How Can We Get the
Entire Class Engaged in Reading a Play
Sources for
Readers/Writers Project
1) Fantastic Website. This site lists several plays and
provides lesson plans, activities, and engagement opportunities for student in
grades 6-12 students. In short, it
provides ways to make drama “fun.”
2) Interview with Margarita Moldovan, executive director of
local theater and previously middle school English teacher:w
q) How would you describe your
approach? Are you student-centered and a responsive teacher? Are
you more teacher-directed? How does that help/hurt your work with other
teachers?
a) This question is interesting
because I used to be very teacher centered - sort of Socratic, but still
pouring info into their minds. After I earned my MAT (yes, me, too) my style
became more student focused. Even with planning, I often look for the sensitive
areas of the class - what fires them up - in order to choose activities for
them. I try to give them the time they need to learn various aspects of the
issue. I am at leisure at the theater, since we work at the pace I choose, but
it would have caused a lot of trouble working with other teachers because in
schools, they must cover so much at a time without regard to what the students
find interesting and worthy of further study. Holding back classes to learn
more deeply is not ok when working with groups of teachers. There is a protocol
to follow and it feels to them as though you are sabotaging their
progress.
q) What does your planning process look
like for a lesson/unit?
a) Planning units is one of my
favorite things! I start with the outcomes, then look at my old plans and notes
from them. Then I scour the internet for other ways of teaching the lessons. I
typically find some things that I can fuse together - color units with
properties of light, for example - then I make a new lesson from all of that.
Don't discount old text books! They are often useful for helping organize a
unit. I always incorporate visual art as well!
q) How do you handle the students who
"hate plays?"
a) Students hate plays because they
have been poorly taught. Period. If they do not want to read, I give them
something to do, such as plan a set, prop or costume plot. Some students are
not performers, and they need a way into the literature.
q) How do you help
students visualize the action of a play when they are reading it?
a) The very first thing I do is
have them perform some part of the play, so they understand how the meaning
changes when it is given form. This usually sets them on fire to learn what the
rest of the show means. The street brawl in Romeo & Juliet is a great place
to start!
q) Do you have your students read the play
aloud? Watch it? Read it for homework?
a) I don't like them to watch it
because it takes away from their own interpretation. I like to have them act
out, with direction, small portions, and then have them read it and bring in
director's notes.
--Interview conducted via email,
1/1/14
3) Youtube clip of Nelson Middle School’s production of
Romeo and Juliet via all of the middle school’s 8th grade classes
working together with a guest artist
4) Excellent site that provides scaffolding for how to write
a letter home to parents as an educator:
5) Scholarly article from “The English Journal.” Encourages teachers not to be afraid to teach
Shakespeare at the middle school level.
With appropriate direction, they can handle it.
6) Website explaining methods of introducing ESL speakers to
Shakespeare. I found this useful because
it suggested having ESL students translate the difficult language into modern
English as a fun, engaging activity.
This made me think that the same techniques might be applied to help
struggling native English speakers, as well, to understand the heightened
language.
7)A curriculum guide for “Romeo and Juliet”… suggests
students translate key scenes into modern English. This also supports the idea of having
students translate the text into modern English.
8) “Hamlet” lesson plan by Courtney Andersen builds on pop
culture. The lesson plan links “The Lion
King” to “Hamlet” to show students how older texts can influence modern works. I had already known about the “Hamlet”/”The Lion
King” connection, but to see it again addressed within the context of an English
classroom was encouraging.
9) This website explains that Shakespeare is meant to be
performed. It is best understood this
way, because this is how it was originally intended to be seen. It was only written down to freeze it, not
for it to live that way.
10) This is a collection of monologues from “A Midsummer Night’s
Dream.”
11) The full text of the play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
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