The Crucible Pre-Reading Lesson
Hook: What do you know about the Puritans?
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Instruct students to answer the following warm-up question first individually in writing, then as a group discussion: What do you know about the Puritans? If necessary, prompt with sub-questions, i.e. Where did they come from? Why did they come to America? Describe their daily life, beliefs, etc.?
Activity 1: Puritanism, A Historical Background
Introduce students to the Puritan movement as background for Puritan literature - including "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," "The Devil & Tom Walker," and The Crucible.
Instructions
Show the slide show, "Puritanism, A Historical Background" and instruct students to fill in the guided notes that accompany it.
Materials
Attached are copies of the slide show and student notes.
Activity 2: Exploring Puritan Values
Students draw on knowledge gained from the previous activity and make connections to their own personal beliefs and values to set the stage for a reading of Puritan literature.
Instructions
Instruct students to read the list of 26 Puritan values and choose 2 with which they agree and 2 with which they do not agree. Instruct students to write a response in which they make personal connections and give specific examples for each value they chose.