Unit Plan

Title of the Unit: Hamlet Length of Unit (# of Hours or Weeks): Approximately 4-6 weeks.
UNIT OVERVIEW Students will find connections between the play Hamlet and the world around them.

Grade (s) Level: 12 Teacher: Matthew Burgess

FOUNDATIONAL OBJECTIVES / LEARNING OUTCOMES / MAJOR GOALS Please refer to applicable/relevant Saskatchewan Ministry of Education curriculum documents. 1. Students learn writing skills through Journal entries that ultimately help to construct the body of their final unit essay. 2. Students develop viewing skills watching Kenneth Branaghs film version of Hamlet.

3. Students learn and develop listening and speaking skills through group discussions on such topics as Revenge, as well as class readings of the play.

4. Students will learn Personal and Social Value Skills through volunteering for a local cause to explore the cost of inaction and the rewards from acting for the betterment of others.

5. Students will develop Critical and Creative Thinking through peer group discussion of ethically difficult questions, where any answer they choose has both positive and negative implications.

PRE-ASSESSMENT / PRIOR KNOWLEDGE Students have experience with Shakespeare from their grade nine and ten English Language Arts classes: ELA 9B and ELA 10B.

DIVERSITY ISSUES

Unit Organizer

Hamlet
Group discussion on revenge Journal entry

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart from Sept. 17th -Fox News pundits personas they wish to present vs. actual statements theyve made in the past Students find examples from the world around them that demonstrates the Appearance vs. Reality theme Journal entry Act 1: Revenge Act 2: Appearance vs. Reality Act 3: Hamlet Loyalty Which character(s) is/are the most loyal? Why? Which character(s) is/are the most disloyal? Why? Handout activity - ethical questions and dilemmas to answer Journal entry

First 40 lines performed in front of class to assess textual understanding and speaking skills.

First 40 lines of Hamlet

View Shakespeare in Love 5 elements of Elizabethan England and similarities between Film and Romeo and Juliet

Elizabethan England and the Theatre Act 5:

Act 4: Action vs. Inaction

Hypocrisy and/or Acceptance/Fear of Death Option #1 - Look at societys obsession with trying to stay young and preventing the inevitable.

Through community volunteering view, assess, and document in Journals what actions are needed to continue the success of the program and what are the implications of inaction toward this program.

Option #2 - Look for hypocrisy in students lives as well as on a local, national, and global level Thoughts and opinions to be recorded in Journal entry

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Outcomes & Indicators

Activities View Shakespeare in Love

Materials DVD copy of Shakespeare in Love

Assessment Observe and write down 5 elements of Elizabethan England from the film. Write down similarities between the Film and Romeo and Juliet

Adaptations and Differentiations

Topic 1 Elizabethan England and the theatre PGG 1.2 Uses a variety of ways to identify and build on student academic, physical, spiritual and social strengths. 1.4 Analyzes the classroom environment and makes adjustments to enhance social relationships and student motivation/engagement.

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Outcomes & Indicators

Activities

Materials

Assessment

Adaptations and Differentiations

Topic 2 First 40 lines of Hamlet PGG 1.4 Analyzes the classroom environment and makes adjustments to enhance social relationships and student motivation/engagement. 1.5 Provides opportunities for students to demonstrate their understandings in multiple ways.

In groups of 4, students brainstorm a setting other than where the first scene of Hamlet takes place and work together to perform the first 40 lines of Hamlet

Hamlet Play,

Performance of first 40 lines in front of class to assess textual understanding and speaking skills.

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Outcomes & Indicators

Activities Students will read along with the teacher Act 1 of Hamlet, looking for possible themes.

Materials Hamlet Play, Copy of Kenneth Branaghs Hamlet Student Writing Journals

Assessment In Student Writing Journals, students reflect on how far would they take revenge? Have they ever taken revenge on someone? If so, when? Journal is collected for formative assessment (comments and suggestions).

Adaptations and Differentiations

Topic 3 Hamlet Act 1: Revenge PGG 4.3 Combines practical and theoretical knowledge with broader life learning to refine a philosophy of education.

As a class, students will watch Act 1 of Kenneth Branaghs Hamlet to get a visual understanding of the story Students will form groups of 4 and discuss whether Murder as revenge is ever justified. Introduce and discuss the death penalty in the US and Canada

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Outcomes & Indicators

Activities

Materials

Assessment Journal is collected for formative assessment.

Adaptations and Differentiations

Topic 4 Hamlet Act 2: Appearance vs. Reality

Students will read along Hamlet Play with the teacher Act 2 Copy of Kenneth Branaghs of Hamlet, looking for Hamlet possible themes. As a class, students will watch Act 2 of Kenneth Branaghs Hamlet to get a visual understanding of the story. As a class we will watch an excerpt from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart from Sept. 17th that scrutinizes Fox News pundits and the personas they wish to present vs. actual statements theyve made in the past. Students will then be asked to find examples of their own from the world around them that demonstrates the Appearance vs. Reality theme. Examples and reflection to be documented in a Journal entry Student Writing Journals Data projector Computer Link to the Comedy network The Daily Show with Jon Stewart http://www.thecomedy network.ca/shows/TheDaily Show?videoPackage=123699

PGG 6.4 Plans and develops engaging and authentic lessons that demonstrate knowledge and confidence in subject matter.

6.5 Incorporates available technology in pedagogically appropriate ways.

Topics

Outcomes & Indicators

Activities

Materials

Assessment Journal is collected for formative assessment.

Adaptations and Differentiations

Topic 5 Hamlet Act 3: Loyalty

Students will read along Hamlet Play with the teacher Act 3 Copy of Kenneth Branaghs of Hamlet, looking for Hamlet possible themes. As a class, students will watch Act 3 of Kenneth Branaghs Hamlet to get a visual understanding of the story. In Journal, students comment on whether loyalty is something that is important to them. Using evidence from text, which character(s) is/are the most loyal? Why? Which character(s) is/are the most disloyal? Why? Follow up handout activity where students are given series of ethical questions and dilemmas to answer. Every decision made has a positive and negative consequence. The students will have an opportunity to then decide which characters they are closest to ethically in the play. They will compare and contrast Student Writing Journals

PGP 3.3 Demonstrates, shares, and assists students in developing critical insights into current issues. 3.4 Empowers students by assisting in development of understandings of democratic action.

this with their original Journal entry about which characters are most loyal or most disloyal

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Outcomes & Indicators

Activities

Materials

Assessment Journal is collected for assessment.

Adaptations and Differentiations

Topic 6 Hamlet Act 4 Action vs. Inaction PGG 3.1 Promotes and engages in the improvement of social and environmental conditions. 5.1 Builds classroom connections with local, national, and global communities

Students will read along Hamlet Play with the teacher Act 4 Copy of Kenneth Branaghs of Hamlet, looking for Hamlet possible themes. As a class, students will watch Act 4 of Kenneth Branaghs Hamlet to get a visual understanding of the story. The assignment is to find something in their community that they can volunteer their time for. Students must view, assess, and document in their Journals what actions are needed to continue the success of the program and what are the implications of inaction toward this program. Student Writing Journal

Topics

Outcomes & Indicators

Activities

Materials

Assessment Journal is collected for assessment.

Adaptations and Differentiations

Topic 7 Hamlet Act 5 Hypocrisy and Death PGP 1.5 Provides opportunities for students to demonstrate their understandings in multiple ways.

Students will read along Hamlet Play with the teacher Act 5 Copy of Kenneth Branaghs of Hamlet, looking for Hamlet possible themes. As a class, students will watch Act 5 of Kenneth Branaghs Hamlet to get a visual understanding. Option #1 Examining Hamlets acceptance of his coming death, Students will look to societys obsession with trying to stay young prevent the inevitable. Thoughts and opinions to be documented in Journal entry. Option #2 Examining the Gravediggers scene, students will examine the hypocrisy of giving Ophelia a Christian burial even though she committed suicide. Students will then look for hypocrisy in their own lives as well as on a local, national, and global level. Thoughts and opinions to be recorded in Journal entry. Student Writing Journals

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Outcomes & Indicators

Activities Students will use their writing journals to create the body of their essay on whether Hamlet is still a relevant play for high school students to study in the year 2012.

Materials Hamlet play Writing Journal

Assessment Final essay summative assessment and evaluation.

Adaptations and Differentiations

Topic 8 Hamlet Essay

PGG