π»ππ πͺπππππππ | Summer Camp for Script Reading & Discussion
Beth Foster | Humanities Educator
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Average rating:4.9Number of reviews:(336)
In this camp we will read and discuss Arthur Miller's four-act 1953 play π»ππ πͺπππππππ while learning more about the Puritans, the Witch Trials, and McCarthyism and analyzing the work through anti-racist and feminist lenses.
Class experience
US Grade 9 - 12
In this camp we will read and discuss Arthur Miller's four-act play π»ππ πͺπππππππ while learning more about the Puritans, the Salem Witch Trials, and McCarthyism. We will analyze Miller's depiction of women and the sole character of color, Tituba, through feminist and anti-racist lenses. π»ππ πͺπππππππ is a fictionalized dramatization of the historical Massachusetts witch trials of 1692-1693. Written in 1953, the play is an allegory for what was happening in the early 1950s in the United...
There are multiple learning goals in this class. The first is to read and understand Arthur Miller's play π»ππ πͺπππππππ, while also examining it through anti-racist and feminist lenses. Students will learn the history that shapes the play, including more about the Puritans, the Salem Witch Trials, and McCarthyism. Students will work with literary concepts such as allegory and metaphor, as well as learning and using common theater concepts and tools such as casting, scripts, and stage directions. There will be ample opportunities for critical thinking as we analyze and discuss the play and history and current events in relation to the play.
I have a master of arts degree in American history, and bachelor of arts degrees in political science, English, and communications with a journalism emphasis. I am lead teacher at The Foster Woods Folk School, which focuses on humanities education within an ecosocial justice framework aimed at celebrating and improving our connections as a global community of humans and non-humans living on Planet Earth. In this role, I work with learners of all ages with a primary focus of working with learners in grades three through 12. I was the director of a social justice center for three years during which time I routinely taught about and facilitated conversations about historical and current political events for both teen and adults participants. Before that, I was a newspaper editor and reporter for 15 years. I have been teaching history, social studies, and English Language Arts classes for several years.
Arthur Miller's "The Crucible"
π»ππ πͺπππππππ includes mature themes. Among these are a teenage girl who has an affair with a married man. The story is often intense and there are depictions of violence, abuse, slavery, and death. Arthur Miller presents the play's sole character of color, Tituba, using racist stereotypes and caricatures. We will discuss racism, patriarchy, colonization, religion, and current events as part of analyzing the play. Students will be encouraged to make connections with current events and this will lead to conversations about current political debates. My objective when this happens is to facilitate a civil, thoughtful, learner-led conversation in which students arrive at connections through their own analysis.
Below are some of the sources consulted for the lecture portion of the course: Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" "Why I Wrote 'The Crucible'" - Arthur Miller in "The New Yorker" "Again They Drink From the Cup of Suspicion"- Arthur Miller in "The New York Times" "Massachusetts Clears 5 From Salem Witch Trials" - "The New York Times" "Stirring Up Trouble with βThe Crucibleβ | Challenging the Classics" - "School Library Journal" "CHAT: Disrupting 'The Crucible" - "Disrupt Texts" "Tituba, Reluctant Witch of Salem: Devilish Indians and Puritan Fantasies" - Elaine G. Breslaw "The Devil in the Shape of a Woman: Witchcraft in Colonial New England" - Carol F. Karlsen "Double Portrayed: Tituba, Racism and Politics" - Γnder ΓakΔ±rtaΕ in "International Journal of Language Academy" "Re(dis)covering the Witches in Arthur Miller's The Crucible: A Feminist Reading," - "Wendy Schissel" in "Modern Drama" "Studio Theatreβs βJohn Proctor Is the Villainβ rethinks βThe Crucibleβ" - "The Washington Post" "The historical truth about women burned at the stake in America? Most were Black." - Kali Nicole Gross in "The Washington Post" "Unraveling the Many Mysteries of Tituba, the Star Witness of the Salem Witch Trials" - Stacy Schiff in "Smithsonian Magazine" "From Salem to McCarthy" - Chicago Public Library "Have You No Sense of Decency?" - United States Senate "McCarthyism and the Red Scare: A Reference Guide" - William T. Walker
Star Educator
Average rating:4.9Number of reviews:(336)
From ancient times, humans have used stories to better understand themselves and their place in the universe. Stories explain our past and how we can create a better time and world for ourselves and those who will come after us. This is the heart...Β
Group Class
$100
for 5 classes5x per week, 1 week
75 min
Completed by 4 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 13-18
6-18 learners per class
