YEAR 9 – SHAKESPEARE– LESSON 1

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Objectives

Outcomes

 To have an understanding of

Shakespeare’s life, times and context;

 To understand the ground rules for studying

Shakespeare as drama

 All pupils will: have understood the need for orderly room re-arranging and will have a broad overview of Sh’s life and times

 Most pupils will: have learned one or two new things about Sh and will have developed more interest in his work.

 Some pupils will: have developed a genuine interest in exploring the playwright’s work in more detail.

Lesson Development

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Ask one pupil to come to board and sketch the classroom layout on the board.

Ask groups to come up with a plan as to how the room could be turned into a working drama space with minimum fuss / bother and maximum creation of space.

Each group reports back their plans and class agrees a method.

Time how long it takes class to put desks / chairs against walls and create a ‘circle’ of chairs in the middle. (Keep a record of time – might be useful to have them pitch against themselves later on!)

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Sit pupils in circle and distribute three pieces of coloured paper to each student (green, orange, red). On the green paper they write something they KNOW about Shakespeare; on the orange something they think they know about him but aren’t absolutely certain; on the red something they would like to know about Shakespeare.

Redistribute green pieces of paper and read out loud; checking, clarifying etc. What is the quality of our knowledge?

Redistribute the orange pieces of paper and see if anything more interesting / unusual crops up. Teacher keeps the red pieces of paper to check up on homework having been done.

Divide class up into four quarters and give them key word: comedy, tragedy, history, problem. Ask them to define what they think his means when applied to a play – they should come up with as detailed a definition as possible. Discuss and redefine definitions.

If time, play game – put key word in each corner of the room and read out a title to a play: pupils have to guess which category it falls into; if right they get another life; if wrong they are out.

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Practice putting room back together and time pupils again. _{Sitting back at desks, set homework}

Homework:

Find out the names of at least two of Shakespeare’s plays that fall into each of the four main

categories (so 8 plays in total) and find out when he wrote them.

Also find out the answer to the RED question that you wrote in today’s lesson.

Context of lesson (reference to SOW, specification, no. of lessons spent on a particular topic etc)

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YEAR 9 – SHAKESPEARE– LESSON 2

Objectives

Outcomes

 To practise using

Shakespeare’s language and to be familiar with some simple dramatic techniques.

 All pupils will: have read some Shakespearian language and will have begun to develop some drama speaking skills

 Most pupils will: have understood the impact that both body and voice have on language and its meaning

 Some pupils will: have developed a secure understanding of dramatic technique and its use in interpreting Shakespeare’s language

Lesson Development

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Re-arrange desks into Circle Time.

Seat in circle and find out what we already know about The Tempest. Really doesn’t matter if it’s not much!

Select an able student to play Prospero and give him/her the whole script. Distribute Ariel’s lines sequentially around the room.

Read through the lines once or twice merely to establish sequence.

Challenge pupils to memorise their line – the main activity will help with this.

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Pupils practise their line for 30 seconds each in all/some of the following ways: 1. Greet other students with your line

2. Say your line as if it is the funniest joke in the world 3. Say your line as if it were the saddest story ever told 4. Shout your line three times at the ceiling

5. Whisper your line three times at the floor

6. Speak your line, spy-like, to several other students 7. Jump up and down saying one line on each jump.

Re-assemble in circle and speak the words again to check that learning has taken place. Then ask pupils to select a spot and position in the room from which to speak their line. Freeze and repeat.

Eventually work up to a dramatic rendition with Prospero in the middle of the room and each ‘Ariel’ in turn moving towards / away from him whilst speaking his/her line.

Celebrate success!

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Re-organise room into seating._{Check that RED questions from last lesson have been answered for homework.}

Homework:

NONE

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Objectives

Outcomes

 To develop confidence at

interpreting and performing Shakespeare’s plays.

 All pupils will: have practised some more detailed and developed performance techniques, focusing on body language and movement

 Most pupils will: have applied these with some degree of effectiveness to a text by Shakespeare

 Some pupils will: have combined their understanding of the text with the performance techniques to produce a competent performance of the extract.

Lesson Development

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Re-arrange desks into Circle Time.

Seat in circle and find out what we already know about The Tempest. Really doesn’t matter if it’s not much!

Divide class into pairs. Give one person in each pair a piece of paper. Explain the aim of the game is for their partner to persuade them to give them the piece of paper – they can only say yes, partner can only say no. Allow them to try for about 60 seconds. Discuss what happens (increase in volume usually nothing else). Try again, but tell them they cannot raise their voice above a whisper and must find other ways of creating a sense of begging / urgency etc – this will hopefully introduce the concept of body language and movement about the stage.

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Put pairs into groups of four and distribute the opening scene from R&L – featuring the fight between the Montagues and Capulets. Groups sit and read through. The groups should spend about 15-20 minutes reading through the scene and adding in detailed stage directions and blocking directions. If necessary, outline what form these might take.

Re-group into a circle and discuss what is happening here. How much of the rudeness, aggression and violence do we still understand? How might we add it? Interpret it?

Pupils should go away and rehearse the scene for the remaining time.

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Re-organise room into seating._{What are the difficulties encountered with performing Shakespeare? Are they any different from those}

encountered performing any text?

Homework:

NONE

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YEAR 9 – SHAKESPEARE– LESSON 4

Objectives

Outcomes

 To consolidate performance skills whilst also interpreting an extract from a

Shakespeare text

 All pupils will: have understood the key comic technique of wordplay and how it is still relevant – it not always clear – to a 21st_{century audience.}

Pupils will have rehearsed and become more familiar with key dramatic techniques required to produce a polished performance

 Most pupils will: have seen how wordplay is a key technique for appealing to a wide-ranging audience

 Some pupils will: have understood the universal significance of wordplay and will have been able to use dramatic technique to make a great deal out of it.

Lesson Development

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Keep tables in seating format

Start with one or two YouTube clips – possibly Two Ronnies Fork Handles and / or Abbot and Costello Who’s on First.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77azRkVHtqM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cz2-ukrd2VQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dmhF1rqaZk – New one

Watch and consider what is being done with words in these clips ... What other texts / writers / performers use this kind of word-play?

Establish that it isn’t Shakespeare’s technique of wordplay that we no longer enjoy it is the choice of wordplays he uses – we don’t understand them, but in fact we still like wordplay a lot.

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Pupils should re-visit their texts and see how many wordplays they can find or think they can find. How can they make the most of them?

They should rehearse further and then watch one or two of the performances, commenting on the use of body language, voice, movement, and the ability to draw attention to and make the most of the wordplays in the text.

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‘Lucky Dip’ for a Shakespeare play. Outline homework, which is to research the play and produce a fact-_{file about it, which would enable someone completely unfamiliar with the play to have a broad overview of}

its content, genre, characters and popularity. Pupils might also want to include some work on Shakespeare’s background etc.

Homework:

Shakespeare fact file. See above.

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Objectives

Outcomes

 To develop skills required for

media interpretation and to consider aspects of

Shakespeare in performance.

 All pupils will: have begun to understand how the themes and ideas in Shakespeare’s plays are universal and can be adapted to suit a wide range of audiences. They will have employed some simple media terminology to analyse a media text.

 Most pupils will: have employed the terminology with a degree of

accuracy that enables them to produce an appropriate analytical response

 Some pupils will: have used the terminology more effectively to produce an analysis with a degree of sophistication.

Lesson Development

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Seated at tables

Pupils list as many film genres as they can and then list as many Shakespeare plays as they can. Based on their limited knowledge of the plays, what movie genre category would they put the plays into?

Feedback on this and consider how Shakespeare’s plays contain aspects of many genres (romance, horror, action, thriller, drama, history etc). Discuss why this might be and how his plays were universally

appealing at the time they were originally produced.

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Watch opening scene of Baz Luhrmann’s R&J – pupils should be very familiar with this scene by now, having performed it themselves.

While watching, pupils should make notes about the differences in the two ‘tribes’ presented by Luhrmann. Having watched the opening scene, what movie genre would you imagine R&J was going to fall into? Why is this a clever technique on behalf of the director? What does it do in terms of the appeal of the movie? Watch the extract a second time and make notes about the additional sound effects the director utilises. Watch a third time and look at the visual imagery he uses.

Pupils should record three spider diagrams, or complete a table with all the information. NOTE: YOU MAY NEED A SECOND LESSON TO ADDRESS THIS PART:

Pupils respond to analytical question

What techniques does Baz Luhrmann employ to make the opening scene of Romeo and Juliet engaging to a modern audience?

Write for 15-20 minutes.

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Pupils should swap books with a partner and highlight the most impressive analytical sentence and then _{suggest a change / alteration to a weaker section.}

Homework:

NONE

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YEAR 9 – SHAKESPEARE– LESSON 5A – may not be needed

Objectives

Outcomes

 To apply skills required for media interpretation, whilst also analysing Shakespeare in performance.

 All pupils will: demonstrate they understand how the themes and ideas in Shakespeare’s plays are universal and can be adapted to suit a wide range of audiences. They will employ some simple media terminology to analyse a media text.

 Most pupils will: employ the terminology with a degree of accuracy that enables them to produce an appropriate analytical response

 Some pupils will: use the terminology effectively to produce an analysis with a degree of sophistication.

Lesson Development

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Pupils put into rank order the things that are really memorable about the opening scenes of Baz Luhrmann’s film of R&J:

 The dialogue

 The characters’ appearance

 The music

 The on-screen titles

 The fights / explosions

 The guns

 The setting / location

 The use of colour

Pupils should identify WHY this information is useful to them given today’s lesson objective (answer = it establishes the SKILLS that Luhrmann has used and how effective they are!)

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What techniques does Baz Luhrmann employ to make the opening scene of Romeo and Juliet engaging to a modern audience?

Pupils should select three – five of the techniques and create a spider diagram with a ‘leg’ for each technique. They should make brief notes about what they recall and how it was effective.

Teacher models how to write about the dialogue being effective and leaves example on board. Teacher draws attention to need to link paragraphs together with connectives.

Pupils write quietly for 20 minutes

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Pupils should swap books with a partner and highlight the most impressive analytical sentence and then _{suggest a change / alteration to a weaker section.}

Homework:

Shakespeare fact files due in today?

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Context

Year 9 have been exploring a range of Shakespearean texts and

tasks, concentrating on the plays in performance, their stories and

their language.

Learning Objectives

To understand and explore the sonnet form and structure

Time Activities Learning Outcomes

10 SET HOMEWORK: WRITE A LIST OF RULES FOR WRITING A SHAKESPEAREAN SONNET. MAKE IT CLEAR, WELL-PRESENTED AND ACCURATE.

Display the following words: ‘sonnet’, ‘limerick’, ‘haiku’, ‘ode’, ‘ballad’. Ask students what they all have in common. Answer: they are all forms of poetry. Distribute true / false questionnaire about sonnets and go through the answer.

Students will learn the form, structure, rhyme scheme and content of the Shakespearean sonnet. They will learn new terminology including iambic pentameter, quatrain and rhyming couplet and they will

understand the contribution the sonnet form makes to Shakespeare’s cultural legacy.

20 Display the first line of the sonnet that opens ‘Romeo and Juliet’ – TWO HOUSEHOLDS BOTH ALIKE IN DIGNITY. Ask students to copy into books and check that they can divide it accurately into syllables.

Ask them to underline which syllables they would stress.

Introduce the concept of ‘iambic pentameter’. An iamb is a beat and pentameter means there are FIVE beats in each line of poetry. Check that this rule holds true.

Distribute the rest of the opening sonnet and ask them to divide it into syllables and underline the stressed beats.

Refer back to the true/false questions at the start and see if they can identify the rhyme scheme in the sonnet. (They may need teaching how to do this – first line is A and all other lines that rhyme with it are A; second line is B and all other lines that rhyme with it are B and so on). Identify that the sonnet is organised into THREE sections of four lines and one section of two lines (a rhyming couplet). Briefly examine how the

PUNCTUATION in the sonnet also reflects the 3x4 + 1x2 structure. 20 Put class in pairs and number pairs 2, 3 or 4. MODEL translating

the first quatrain (attached). Each pair then to examine the second, third or fourth section of the poem and try to ‘translate’ it into modern English. Feedback and ask each child to make brief notes in their book about what the sonnet is about.

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YEAR 9 – SHAKESPEARE– LESSON 7

Context

Year 9 have been exploring a range of Shakespearean texts and

tasks; last lesson they explored the sonnet form and learned its

features and terminology.

Learning Objectives

To develop understanding of the sonnet form by exploring the

language through performance

Time Activities Learning Outcomes

15 As students arrive ask them to re-arrange the room for drama. They will put the tables back and will re-arrange the chairs into a circle. Begin with a

discussion about women’s role in Elizabethan theatre – they didn’t have one! All roles were played by men and the roles of women by boys whose voices had not broken. The Elizabethans thought it unseemly for women to appear on stage. Ask the class to ensure they are sitting with a partner with whom they are happy to work. Distribute copies of Act 1, scene 5, one to each pair. Contextualise. This sonnet is from the part of the play when R&J first meet and it is very unusual because it’s spoken by two people. Ask pairs to try and work out who says which lines and to divide them up accordingly.

Pupils will learn that the sonnet form can be adapted to suit performance by being used as dialogue; they will learn more about Shakespearean

performance and they will explore the language of the sonnet form in detail by experimenting with different ways of interpreting the language and

presenting it in performance. They will clarify their understanding of the structure of the sonnet by practising speaking. They will develop their speaking, listening and cooperation skills.

15 Check that they have done this correctly and then distribute the second version of the sonnet, featuring the speakers’ names. Read the sonnet round the room, with each child taking just one word each. Take some feedback and discussion about the important words, the tone – it is a very religious sonnet, but also very passionate and the absence of stage directions. What actions CLEARLY happen in the text (they press their hands together as if in prayer at one point and then they kiss). Which character is religious? Who is passionate? Which argument wins – religion or passion? What does this tell us about the difference in the nature of the two characters? (Romeo is more worldly, more down-t-earth where Juliet is spiritual and holy). Ask them if they notice anything about the way the lines are laid out. They should note that Juliet’s last line is heavily indented. Explain that Shakespeare did this when he didn’t want a pause between one speaker ending and another starting. 15 Pairs remove to practise performing the sonnet.

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in the circle at the end of the rehearsal period. 15 Reseat everyone in a circle and discuss how and why

the sonnet form is the most appropriate form for the meeting of R&J – they are the most famous lovers in history and it is the most famous form of love poetry; it shows the incredible bond between them; it shows their everlasting love.

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YEAR 9 – SHAKESPEARE– LESSON 8

Objectives

Outcomes

 To examine and explore the overall plot of a play and to see how the themes are universal and familiar

 All pupils will: be familiar with the entire plot of one Shakespeare play and will have gained a broad overview of its key themes, events and ideas.

 Most pupils will: have a clear understanding of how these themes are still present in modern day stories and demonstrate the universal appeal of Shakespeare’s plays

 Some pupils will: need no further convincing of the significance and genius of Shakespeare!

Lesson Development

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Circle time.

Ask pupils to sit in the circle and describe in broadly general terms the things they like to see in a film (eg fights, car chases, love, death, romance, conflict etc). Ask one pupil to record these on the board.

Need to have the PPT with the ten lines from the play ready to reveal.

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Introduce idea that we will be performing the whole play in one lesson.

Begin reading, revealing lines as we read. Focus pupils on the need to listen carefully and adapt both their reading of the lines and their body language and voice to the mood / content / atmosphere of the story. Do one or two run-throughs in this way and then distribute lines to groups / pairs and ask them to prepare a tableau to accompany their line of the play.

Re-perform the play and show the tableaux, ideally taking photographs to use later on for display or whatever ...

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Re-group and re-visit the list of things that pupils want from a movie – how many of these did we find in _{the play R&J?}

What do we keep discovering is the only real barrier to our enjoyment of the plays AS STORIES? Answer is language, which we will begin to study in more depth

Homework:

NONE

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Objectives

Outcomes

 To explore the context in

which Shakespeare was writing: the superstitions and beliefs of the time

 All pupils will: have understood more about the superstitions and beliefs of Elizabethans, with reference to the witches’ spell

 Most pupils will: have understood how the negative image of the witches is a reflection of the power Elizabethans had

 Some pupils will: have applied their own understanding of the language and content to produce an effective and convincing spell of their own.

Lesson Development

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Seated at Tables

Read the spell aloud to the class and play a version of Kim’s game. How many of the ingredients can they recall and write down in their books?

What KIND of spell are the witches conjuring up? How do we know?

Elicit the use of negative language and unpleasant imagery in particular.

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Distribute copy of the spell to pupils. Pupils complete questions on sheet / in exercise books.

Feedback responses.

What SKILLS does the spell suggest the witches possess?

Elicit – witchcraft (obviously), ability to read each others’ thoughts / minds / complete each others’ sentences, power over animals, flight etc.

What would a Shakespearean audience have made of them?

Pupils should come up with a list of their own unpleasant (or pleasant) ingredients and create spell of their own to be cast by three people. Draw attention to chorus, rhythm, rhyme etc.

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Deliver poems.

Homework:

Write spells up into nicely presented / decorated / aged pieces.

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YEAR 9 – SHAKESPEARE– LESSON 10

Objectives

Outcomes

 To explore Shakespeare’s use of language to create character

Resource lesson 10 (MS Publisher file. Print pages 2 and 3 and copy back to back – they are two Lady Mac speeches; you will use the second in lesson 11)

 All pupils will: have understood the use of semantic fields in literature and will have explored how they are used effectively by Shakespeare.

 Most pupils will: have formed a clear opinion of Lady Macbeth’s character and will have made the link between the language she uses to describe herself and the opinion we form of her.

 Some pupils will: have seen how Lady Macbeth’s character is conflicted through the conflicting use of the natural and the supernatural imagery she employs

Lesson Development

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Seated at tables

Give each group a key term – eg ‘sport’, ‘nature’, ‘education’, ‘party’, ‘religion’, ‘cooking’ and give them 2 minutes to come up with as many words associated with this particular idea as they possibly can.

Introduce briefly the idea of semantic fields and ask for possible reasons why an author might use words from a specific semantic field – eg religion or nature?

Pupils should record the reason for this into their own books in their own words, completing the sentence ...”Authors might choose to use words from a specific semantic field because ...”

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Distribute Lady Macbeth’s speech about herself, giving no information to the pupils at all about her character.

Pupils should read the speech alone in silence first and note down initial responses to the text. Pupils should then use Talk Chips (using a pen as a token to talk – they can talk once and place their pen in the middle and cannot talk again until all tokens have been used at which point they re-claim their token and can talk again) to make comments / ask questions about the speech.

After this discussion (which should be quite brief) pupils should agree on the most important word in each line of Lady Mac’s speech. They should highlight these and try to say why three or four of them are important (annotate the speech).

Next pupils should identify words that are on common themes and put them into lists. What semantic fields are being used? Why?

What is the most powerful image in the speech? Each group should agree on this and then tell the teacher (hopefully there will be universal agreement). Put on board and model the commentary

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Begin to answer / plan answer to question: what image does Lady Macbeth give of herself in this speech? _{Use evidence to support your answer.}

Homework:

Could complete question on Lady Mac. Write about ¾ of a page. OR wait for next lesson and do

comparison of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.

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Objectives

Outcomes

 To analyse how Shakespeare

uses language to create character

 All pupils will: have applied their understanding of semantic fields in literature and will have explored how they are used effectively by Shakespeare. They will have begun to apply this understanding to an analytical piece of writing.

 Most pupils will: have formed a clear opinion of the differences in character and how language is used to convey this.

 Some pupils will: have explored how Lady Macbeth’s character

demonstrates conflict in the wide range of language she uses to describe herself and her husband.

Lesson Development

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Seated at tables

What words do we remember from Lady Macbeth’s speech about herself in last lesson?

This exercise should be done from memory – pupils could write one or two words on a post-it note and record on the board.

Take an overview of the words and either a quick reminder of what image is Lady Macbeth trying to create of herself OR actually write a brief answer, giving evidence from the text to support (depending on what accomplished last lesson)

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Distribute Lady Macbeth’s speech about her husband (OR turn sheet over if photocopied double sided for last lesson). Contextualise speech. Lady Macbeth has received a letter from her husband telling her that some witches have prophesied he will become King. She is thinking about how this will come about ... Pupils should create a spider diagram with ‘Macbeth’ in the middle. They should read the speech alone and record around it any words they think she is using specifically to describe Macbeth (elicit: milk, kindness, ambition, holily, without illness etc).

Record and discuss on board some examples – there will need to be some clarification.

Pupils should recall what they understood about Lady Macbeth’s plans – what part does she think Macbeth will play?

Create a table or venn diagram comparing Lady Macbeth and Macbeth – what aspects do they share? In what ways are they different? Add evidence to support ideas.

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What techniques have pupils learned for investigating Shakespeare’s language? What tips would they give _{to someone about to start out on a study of Shakespeare’s language?}

Homework:

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YEAR 9 – SHAKESPEARE– LESSON 12

Objectives

Outcomes

 To apply understanding of PEE and Shakespeare’s language to create a confident written analysis

 All pupils will: have revised the use of PEE and applied it to a piece of analytical writing about Shakespeare’s use of language.

 Most pupils will: be significantly more confident in the process of analytical writing

 Some pupils will: have applied the skills in a sophisticated manner and will know how to reproduce this style consistently

Lesson Development

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Seated at tables

Distribute model sheet for PEE and discuss.

Reinforce the idea that pupils need to make a clear point about the text, supported immediately by evidence and followed by detailed explanation.

Possibly display bad one: Macbeth is angry that Banquo is still alive and his children will be king, “to be thus is nothing ...” which shows that Macbeth is angry that Banquo is still alive. Discuss circular

references.

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Display question: How does Lady Macbeth use language to convey differing impressions of herself and her husband?

Pupils look at the question and first of all complete the table on the bottom of the resource sheet.

Pupils produce written response.

They should use different highlighting / underlining to demonstrate that they have used the PEA method successfully in a three part / balanced structure.

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What techniques have pupils learned for investigating Shakespeare’s language? What tips would they give _{to someone about to start out on a study of Shakespeare’s language?}

Homework:

Complete / re-draft / write up answer for homework.

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Objectives

Outcomes

 To explore the imagery

Shakespeare uses to describe the ‘ages of man’

 All pupils will: have applied their knowledge of performance and language analysis skills in order to present an interpretation of a Shakespeare text

 Most pupils will: have used a variety of drama and presentation skills to provide a confident presentation of the text

 Some pupils will: have applied the skills in a sophisticated manner and will present the text in an entertaining and witty manner.

Lesson Development

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Tables back – circle time.

Place numbers in the middle of the circle 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70

Explain that they represent different ages of man. Pupils should agree labels for each age (eg baby, child, young adult, adult, middle age etc etc).

Randomly distribute the ‘seven ages’ of man (Resource 13) and ask pupils to match them to the decades (0, 10, 60 and 70 are easiest – others might need to work together to match them up.

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Read to the pupils the opening lines of Jacques speech: All the world's a stage,

And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages.

Divide class into seven groups and distribute the ‘ages’ between them. They should prepare a tableau or drama of their ‘age’, exploring the images and utilising the drama skills they have practised this unit / half term.

Display and watch the tableaux – what is the speech’s purpose? What are we supposed to think / feel when we hear it / watch it?

Re-group tables and take seats.

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Distribute Plenary sheets to students._{Pupils answer questions and glue into books}

Homework:

END OF UNIT