Recently, I revised my materials on Arthur Miller’s The Crucible to function in my Truth and Justice unit for my honors sophomores. Because of that process, I got a chance to look back and see the different ways I’ve approached this text. It has so many historical, biographical, and sociological applications that it’s nearly impossible to do them all. That being said, here are three different takes on teaching The Crucible, each of which I incorporated in my new unit. Feel free to use any pairings or ideas from here, or for a no-prep approach you can just buy the ready-made unit materials from TpT.
“Witch Hunts” Throughout History
When I first taught The Crucible, I did it as a joint effort with our US History teacher. Each day, my students read The Crucible with me, then discussed the McCarthy Hearings in his class. When we finished reading, they wrote a paper that counted for both classes. After doing this for two years, I would NOT recommend the joint paper. That grading process was difficult and students struggled to write in our different styles.
However, the pairing of a literary text with historical documents and artifacts proved very successful. Students saw Abigail, Danforth, and John Proctor in a different light when compared to Joseph McCarthy, the HUAC, and the Hollywood 10. Even Arthur Miller himself can be compared to John Proctor, in some ways.
One easy way to keep these historical allegories clear is using these bookmarks, which I’ve made available free on my website. It’s an easy way for students to record historical applications when they discover them in their reading. This makes it easier to study when they are preparing for tests or writing assignments.
Study Whistleblowers
In the past two years, I’ve gotten really into stories about whistleblowers. I love movies on investigative journalism like Spotlight and She Said, plus documentaries like The Pharmacist or miniseries like Dopesick. In each of these stories, someone had to step forward and tell the truth, risking a great deal in doing so. In revamping The Crucible, I realized so much of John Proctor’s dilemma (and that of those living during the Red Scare) is the risk of telling the truth. I thought it would be fun to pair The Crucible with famous stories of whistleblowers from history.
This research project asks students to research famous whistleblowers, such as Mark Felt, Chelsea Manning, Karen Silkwood, and Peter Buxton. In their preliminary research, they look up what they said, how they risked their safety or security in speaking out, and what that whistleblowing cost. As you may know, some whistleblowers (like Karen Silkwood) were murdered for speaking out.
My goal in this pairing is for students to see that telling the truth is brave and risky. Some brave whistleblowers lost their homes, their families, or even their lives in order to show corruption in the world.
Thematically: Truth and Justice
I’m currently preparing to teach my final thematic unit to my Honors students, discussing truth and justice. For many 9-10 grade students, truth and justice are mutually exclusive. However, they’re entering an age where they are beginning to explore ways that justice can be found by telling a lie.
One of the most famous works of literature that examines this is Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. It ends with Atticus, Maycomb’s most upright and trustworthy man, agreeing to lie about how Bob Ewell died. He does this, of course, to save Boo Radley. But he must then explain this deception to his young daughter, Scout. Scout ultimately understands Atticus’ motives, saying, “It would be like killing a mockingbird, right?”
Some other texts and media that explore truth and justice include:
- “A Jury of Her Peers” by Susan Glaspell – This short story, later turned into the One Act play Trifles, explores a crime through two perspectives. Two men, the sheriff and a main witness, explore the crime scene. Alongside them are the men’s wives, who better understand the woman’s motives for committing the crime.
- Frost/Nixon – In this clip, Nixon explains his skewed version of truth to journalist David Frost. Frost asks Nixon if he believes it’s okay for the president to act illegally, as long as he believes it’s in the nation’s best interest. Nixon replies, “When the president does it, that means it’s not illegal.”
- “Tell all the truth but tell it slant” by Emily Dickinson – This poem is perfect for a warm-up on this topic. Dickinson’s poem discusses the blinding brilliance of truth, so blinding that we must tell it small doses.
- 12 Angry Men by Reginald Rose – I don’t get to pair these texts in this unit (12 Angry Men is my anchor text for our unit on making assumptions) but if you have the time, they pair great. It would be a fun way to compare the justice systems of a theocracy versus a democracy.
- “Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl – My students LOVE this short story. After we read this tale of a pregnant wife who murders her husband with a rack of lamb, my students prepare a mock trial. Most years, Mary gets away with it!
The Bottom Line
No matter how you use it, The Crucible has applications that are historical, societal, and literary. Even better, you get all of these aspects at once when you study it. For no-prep materials on The Crucible, you can purchase my bundle on TpT. For the thematic units I discuss in this resource, you can get them all (plus The Crucible) with my 9-10 Grade ELA Growing Bundle!
