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Our Town Daily Activities

Page history last edited by Anna Gay 11 years, 6 months ago

Monday- 8/27/12- Writing Assignment 

 

The American Dream - What is it?

James Truslow Adams, in his book The Epic of America, which was written in 1931, stated that the American dream is "that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position." 

 

The American Dream Writing Assignment

  • In at least 2 paragraphs, answer the following questions:
    •  Based on the definition on the previous slide and on what you may already know about it, define the American Dream as it applies to your life. What is your own personal definition of the American Dream? How does this concept affect your life? How does this concept affect the lives of the people in your family. Would anyone in your family have a different definition of the American Dream? Why or why not?
  •  Remember to explain yourself and use specific examples and reasons to support your answer. 

 

Tuesday- 8/28/12

 

Introducing the Play

Thornton Wilder said of this play:

“Our Town is not offered as a picture of life in a New Hampshire village; or as a speculation about conditions of life after death…It is an attempt to find a value above all price for the smallest events of our daily life.”

 

Think about your community. On your own piece of paper (it can be the same one as the American Dream response from yesterday), describe the place where you live. What is daily life like? What activities do you and your classmates enjoy? Who are some of the different people—teachers, neighbors, etc.—with whom you come into contact every day. In other words, describe your typical day, including the people, places, events, and activities that are part of an average day.

 

About the Play

  • Takes place in a New England village in the early 1900s
  • Wilder wanted people to see not only the town of Grover’s Corners, but see any small town in America
  • Spans May 7, 1901 – summer of 1913
  • Most important character is the stage manager
  • Properties of a play
    • Props – Our Town uses very few
    • As we read, think about why Wilder uses few props

 

Wednesday 8/29/12

Respond to the following in one paragraph: "The town of Grover's Corners exists only in the mind of the playwright and the reader." Why do you think Wilder writes Our Town this way?

 

Thursday- 8/30/12 and Friday 8/31/12

 

Study Questions- Acts I and II 

1. What do the three acts in the play represent?  

Act One:  

Act Two:  

Act Three:  

 

2. How could the characters found in Grover’s Corners be grouped?

a. The ____________________ and the ____________________

b. The ____________________ and the ____________________

c. The ____________________ and the ____________________

 

3. What things seem to be topics of concern in the conversations between the characters?

a. The ____________________ are concerned about _____________________________________.

b. The ____________________ are concerned about _____________________________________.

c. The ____________________ are concerned about _____________________________________.

 

4. (Complete paragraph)Choose one character; first describe that person as he or she is first seen by the audience.  Then discuss the character’s deeper concerns:  thoughts, goals, dreams, worries.  What kind of person is the playwright presenting to the audience?

 

5. What does the audience see and hear in the second act which it might not have expected?  What is the playwright showing about the things that lie beneath the surface of a community?

 

6. Why are George and Emily having second thoughts about getting married?   

 

7. How do George and Emily’s parents help them to face their fears?

 

 

Tuesday- 9/4/12- Review for Test

 

Your test will be composed of eight short answer questions. Each of these questions will test your ability to probe deeper into the text (not just whether or not you read and understood it). The test will assess your knowledge on the following Common Core Standards: 

 

1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.

 

2. Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text.

 

3. Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).

 

4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other authors.)

 

5. Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text (e.g., the choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.

 

 

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