Topdog/Underdog Lesson Plan

If all of the elements of this lesson plan are employed, students will develop the following powers, skills, and understanding:

1. 1

   Students will be able to understand both the journeys of Lincoln and Booth in Topdog/Underdog, as well as the poetic themes and symbols that structure the play.

2. 2

   Students will be able to analyze the drama and construct written and verbal arguments about the narrative.

3. 3

   Students will be able to use multiple means and media—visual, written, oral—to interpret the play.

4. 4

   Students will be able to analyze the complex relationships between a writer's lived experience and her play.