Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee

This courtroom drama is set in a small town and emphasizes timeless and universal themes of freedom of speech and freedom of individual religious beliefs. It focuses on the validity of a Tennessee law forbidding the teaching of the theory of evolution. Inherit the Wind is a fictionalization of the 1925 Scopes trial. Religious, political, and social issues presented in the play are just as controversial today as the were in 1925. The play presents a timeless and universal theme, a freedom in need of preservation and protection.

About the Series:

Novel/Drama curriculum units contain complete lesson plans with preliminary and follow-up work, teacher notes with plot summary, background, and rationale, ready-to-use worksheets, and suggested answers for student questions. These study guides encourage the development of thinking, reading, speaking, research, and writing skills as well as critical thinking skills such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.

Price: $19.95 

In stock

Quantity:  

Literary Form

American Drama

Student Activities

Students compare fact and fiction and film and staged versions of the play. They conduct character analysis. Handouts expand students’ vocabulary. Students are presented with creative writing assignments and research reports. They learn to identify themes and conflicts. Students engage in literary analysis. They develop communication skills. They recognize the art of language.

Assessment includes a unit test with answer key, composition topics, and research topics. Optional activities allow students to make connections with other works of literature, make cross-curricular connections, and demonstrate knowledge of the play through artistic venues.

Ethical Values

  • Compassion
  • Equality
  • Faith
  • Freedom
  • Truth