Arthur Miller, Drama, War Poetry

“ALL MY SONS”

HOW IT WORKS

The purpose of this unit is to familiarize students with Arthur Miller, author of the play “All My Sons,” and to introduce them to the major elements used in drama. The students are also exposed to the exploration of the theme of war in poetry. Based on the conclusion drawn from these poems, they discuss why Chris, one of the main characters in “All My Sons,” behaves the way he does, and how realistic they feel the portrayal of his character is. Their thoughts are shared with fellow classmates in the Web Discussion Forum.

    Teacher preparation includes doing on-line research to find the best sites for war poetry & other documents on war, Arthur Miller, and drama, and linking these sites to the Web page for this unit. (Done for you in the companion web.) The teacher also must design study questions to lead students into the discussion of the topic.

    Student activities include visiting a Web site to learn about Arthur Miller: who he is, what he has written, and his most significant works. They read poems written by war veterans and get a real sense of how people who have experienced war feel. They also read poems by Wilfred Owen and compare and contrast how he feels towards the same subject.

WHAT YOU NEED

This program requires minimum of one week to complete. A computer with an Internet connection is needed. Software used includes the Netscape page composer, FrontPage, and “All My Sons" textbooks.

    Teacher technology skills include Web creation and building a discussion forum. Student technology skills include Web navigation and creation, and on-line discussion.

OVERALL VALUE

“All My Sons” provides students with a total on-line learning experience that takes full advantage of the Internet. With the course lessons, the play, and discussions accessible via the Web, students can work at their own pace from home or in the classroom. It also makes it easier for the teacher to track and assess student participation and performance.

TIPS

The study questions developed by the teacher should help students focus on the topic instead of getting them lost in the sea of information from the Web site. Create a discussion forum where students share their reflections and conclusions on the topic. (See the companion web.)

STANDARDS

Standards addressed in this program are: making thematic connections among literary texts, public discourse, and media; analyzing the characteristics of literary forms and genres; demonstrating how literary works reflect the culture that shaped them; comparing texts that share the same theme; and analyzing the literary, cultural, and social context of a work.

 

Bo Wu teaches English at Murry Bergtraum High School in Manhattan.  She is a TeachNet Project Mentor

Subject Area: English
Grade Level: 11
Project Title: Arthur Miller, Drama, War Poetry
Project Page: click here
Email Contact: bodamato@hotmail.com