Title: An Introduction to Shakespeare
Unit Outline / Unit durationObjective: Students will gain an insight into the language and plays of William Shakespeare with a focus on a Modern Romeo and Juliet. / 5 Weeks (15 Lessons)
Big ideas/key concepts / Why does this learning matter?
The key concepts I want students to learn about are:
· Introduce students to plays of William Shakespeare
· Familiarise students with the language of Shakespeare
· Read for pleasure
· Read for comprehension
· Read to gather information / It is important to gain an understanding of the life and times of Shakespeare and the factors which shaped his desire to write the plays he did. Students become familiar with the language used in such plays. Reading ‘A Modern Romeo and Juliet’ will enable students to participate in the reading and acting of a well known Shakespearian Play.
Place in scope & sequence/Building the field / Target outcomes
. / Reading Activities
Vocabulary Development- learning how vocabulary changes through time, writing definitions, paraphrasing words, sentences & paragraphs.
Art Activities- design posters.
Drama Activities
Creative Writing- retelling plots in own words, writing journals, writing biographies from researched information, write play scripts.
Reading / Writing / Speaking / Listening / Viewing
Intellectual Quality Quality Learning Environment Significance
IQ1 Deep knowledge IQ4 Higher-order thinking QLE1 Explicit quality criteria QLE4 Social support S1 Background knowledge S4 Inclusivity
IQ2 Deep understanding IQ5 Metalanguage QLE2 Engagement QLE5 Students’ self-regulation S2 Cultural knowledge S5 Connectedness
IQ3 Problematic knowledge IQ6 Substantive communication QLE3 High expectations QLE6 Student direction S3 Knowledge integration S6 Narrative
Students learn about: / Students learn to: / Learning Experiences / Evidence of Learning / Resources / Quality Teaching / Reg/Date
The language of Shakespeare is different from the way we talk today, but language is continually evolving. We do not talk the same way people did a hundred years ago, because word meanings change and new words are coming into use all the time. For example, words associated with computers are new: byte, e-mail, modem and internet are all new.
William Shakespeare did not write just for a well-educated audience; he wrote for the masses, and in his time, most of these people could not read or write. It is only since his death that that the works of Shakespeare have been considered too ‘highbrow’ for most people to understand.
I.C.T Lesson: www.shakespeare-online.com. This website has the complete works on line. It has a comprehensive glossary that students will find useful as well as other interesting information. Locate various plays written by William Shakespeare & write a summary including: Title, when it was written & a brief paragraph of what it is about.
Lesson 2:
Shakespearian stories contain elements of mystery, suspense, comedy and romance; all things current in today’s novels. The characters overcome difficulties, display anger, fear, jealousy and love, plot revenge and argue with each other.
The plots are very realistic and are based on themes that can be found in modern plays: misunderstandings, plots to overthrow unjust leaders, love stories, stories of murder and retaliation. Many of his plays have been adapted to create modern movies such as Romeo & Juliet.
Biography Lesson: Research information on Shakespeare’s life & record this in books
Hand out ‘Biography of William Shakespeare’ sheet & read through as a class
Students learn about: / Students learn to: / Learning Experiences / Evidence of Learning / Resources / Quality Teaching / Reg/
Date
Lesson 2:
Shakespearian stories contain elements of mystery, suspense, comedy and romance; all things current in today’s novels. The characters overcome difficulties, display anger, fear, jealousy and love, plot revenge and argue with each other.
The plots are very realistic and are based on themes that can be found in modern plays: misunderstandings, plots to overthrow unjust leaders, love stories, stories of murder and retaliation. Many of his plays have been adapted to create modern movies such as Romeo & Juliet.
Biography Lesson: Research information on
Pair-work: Some phrases that appear in Shakespeare’s plays are now part of our everyday language.
Write the following expressions on the board & discuss their meaning.
1. “What’s done is done” from Macbeth
Meaning, that you cannot change the past, so don’t worry about it.
2. “Neither a borrower or a lender be” from Hamlet
Meaning, that a person should not borrow or lend money or items, but is independent.
Students learn about: / Students learn to: / Learning Experiences / Evidence of Learning / Resources / Quality Teaching / Reg/
Date
Lesson 3:
Sonnets: William Shakespeare is best known as a playwright, but he also wrote poetry. He wrote several narrative poems and a collection of sonnets. The Sonnet, as a poetic form, was invented by Italian poets of the Renaissance period. This form of poetry spread throughout Europe. Shakespeare experimented with the rhyming format and eventually developed one that has been generally accepted as the format for Shakespearean sonnets.
The poetic form for a Shakespearean sonnet is:
1. A sonnet consists of 14 lines
2. The rhyming pattern is ABAB CDCD EFEF GG
3. Each line is written as an iambic pentameter: 10 syllables, with a beat on the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th and 10th syllables of the line.
There is a story to Shakespeare’s collection of sonnets. The early sonnets give advice to a young man, telling him that his youth and good looks will not last for ever, and he should marry, settle down and have children. Later they tell about the mistress of the poet, who later becomes the mistress of the young man.
· Read Handout & discuss Sonnets
Lesson 4: (Continue for next few lessons focusing on a specific card for each)
Education in Elizabethan Times & Entertainment (handout) Read and Discuss
Whole-Class Activity: (Each student needs a sheet of Cards A-C)
Card A: This may be familiar to many students. It is the witches chant from Macbeth and the witches are putting a spell on Macbeth so that he will lust for power and do anything, even murder, to become King of Scotland.
o Read the quote to the class & discuss pronunciation and meaning
o Have the class read the quote
o Discuss how it should be read- expression, rhythm, stress, dynamics (loud & soft) and atmosphere. Students can make notes on the sheets
o Divide class into groups to read with designated parts
o Repeat readings until desired interpretation is achieved
Activity: Divide class into groups & each can develop their own presentation
Card B: This quote is from As You like It and is one characters idea of the 7 stages of life from birth to old age.
o Read to class
o Discuss meaning of the quote & review word meaning
o Class reading of quote
o Discuss various ways of reading it to bring out meaning
o Practice this
o Group-work: different groups reading particular stage
Activity: Discuss the 7 stages of man given here. Do you agree or would you change them in some way? Why?
o Repeat readings until desired interpretation is achieved
Activity: Divide class into groups & each can develop their own presentation
Card B: This quote is from As You like It and is one characters idea of the 7 stages of life from birth to old age.
o Read to class
o Discuss meaning of the quote & review word meaning
o Class reading of quote
o Discuss various ways of reading it to bring out meaning
o Practice this
o Group-work: different groups reading particular stage
Activity: Discuss the 7 stages of man given here. Do you agree or would you change them in some way? Why?
Students learn about: / Students learn to: / Learning Experiences / Evidence of Learning / Resources / Quality Teaching
o Repeat readings until desired interpretation is achieved
Activity: Divide class into groups & each can develop their own presentation
Card B: This quote is from As You like It and is one characters idea of the 7 stages of life from birth to old age.
o Read to class
o Discuss meaning of the quote & review word meaning
o Class reading of quote
o Discuss various ways of reading it to bring out meaning
o Practice this
o Group-work: different groups reading particular stage
Activity: Discuss the 7 stages of man given here. Do you agree or would you change them in some way? Why?
Students learn about: / Students learn to: / Learning Experiences / Evidence of Learning / Resources / Quality Teaching
Card C: This quote is from the Merchant of Venice and reveals Shylock’s feelings about the discrimination that he faces. Anyone that was different, was discriminated against- people from different races or with various disabilities.
Lesson 5:
Small Group-work (Share Speech Cards 1-14)
o Each group has 1 of the cards
o Read it & discuss what the character means
o 1 person from the group reads the speech aloud & the way this is presented is agreed by the group
o 1 member of the group will answer questions about the meaning
Lesson 6:
I.C.T Lesson: In groups, research the particular speech and find out:
o Who said it?
o Who was it said to?
o What was happening in the play at the time it was said?
Lesson 7:
‘The Life and Times of William Shakespeare’- Do crossword using the Internet
Lesson 8:
The Plague and Other Illnesses: Read Handout & Discuss key points.
Lesson 9:
The City of London: Read Handout & do visual representations on blank paper
Lesson 10:
The Theatres: Read as a class & do visual representations on blank paper
Lesson 11:
The Actors: Write up notes on the board & students put this into books. Discuss significance of the role of Actors during Shakespearean times.
· Students can work in small groups & devise some mini acts & perform these
Lesson 12:
Shakespearean Insults: There is nothing more impressive than a Shakespearean sounding insult. Below are several insults from Shakespeare’s most popular plays.
Mind-map on board-
As You Like It:
o His brain is as dry as the remainder biscuit after a long voyage
o Let’s meet as little as we can
o I do desire we may be better strangers
Hamlet:
o Bloody, bawdy, villain!
o Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindles villain!
o I took thee for thy better
o You are a fishmonger
Henry V:
o Thou vain, giddy, shallow, humorous youth!
o What an arrant, rascally, beggarly, lousy knave it is
o Thy face is not worth sunburning
Macbeth:
o How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags!
o Thou lily-livered boy!
o Thou bloodier villain than terms can give thee out!
Create your own Shakespearean sounding insults- Handout- Complete 3 activities at the bottom of the sheet
Students learn about: / Students learn to: / Learning Experiences / Evidence of Learning / Resources / Quality Teaching
Henry V:
o Thou vain, giddy, shallow, humorous youth!
o What an arrant, rascally, beggarly, lousy knave it is
o Thy face is not worth sunburning
Macbeth:
o How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags!
o Thou lily-livered boy!
o Thou bloodier villain than terms can give thee out!
Create your own Shakespearean sounding insults- Handout- Complete 3 activities at the bottom of the sheet
Lesson 13:
Great Chain of Being- Notes for the board: The position of a king or queen is fixed in the natural order of things. The monarch is God’s representative on earth and the highest of all earthly beings. In the philosophy of the Great Chain of Being- When everything is ordered and in its place, there is harmony. Altering this order, by killing a king, for example, brings disharmony and unleashes the forces of nature:
Examples are:
o The foul weather after the death of Duncan in Macbeth
o The ghost in Hamlet
Similarly today human actions can have a severe effect on nature through:
o Pollution
o Global warming
o Factory farming
Students learn about: / Students learn to: / Learning Experiences / Evidence of Learning / Resources / Quality Teaching
‘Great Chain of Being’ Worksheet- Read through & discuss as a class- Colour in!
Lesson 14:
Dramatic Irony: Notes for the board: Shakespeare makes much use out of dramatic irony in many of his plays. This is created when characters are unaware of
circumstances or information that the audience and/or other characters are aware of. This engages the audience who feel involved and appreciate the tension of the moment.
Pair-Work- Brainstorm a list of situations that involve dramatic irony. (Employer overhears employee talking badly about them, coach overhears players planning practical joke, boy acts cool and distant in front of a girl when she has been told how he really feels)
o In groups- Choose one situation & plan a scene based on it.
o Perform the scene
o Complete a written response to those scenes you watch & comment on the effect of dramatic irony on the audience.
Students learn about: / Students learn to: / Learning Experiences / Evidence of Learning / Resources / Quality Teaching
Lesson 15:
Revenge: Many of Shakespeare’ plays involve acts of revenge. A character may have acted in a way that has provoked a response of revenge. This notion allows Shakespeare to explore the rights and responsibilities of human beings and also to explore the idea of justice.
Pair-Work- Brainstorm a list of acts that might provoke a desire for revenge.
o List some imaginative acts of revenge for each of these acts
o Choose an act of provocation and an act of revenge from the list
o Using these acts write a story that details the events that lead up to the act of revenge, describe the act of revenge and explore the possible consequences of this act of revenge.
Whole Class Activity- Read ‘A Modern Romeo & Juliet’ as a class and students around the room have designated parts to play.
Intellectual Quality Quality Learning Environment Significance
IQ1 Deep knowledge IQ4 Higher-order thinking QLE1 Explicit quality criteria QLE4 Social support S1 Background knowledge S4 Inclusivity
IQ2 Deep understanding IQ5 Metalanguage QLE2 Engagement QLE5 Students’ self-regulation S2 Cultural knowledge S5 Connectedness
IQ3 Problematic knowledge IQ6 Substantive communication QLE3 High expectations QLE6 Student direction S3 Knowledge integration S6 Narrative