Hashem, Lesson Plan 2

Lesson Plan 2
Salem State University
School of Education
I. Setting the Stage:
A. Curriculum Framework Standards:
MA.RL.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.

MA.W.3A. Demonstrate understanding of the concept of point of view by writing

short narratives, poems, essays, speeches, or reflections from ones own or a
particular characters point of view (e.g., the hero, anti-hero, a minor character).

B. Generative Topic:
The focal concept of this lesson is to identify major characters within the play
and begin to assess what those characters motivations, relationships, and
backgrounds are in order to be able to understand, interpret, and predict their
actions.
C. Measurable Objectives:
Students will be able to identify and discuss major characters in Macbeth.
Students will be able to construct a visual collage reflecting a single
characters appearance, personality, desires, and/or relationships with other
characters.
D. End of Lesson Assessment:
The end of the lesson assessment will be the completed character collages.
These will give us the opportunity to assess how complex, thorough, and
contextualized the students understanding of a particular character is.
Students whose collages are full of visually engaging material that can be
justified and explained based on information gathered from the text will be
assessed as having accomplished this lessons objectives.
Student comprehension will also be assessed during the reading discussions.
The degree to which students engage, asking and answering questions, will
help determine their level of understanding.
II. Content of the Lesson
A. Content and Skills:
This lesson will ask students to make inferences about, draw conclusions on,
and analyze the following facets of a literary character
o Name
o Background

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o Appearance
o Relationships
o Motivations
o Personality
o Morality
o Goals
This lesson will ask students to interpret and then demonstrate their
understanding of these features of Shakespeares characters in a variety of
modes, including visual, audio, and textual.
This lesson will also ask students to understand the historical relationships
between thanes, lords, and kings in feudal Scotland
This lesson will also ask students to recognize some basic Shakespearean
language including:
anonright now
artare
dost or dothdoes or do
erebefore
hitherhere
thitherthere
hathhas
marryindeed
pray/pritheea polite way of asking something
thee/thou you
thyyour
whencefrom where
whereforewhy

B. Rationale:
Characterization is an essential component of any time of fiction. For students
to truly be able to understand how to analyze complex characters and how
those complex characters develop of the course of a work of literature, they
must learn the basics of characterization. This lesson is intended to scaffold
the process of characterization by teaching students where to start. Particularly
in a complex text like Shakeapeares Macbeth, students will benefit
immensely from being guided through the process of understanding and
analyzing literary characters. This will not only support their ability to
understand and appreciate other features of the text, including plot; it will also
enable them to connect more personally and intimately with the text itself.
III. Knowledge of Students:
D Block: A small, co-taught class of 17 students, 14 of whom are on either
IEPs or 504s. Three boys are also in the ABA program. One of these
experiences social isolation and low-self esteem and is prone to being
combative with teachers and students, hostility that is often expressed in
outbursts. The other two are twin brothers, one of whom demonstrates

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extremely linear and concrete thinking and is unwilling to experiment in the

classroom; his brother is physically handicapped and is frequently absent due
to appointments and other complications related to his disability. Two other
boys have only recently been transferred into this class from the Academic
Support program and read and write considerably below grade level. Many of
them have processing difficulty when reading and require significant
modifications to make grade-level texts accessible to them. They also receive
extra time for assignments. Generally this is a very compliant class, bright and
willing to work hard.
None of the students are ELL students.
Only 8.4% of LHS students come from a low-income background and
Newburyports library and public resources are both high quality, so the
likelihood will be that all of the students in my class will have regular access
to technology. Based on this, our lessons often rely on the use of smartphones
or computers.

IV. Preparation for the Procedures:

Materials:
Printed character sheets and maps (Attachments A and B)
PBS Version of Macbeth
Materials for collages (scissors, magazines, butcher paper, markers)

V. Sequence of Teaching-Procedures
A. Beginning of the Lesson (5 minutes): Review Agenda
On the board is listed our objective, our agenda, and our upcoming homework
for the day. We review this with them briefly.
This is also an opportunity for them to express any concerns about upcoming
assignments.
B. Introduction of the Characters (15 minutes):
Hand out characterization sheet. See Attachment A. Work through these
characters one by one, explaining who they are and what their relationships
are to one another.
o This discussion requires a discussion of Anglo-Saxon thanes,
lords, and kings and how their relationships to one another
dictated their motivations and actions
Also hand out the map. See Attachment B. Explain where the different characters
were located based on what thane titles they were awarded.
C. Begin Reading, Read 1.1-1.4 (25 minutes):

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Read slowly, pausing to identify Shakespearean language or particularly

confusing phrases. We will be introducing them to Shakespearean language,
so this reading will proceed slowly with several pauses for questions,
discussion, and clarification.
As we read, we add unfamiliar, but repeated Shakespearean words on the
board for students to refer back to as we read.
Identify characters reviewed from earlier as we come across them in the text

D. Movie Viewing (10 minutes):

We view 1.1-1.4 in the PBS movie version to give students an opportunity to
see the lines they have just read performed by actors.
We point out major characters as they appear on screen, pausing to discuss a
characters appearance, mannerisms, or tone of voice.
E. Character Collages (18 minutes):
In groups of 3, students choose a single character that we have seen so far and,
using the crafts materials provided, construct a collage reflecting the character.
Hang them up around the room
VI.

Reflection after Teaching

Students responded very well to this assignment and were very lively in their
discussion of the different characters and those characters possible
motivations.
The Shakespearean language was very overwhelming for some students and
we worked fairly slowly to get through the reading. Showing the film version
really helped students visualize the action of the play.

Hashem, Lesson Plan 2

Attachment A: Character Sheet

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Attachment B: Map of Scotland during Macbeths time

Hashem, Lesson Plan 2