Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller Unit Essential questions:• What are some of the major issues related to America in the 1940s/1950s as they relate to Death of a Salesman?• What are the connections between literature and culture? What is the impact of those connections?• What reading strategies can be used to successfully to read dramatic works?• How is theme developed over the course of the play?• How do the characters grow and change over the course of the play?

• What is the American Dream? Why do some achieve it while others are cut out?• What is the importance of being "well liked" and popular?• How do we form our identities?• Does pursuit of the American dream lead to happiness?• Do money and material goods define success?• Does society impact an individual’s ability to succeed?

Students will know:• Basic history of the 1940s/1950s as it relates to the play• The overall story/plot of Death of a Salesman• Character development and motivation in Death of a Salesman• Ways that Miller uses language to create tone and develop characterization• Strategies for reading plays

• How stage directions impact plot and character development• Concepts of tragic hero and tragic flaw in drama• How the play relates to culture in America• Academic and text specific vocabulary necessary to understanding and analyzing the play

Students will be able to:• Incorporate some historical aspects of the 1940s/1950s into their analysis/discussion of character development• Discuss and write about the plot

• Take notes about and record character development and in the play• Support analysis of play with textual evidence• How to analyze character development within a cultural framework

Performance Tasks/Assessments:• Participate in small group and individual activities about characters, setting and plot• Quizzes/comprehension checks• Record character traits as evidence of development and motivations

• Write about some significant aspect of character as it relates to culture• Character and culture graphic organizer

Learning Activities:• Background/pre-reading activities and discussions• Reading the play as a class and individually (if absent on reading days)• Participate in small group and individual activities about characters, setting and plot

• Completion of character notes• View play/video version• Dramatic reading strategies—modeling, participating and practicing• Read non-fiction text related to cultural themes of play

Minnesota Academic Standards/Skills Fiction/literature

9.4.1.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

9.4.3.3 Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme9.4.6.6 Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature.