A View from the Bridge - Marco and Rodolpho (The Context of Italian Immigration)

This interesting and highly stimulating lesson enables students to make clear and sustained links between Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge and the social and historical context of Italian American immigration in the early to mid-twentieth century. In particular, students engage analytically with Marco and Rodolpho’s arrival at the Carbone household, interpreting their key quotations about life in both Italy and America, and linking these to knowledge of real-life context.

The lesson follows a clear, logical, bite-size learning journey, which guides students towards differentiated learning objectives. Over the course of this journey, they become able to:
- Understand the key features of Italian immigration to America in the early to mid-twentieth century;
- Understand the relevance of Arthur Miller’s life and influences upon elements of plot;
- Create a timeline detailing contextual information regarding Italian immigration;
- Read and understand the middle section of Act One, interpreting quotations which Marco and Rodolpho arrive and offer key information about life in Italy, and their hopes for America;
- Understand cultural differences that lead to Eddie’s unease with Rodolpho;
- Make clear and sustained links between the text and its social and historical context, by analysing the middle of Act One;
-Peer assess each other’s learning attempts.

This resource pack includes:
- A visually engaging whole-lesson PowerPoint presentation;;
- Paper copies and online links to the extract needed for the lesson (mid-section of Act One);
- Timeline template;
- Linking to context worksheet (including answer sheet for teachers);
- A logically scaffolded essay template;
- A detailed lesson plan, complete with what the teacher and students should aim to achieve at each stage of the lesson.

All images are licensed for commercial use, and are cited on the final slide of the PowerPoint.