Reading in the Middle, Junior and Senior High Schools, Spring, 2010

In my unit I hope to teach one of Shakespeare’s plays. The students will read the play in class which will take several days, and then complete several activities to show their understanding of the play. I want to introduce the play with a pre-reading activity, most likely some history about the play. I want the students to read the play out loud in class since plays are
hard to understand without seeing them acted out. The students will rotate in as different characters each day. I want to save a few minutes each day for students to discuss what was read in class. Even if it is a simple as predicting what will happen next and why.
Reading the play is important, but connecting the literature to writing is also vital in the learning process. I would love for students to write a 6th act to the play. They would continue the story, and write a description about why they chose to take the play in the direction they did. Then they would share their work in small groups in order to revise it. The group could then pick their favorite among the group to share with the class. This activity could also include technology. The group could chose to make a short film with a digital camera or flip video recorder. They could also present the piece to the class as a skit which would help them practice oral presentations. The group would be able to choose an interesting way to present the 6th act that they feel comfortable with if acting seems too intimidating. This could be through presenting a power point or some other product. Kids today love technology. If they can use it to show what they have learned I think they will enjoy the assignment a lot more than taking a traditional test.