Crime and Punishment Lesson Plan

Detectives of the 19th Century

Kind of Activity:

Research

Objective:

Students will understand the text’s historical context.

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.1.A, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.B, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.D, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.11-12.1

Structure:

Detectives are mainstays of pop culture, and Porfiry seems to have much in common with the fussy and idiosyncratic figures we see in contemporary TV and movies. However, the style and function of detectives in 19th-century Russia are very different from how they work today.

To help students understand the historical context of Crime and Punishment, break the class into groups of 3-4 and ask...