Teaching Writing and Composition in High Schools:

Two-Week Unit Plan

Abbey Sandusky
Florida State University

Table of Contents
Unit Overview .................................................................................................................................... 3
Day One: Moving the Spotlight ............................................................................................................ 5
Day Two: Mockumentary pt. 1 .......................................................................................................... 10
Day Three: Mockumentary pt. 2 ........................................................................................................ 18
Day Four: Mockumentary pt. 3 .......................................................................................................... 23
Day Five: Hamlet, King of the Jungle .................................................................................................. 28
Day Six: Shakespeare Shake-Up pt. 1 ................................................................................................. 32
Day Seven: Shakespeare Shake-Up pt. 2 ............................................................................................. 39
Day Eight: Shakespeare Shake-Up pt. 3 .............................................................................................. 44
Day Nine: Everyones A Critic pt. 1 ..................................................................................................... 48
Day Ten: Everyones A Critic pt. 2 ...................................................................................................... 54
References ....................................................................................................................................... 59
Appendix ......................................................................................................................................... 60

Unit Goal: Students will be able to employ authors and writers, namely Shakespeare, as
references to model their own original pieces after, as well as be able to adapt these reference
materials to the real world through multiple modes of composition.

Purpose/Rationale of this Unit: This is a creative unit that teaches tenth grade students to use
models when producing their own writing. The whole unit is based off of William Shakespeare
and his play The tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, but they will not only model
Shakespeare and learn from his techniques, but also learn from the techniques of critiques, film,
and so forth. Through the exploration of different genres and stylistic approaches, students will
be able to effectively adapt pieces and generate reproductions of those styles of writing. The unit
will be assessed by an extensive project in which students modify a scene from Hamlet and use
Shakespeare as a model for their adaptation.

Teaching Philosophy: I believe in the learning benefits of creative freedom. I want to make my
lessons as stimulating as possible and encourage my students to think out of the box. Of course I
believe in teaching young people the basics writing well, being a good reader, expanding their
vocabulary, etc. they are extremely important skills to obtain and I will make sure all of my
lessons are rooted in these necessities. However, I don't think my lessons should stop at this. I
want my students to learn things that will be applicable in the real world, and I would like to
equip them with the tools to navigate themselves through their high school career and beyond.
School should not simply teach young people to regurgitate information onto paper and clear it
all out of their mind so they can do it again with new concepts the next year; it should engrave
these important ideas into their minds and make them useful in future education as well as in
3

their lives outside of school walls. I hope to promote a more expansive worldview for my
students by compelling them to explore the applicability of writing and literature to their
everyday lives. I believe my role as a teacher is to give my students the opportunity of acquiring
more knowledge and to introduce them to an appreciation of language arts, but I also believe I
should prepare them for the real world and help mold them into well-rounded individuals. I want
to help my students think critically and come to their own conclusions, and I would like them to
be independent and be able to stand up for their personal beliefs. I would also like to instill in
them a healthy skepticism so that they won't believe everything they hear without doing their
own research and examining all facets of the topic. The environment of my classroom will be
welcoming and accepting; I will make it a point for all students to be able to consider it a safe
space. There will be a zero tolerance policy for racism, sexism, homophobia, or any kind of
discriminatory behavior. Hopefully, the environment will also grow to be friendly and
enthusiastic amongst my students. The seating arrangements of the classroom will be planned
according to each students needs. I will place visually impaired students at the front of the class
nearest to the board in the front row, students with ADHD away from distracting sights and
sounds such as windows or air conditioning units, and students with Aspergers somewhere
comfortable and quiet according to their sensory sensitivities. ELLs and remedial readers will be
assigned seats near classmates who prove to be helpful to them.

Day One: Moving the Spotlight

*Lesson plan based on a 50-minute class

Purpose/rationale:
The purpose is to invite students to read further into the text and to make inventive decisions by
writing a soliloquy for a character of their choosing who played more of a supporting role in
Hamlet. Students will provide a theoretical voice for the character that would otherwise go
unheard, thereby expanding their creative intellect. They will base their diction off of
Shakespeares, with an emphasis on figurative language. They will finish this lesson in one
period since they have already been introduced to soliloquies. Students will have read the play
Hamlet by William Shakespeare before completing this lesson.

Common Core Standards:

LAFS.910.W.2.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization,
and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing
types are defined in standards 13 above.)
Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning | Date Adopted
or Revised: 12/10
LAFS.910.RL.1.3: Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting
motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the
plot or develop the theme.
LAFS.910.W.3.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
5

b. Apply grades 910 Reading standards to literature (e.g., Analyze how an author
draws on and transforms source material in a specific work [e.g., how Shakespeare
treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play
by Shakespeare]).
Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning | Date Adopted
or Revised: 12/10

Objectives:
Students will be able to write a soliloquy modeled after Shakespeares style.
Students will be able to utilize close reading to make inferences about the text.
Students will be able to manipulate their diction to include descriptive and audibly pleasing
language.
Students will be able to implement figurative language into their writing.

Materials:
19 copies of Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Anticipatory set:
Bell ringer written on the board asking students to assemble a list of at least ten audibly pleasing
words and form sentences with them. This is to refine their diction to evoke the beauty within
spoken language, i.e. a play or movie. They will have five minutes to complete this activity.

Teaching Strategy/Procedure/Activity:

Time

5 minutes

5 minutes

Student is doing

Teacher is doing

Creating list

Monitoring list-making

Sharing a few sentences

Offering feedback

Listening to instructions; asking

Giving instructions; explaining the

questions

assignment; answering questions. I will hand

out a model text of a soliloquy from the play
so that they have visual reference (O, that
this too solid flesh would melt from Act 1
Scene 2). Students will each choose one
supporting character that interests them or
one that they think deserves some depth from
Hamlet and write a soliloquy consisting of
twelve lines which portrays that characters
hypothetical inner thoughts. They may choose

any character that is not Hamlet himself. For

example, they could write a soliloquy from
the point of view of the deceased King
Hamlet and what he wishes he could say to
his brother or son.

25 minutes

Write their soliloquy, using the

Walk around the class and make a point to

excerpt on the board as

speak to each student one-on-one at some

reference of language and

point. Check to make sure they are following

structure. They should also have

a proper format.

their copies of the play to look

at for contextualization of this
excerpt.

Turning in soliloquy;

Collecting todays work while provoking

completing the summary/closure thoughts for summary/closure activity.

5 minutes

activity

Asking prompting questions like, What do

you think ___ (character) was doing while
____ (event) was going on? Assigning
homework.

Summary/Closure:
Students will imagine what other characters might say if they could give a piece of their mind,
and think even more about the character they delved into today.
Assessment:

Formal assessment: Collect each students soliloquy and asses it for basic understanding
of the concept of making supported and knowledgeable inferences from the text while
being able to add original ideas based on those inferences.

Homework/follow-up assignment:
Make a concept map of ideas mentioned in summary/closure activity to use for the
mockumentary which will be taking place the next day.
Accommodations/adaptations:
The visually impaired student is assigned a seat that is in the front row so that they are close to
the board (accommodation that applies for entire unit/year).
The soliloquy will be in handout form rather than being displayed on the board, because if I were
to put it in large font on the board, it would not fit on a single screen and could not be viewed in
its entirety without scrolling back and forth. So, a handout in eighteen point font will be passed
around to everyone.
Attachments/Appendices:
Model text: O, that this too solid flesh would melt excerpt from Hamlet Act 1 Scene 2. See
Appendix.
Plan B:
9

If students need more time for the assignment, especially if it is nearly unanimous, I will offer
more time to them. If we finish too quickly, I will allow them to begin on the next lesson in the
unit so as to use our time wisely. If they are not understanding the assignment at all, I will have
to make accommodations accordingly and apply them as soon as possible while asking them to
continue trying on this lesson in the meantime. If it is too easy, I will add more requirements to
the assignment.

Day Two: Mockumentary pt. 1

*Lesson plan based on a 50-minute class

Purpose/rationale:
The purpose is to build off of the soliloquy lesson by speculating what Shakespeares characters
might say about the plays events and/or other characters if they were speaking with the student
one-on-one. The prediction students make will assess whether or not they fully comprehend the
nature of the text. It will also promote better speaking skills, as all students in each group of three
will have to speak in their groups mockumentary, and will allow students to expand upon their
technology skills by using cameras to record their mockumentary and uploading the video to the
internet where their classmates and teacher can view it. Students will have read the play Hamlet
by William Shakespeare before completing this lesson.

Common Core Standards:

10

LAFS.910.W.2.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization,
and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing
types are defined in standards 13 above.)
Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning | Date Adopted
or Revised: 12/10
LAFS.910.W.2.6: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update
individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technologys capacity to link to other
information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.
Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning | Date Adopted
or Revised: 12/10
LAFS.910.W.3.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
c. Apply grades 910 Reading standards to literature (e.g., Analyze how an author
draws on and transforms source material in a specific work [e.g., how Shakespeare
treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play
by Shakespeare]).
Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning | Date Adopted
or Revised: 12/10
LAFS.910.SL.2.5: Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and
interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and
evidence and to add interest.
Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning | Date Adopted
or Revised: 12/10

11

LAFS.910.SL.2.6: Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of

formal English when indicated or appropriate.
Content Complexity Rating: Level 2: Basic Application of Skills & Concepts | Date Adopted or
Revised: 12/10

Objectives:
Students will be able to create a mockumentary based off of inferences drawn from the text.
Students will be able to write a thorough script.
Students will be able to properly use recording equipment and the internet.
Students will be able to speak directed at an audience and will display fluidity.

Materials:
19 copies of Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Mockumentary handout (19 copies)

Anticipatory set:
I will give everyone a handout that explains what a mockumentary is, which they will take about
five minutes to read. I will also take a couple minutes to highlight some major points from the
article before going on to instructions for the assignment (which will provide them with a deeper
understanding).

Teaching Strategy/Procedure/Activity:

12

Time

Student is doing

Teacher is doing

Reading handout

Passing out handouts while displaying website

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-

7 minutes

mockumentary.htm on the projector so that

students can follow along.

10 minutes

Listening and absorbing

Highlighting main points of what a

information

mockumentary is

Listening to instructions and

Explaining the assignment; answering

reading along with their

questions. Giving instructions that are also on

instructions handout.

a handout:
Students will get into groups of three, preassigned by the teacher, and collaboratively
write a script for a mockumentary based on
Hamlet. The mockumentary should be no

13

shorter than seven minutes and no longer than

ten minutes. It should include at least five
characters. It should have some form of
ending; all loose ends should be tied; it should
not cut off abruptly; the audience should be
able to tell that it is finished.

Each character does not have to have a large

part or appearance; some can be more focused
on than others. You will write it from a
subjective view of each character, as if you all
are the characters themselves. The characters
will provide insight, impressions, and
judgments of situations and other characters,
which will require an expertise on the plot and
characters of Hamlet.

Think of the format of the TV show The

Office if you are unsure of what this project
should look or sound like. It may be easier to
pick one scene that the characters could
comment on, but it does not have to be
specific. You may find that this format is more

14

inclined towards an element of humor, but it

could also be a heart-warming or heartwrenching peek into the characters thoughts.
There is a lot of flexibility, so have fun with
it!

After the script is written, your group will act

it out and film it. Each group member must
have a speaking role in the mockumentary,
and should display a command of language.
You may use phone cameras, but I will also
provide you with recording equipment. Once
you are finished filming your mockumentary,
you will upload it to YouTube or Vimeo, and
submit the link to me along with the script.

10 minutes

Gathering into teacher-assigned

Monitoring student activity; listening in on

groups of three and

brainstorming; interjecting if a group is seen

brainstorming ideas together.

struggling. I will transition them into the next

They will choose their setting,

portion of class after ten minutes, but if they

the characters they wish to

need to keep brainstorming they may.

15

include, and the topics they

wish to cover. They will
designate one person to write
out their mockumentary if it is
hand-written, but it is ideal for
them to type it as this allows for
sharing of the workload and
easy editing.

Begin writing their script.

Walk around and spend time with each group;

observe what they've written so far and

25 minutes

5 minutes

provide pointers.

Summary/closure activity;

Ask about progress; look at students' work so

discuss next destination with

far and offer suggestions for next steps

groups

Summary/Closure:

16

Tell them to find a good stopping point with five minutes left of class. Prompt them to come to
an agreement within their groups on what they would like to do as far as finishing the script goes
- take it home? Finish it tomorrow?
Assessment:

Formal assessment: I will collect their scripts at the end of the third day and assess them
for realistic or at least supported ideas. I will assess their writing proficiency and
adherence to format.

Informal assessment: Their video will be informally assessed; basically, if they filmed
what was scripted, got their lines right, and had a sense of professionalism, it will get full
credit. Proficiency with technology will also be assessed this way.

Homework/follow-up assignment:
Students should work on their script at home if they would like more time for filming in class. If
they think they can film their mockumentary in less than two full class periods, that is fine, but
they will have to finish filming for homework if their assumptions prove to be wrong.
Accommodations/adaptations:
See day four
Attachments/Appendices:
Instructional aid: mockumentary handout. See Appendix.
Plan B:
If students need more time for the assignment, especially if it is nearly unanimous, I will offer
more time to them. If we finish too quickly, I will allow them to begin on the next lesson in the
unit so as to use our time wisely. If they are not understanding the assignment at all, I will have
to make accommodations accordingly and apply them as soon as possible while asking them to

17

continue trying on this lesson in the meantime. If it is too easy, I will add more requirements to
the assignment.

Day Three: Mockumentary pt. 2

*Lesson plan based on a 50-minute class

Purpose/rationale:
The purpose is to build off of the soliloquy lesson by speculating what Shakespeares characters
might say about the plays events and/or other characters if they were speaking with the student
one-on-one. The prediction students make will assess whether or not they fully comprehend the
nature of the text. It will also promote better speaking skills, as all students in each group of three
will have to speak in their groups mockumentary, and allow students to expand upon their
technology skills by using cameras to record their mockumentary and uploading the video to the
internet where their classmates and teacher can view it. Students will have read the play Hamlet
by William Shakespeare before completing this lesson.

Common Core Standards:

LAFS.910.W.2.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization,
and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing
types are defined in standards 13 above.)

18

Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning | Date Adopted
or Revised: 12/10
LAFS.910.W.2.6: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update
individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technologys capacity to link to other
information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.
Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning | Date Adopted
or Revised: 12/10
LAFS.910.W.3.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
c. Apply grades 910 Reading standards to literature (e.g., Analyze how an author
draws on and transforms source material in a specific work [e.g., how Shakespeare
treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play
by Shakespeare]).
Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning | Date Adopted
or Revised: 12/10
LAFS.910.SL.2.5: Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and
interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and
evidence and to add interest.
Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning | Date Adopted
or Revised: 12/10
LAFS.910.SL.2.6: Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of
formal English when indicated or appropriate.

19

Content Complexity Rating: Level 2: Basic Application of Skills & Concepts | Date Adopted or
Revised: 12/10

Objectives:
Students will be able to create a mockumentary based off of inferences drawn from the text.
Students will be able to write a thorough script.
Students will be able to properly use recording equipment and the internet.
Students will be able to speak directed at an audience and will display fluidity.

Materials:
19 copies of Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Approximately 6 cameras
Internet access

Anticipatory set:
Take attendance while class settles down. Give them a brief explanation of how to use the
camera equipment for those that are beginning their filming today, then tell them to get to work,
whether that be finishing the script or filming.

Teaching Strategy/Procedure/Activity:

20

Time

5 minutes

40 minutes

Student is doing

Teacher is doing

Checking out cameras and

Explaining how to use camera equipment.

consulting me with any

Assigning cameras to each group that does not

questions.

have a high quality phone camera.

Finishing up their script,

Monitoring progress and helping students with

assigning parts, and starting to

areas of difficulty, making sure that they

film.

finish their scripts by the end of the period. I

will write passes so that those who finish
writing before the class period is over can go
to a spot on campus of their choosing and film
their mockumentary.

Summary/closure
activity; discuss next

Ask about progress; look at students' work so

far and offer suggestions for next steps. I will

21

5 minutes

destination with groups

walk around and check to make sure each

group has their script completed so that
everyone can focus only on filming for one
full class period.

Summary/Closure:
Check off their scripts to make sure they are finished and tell them to be prepared for filming
tomorrow with any props they may want to include.
Assessment:

Formal assessment: I will collect their scripts at the end of the third day.

Informal assessment: Their video will be informally assessed; basically, if they filmed
what was scripted, got their lines right, and had a sense of professionalism, it will get full
credit. Proficiency with technology will also be assessed this way.

Homework/follow-up assignment:
Bring any props you wish to have for your films!
Accommodations/adaptations:
See day four
Attachments/Appendices:
None
Plan B:
If students need more time for the assignment, especially if it is nearly unanimous, I will offer
more time to them. If we finish too quickly, I will allow them to begin on the next lesson in the
22

unit so as to use our time wisely. If they are not understanding the assignment at all, I will have
to make accommodations accordingly and apply them as soon as possible while asking them to
continue trying on this lesson in the meantime. If it is too easy, I will add more requirements to
the assignment.

Day Four: Mockumentary pt. 3

*Lesson plan based on a 50-minute class

Purpose/rationale:
The purpose is to build off of the soliloquy by speculating what Shakespeares characters might
say about the plays events and/or other characters if they were speaking with the student oneon-one. The prediction students make will assess whether or not they fully comprehend the
nature of the text. It will also promote better speaking skills, as all students in each group of three
will have to speak in their groups mockumentary, and allow students to expand upon their
technology skills by using cameras to record their mockumentary and uploading the video to the
internet where their classmates and teacher can view it. Students will have read the play Hamlet
by William Shakespeare before completing this lesson.

Common Core Standards:

LAFS.910.W.2.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization,
and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing
types are defined in standards 13 above.)
23

Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning | Date Adopted
or Revised: 12/10
LAFS.910.W.2.6: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update
individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technologys capacity to link to other
information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.
Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning | Date Adopted
or Revised: 12/10
LAFS.910.W.3.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
d. Apply grades 910 Reading standards to literature (e.g., Analyze how an author
draws on and transforms source material in a specific work [e.g., how Shakespeare
treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play
by Shakespeare]).
Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning | Date Adopted
or Revised: 12/10
LAFS.910.SL.2.5: Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and
interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and
evidence and to add interest.
Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning | Date Adopted
or Revised: 12/10
LAFS.910.SL.2.6: Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of
formal English when indicated or appropriate.

24

Content Complexity Rating: Level 2: Basic Application of Skills & Concepts | Date Adopted or
Revised: 12/10

Objectives:
Students will be able to create a mockumentary based off of inferences drawn from the text.
Students will be able to write a thorough script.
Students will be able to properly use recording equipment and the internet.
Students will be able to speak directed at an audience and will display fluidity.

Materials:
19 copies of Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Approximately 6 cameras
Internet access

Anticipatory set:
Take attendance while class settles down. I will show them how to upload their videos to
YouTube or Vimeo once they are done. Tell them to come to me if they need specific guidance
on anything or are having any problems, as this is the last day to finish this project and they
should confront these things sooner rather than later. Other than that, they should get to work as
quickly as possible.

Teaching Strategy/Procedure/Activity:

25

Time

5 minutes

Student is doing

Teacher is doing

Checking out cameras and consulting

Giving another brief explanation on

me with any questions. Taking mental

how to use the camera equipment.

or physical notes on how to upload

Assigning cameras to each group that

their videos.

does not have a high quality phone

camera. Doing a video-uploading
tutorial.

35 minutes

Filming their mockumentaries, being

I will be keeping in contact with

sure to follow the script they wrote.

students through email, anonymous

They can dress up, speak in funny

texting service, or something similar.

accents, etc. They will be somewhere

They must tell me their destination

on campus to film in peace.

before leaving the classroom. I will

come to their aid if they request it.

10 minutes

Summary/closure activity; uploading

Walking around and assisting them on

their videos

computers; helping out with any

26

technical difficulties

Summary/Closure:
Students will upload their videos to YouTube or Vimeo and provide me a link.
Assessment:

Formal assessment: I will collect their scripts at the end of the third day.

Informal assessment: Their video will be informally assessed; basically, if they filmed
what was scripted, got their lines right, and had a sense of professionalism, it will get full
credit. Proficiency with technology will also be assessed this way.

Homework/follow-up assignment:
None!
Accommodations/adaptations:
Because each student must speak in their groups mockumentary, I will not deduct points from
the speech portion of this assignments grade for the two ELLs so long as they display that they
made an effort to follow their lines.
Attachments/Appendices:
None
Plan B:
If students need more time for the assignment, especially if it is nearly unanimous, I will offer
more time to them. If we finish too quickly, I will allow them to begin on the next lesson in the
unit so as to use our time wisely. If they are not understanding the assignment at all, I will have
to make accommodations accordingly and apply them as soon as possible while asking them to
27

continue trying on this lesson in the meantime. If it is too easy, I will add more requirements to
the assignment.

Day Five: Hamlet, King of the Jungle

*Lesson plan based on a 50-minute class

Purpose/rationale:
The Lion King is loosely based off of Hamlet, but of course ends happily because it is a Disney
movie. We will watch clips of The Lion King, stopping in between to compare and contrast the
two storylines. I will point out the parallels if they do not see them on their own (ie Mufasa to
King Hamlet, Claudius to Scar, Timon and Pumbaa to Guildenstern and Rosencrantz). This is to
preface the scene adaptation by showcasing that an adaptation of Shakespeare can be very far
from the original and has a lot of room for innovation. Students will have read the play Hamlet
by William Shakespeare before completing this lesson.

Common Core Standards:

LAFS.910.RL.2.5: Analyze how an authors choices concerning how to structure a text, order
events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such
effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.
Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning | Date Adopted
or Revised: 12/10

28

LAFS.910.RL.1.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its
development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by
specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning | Date Adopted
or Revised: 12/10
LAFS.910.RL.3.7: Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic
mediums, including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment (e.g., Audens Muse des
Beaux Arts and Breughels Landscape with the Fall of Icarus).
Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning | Date Adopted
or Revised: 12/10

Objectives:
Students will be able to analyze a text for its main ideas and concepts.
Students will be able to compare and contrast two texts.

Materials:
19 copies of Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Disneys The Lion King on DVD

Anticipatory set:
I set up the movie while students settle down. I have Take your seats quickly and prepare to
watch a movie! written on the board. I then take attendance and begin introduction for the day.

29

Teaching Strategy/Procedure/Activity:

Time

5 minutes

Student is doing

Teacher is doing

Settling down and getting

Setting up the movie clips and passing out the

materials for note-taking

outline for notes

Listening to instructions

Giving instructions: We will be looking at The Lion

King today for parallels to Hamlet (not everything

5 minutes

involving Shakespeare is boring!). While watching

the clips, I want you to be thinking about the movie
in relation to the Shakespeare play. We will stop to
discuss in between clips. You will want to take
notes guided by the outline provided as they could
help you when writing your upcoming scene
adaptation.

30

35 minutes

Watching movie clips,

Asking questions and guiding students in the right

taking notes, participating

direction; pointing out similarities and differences;

in discussion, and

making sure they are taking notes

contributing ideas

5 minutes

Summary/closure activity

Telling them to bring notes for class tomorrow;

assigning homework

Summary/Closure:
Remind students to bring notes for class tomorrow, and to edit them at home if it would help.
Also assign homework.
Assessment:

Informal assessment: Class discussion between movie clips.

Homework/follow-up assignment:
Look through Hamlet and think about what scene you would like to adapt.
Accommodations/adaptations:
Since movie days are rather exciting, I will keep the movie clips very brief to accommodate the
student with severe ADHD so that they are not sitting through an entire period of silent media
consumption. By adding discussion in between the clips, I am giving the student an energy outlet
where they can speak and contribute their thoughts to the discussion, as well as creating a shift in
31

attention so that they wont have to focus on one thing for too long. I also made sure to hand out
a note-taking guide so that they will have a goal in mind when watching and discussing the clips
and will not be completely distracted and forget to write anything down.
Attachments/Appendices:
Note-taking guide
Plan B:
If students need more time for the assignment, especially if it is nearly unanimous, I will offer
more time to them. If we finish too quickly, I will allow them to begin on the next lesson in the
unit so as to use our time wisely. If they are not understanding the assignment at all, I will have
to make accommodations accordingly and apply them as soon as possible while asking them to
continue trying on this lesson in the meantime. If it is too easy, I will add more requirements to
the assignment.

Day Six: Shakespeare Shake-Up pt. 1

*Lesson plan based on a 50-minute class

Purpose/rationale:
The purpose of this lesson is to act as the summative assessment for the unit. It will teach
students to cooperate in groups and create a collaborative piece of work while simultaneously
drawing on their individual creative abilities. It will emphasize how language operates in a
dramatic format and prepare students to generate an impactful dramatic piece. This lesson will
32

take approximately three class periods to fully complete. Students will have read the play Hamlet
by William Shakespeare before completing this lesson. They will have also watched clips of
Disneys The Lion King and discussed the similarities between it and Hamlet for reference of an
adaptation.

Common Core Standards:

LAFS.910.W.2.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization,
and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing
types are defined in standards 13 above.)
Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning | Date Adopted
or Revised: 12/10
LAFS.910.RL.2.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text,
including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word
choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it
sets a formal or informal tone).
Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning | Date Adopted
or Revised: 12/10
LAFS.910.RL.2.5: Analyze how an authors choices concerning how to structure a text, order
events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such
effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.
Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning | Date Adopted
or Revised: 12/10

33

LAFS.910.W.3.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,

reflection, and research.
e. Apply grades 910 Reading standards to literature (e.g., Analyze how an author
draws on and transforms source material in a specific work [e.g., how Shakespeare
treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play
by Shakespeare]).
Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning | Date Adopted
or Revised: 12/10

Objectives:
Students will be able to assess the effectiveness of Shakespeare's structural and aesthetic
decisions.
Students will be able to apply similar devices to their own modern-day take on Hamlet.
Students will be able to synthesize a scene of a play that follows the plot of Hamlet.
Students will be able to incorporate creative elements similar to those used in Shakespeare's
plays.
Students will be able to demonstrate a mastery of descriptive language, including figurative
language, but they are not required to write in Elizabethan language.

Materials:
19 copies of Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Anticipatory set:

34

Bell ringer written on the board: Do you think Hamlet could be a box office hit today? Why or
why not? Students will answer with two to three sentences in their notebooks and then I will
take volunteers for sharing.

Teaching Strategy/Procedure/Activity:

Time

5 minutes

Student is doing

Teacher is doing

Completing bell ringer and sharing

Monitoring and promoting sharing

their thoughts when finished

10 minutes

Listening to instructions and asking

Going over instructions. Each student

questions as needed

will receive a handout with the

instructions on them: Students are to
choose one scene from Hamlet and
assess Shakespeares structural and
aesthetic decisions. What makes them
effective? Ineffective? They will then
apply those effective qualities to their

35

own scenes. The scene will be a

modern-day adaptation, which is very
open-ended. It can be set anywhere in
any time period; the characters can be of
any race; gender bending is allowed; the
characters do not have to be human; the
circumstances do not have to be realistic
or possible. For example, their
characters could be all-female aliens
who live on Jupiter 10,000 years from
now. Anything goes as long as it
mirrors Hamlets plot. Students should
be descriptive in their writing, being
sure to include figurative language.
Students may hand-write their scene or
type it on a laptop. I suggest using
Google Docs as it allows for easy
editing amongst everyone in the group,
and students can access the same project
at home individually. Only one copy
needs to be turned in for the group.
Your adaptation should cover all major
events in the scene, but it should not

36

exceed 200 lines.

10 minutes

Gathering into teacher-assigned

Monitoring student activity; listening in

groups of three (different from the

on brainstorming; interjecting if a group

mockumentary groups) and

is seen struggling. I will transition them

brainstorming ideas together. They

into the next portion of class after ten

will designate one person to write out

minutes, but if they need to keep

their scene if it is hand-written, but it

brainstorming they may.

is ideal for them to type it as this

allows for sharing of the workload.

20 minutes

Working together to create their

Walk around and spend time with each

modernized version of a scene. All

group; observe what they've written so

group members will be contributing to far and provide tips.

setting choices, dialogue content,
scene specifications, etc.

Complete summary/closure activity.

Ask about progress; look at students'

37

5 minutes

Discuss next destination within their

work so far and offer revisions or

groups.

suggestions for next steps.

Summary/Closure:
Jot down ideas for the next events taking place in their play in preparation for the next class,
which will be a continuation of the play's development.
Assessment:

Formal assessment: I will grade the final draft of their scene.

Informal assessment: Listening in on discussion and contributions during class time.

Homework/follow-up assignment:
None!
Accommodations/adaptations:
I made this a group project to accommodate several students. Students with Aspergers
sometimes have difficulty working in groups, so they may work alone if they find it more
effective, but I think it will be helpful for them to have a partner to work with; figurative
language is an important part of this assignment and students with Aspergers often have trouble
grasping language that is not literal. ELLs will be placed in groups with skilled writers so that
they will not have to rely on their limited knowledge of writing in English, as this assignment is
completely writing-based. The student with ADHD will be placed in a group with patient and
focused students.
Attachments/Appendices:
Handout detailing instructions (because this is the summative assessment). See Appendix.
38

Plan B:
If students need more time for the assignment, especially if it is nearly unanimous, I will offer
more time to them. If we finish too quickly, I will allow them to begin on the next lesson in the
unit so as to use our time wisely. If they are not understanding the assignment at all, I will have
to make accommodations accordingly and apply them as soon as possible while asking them to
continue trying on this lesson in the meantime. If it is too hard, I will allow my students to write
only a portion of a scene. If it is too easy or I finish too quickly, I will extend the length
requirement and make them do a small portion of another scene.

Day Seven: Shakespeare Shake-Up pt. 2

*Lesson plan based on a 50-minute class

Purpose/rationale:
The purpose of this lesson is to teach students to cooperate in groups and create a collaborative
piece of work while simultaneously drawing on their individual creative abilities. It will
emphasize how language operates in a dramatic format and prepare students to generate an
impactful dramatic piece. This is day two of the three-day lesson. Students will have read the
play Hamlet by William Shakespeare before completing this lesson. They will have also watched
clips of Disneys The Lion King and discussed the similarities between it and Hamlet for
reference of an adaptation.

Common Core Standards:

39

LAFS.910.W.2.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization,
and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing
types are defined in standards 13 above.)
Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning | Date Adopted
or Revised: 12/10
LAFS.910.RL.2.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text,
including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word
choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it
sets a formal or informal tone).
Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning | Date Adopted
or Revised: 12/10
LAFS.910.RL.2.5: Analyze how an authors choices concerning how to structure a text, order
events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such
effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.
Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning | Date Adopted
or Revised: 12/10
LAFS.910.W.3.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
f. Apply grades 910 Reading standards to literature (e.g., Analyze how an author
draws on and transforms source material in a specific work [e.g., how Shakespeare
treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play
by Shakespeare]).

40

Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning | Date Adopted
or Revised: 12/10

Objectives:
Students will be able to assess the effectiveness of Shakespeare's structural and aesthetic
decisions.
Students will be able to apply similar devices to their own modern-day take on Hamlet.
Students will be able to synthesize a scene of a play that follows the plot of Hamlet.
Students will be able to incorporate creative elements similar to those used in Shakespeare's
plays.
Students will be able to demonstrate a mastery of descriptive language, including figurative
language, but they are not required to write in Elizabethan language.

Materials:
19 copies of Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Anticipatory set:
Take five minutes for attendance and routine procedures while students settle down. Ask how
they are doing and what they are finding easy or difficult with the assignment.

Teaching Strategy/Procedure/Activity:

Time

Student is doing

Teacher is doing

41

5 minutes

Doing anticipatory set. Sharing their

Prompting them to share

thoughts on the assignment so far and

concerns since other students

expressing their concerns with problems

may be having the same

theyve encountered.

difficulties and offering some

resolutions to their issues.

40 minutes

Working together to create their

Walk around and spend time

modernized version of a scene. All group

with each group; observe what

members will be contributing to setting

they've written so far and provide

choices, dialogue content, scene

tips.

specifications, etc.

5 minutes

Complete summary/closure activity.

Ask about progress; look at

Discuss next destination within their

students' work so far and offer

groups.

revisions or suggestions for next

steps.

Summary/Closure:
42

Jot down ideas for the next events taking place in their play in preparation for the next class,
which will be a continuation of the play's development.
Assessment:

Formal assessment: I will grade the final draft of their scene.

Informal assessment: Listening in on discussion and contributions during class time.

Homework/follow-up assignment:
None!
Accommodations/adaptations:
See day six
Attachments/Appendices:
Handout detailing instructions (because this is the summative assessment). See Appendix.
Plan B:
If students need more time for the assignment, especially if it is nearly unanimous, I will offer
more time to them. If we finish too quickly, I will allow them to begin on the next lesson in the
unit so as to use our time wisely. If they are not understanding the assignment at all, I will have
to make accommodations accordingly and apply them as soon as possible while asking them to
continue trying on this lesson in the meantime. If it is too hard, I will allow my students to write
only a portion of a scene. If it is too easy or I finish too quickly, I will extend the length
requirement and make them do a small portion of another scene.

Day Eight: Shakespeare Shake-Up pt. 3

*Lesson plan based on a 50-minute class
43

Purpose/rationale:
The purpose of this lesson is to teach students to cooperate in groups and create a collaborative
piece of writing while simultaneously drawing on their individual creative abilities. It will
emphasize how language operates in a dramatic format and prepare students to generate an
impactful dramatic piece. This is the final day of the three-day lesson. Students will have read
the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare before completing this lesson. They will have also
watched clips of Disneys The Lion King and discussed the similarities between it and Hamlet
for reference of an adaptation.

Common Core Standards:

LAFS.910.W.2.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization,
and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing
types are defined in standards 13 above.)
Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning | Date Adopted
or Revised: 12/10
LAFS.910.RL.2.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text,
including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word
choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it
sets a formal or informal tone).
Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning | Date Adopted
or Revised: 12/10

44

LAFS.910.RL.2.5: Analyze how an authors choices concerning how to structure a text, order
events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such
effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.
Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning | Date Adopted
or Revised: 12/10
LAFS.910.W.3.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
g. Apply grades 910 Reading standards to literature (e.g., Analyze how an author
draws on and transforms source material in a specific work [e.g., how Shakespeare
treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play
by Shakespeare]).
Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning | Date Adopted
or Revised: 12/10

Objectives:
Students will be able to assess the effectiveness of Shakespeare's structural and aesthetic
decisions.
Students will be able to apply similar devices to their own modern-day take on Hamlet.
Students will be able to synthesize a scene of a play that follows the plot of Hamlet.
Students will be able to incorporate creative elements similar to those used in Shakespeare's
plays.
Students will be able to demonstrate a mastery of descriptive language, including figurative
language, but they are not required to write in Elizabethan language.

45

Materials:
19 copies of Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Anticipatory set:
Take five minutes for attendance and routine procedures while students settle down. Once again,
check up on students. Ask if they are stuck on anything and need guidance.

Teaching Strategy/Procedure/Activity:

Time

5 minutes

Student is doing

Teacher is doing

Doing anticipatory set. Asking any

Prompting them to share concerns

questions they need to.

since other students may be having

the same difficulties and offering
some resolutions to their issues.

40 minutes

Working together to create their

Walk around and spend time with

modernized version of a scene. All

each group; observe what they've

group members will be contributing to

written so far and provide tips.

setting choices, dialogue content, scene Remind them when there is about

46

specifications, etc.

fifteen minutes left of class so they

can wrap up their scene.

Complete summary/closure activity.

5 minutes

Collecting students work

Submit their work when they are

finished

Summary/Closure:
Putting the finishing touches on their work and submitting it.
Assessment:

Formal assessment: I will grade the final draft of their scene.

Informal assessment: Listening in on discussion and contributions during class time.

Homework/follow-up assignment:
I will send out an email to each student with a randomly selected groups scene adaptation, and
they must read it before class tomorrow and annotate it along the way to prepare for the movie
critique.
Accommodations/adaptations:
See day 6
Attachments/Appendices:
Handout detailing instructions (because this is the summative assessment). See Appendix.
Plan B:
47

If students need more time for the assignment, especially if it is nearly unanimous, I will offer
more time to them. If we finish too quickly, I will allow them to begin on the next lesson in the
unit so as to use our time wisely. If they are not understanding the assignment at all, I will have
to make accommodations accordingly and apply them as soon as possible while asking them to
continue trying on this lesson in the meantime. If it is too hard, I will allow my students to write
only a portion of a scene. If it is too easy or I finish too quickly, I will extend the length
requirement and make them do a small portion of another scene.

Day Nine: Everyones A Critic pt. 1

*Lesson plan based on a 50-minute class

Purpose/rationale:
Students will undertake peer reviewing by filling the shoes of a movie critic and writing a review
of their classmates play adaptation. They will use a New York Times movie review as a
reference and model their writing style after them. This lesson will allow them to offer helpful
critiques of their classmates writing and practice peer reviewing through the exploration of a
different genre of writing, while simultaneously testing their knowledge of Shakespeares plots
and themes. Students will have read the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare before completing
this lesson. They will also have read the scene they are critiquing the night before as homework.

Common Core Standards:

48

LAFS.910.W.1.1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or

texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
a.

Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims,

and create an organization that establishes clear relationships among claim(s), counterclaims,
reasons, and evidence.
b.

Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying evidence for each while pointing

out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audiences knowledge
level and concerns.
c.

Use words, phrases, and clauses to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion,

and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and
between claim(s) and counterclaims.
d.

Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and

conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.

e.

Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument

presented.
Content Complexity Rating: Level 4: Extended Thinking & Complex Reasoning | Date
Adopted or Revised: 12/10
LAFS.910.W.2.5: Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing,
rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a
specific purpose and audience.
Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning | Date Adopted
or Revised: 12/10

49

LAFS.910.W.4.10: Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and
revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes,
and audiences.
Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning | Date Adopted
or Revised: 12/10

Objectives:
Students will be able to give as well as receive constructive criticism.
Students will be able to identify strengths and weaknesses of a text.
Students will be able to explain their reasoning for a claim incorporating evidence from the text.

Materials:
19 copies of Hamlet by William Shakespeare
19 copies of a New York Times movie review
19 printed-out copies of students scene adaptations

Anticipatory set:
Read a short movie review of something all students have seen (The Lion King?) and have them
write one to two paragraphs in agreement or dissent with the critic, citing at least one form of
evidence to support their opinion. We will go over the basic formatting and composition
standards of a movie review after sharing.

Teaching Strategy/Procedure/Activity:
50

Time

10 minutes

Student is doing

Teacher is doing

Completing the

Monitoring; promoting sharing; going over

anticipatory set; sharing

formatting of a movie review

their opinions when

finished

Listening to instructions

Explaining the assignment; answering questions.

Giving instructions: After reading the NY Times

5 minutes

review and analyzing its style, students will begin

to critique their classmates scenes (I will display
the rubric that I am using to grade their scenes on
the projector so that they have an idea of what they
should be looking for). They will compose and
format their piece like a movie review, using the
NY Times review as reference. There is no specific
length requirement as long as students address all
sections of the rubric.

51

25 minutes

Quietly and

Walking around the classroom and observing what

independently writing

students are writing; providing tips

their reviews

*Students will be
respectful and courteous
to their classmates in this
reviewing process

Summary/closure activity; Ask about progress; look at students' work so far

finding a good stopping
5 minutes

and offer suggestions for next steps

point until tomorrow

Summary/Closure:
Spend a few minutes writing down a summary of their next points/arguments so that they dont
forget them for the continuation of this assignment the next day.
Assessment:

52

Formal assessment: Collecting the finished product of their movie reviews.

Informal assessment: Observing the writing process.

Homework/follow-up assignment:
None!
Accommodations/adaptations:
Because this lesson is heavy on reading, I will allow the student who is a remedial reader to pair
up with someone that I assign. They will still have to read their assigned scene for homework,
but they will receive support and guidance with the analysis and comprehension that is required
for the review writing. They will have a partner with whom they can discuss the scene with and
ask questions, as well as someone to help them make sense of the New York Times review. They
will turn in their own review, but it can obviously be very similar to their partners since they
worked together in the process.
Attachments/Appendices:
New York Times review
Scene adaptation rubric
Plan B:
If students need more time for the assignment, especially if it is nearly unanimous, I will offer
more time to them. If we finish too quickly, I will allow them to begin on the next lesson in the
unit so as to use our time wisely. If they are not understanding the assignment at all, I will have
to make accommodations accordingly and apply them as soon as possible while asking them to
continue trying on this lesson in the meantime. If it is too easy, I will add more requirements to
the assignment.

53

Day Nine: Everyones A Critic pt. 2

*Lesson plan based on a 50-minute class

Purpose/rationale:
Students will undertake peer reviewing by filling the shoes of a movie critic and writing a review
of their classmates play adaptation. They will use a New York Times movie review as a
reference and model their writing style after them. This lesson will allow them to offer helpful
critiques of their classmates writing through the exploration of a different genre of writing,
while simultaneously testing their knowledge of Shakespeares plots and themes. Students will
have read the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare before completing this lesson.

Common Core Standards:

LAFS.910.W.1.1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or
texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
f. Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims,
and create an organization that establishes clear relationships among claim(s),
counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
g.

Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying evidence for each while pointing

out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audiences knowledge
level and concerns.
h.

Use words, phrases, and clauses to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion,

and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and
between claim(s) and counterclaims.

54

i.

Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and

conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.

j.

Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument

presented.
Content Complexity Rating: Level 4: Extended Thinking &Complex Reasoning | Date Adopted
or Revised: 12/10
LAFS.910.W.2.5: Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing,
rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a
specific purpose and audience.
Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning | Date Adopted
or Revised: 12/10
LAFS.910.W.4.10: Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and
revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes,
and audiences.
Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning | Date Adopted
or Revised: 12/10

Objectives:
Students will be able to give as well as receive constructive criticism.
Students will be able to identify strengths and weaknesses of a text.
Students will be able to explain their reasoning for a claim incorporating evidence from the text.

Materials:
55

19 copies of Hamlet by William Shakespeare

19 copies of a New York Times movie review

Anticipatory set:
Take attendance while students settle down. I will pass out their drafts of the critiques along with
the scene they are critiquing.

Teaching Strategy/Procedure/Activity:

Time

Student is doing

Teacher is doing

Anticipatory set

Passing out papers

Quietly and independently writing their

Walking around the classroom and

reviews

observing what students are

5 minutes

25 minutes

writing; providing tips

*Students will be respectful and
courteous to their classmates in this
reviewing process

56

5 minutes

Summary/closure activity; turning in

Collect all students work

final product

Summary/Closure:
Turn in finished movie reviews to me.
Assessment:

Formal assessment: Collecting the finished product of their movie reviews.

Informal assessment: Observing the writing process.

Homework/follow-up assignment:
None!
Accommodations/adaptations:
See day 9
Attachments/Appendices:
New York Times review
Scene adaptation rubric. See Appendix.
Plan B:
If students need more time for the assignment, especially if it is nearly unanimous, I will offer
more time to them. If we finish too quickly, I will allow them to begin on the next lesson in the
unit so as to use our time wisely. If they are not understanding the assignment at all, I will have
to make accommodations accordingly and apply them as soon as possible while asking them to

57

continue trying on this lesson in the meantime. If it is too easy, I will add more requirements to
the assignment.

References
Mcolakis. (n.d.). iRubric: Adapted Play rubric. Retrieved from
http://www.rcampus.com/rubricshowc.cfm?sp=yes&code=S987A3&
Pollick, M. (2014, November 16). What is a Mockumentary?. Retrieved from
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-mockumentary.htm
Shakespeare, W., Mowat, B. A., Werstine, P., & Folger Shakespeare Library. (2012). The
tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (Simon & Schuster paperback ed.). New York:
Simon & Schuster Paperbacks.

58

Appendix
Soliloquy Spoken by Hamlet
From Hamlet Act 1 Scene 2
O, that this too too solid flesh would melt
Thaw and resolve itself into a dew!
Or that the Everlasting had not fixd
His canon gainst self-slaughter! O God! God!
How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable,
Seem to me all the uses of this world!

59

Fie ont! ah fie! tis an unweeded garden,

That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature
Possess it merely. That it should come to this!
But two months dead: nay, not so much, not two:
So excellent a king; that was, to this,
Hyperion to a satyr; so loving to my mother
That he might not beteem the winds of heaven
Visit her face too roughly. Heaven and earth!
Must I remember? why, she would hang on him,
As if increase of appetite had grown
By what it fed on: and yet, within a month
Let me not think ontFrailty, thy name is woman!
A little month, or ere those shoes were old
With which she followd my poor fathers body,
Like Niobe, all tears:why she, even she
O, God! a beast, that wants discourse of reason,
Would have mournd longermarried with my uncle,
My fathers brother, but no more like my father
60

Than I to Hercules: within a month:

Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears
Had left the flushing in her galled eyes,
She married. O, most wicked speed, to post
With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!
It is not nor it cannot come to good:
But break, my heart; for I must hold my tongue.

What Is A Mockumentary?
A mockumentary is a "mock documentary," a parody of the often earnest nature of the
documentary film genre. Although the term mockumentary didn't enter pop culture until the
release of Rob Reiner's groundbreaking comedy This is Spinal Tap, many filmmakers over the
years have created fictionalized documentaries and false newsreel footage for comedic effect.

A mockumentary is most successful when the structure of a traditional documentary is

maintained or exaggerated. Interviews in a mockumentary are deliberately tiresome, with the
interviewer's reaction shots obviously edited at a later date. The camera crew inevitably films
moments best left on the cutting room floor, such as embarrassing conversations or completely
self-indulgent interviews. The legitimate documentary style called cinema verite, using a hidden

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handheld camera to capture raw moments, is used extensively in a mockumentary for comedic
effect.

Another hallmark of the mockumentary is the ironic juxtaposition of reality and the characters'
skewed perceptions of that reality. Even as a film director in a mockumentary describes a
peaceful and productive day on the set, the camera captures fist fights, walk-offs and slamming
doors in the background. In a mockumentary, the characters' interviews and observations rarely
agree with the chaotic reality captured by the cameras.

The appeal of a mockumentary lies in the alternative universe it creates. The audience knows the
work as a whole is fictional, but there is little of the standard set-up and punchline formula found
in traditional comedies. The humor in a mockumentary often arises from incidental bits of
dialogue or visuals, accompanied by a talented actor's deadpan delivery of improvised lines.
Knowledge of the documentary styles parodied in the film also helps explain some of the more
arcane references. Many mockumentaries are rated very highly in critics' lists of best comedy
films.

Shakespeare Shake-Up Instructions

A scene adaptation from Hamlet

With your groups, you are to come to an agreement on one scene from Hamlet that you wish to
adapt, and proceed to assess Shakespeares structural and aesthetic decisions within that scene
together. What makes them effective? Ineffective? You will then apply those effective qualities
to your own scene. You should model Shakespeares stylistic and creative approaches in your
writing.

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The scene will be a modern-day adaptation (which is very open-ended). It can be set anywhere in
any time period; the characters can be of any race; gender bending is allowed; the characters do
not have to be human; the circumstances do not have to be realistic or possible. For example,
your characters could be all-female aliens who live on Jupiter 10,000 years from now. Anything
goes as long as it mirrors Hamlets plot.

You should be descriptive in your writing, being sure to integrate figurative language. The
characters in your scene should be interesting, unique from one another, and analogous to
Hamlets characters, and the dialogue should be dynamic and appropriate. Your adaptation
should cover all major events in the scene, but it should not exceed 200 lines. You may handwrite your groups scene or type it on a laptop. I suggest using Google Docs as it allows for easy
editing amongst everyone in the group, and you can all access the same project at home
individually. Only one copy needs to be turned in for the group.

Shakespeare Shake-Up Rubric

Structure

Excellent

Good

Fair

Needs work

40 points

30 points

20 points

10 points

Excellent

Good

Fair

Needs Work

15%
The scene has a

The scene has a

The scene has a

The scene does

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clear beginning,

beginning,

beginning,

not have a clear

middle, and end

middle, and end

middle, and end

beginning,

and follows the

and follows the

and loosely

middle, and

plot for the play.

plot pyramid for

follows the plot

ending. The scene

The scene is easy the play. There

pyramid for the

does not follow

to follow. The

are a few lapses

play. The scene is

the plot pyramid

story and plot

in details that

difficult to

and is impossible

make sense and

make the scene

follow. The story

to follow.

comes to a

somewhat

and/or plot makes

logical

difficult to

some sense. The

conclusion.

follow. The story

play does not

and plot make

come to a logical

sense and comes

conclusion.

to a logical
conclusion.
Dialogue

Excellent

Good

Fair

Needs Work

10%
The dialogue is

The dialogue is

The dialogue is

Dialogue is

realistic and

somewhat

not very realistic

unrealistic and

interesting.

realistic and

or interesting.

inappropriate for

Dialogue is

interesting. Most

Lines may be

the characters,

appropriate for

dialogue is

wordy, and

scene, and

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the characters,

appropriate for

dialogue may be

scene, and

the characters,

inappropriate for

situation.

scene, and

the characters,

situation.

scene, and

situation.

situation.
Development

Excellent

Good

Fair

Needs Work

10%
As the scene

As the scene

As the scene

There is no

unfolds, there is

unfolds, there is

unfolds, there is

understanding of

a clear

some

very little

the direction of

understanding of

understanding of

understanding of

the action and

direction of the

the direction of

the direction of

motives of the

action and

the action and the the action and the

characters. The

motives of the

motives of the

motives of the

scene is

characters. Scene

characters. Scene

characters. Scene

extremely

is interesting and

is interesting.

is mildly

undeveloped.

entertaining.
Characters

Excellent

interesting.
Good

Fair

Needs Work

10%
Characters are

Characters are

Characters are

Characters are not

interesting.

interesting.

hardly interesting. interesting. They

Characters are

Characters might

Characters are

are one-

65

Adaptation

clearly

be similar to one

similar to one

dimensional,

differentiated.

another. Each

another, and it's

identical, and/or

Each character

character has a

unclear why some unnecessary.

has a reason to

reason to be in

characters are

be in the scene.

the scene.

there.

Excellent

Good

Fair

Needs Work

35%
The scene is a

The scene is a

The scene is

The original story

clear adaptation

clear adaptation

somewhat

is not discernible

from another

from another

adapted from

in the adapted

original work.

original work.

another original

scene.

The adapted

The adapted

work. The

story retains the

story retains the

adapted story

key plot and

some key plot

does not retain

character

and character

the key plot and

elements of the

elements of the

character

original work.

original work.

elements of the

Student has made Student has not

original work.

changes to the

made changes to

Student has not

original work

the original work

made changes to

that make the

that make the

the original work.

story interesting.

story interesting.

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Grammar,

Excellent

Good

Fair

Needs Work

Language,
and

The scene is

The scene is

The scene is

The scene is not

Mechanics

written with few

written with

written with

comprehensible

20%

or no

some

many

due to poor

grammatical or

grammatical or

grammatical or

grammar,

spelling errors.

spelling errors.

spelling errors

mechanical

Mechanical

Mechanical

and is difficult to

conventions of

conventions

conventions

understand.

drama, and

specific to drama

specific to drama

Mechanical

language use for

are used

are used correctly conventions

characters.

correctly.

in most places.

specific to drama

Descriptive

Language for

Language for

are not used

language and

characters and

characters and

correctly.

figurative

audience is used

audience is used

Language for

language are not

appropriately.

appropriately.

characters and

incorporated.

Descriptive

Descriptive

audience is

language and

language and

difficult to

figurative

figurative

understand.

language are

language are

Descriptive

incorporated

incorporated

language and

thoroughly.

sufficiently.

figurative
language are

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incorporated
insufficiently.

68