Lesson Title/Topic: Analyzing Themes and Characteristics in Death of a Salesman

Target Concept: Analyze the themes and characteristics in different periods of Modern
American drama.

Standards/Rationale: TEKS EIII.4

Lesson Objectives: Assessment:

The students will work in groups of 5 to act out the theme from Death of a 5 Minute
Salesman they chose with 70% proficiency. Performance

Materials: Copy of “Death of a Salesman”, written by Arthur Miller, Sticky

Notes, Arrange Desks by groups of 4’s, Pencils, Timer, XL White Post It Notes, Colorful
Markers, Student Tablets

Lesson Cycle: (Hands - On Instruction) Hands - on instruction is a type of active learning

that involves students finding answers to problems, participating in active collaboration within
their groups, and taking responsibility for their learning.

The teacher will: The student will:

Focus/Mental Set: Jot Thoughts: Using the sticky notes, the brainstorm and
The desks will be arranged in groups of 4. 1 pack write 1 sticky note per answer.
of sticky notes will be placed in the center of the a. In 1 minute jot down answers to
group. The teacher will read the following question a.
questions: b. In 1 minute jot down to question b.
a. What could be a common theme in a At the end of the activity, the group with
play? the most correct sticky notes on their desk
Examples may be: gets to choose one group member to work
1. Power Struggles with for their group performance.
2. Love
3. Desire to escape
4. Death
5. Good vs. Evil
 6. Man vs. Nature

b. What are common characteristics in a

play?
Examples may be:
1. Script
2. Acts/Scene
3. Setting
4. Staging
5. Plot
6. Characters Count their sticky notes. Tell the class one
Have students count their sticky notes. Write on theme and characteristic from their group.
board which group has most sticky notes.
Ask groups to give and discuss one of their
themes and characteristics.

Teacher Input: Get out their tablets. Research for the

Before students come in stick the white post it
notes on the classroom walls.
Before students come in write the definition of
theme on the whiteboard:
1. Introduce Death of Salesman by
talking about common themes found in
Death of a Salesman.
2. Define Theme :The theme is the basis of
the story or moral lesson that characters
learn. It is the message that the play gives
the audience.
3. Individual vs. Society(struggle between
man versus society) -in Death of a
Salesman it manifests as The American
Dream . Willy's version is different from
most people. His is based more on being
well-liked and achieving monetary
successes rather than achieving
something that will make him happy.
4. Betrayal -(occurs when the people or
institutions on which a person depends
for survival significantly violate that
person's trust or well-being) Willy
betrays Linda’s love and Biff’s trust with
his affair. Willy’s understanding that
Biff’s failure in business is a rejection of
Willy’s own dreams of success, and that
Biff’s inability to keep a job is related to
definition of
a. Individual vs. Society
b. Betrayal
c. Freedom
Using colorful markers, travel around the
room and write the answers of the
definitions they found for
Individual vs. Society, Betrayal, and
Freedom on the XL white post-it sheets.
Use a webbing description map to list
common characteristics of a play. The web
template can be found at the bottom of this
lesson.
The word “Characteristics” needs to be
placed in the center circle. List all the types
characteristics in the circles connected to
the center with brief definition and
example..
Take their maps with them when they
move to their groups.
 Willy’s love affair. Willy feels that his
boss is betraying him by firing him.
5. Freedom - (freedom that will exist once
the solutions to a characters struggles has
been resolved) His suicide also works to
free his family from debt and the
expectations he put on them.
6. While introducing the play Death of a
Salesman the teacher will discuss
common characteristics of a Modern
American drama as it applies to this
specific play. Common characteristics of
Modern American Drama that are
prevalent in Death of a Salesman are:
i.Major Characters -Who does the play revolve
around. In Death of a Salesman the major
characters are Willy, Biff, Happy, Linda
ii.Basic Plot - What happens? In Death of a
Salesman we follow Willy and his family as the
struggle to keep up with bills and the
expectations of each other. We also experience
flashback with Willy as he thinks back to times
where things were “easier”. Times when his
sons, especially Biff liked him, and he could get
away from his troubles in the arms of his
mistress. Through these flashbacks we also see
why Willy and Biff’s relationship changes and
becomes strained. The play ends after Willy’s
suicide with a Requiem at his graveside, where
Willy’s family and friend, Charley, mourn his
loss and concludes with Linda telling Willy that
“We’re free.”
iii.Setting - Time and Locations where a play takes
place. In Death of a Salesman the setting is
various places in New York City. Mainly the
Loman house. The time periods also vary from
the “now” in the late 1940’s to different periods
back in Willy’s life when his sons were younger,
around Biff’s senior year in high school.
Guided Practice:Place students in groups of
five and designated different areas in the room
for the students to work in. Move between the
groups to help with the students’ adaptations of
Death of a Salesman.
Prompt the students to work on the following
questions in their groups:
a. Based on your groups chosen theme, how
would you define the relationships between the
characters?
b. What is the function of the setting and
how does it relate to the theme?
c. What ideas from Death of a Salesman
justify your choice of theme?
Independent Practice: Observe and assess the
students’ five minute skits.
Demonstrate and have students cooperate with
good audience behavior.
a. Will watch quietly while students
perform
b. Will give quiet applause when
performance is over
Closure: Snowball: Direct the students to take
out their notebooks and tear out a blank piece of
paper. Ask the students to think of and write
down and example of a theme from Death of a
Salesman. This can be a theme already discussed
earlier or one the students think of that was not
discussed. When all the students have finished
writing, Direct the students to crumple up their
papers and underhand toss them to their next
group. Group 1 will toss to Group 2, Group 2
will toss to Group 3, Group 3 will toss to Group
4, and Group 4 will toss to Group 1. Have the
Work in assigned groups of five and adapt
and write a five minute skit based on a
chosen theme from Arthur Miller’s Death
of a Salesman. During the adaptation
period, contemplate and discuss amongst
themselves how the teacher’s questions
could influence their adaptations.
Rehearse in their groups to prepare for
their groups five minute performance.
Each group will perform their five minute
skits. They must show good performance
skills by:
a. Projecting to be heard
b. Speak clearly
c. Be committed to the project
Students not performing will watch the
performances and practice good audience
behavior
a. Watching quietly during
performances
b. Giving quiet applause at the end of
performances
Critically think about how each group is
showing and using a theme to see if the
theme is understood and related to the
audience.
The students will take a blank piece of
paper and will write and example of a
theme from Death of a Salesman on their
paper.This can be a theme already
discussed earlier or one the students think
of that was not discussed. When directed
by the teacher, the students will ball up
their papers and underhand toss their
papers to the next group. Group 1 will toss
to Group 2, Group 2 will toss to Group 3,
Group 3 will toss to Group 4, and Group 4
will toss to Group 1. They will then pick
 students pick up the “snowball” closest to them up the “snowball” closest to them and read
and read out the theme that is written on it. out the theme that is written on it.

Options: N/A

Enrichment: N/A Reteach:N/A

Modifications/Correctives:N/A
N/A N/A

References:

Kagan & Kagan. (2015) , Kagan Cooperative Learning. San Clemente, CA : Kagan Publishing.
Web Title: