Death of a Salesman Lesson Plan

Text and Performance

Kind of Activity:

performing and discussion

Objective:

understanding a play as a performative text

Structure:

Plays are usually meant to be heard and watched, not merely read. Some teachers may choose to read each scene in class over the course of the unit, while others may prefer to have students read the play for homework and then organize a reading of the entire work (or much of it) as the culmination of the unit.

Explain to students that unlike a novel, a play is usually designed to be experienced in a group. Therefore, it is impossible to get the full experience of most plays if they only read them; it is vital to hear the words aloud.

Playwrights...