Lesson 2: First Read
Duration of Days: 3
Lesson Objective
After an initial reading and discussion of the excerpt, students will be able to identify and describe characters and setting details as well as articulate events that are central to the play’s plot.
What key words or images from the video do you think will be most important to the story you are about to read?
Why do people accuse others of wrongdoing without evidence?
RL.11-12.1, RL.11-12.4, RL.11-12.10, SL.11-12.1.A, SL.11-12.1.C, SL.11-12.1.D, SL.11-12.2, L.11-12.4.A, L.11-12.4.B
2
The following aspects of the text may be challenging for students, particularly English Language Learners and Approaching grade-level readers.
Genre
Students may be unfamiliar with the format of a drama, including dialogue tags and stage directions.
Identify a few of these towards the beginning of the text. Ask students to annotate anything that is not straight dialogue.
Connection of Ideas
Students may struggle to follow the sequence of events, as some events happened the night before, while others happened months ago.
Suggest students note details that reference time to create a rough timeline.
Prior Knowledge
Students may struggle to understand why people jump to the conclusion of witchcraft.
Remind students that the story is set in the 17th century, when supernatural explanations for everyday events were more commonplace.
Think questions