Name
Let's bring the bard into our classroom!
Topic
Shakespeare's plays
Learning time
20 hours
Designed time
20 hours
Size of class
20
Description
this project aims at making students aware of Shakespeare's greatness,appreciate his works and understand the words and phrases he introduced into the English language still in use today.
Mode of delivery
Aims
To give practice of comprehensive reading and deducing the meaning of phrases from the context To develop students’ speaking skills to debate; To revise and consolidate the usage of verbs ‘say’ ,‘tell’, ‘deny, ‘disagree’ in reported speech To develop students’ knowledge about the life of William Shakespeareto To make predictions (future tenses) to learn huge amounts of words without realizing they "are" learning, To become used to specific grammar and syntax that they can hopefully re-use at the moment of their own writing. To be exposed to a wide range of plays. to learn the characteristics of renaissance art and Elizabethan Age.
Outcomes
Knowledge, Comprehension, Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation, Affective learning outcomes, Psychomotor skills
Editor
mariapia.cascone
Edit
Warm up
40 minutes)
  • Discuss
    20
    0
    In order to introduce and arise students' interest I ask them some questions to understand what they already Know and share their opinions and ideas. Possible driving questions: Do you believe in love at first sight? Are you jealous? Would you like to be a powerful person? If you were a powerful person what would you do? Then my questions will be more specific: Have you ever seen the film"Romeo and Juliet? Do you know the plot? Is it a tragedy, a comedy or a historical play? Why do you think this tragedy is still so popular today? This brainstorming will be useful to understand how to find real world connections to introduce Shakespeare'S plays.
  • Read Watch Listen
    20
    0
    I'll show them a short video about Shakespeare’s family life, his education, Stratford-upon-Avon,his marriage, his introduction to the theatre. After the video I'll tell the students that Shakespeare spent many years away from his family in Stratford and ask them to discuss any possible reasons for which he might have lived apart from his family. Finally I'll hand out a true/false test to understand what they remember about it. Each students will choose one of shakespeare's comedies or tragedies and I'll give them 15 mn each lesson to read.
Notes:
Resources linked: 0
What can you remember?
105 minutes)
  • Collaborate
    25
    0
    With students working in small groups (3 or 4),I'll ask them to recall at least five facts about Shakespeare’s life (without looking at their notes), using past simple to make full sentences.
  • Produce
    60
    0
    I'll divide the students in small groups and give them some strips with the events of shakespeare's life written on them. They'll have to arrange the events into the correct order. Finally I'll ask them to create, using "Timeglider" a timeline about Shakespeare's life.
  • Investigate
    20
    0
    Scaffolding I'll write some words they have read or listened to like career, comedy,tragedy, play, history, theatre, drama and then I'll show them their definitions in a scrambled order. They'll have to match them. 4. history a play about events in the past 5. tragedy a play with a sad ending 6. to inherit to get money/a house/possessions from a person who has died
Notes:
Resources linked: 0
Let's go to the theatre!
80 minutes)
  • Read Watch Listen
    60
    0
    After asking them if they like going to theatre I'll show them a video about "the Globe". Then I'll use a ppt to explain them the structure of the theatres during the Elizabethan Age.
  • Discuss
    20
    0
    Finally I'll involve them into a discussion to point out the differences and similarities about Elizabethan theatres and modern ones. Then I'll ask them, using their devices, to search on the net pictures of famous theatres to compare with " The Globe"
Notes:
Resources linked: 0
Not such a happy ending!
290 minutes)
  • Read Watch Listen
    30
    0
    After revising the main features of a tragedy and explaining the meaning of words like catharsis, antagonist and etc. I'll show a video about Macbeth and what happens in the plays without revealing the end .
  • Discuss
    20
    0
    I'll point out the themes the themes in Macbeth: ambition and power,the supernatural, appearances and reality. Then I'll ask them some questions: Are you ambitious? Do you know powerful people? Is it better to appear or to be? ....
  • Investigate
    100
    0
    I'll involve the students in similar activities used for "Macbeth" to introduce other tragedies: Romeo and Juliet; Hamlet , Othello and Anthony and Cleopatra.
  • Discuss
    80
    0
    I'll point out the themes in the other tragedies: ambition and power,the supernatural, appearances and reality. Then I'll ask them some questions.
  • Collaborate
    60
    0
    I'll write on the blackboard some Shakespeare's quotation and after dividing them into groups I'll ask each of them to choose two of them and write their meaning. Formative assessment: I'll divide the students in groups of four and they'll have to create questions , using Hotpotatoes or Quiz fFaber and each group will have to answeer other group's answers. I'll assess the appropriacy and the correctness of their questions and answers.
Notes:
Resources linked: 0
Learn and laugh!
120 minutes)
  • Read Watch Listen
    90
    0
    After revising the main features of a comedy I'll show a video about The Merchant of Venice, Much ado about nothing and what happens in the plays without revealing the end .
  • Discuss
    30
    0
    Then I'll ask them: Which other Shakespeare comedies do you know? Have you seen any of his comedies? After that I'll ask them to talk about theatre,playwrights.... for about 5 mn. following these tips: My favourite playwright is …. because … I (don’t) consider myself a theatre-goer because … The most famous troupe I know is … Which plays are most often put on in theatres in your country?
Notes:
Resources linked: 0
Let's be creative!
565 minutes)
  • Read Watch Listen
    160
    0
    At this point when their curiosity has increased I'll ask them to choose a tragedy, a comedy or a historical plays and read it. I'll start this activity in March giving them about twenty minutes a week to read their books but they 'll be allowed to take their book home to be able to read some part again or look up words they don't know..It'll be the starting point of a reading activity which will last about two months.
  • Produce
    120
    0
    They will write a review about the work they read.
  • Produce
    120
    0
    I'll divide the students into 3/4 groups according to the type of Shakespeare's play they chose. They'll have to create a video where they explain and comment their plays. In this case I'll check their ability to collaborate and use specific tools like sway, prezi, screencastomatic o thinglink. Then they 'll rewrite their play using storytelling. This type of assessment will be useful to assess their creativity.
  • Collaborate
    120
    0
    To familiarize the students with renaissance art,with the help of my art colleague, I'll show them a Queen Elizabeth's portrait to explain the technique used and its symbolism. The students, divided into groups, will be asked to create ppt about one of Queen Elizabeth's portraits. My history colleague will help me to introduce the Elizabethan Age.
  • Investigate
    45
    0
    The students will be invited to search unknown information about Shakespeare, his plays and the historical period he lived in. As summative assessment the students will be asked to rewrite their original script to perform.
Notes:
Resources linked: 0

Learning Experience

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