Death of a Salesman Teaching Resources
Find classroom resources to help students understand the complex themes in the classic American drama Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller.
Our production resources incorporate ELA and Social Studies curricula, and adhere to Common Core standards. We offer pre-show materials, such as a synopsis and character descriptions, and interactive post-show activities. Print out copies of our Student Program to share on the bus ride home from the show. Afterwards, engage in a grade-appropriate lesson plan or guided discussion to help students reflect upon their experience.
Common Core Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.7
Analyze the extent to which a filmed or live production of a story or drama stays faithful to or departs from the text or script, evaluating the choices made by the director or actors.
CSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.7
Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums, including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment (e.g., Auden’s “Musée des Beaux Arts” and Breughel’s “Landscape with the Fall of Icarus”).
| Learning Objectives | Understand the pervasiveness of the American Dream as a theme for 20th- and 21st-century artists and how this theme has shaped our perception and interpretation of the past, how it defines the present, and how it informs our future. |
| Guiding Questions | What is the American Dream? Is the American Dream achievable? For all? How do artists communicate their feelings on a universal theme? |
Classroom Resources
Use these classroom resources to enhance your student’s experience.
- Lesson Plan
In this lesson plan, students will identify and analyze how Mid-Century visual artists and writers portray, critique, and define the American Dream. - Character Descriptions
- Synopsis
- Discussion/Essay Questions
- Student Program