Peer Edit

Bellringer: What is rhetoric/rhetorical analysis?

Recap: Since you were not able to complete your peer edits on Friday, I allowed you to work on them in class today. These need to be completed and submitted along with your papers tomorrow. All parts of the paper need to be typed and printed. 

We will pick up with rhetorical analysis tomorrow. Nice job on your papers, from what I'm seeing. The rubric is shared with you if you would like to make sure you have all elements for grading. 

I really missed you all! 

Have a nice night!

Z

Crucible Movie

Bellringer: How do you think the movie version of the play will differ from the written version?

Recap: We began watching the film version of "The Crucible," starring Daniel Day Lewis and Wynnona Rider. It's a great film, and very close to the play, since Arthur Miller was the screenwriter for it. I want you to see the play in action, as it will help to bring ideas together.

Character Analysis: Please remember that you will be working on your papers tomorrow. You need to complete the peer edit that has been sent to you, and it should be printed and submitted along with your papers on Tuesday. If you have any questions regarding the papers, please email me. We will also have Monday to discuss, but not work on them.

Reminder: If you would like a paper copy of Huckleberry Finn, I can order them through Amazon Prime for $3. Please get me the money by Tuesday, and I will be happy to order you a copy. Please note: this is NOT mandatory or required. It is simply if you would prefer to have a copy to mark up.

I will miss you all tomorrow. Have a nice weekend!

Z

Character Analysis

Bellringer: Who is the character you will analyze? Provide the name, along with the 3 traits you will support.

Recap: We began work on your character analysis for "The Crucible." The chart is listed in a previous post that shows the format. You will need:

1. Trait
2. Example from text
3. Follow-Up (means)

The assignment has been shared with you, along with your rubric for grading. Friday, you will be completing a peer edit that will be turned in along with your paper. 

Have a nice evening!

Z

Salem Witch Trials Re-Trial

Bellringer: What are your thoughts on this play and this unit, overall?

Recap: We reviewed the 10 vocabulary terms before completing the quiz. I changed the review today, and you were asked to come up with 3 synonyms, 3 antonyms, and 3 examples for each. Doing so helped to provide additional terms and associations for each word, and I noticed an improvement in quiz scores!

Following the quiz, you were split into groups based on your earlier research. Each group was asked to come up with a minimum of 10 questions for the defense and 10 for the prosecution. The jury will also be asked to come up with questions, and will need to create clarifying questions on the fly during the trial.

Tomorrow in class we will hold a re-trial. Your group's objective is to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that either Abigail and the girls were truly afflicted by witchcraft, or that the people who were hanged were not truly witches.

Additionally, you will need to have your characters chosen for your character analysis. We will work on the outlines for your papers tomorrow.

Have a nice night!

Z

Crucible Character Analysis and Paper Format

Bellringer: What is important about Proctor’s final request? What is this request?

“How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!” ~ Act IV

Recap: We took the Act IV test today, which closes out our "Crucible" act tests. We will complete everything tomorrow with the Act IV Vocab Quiz.

Following your test today, we reviewed your character analysis chart in preparation for your papers, which are due next week. Below is the format for the paper, the link to the assignment, and the character analysis we completed today.

Instructions and information for the paper can be found on your Character Analysis Outline. We will begin writing them Wednesday in class. Please come prepared with any questions. 

Have a nice night!

Z

Act IV--Part 2

Bellringer: How does Danforth show what truly matters to him with the following? How is their justice fair?

“I cannot pardon these when twelve are already hanged for the same crime.” ~ Act IV

Recap: We completed Act IV, and the play! This final part of Act IV showed John Proctor willing to confess to witchcraft in order to save his life; however, Danforth then insists on a written confession that can be hung on the church doors for all to see. John refuses to comply, as he feels his confession in front of so many witnesses is already enough. After signing his deposition, John tears it up; thus, ensuring he is hanged for witchcraft.

Below are the notes for what we read on Friday. Your test on Act IV will be Monday.

Great work this week! You have all been working so hard, and I am so proud of that! Enjoy your weekend!

Z

Act IV, Part I

Bellringer: What does this statement from Rev. Parris show about Abigail’s true character?

“My niece, sir, my niece--I believe she has vanished.” Act IV

Recap: We began with "Picture Your Vocab" for your Act III vocabulary quiz tomorrow. I find that the picture associations with the terms work best for these longer vocab tests. Please be sure to review the Power Points that you created in class today.

We then began Act IV. All of the actions came to a head in Act III, so now Act IV will present our resolution, and tie everything together. Reverend Hale returns to read Rebecca and John their last rights. He realizes he was wrong in his approach when he was last there, and he tells Dept.Gov Danforth that this whole trial is a lie. Danforth says that since he has already hanged 12, he cannot stop the hanging of these 7, as it would look bad on his part. Hale and Parris beg Elizabeth to speak to John to get him to confess to witchcraft, so that he won't hang.

Today's notes are posted below. Nice job with the play! We're almost done!

Have a great night!

Z

Act III Test Day

Bellringer: How does John Proctor’s revelation change the entire case/play?

“I have known her, sir. I have known her.” ~ Act III

Recap: We completed another Kahoot review before the test today. You were also asked to complete your close reading webs for Act III for today. Those of you who are completing them, and completing them correctly, it is showing in your test scores. These webs, while they may be time-consuming, are helping you to review the material and study. If you put the effort into them, the reward will come out of them.

Homework: Vocab sentences for Act III words. Quiz on these terms on Friday.

Have a nice night!

Z

Act III Finale

Bellringer: How does Giles Corey’s outburst signify a turning point in the trial?

“This man is killing his neighbors for their land!” ~ Act III

Recap: We concluded Act III today. John Proctor admits that he and Abigail had an affair, which is how he knows she is a fraud. He wants to reveal her true motive, which is to get rid of Elizabeth so she can be with him. Elizabeth is brought in to confirm his story, but she lies to try and protect him, stating he never "strayed." Since John had stated Elizabeth has never lied, the court takes her statement as truth. This seals John's fate.

Abigail quickly diverts the attention away from this statement by exclaiming she sees a yellow bird in the rafters. She insists this is Mary Warren sending her spirit on them to afflict them. Danforth tells Mary that she will hang for being a witch, so Mary quickly rejoins Abby and the other girls, and says that John tried to make her sign the devil's book.

Danforth goes along with all of this, because it will help to save his reputation. Hale sees the ridiculousness of it all, and quits the court. 

                                       

Homework: If you did not finish your web in class, it is due tomorrow, with at least 3 examples of Says, Means, Matters. Your test on Act III is tomorrow.

Wear Red, White and Blue for spirit week! 

Have a great night!

Z

Act III

Bellringer: What does the following reveal about Rev.Hale’s growing impatience with Rev.Parris and the trials?

“Is every defense an attack upon the court?” ~Act III

Recap: We picked up where we left off Friday, and more shocking revelations have come into play in Act III.

1. Mary Warren has admitted that she and the other girls have lied.

2. Elizabeth Proctor is pregnant, which will save her for another year.

3. Francis Nurse has revealed the girls as frauds.

4. Giles Corey takes the first attempt at finally revealing a motive when he says that Thomas Putnam is killing his neighbors for their land.

5. Danforth does not want to have to go through the embarrassment of admitting that they made a mistake, so it is easier to say the girls have lied now. He gives Mary Warren every opportunity to take her confession back.

The notes from Friday and today's class are posted below. You're doing a good job with this. I know the play can be tricky. Reviewing these notes will help to keep all of that clear, too.

Homework: Vocab quiz on Act II vocab is tomorrow. Act III test is Wednesday.

Have a nice evening!

Z

Beginning Act III

Bellringer: How does Mary Warren’s following quote threaten John, and what does it reveal about what she knows regarding Abigail’s motive?

“Abby’ll charge lechery on you” ~Act II

Recap: We completed a rigorous game of Kahoot! today reviewing for your Act II test. Please be sure as we're reading that you're noting your bellringers and important passages. I'm noticing you are more concerned with other work and cell phones, and it's catching up with you on the tests.

We then began Act III. This is going to be where most of the important action occurs, as this is what the rest of the play has been building up to.

Francis Nurse and Giles Corey have come to court to speak on behalf of their wives, but Danforth states he doesn't have time for their confessions. Francis then speaks up and declares that the girls are frauds. This will be taken more seriously because of who he is, and the fact that he has not voiced any previous complaints, unlike Proctor.

Mary Warren then admits the girls lied, which makes Danforth and his court look foolish, as he has already sentenced 72 people to die. 

We concluded with the discovery of Elizabeth being pregnant, and Proctor stating Elizabeth would never lie. This will come back to haunt them.

Great work today! Enjoy the weekend!

Z 

Act II Reading Webs with SMM

Bellringer: What does John mean when he says, “I’ll tell you what is walking Salem--vengeance is walking Salem”? ~ Act II.

What does it reveal about the true motive of the girls?

Recap: We completed close reading webs for Act II today. These will not only help you with your test tomorrow, but also future papers, and character analysis.

In Summary: Elizabeth still has doubts about John's intentions with Abigail when she asks him to reveal Abigail as the fraud they both know she is. John has hesitations, as he knows this will also reveal his affair with her, which makes him a fraud as well for maintaining he is a good Christian.

When Mary Warren returns home from court, she states the jail count is up to 39 people, and has saved Elizabeth; however, she hands her a poppet she made in court which is later used to frame her. 

When the officials come to arrest Elizabeth, John says that this is all vengeance; people out to get their neighbors to settle old scores. 

Below are the notes we created in class today. I'm posting both class' webs, so you can compare notes. 

You all did such a great job today! I am so proud!

See you tomorrow!

Z

Act II Conclusion

Bellringer: How does this statement from Rev.Hale predict the future of the trial, along with its absurdity?

“Believe me, Mr.Nurse, if Rebecca Nurse be tainted, then nothing’s left to stop the whole green world from burning” ~Hale, Act II

Recap: We concluded Act II today, discovering that Abigail has framed Elizabeth with the poppet doll. Abigail watches Mary sew the doll in court, ending with the needle in its belly. She then begins screaming during dinner, and Rev. Parris finds a needle in Abigail's stomach. Abigail claims Elizabeth has afflicted her, and Elizabeth is taken away in handcuffs on this "proof."

John Proctor threatens Mary Warren, knowing this is a set-up, and Mary says that she knows about their affair. If John forces Mary to testify against Abigail, or he goes to the court and claims this is a fraud, Abigail will charge him with lechery.

We also find out that Rebecca Nurse has been arrested for the "supernatural murder of Ann Putnam's babies," and Martha Corey for "bewitching a neighbor's pig." As you can see, this has more to do with past grudges and vengeance than witchcraft.

Below are the notes from today. We will have our test on Act II, Friday. I want to use tomorrow as a day to work on the close reading web, and really get into the "Says, Means, Matters" for your papers. 

Awesome work today! I love being your teacher!

Z

P.S Don't forget to participate in Spirit Week next week! 

Act II and Notes

Bellringer: How does the following fit into the play?

“There are them that will swear to anything before they’ll hang; have you never thought of that?” ~ John Proctor, Act II

Recap: We completed our Act I vocab quiz today. Great job with this!

We then read more from Act II, revealing more about Abigail's motives.

Below is a character analysis for Elizabeth Proctor. Follow the example of Says, means, matters for your chart.

Great work today!

Z

Act I Test

Bellringer: What does this reveal about the progress of the trial in such a short amount of time?

“Folks are brought before them, and if they scream and howl and fall to the floor--the person’s clapped in the jail for bewitchin’ them.” ~ Elizabeth, Act II

Recap: We had a Kahoot review before our test today, and then took our test on Act I. You did a really nice job with these!

We then began reading Act II of The Crucible. Only 8 days have passed since the end of Act I, but already 39 people have been imprisoned for witchcraft. We can see how quickly the trial is progressing, and the number of people the girls have taken down. They truly will stop at nothing.

Homework: Vocab sentences for words 21-40. Your quiz on those words will be tomorrow.

Nice work today! Enjoy the beautiful evening!

Z

"The Crucible"--Act 1

Bellringer: How does Abigail’s statement of “A wild thing may say wild things” predict her true character?

Recap: We finished Act I of the play, focusing on the changing story. Abigail has heard what Reverend Hale says about witchcraft, and quickly changes her story, pointing fingers at other members of the community for being witches. She begins with Tituba, who states she simply tried to help the girls conjure Ruth Putnam's sisters to ask why they died. Tituba then realizes that if she provides additional names, she, too, will be freed. The act ends with the girls shouting out names of people in the village, accusing them of witchcraft.

We then completed close reading webs for the act. The webs are easier with fiction than they are with nonfiction. These webs will help us to arrive at the author's purpose. Any quotes used as examples should be put into a "Says, Means, Matters," chart, which some of you did quite well.

Here is the link to the close reading web for Act I that we came up with as a class. 

Homework: Act 1 test is Monday. I apologize for a Monday quiz, but that's the way it fell this time. We will have a brief review beforehand. 

Enjoy the beautiful weekend!

Z

Crucible Vocabulary

Bellringer: What is the significance of Abigail's lashing out?

“She sends her spirit on me in church; she makes me laugh at prayer!” ~Abigail, Act I

Recap: Today we had a review for your vocab quiz, and then completed your Act I vocab quiz, Part I. You did a nice job with this!

Tomorrow we will finish Act I of "The Crucible," and your quiz on the act will be Monday.

You have been doing SUCH a great job with this! I am so proud of all of you!

Z 

Crucible Day 2

Bellringer: What do you think the following quote reveals about the characters' true motives?

“It’s a sin to conjure and we---” ~Mary Warren, Act I

Recap: We read the next part of Act I, discovering that Ann Putnam was the reason for the girls being in the woods. She had sent them to Tituba to discover why her 7 babies had died. Abby maintains they have only been dancing, and threatens the girls if they reveal anything beyond the dancing.

Betty has been "asleep" most of this time, but wakes up to tell Abigail that she did not say that they drank blood. This shows she has been at least semi-conscious this whole time, and is aware of what's going on.

John Proctor, then, arrives, and we find out that he and Abigail have had an affair. Abigail tries to re-ignite this flame, but John quickly shuts her down. He knows he has committed a sin, and is finding it difficult to keep up the facade of a "good and moral citizen."

We have also discovered that most of this issue may be more politically motivated, and have to do with local land, rather than actual witchcraft. 

Remember, please keep this question in mind: Is this speculation, or are they creating a lie? 

Homework: Sentences for vocab terms 1-20. Vocab quiz tomorrow. 

The character notes from the board are below.

Great work today! Thank you for making this play so much fun! 

Z

The Crucible--Act I, Part I

Bellringer: What do you think the significance is of the following quote?
“Witchery’s a hangin' error...you’ll only be whipped for dancin’.” ~ Mary Warren, The Crucible, Act I

**Please be sure to copy the full quote. You will be asked to identify these quotes on tests, along with who said them. I want you to see the quote out of context, think about what it might mean, and then see how your interpretation holds up when in-context.

Recap: We reviewed the vocabulary terms that I shared with you yesterday. I apologize that sharing them didn't work. I wanted you to have all of your Crucible paperwork all in the same place. Please don't lose that list! It covers your vocabulary terms for 2 tests!

We then assigned characters for the play. Since this is a play, I want you to act it out.

1. You will be more engaged

2. Those who participate do better on the tests.

3. It's a play. It's meant to be acted out, not read silently to yourself.

Let's have FUN with this! It's a GREAT story!

We read to the end of the character information for Thomas Putnam. There is a character analysis chart shared with you. We're focusing on the 5 main characters, providing different traits for them, as well as the quotes or passages that show those traits. Says. Means. Matters. We will be using this chart to complete a character analysis when we are finished with the reading. Be sure to fill it out as we go along. If you do, the paper will write itself.

Great work today! You seem like you are excited to begin this story, as am I.

Have a nice night!

Z

Salem Witch Trials Group Project

Bellringer: What was the most interesting/surprising piece of information you found through your research?

Recap: Groups presented their projects on Salem and the witch trials. These projects were meant to teach you about the true history of the trials, all while delving into research. I thought you did a nice job with the information. I understand that a great deal of the information is difficult to find, but I wanted you to have that challenge, as well. Not all research is easy; some takes work and patience. Those groups who toughed it out, and dug a bit deeper, your hard work paid off. 

I want you to be able to understand the context of Arthur Miller's story. Without this background knowledge, you won't have the same understanding of the play. Additionally, when we are finished, I want to hold a class trial based on your research and evidence.

Homework: Vocab matching sheet for tomorrow. 

Nice work today! Have a great night! Stay warm and dry!

Z

McCarthyism

Bellringer: The Crucible depicts the mass hysteria that took place in Salem in 1692. What is a modern mass hysteria that you know of?

(Hint: If you don’t know, look up the definition for mass hysteria, and compare it to another event you’ve heard of.)

Recap: We switched our presentations day from Friday to Monday due to the number of people taking the SAT prep. We began reviewing McCarthyism today, as that is the basis for Arthur Miller writing his acclaimed play The Crucible. The Power Point has been shared with you in your Google Drive, or you may click the link provided. It's important to understand what was going on in the U.S. at the time Miller wrote the play, and equally important to understand the true message he was trying to send. 

I find this play, as well as the history behind it, truly fascinating, and hope you do too. Concluding the play, we will be holding our own trial in class to see if you feel these men and women were wrongfully accused, or if you think the argument was there. 

You did a terrific job on Friday, asking and answering excellent questions. I think we're going to have a lot of fun with this unit! 

I also want to reward you all for your hard work. Get your coffee or your K-Cups ready! 

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Z