Twelve Angry Men / Extra Credit Opportunity
· What does it take for “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” to be more than an American ideal, to be a reality?
· Can humans surmount individual flaws and prejudices to serve justice and work toward the greater good?
Assignments Choices -- Acts I, II, and III
You will be completing ONE of these assignments REMEMBER TO READ DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY!
Visualizing:
· (Select this option only if you consider yourself a skilled artist.) llustrate one significant moment from the jury’s deliberation in our reading so far. First, prepare a detailed, neat, and attractive sketch of the jury room according to the stage directions provided on page 230. Include the important background details – the washroom, the table, the door, the clock, etc. Then, visually depict the tone of discussion with facial expressions and body language of the jurors who are conversing. (You do not need to show all 12 jurors for this picture). Your picture must include a caption of a few lines directly from the script
· (This one is best selected at the end of Act I.) Prepare a diagram that lines up the 12 jurors according to their attitudes about the case. Place Juror Eight at one end, since he is the only one who votes Not Guilty at the start. The juror who is absolutely certain the defendant is Guilty should go at the other end. Then place everyone else according to their attitudes so that jurors who are more open to changing their mind are closer to Eight.
o You must annotate (add notes, labels, caption) to your diagram to support your choices. Use brief text details to explain why you have placed a certain juror at a certain spot.
o Your diagram must include at least 3 direct quotes and numerous dialogue details.
Creative Writing
· Write a diary entry in the persona of one of the jurors. Get inside this juror’s head to explain what he is thinking and why, as the deliberation continues. How is he reacting to others? What does he think of the evidence, and the discussion so far? Are any of his preconceived ideas, or biases, changing? You must refer to “your” own comments as well as those of at least two other jurors, and you must use at least two short quotes. This writing should be at least 1 page, typed, 12 point font.
· Write a newspaper article or Court TV story about the jury deliberations up to this point. Include quotes from people you interview for this exclusive story. Since jury discussions are secret until the final decision is reached, pretend you are publishing or broadcasting your story article after the outcome of the trial. If you’re writing this at the end of Act I, consider that what you write here would become the first of three installments about this sensational murder trial. This writing should be at least 1 page, typed, 12 point font.
· Compose the script of a talk show interview between a well-known TV host such as Stephan Colbert, Ellen DeGeneres, Jimmy Fallon, etc. and two of the jurors. Your dialogue should reflect the personalities of the host and especially of the jurors. The host should ask some hard-hitting questions. The jurors’ responses must be grounded in the text but you can tell us mor than the text does about their reactions and thoughts. This writing should be at least 2 pages, typed, 12 point font. Option: You may do this activity with a couple of partners and perform the dialogue for the class. See me first if you are interested in this option as there would be additional requirements.
Active Reading and Responding
· Select 4 quotes (lines of dialogue from the script) and explain how they relate to the Essential Question above. Copy down the speaker and the text for each. The explanation for each quote should be about a paragraph in length.
· Select two events from the reading so far and explain how they serve as turning points in the story. You’ll need to explain what the situation was before this event, what happens, and how this part of the conversation then affects the jurors as they continue their deliberation. Be very specific and use quotes to support your choices. This writing should be at least 1 page, typed, 12 point font.
This is worth up to 10 summative extra credit points