Unit Rationale

This unit on character traits will be approached using the play Doubt by John Patrick
Shanley. This play has seen various types of criticism, possibly for the controversial and
sensitive subject matter of child molestation by a priest. While this topic may easily be seen as
derogatory, the matter in which we have chosen to approach the topic should ease the mind. This
play is a perfect example of the parable, which is a term and concept students will be expected to
understand for testing and future literature classes. Besides this, the unit will address concepts
relevant to students personal and socially constructed lives as well as meet criteria for many
state regulated common core standards. In the following rationale for teaching Doubt to high
school students, we hope to ease your mind and remove your doubt in the effectiveness of the
unit to encourage critical thinking and knowledge in the students.
This unit, while controversial, is relevant to students lives. This unit will be focusing on
the aspect of character traits and the idea of "judging a book by its cover. By teaching students
the difference between internal and external character traits we hope to help them to better
understand the tendencies of mankind. Part of growing up in today's society is realizing that just
because someone appears happy, powerful or good does not always mean that is who they are
internally. Being a priest, Father Flynn is a person that is typically judged first by his exterior
appearance as a good person. However, that does not mean that he is a holy or pure person
realistically. By giving students the opportunity to make up their own mind about whether the
Father is innocent or guilty we hope that they will come to a conclusion that just because he is a
religious figure does not mean he is a good man or that because he has been accused that does
not make him automatically a bad man. The concept of judging a book by its cover pertains on
the larger scale of society as well as on the smaller scale of choosing their friends and
companions. This unit will not only engages the students in academic learning, but also teach
them valuable life skills.
In todays society, life skills are often learned through social media. Children and
teenagers today are more interested in following the most recent story on social media than they
are to learn about literary texts. One possible way to gage students interests in Doubt is to have
them relate it to the Casey Anthony trial which was followed by millions of people. Many people
believe that the mother of the young girl was guilty of neglect and murder, while others believe
her innocence to be proven and true. This idea transfers to Doubt in the sense that while some
believe that Father Flynn is innocent, he also has peers whose goal is to prove his guilt despite
his prestigious title. Like the Casey Anthony trial where it was unfathomable to some people that
a mother could murder her child, some find it intolerable to think that a priest is capable of
molesting a child.
In some cases, it it possible that students may be dealing with legal issues such as divorce
or family members heavily involved in the court system. Therefor, it becomes important for them
to understand the structure and even the flaws of social justice. The sad, but true thing about the
court system is that it is more than likely to favor the mother, thus leading many people believe
that Casey Anthony's mother was guilty, but used her motherly role to mask her guilt from the
jury and audiences all over the world. Similarly, Sister Aloysius believes that Father Flynn is

using his role to get away with heinous crimes disguising his guilt with his good religious
standing. This also can help play into the concept of judging a book by its cover and deciding
someone's innocence or guilt in something based off of their status or outward appearance.
Things are not always as they seem and this unit will help convey that message to students on a
more relatable level.
Additionally, this unit will be beneficial for students because it is aligned with the
Common Core Standards for 11th grade English students. Standard CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.1112.1 says "Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves
matters uncertain". This is important for the play Doubt because it leaves the audience with
several matters that are uncertain, such as if Father Flynn was every really guilty of molesting
children. By the end of our unit, students will be able to identify specific character traits that may
help them make inferences to whether or not Father Flynn is guilty or innocent. Instead of
believing Father Flynns happy and personable nature to be the only qualities he has, students
will be able to look into smaller aspects of his character such as his interests in holding tryouts
for the Christmas show, and weigh those aspects into their judgements. Also, rather than seeing
the Sister as a cold and stern woman, students should recognize that her actions and willingness
to break the rules shows that she cares about people more than anyone.
In our unit plan, teaching character traits is not only approached by teaching the play
Doubt but by using other sources to relate the students lives to the play for a better
understanding of the topic. By showing students that Doubt can be related to their lives or be
brought into current issues, students are better engaged and invested in reading and learning
about the play. By using examples such as the Casey Anthony case, popular social media topics,
or referring to a popular celebrity, students are able to relate the play to something that holds
value to them. Clearly there are beneficial factors to teaching personal relevancy to students. On
top of that, this unit is also relevant to the teaching standards that need to be met as a teacher.