Thursday, December 4, 2008

Act I, All My Sons

Today we finished the Act I Activity. Although it went in the notebook, I also gave participation points to students who finished it. So, if you were absent today, be sure to show me your notebook when you complete the activity.

All My Sons, Act I Assignment
Discuss the following questions and make the required thinking maps in your notebook. Make a notebook page for “Act I Discussion.” Feel free to use the back of this page and/or to move onto a second page, if necessary. You will have a total of four thinking maps – three multi-flow and one bubble.

1.What does you see as the primary conflict of the play? On a notebook page, make a multi-flow map analyzing the causes and effects of this conflict.
2. Which characters are involved in the primary conflict? How are they involved? What’s at stake for each character?
3. In addition to the primary conflict, each character faces other dilemmas. What are the dilemmas they face? Choose two of the following characters and analyze their individual conflicts multi-flow maps: Joe, Kate, Ann, Chris, neighbors.
4. Now think about what purpose each character serves in Miller’s play. Which characters drive the primary and secondary conflicts? Which characters serve to determine the setting? Which characters provide comic relief? With which characters does Miller want us to identify (feel sympathy for or understand) and why?
5. Which character is the central character to the play? How do you know? Make a bubble map describing the central character.