Today we discussed the Salem Witch Trials, how political strife and adolescence might have contributed to the phenomenon, and how these witch hunts have become a metaphor for our society today. I'd like you to keep making these connections as you finish reading The Crucible. Remember, instead of the academic paragraph this week, you are to work on your job for the literary circles. Most of you will have about a half a page of writing to turn in for that. You also need to start on the essay due September 5th. If you'd like my feedback on a draft, send it to me by email and I'll look it over, but you'll need to do that by next week or I won't have enough time. Also, you still need to do your research for the history portion. I'll copy that list here: Political Developments (British, Political Traditions, Great Awakening, Enlightenment Ideas, and the Colonial Experience) Key events: Magna Carta, habeas corpus, English Bill of Rights, Glorious Revolution)
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What do I have to do to prepare for Literature Circles? Read the assigned chapters, track themes, and anything else that interests you in the story.
Complete the preparation for your assigned role (see below)
Literature Circles Roles
Summarizer : Your job is to write a summary of at least half a page covering all the important events from the assigned reading and explaining why these events were significant. How did they change the characters? How did they develop themes?
Discussion Director : Your job is to write down at least five questions for discussion. These questions should be open-ended (not "yes/no" questions) and designed to spark interesting discussion. Questions that are controversial or require students to think about what they would do in a situation that relates to the story are good conversation starters. You also must write a short response to each of your questions to share with your circle after they ha