Subject Area/Grade Level: English/12th grade Lesson Title: Analyzing Key Themes, Symbols, and Motifs in Macbeth Time: 90 minutes Materials/Equipment Required:
Class set of Macbeth with audio recording
KWL handout for each student Students will need paper and pencil to take notes and record answers in Independent Practice
Stage 1Desired Results
Content Standards: 110.34. (b) (2) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Theme and Genre. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about theme and genre in different cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students are expected to: (C) relate the characters, setting, and theme of a literary work to the historical, social, and economic ideas of its time. 110.34. (b) (4) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Drama. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of drama and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to evaluate how the structure and elements of drama change in the works of British dramatists across literary periods. Understandings/Goals: Essential Questions: Shakespeares portal of men is still How can ambition motivate people and accurate: Understanding what motivates how can it be both a positive and negative the characters can help us understand trait? others and what motivates them When do you feel guilt and when do you Understanding themes, motifs, and experience remorse? symbols develops abilities to understand To what extent does power affect a abstract ideas and complex concepts persons actions? Student Objectives: Students will summarize the events of Act 2 with partners in 5 bullet points. Students will draw a storyboard depicting a theme, motif, or symbol within one scene from Act 2 of Macbeth with 100% accuracy, citing the lines used for their scene. Given the opportunity to discuss in small groups, the students will evaluate the relationship between power, ambition, and consequences. Each student in the group will list at least one theme, symbol, or motif that supports their evaluation of the relationship(s).
Stage 2Assessment Evidence
Performance Tasks: Other Evidence: Guided Practice: Students illustrate an Oral response in small groups to one of the abstract concept from Act 2 on a piece of Essential Questions paper with colored pencils Drawing showing events in Act 2 Independent Practice: Students discuss Teacher observation and questioning to personal understanding and write down check for understanding individual conclusions Assessment Questions: o Please explain which abstract concept you illustrated. o How does your illustration identify the concept? o What is the importance of the theme, motif, or symbol in the individual scene? Within Act 2 as a whole? Stage 3Learning Plan Previous Knowledge: Students have already read and discussed Act 1 and started reading Act 2 Students already know definition of theme, motif, and symbol from vocabulary introduced at beginning of unit Learning Activities: Anticipatory Set: Students will fill out a KWL (Know, Want to know, Learn) handout as a way to review what they read and discussed from Act 1 while deciding what they want to know or predict will happen in Act 2 Instruction: Students will finish listening to Act 2 on tape. It is important that student hear the play in order to better understand it because plays are designed to be seen acted out and heard on stage. o Teacher will pause the audio at the end of each act and when students nonverbal body language and facial expressions indicate confusion in order to ask questions Will someone state what just happened? How would you describe the characters state of mind right now? Try to explain the importance of this scene. Identify any themes, motifs, or symbols start appearing so far in Act 2. Predict what will happen in the next scene. What is the purpose of the scene with the porter? Compare and contrast the actions of Macbeth and Banquo. Compare and contrast the responses of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to the crime. How does motivation and ambition influence each characters actions? What is the difference between guilt and remorse? o At the end of the reading of Act 2, students will get in pairs and summarize the events of Act 2. They will have to create 5 bullet points to summarize the act. Students should also list the themes, motifs, and symbols based on questions and
answers between the teacher and students during the reading.
Guided Practice: Students will be given a blank piece of paper to illustrate an abstract concept from Act 2 with colored pencils. Students will draw a storyboard depicting a theme, motif, or symbol within one scene from Act 2 of Macbeth with 100% accuracy, citing the lines used for their scene. o Teacher will walk around room asking assessment questions to make sure students are on track and offer redirection when needed. Independent Practice: The teacher will ask the whole class the essential questions and then instruct students to get into groups of 4-5 to discuss the essential questions. Each student will then write down their individual answers to the questions. Closing: To close the lesson students will spend 2-3 minutes filling out the Learn section of the KWL handout that was distributed as part of the anticipation set. Then 3-5 students may share their answers from what they wrote down in the individual practice. In conclusion, the teacher will repeat the understanding goals. Extending the Lesson: o Gifted and Talented Students: One activity they could do is creating an online resource about Macbeth to help build their understanding and teach their peers. Here is an example: http://kss-mswhite.weebly.com/macbeth.html. o English Language Learners: I would find a version of Macbeth translated to the students first language and culture because Shakespeare is challenging for native English speakers. Students would need to understand the basis of the play in order to better understand the language of the play. Additional Resources: o Printable handout- Colorful Character Connections offer an at-a-glance map of character relationships, an introduction to the plot, and important quotes to look and listen for. Good for studying, or quick reference. http://www.folger.edu/documents/Macbeth%20Characters%20NEW1.pdf o This website provides an Overview and detailed summary of Macbeth by PhD students from Stanford, Harvard, Berkeley. It fits the needs of GT students by providing more in depth analysis at a college level, so it would be more engaging for them. http://www.shmoop.com/macbeth/ Consulted Teacher Resources in creating this lesson: o http://www.webenglishteacher.com/macbeth.html