McDevittRationale

In the high school years, students are highly familiar with the concept of accusation. Students in a high school and middle school setting are constantly accusing each other of a variety. Sometimes these accusations are based purely off of hearsay and often times these accusations have no factual basis whatsoever. In this unit, I would like to explore this concept of false accusation with the students. There are two texts I would like to focus on throughout this unit: "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "The Crucible". Both are pieces that students should familiarize themselves with anyway, and they serve the purpose of this lesson well. The main thing I want the students focusing on is the act of accusing someone of something without evidence, something that happens to them quite often. The students will be analyzing the consequences of doing so, the ethical repercussions of doing so, and the ridiculousness of those who attempt to do so. "The Crucible" is a classic example, of baseless accusation running rampant. Students will see how this type of false and baseless accusation carries the potential to ruin one's life. This text also provides the opportunity to examine the absurdity of the accusations made in the Salem Witch Trials. This would serve as a bridge to a lesson on the Trials they may have in their History class. Along with this text, I would also show a short clip from the Monty Python film "The Holy Grail". It is an absurd scene in which a woman is being accused of being a witch, and does a great job of satirizing the logic presented in the Trials. The other novel, "To Kill a Mockingbird" will also involve the students in a dissection of false accusation. While "The Crucible" serves the purpose of examining absurdity and mass paranoia within the topic, "To Kill a Mockingbird" would focus on the idea of racial bia s in the process of false accusation. Both works will also serve to facilitate a debate on what exactly justice is. My hope is that the students will gain the experience of reading these texts, understand the causes and circumstances of false accusation, and examine their own accusation processes. I believe this type of reflection on their own practices adds a personal aspect to the unit and will take the lessons beyond the classroom and serve as a type of life lesson as well.