (no pencil) writing, evidence of attention to detail, and color.

· Examples of newspaper front pages from around the world

3. Create a wanted poster. Imagine that one of the accused witches has disappeared. Underneath the picture, write their name in large, bold letters. Your wanted poster needs to include: a quick list of your character’s vital statistics, a brief paragraph that thoroughly describes their crime(s), the reward for their return, and any other layout details that may be associated with wanted posters. For full credit, your poster needs to have clear (no pencil) writing, evidence of attention to detail, and color.

· Example of FBI wanted poster

· Example of FBI wanted poster 2

· Example of fake Joker wanted poster

4. Create a character type poster that illustrates all of the dynamic/round characters, static/flat characters, and stereotype, caricature, and foil characters (if any) found in The Crucible. You will need to show or explain on your poster what makes a character one of these types, all of the characters in the play that fit into the category, and a brief one-two sentence description of why each fits into the particular category. For full credit, your poster needs to have clear (no pencil) writing, evidence of attention to detail, and color.

· This will help you establish relationships

· This will help you with character descriptions

5. Create a main character relationship poster that illustrates the relationships between the main characters of The Crucible (John Proctor, Elizabeth Proctor, Abigail Williams, Reverend Parris, Reverend Hale, and Giles Corey) similar to the handout I gave you. You need to show: how they are related, a physical description, and character traits associated with the character. You may illustrate the physical description with a picture if you want. For full credit, your poster needs to have clear (no pencil) writing, evidence of attention to detail, and color.

· This will help you establish relationships

· This will help you with character descriptions

6. Create a conflict poster illustrating the multiple conflicts and arguments in the play between the Proctor’s, the Putnam’s, the Corey’s, the Paris’s, and the girls. Show who the conflicts are between, whether or not they are resolved, and a short description of who is involved in the conflict. For full credit, your poster needs to have clear (no pencil) writing, evidence of attention to detail, and color.

· This will help you establish relationships and potential conflicts

· Reading the character descriptions will help you establish who has conflicts with who