ADAPTED VERSION · dyslexia and neurodiverse students · B1
Session 5: Salem and the 1950s
Question: Why did Arthur Miller write about Salem?
Goals
- Understand McCarthyism
- Compare two periods
- Use like / whereas
Warm-up
What is a blacklist? Guess.
Read
Short text. In the 1950s, Americans were afraid of communists. Senator Joseph McCarthy accused many people. A committee, the HUAC, asked actors and writers to name names. Some lost their jobs. In 1956, Arthur Miller refused to name names. He wrote The Crucible to compare this fear with Salem.
Easy to find: "What is McCarthyism? And how did it happen?", Ellen Schrecker, TED-Ed; the trailer of Good Night, and Good Luck (2005).
Tasks
Task a. Complete a table: Salem / the 1950s.
Task b. Like in Salem,... / Whereas in Salem,...
Task c. Watch a trailer: what do you see?
More tasks
Web enquiry: McCarthyism
In pairs, find the answers online.
- Who was Joseph McCarthy?
- What does HUAC mean?
- What is a blacklist?
- When did the Senate censure McCarthy?
Answer key
- An American senator who accused many people of being communists.
- House Un-American Activities Committee.
- A list of people who cannot get a job.
- In December 1954.
Sentence starters
- Like in Salem,...
- In the 1950s, people were afraid of...
- Miller refused to...
- It is similar because...
Role play
Pairs: a committee member and Arthur Miller. "Give us names!" Miller says no and explains.
Gap-fill worksheet
Word bank: communists · names · jobs · refused · afraid · compare
- Americans were afraid of .
- The HUAC wanted .
- Some people lost their .
- Miller to name names.
- People were .
- Miller wanted to two periods.
Answer key
- communists
- names
- jobs
- refused
- afraid
- compare
Homework
Write five sentences: Salem and the 1950s.
Watch the film at home
The Crucible (1996), directed by Nicholas Hytner. In France, the film is called La Chasse aux sorcières.
- Where to watch: see the list of streaming and rental options on JustWatch France.
- DVD: ask at your local library or médiathèque.
- Official trailer: on the Apple TV page of the film.
- Scenes to watch: Act I: the girls dance in the forest at night (the opening of the film). Act II: the officers arrest Elizabeth at home. Act III: in court, the girls turn against Mary Warren. Act IV: Proctor tears his confession and walks to the gallows.
Watch with English subtitles if you can.
Assessment grid
| Criteria | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comparison | None | One idea | Two ideas | Clear comparison |
| Language | Many errors | Some errors | Few errors | Correct |