This three-lesson Othello Unit utilizes multiple technologies

Title – Three-Day Othello Unit
By – David Willard
Primary Subject – Language Arts
Secondary Subjects – Computers / Internet
Grade Level – 9-12

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LESSON 1

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Subject:

William Shakespeare — History and Plays

Objective:

ELA.10.LE.3 Use oral, written, and visual texts to research how individuals have had an impact on people in their community and their nation.

ELA.7.LE.3 Apply new learning by forming questions and setting learning goals that will aid in self-regulation and reflection on their developing literacy

METS 1.a.6 Students understand that access to online learning increases educational and workplace opportunities.

METS 1.b.1 Students will be provided with the opportunity to learn in a virtual environment as a strategy to build 21st century learning skills.

Presentation:

Step 1. Give a PowerPoint Presentation
• Give a historical background on “The Life of Shakespeare”
  • First 20 Years
  • Life in London
  • Later Years
• The Plays
  • Comedies & Histories
  • Tragedies

 

Step 2. Introduce students to webquests
• specifically show them the Shakespeare webquest:
  http://questgarden.com/10/81/0/070107150712/index.htm
• show the students how to navigate it
• allow them to navigate it themselves

Materials:

PowerPoint presentation; quizzes; worksheets

Introduction:

Read (melodramatically, of course) the famous “To be, or not to be…” monologue from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Closure:

Give relevance to Shakespeare and his work. Discuss what times where like in the Elizabethan period and how it could have effected his writing. Compare Shakespeare to writers of today.

Evaluation:

Give a five-question mini-quiz covering the topics presented in the PowerPoint. (Be sure to inform them of the quiz prior to the PowerPoint presentation to encourage some notetaking.)

Homework:

Have students fill out a purpose question worksheet (10-12 questions) based on the Shakespeare webquest:

http://questgarden.com/10/81/0/070107150712/index.htm

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LESSON 2

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Subject:

William Shakespeare — Othello: plot

Objective:

ELA.3.LE.1 Integrate listening, speaking, viewing, reading, and writing skills for multiple purposes and in varied contexts.

ELA.3.LE.6 Determine the meaning of unfamiliar words and concepts in oral, written, and visual texts by using a variety of resources, such as prior knowledge, context, glossaries, and electronic sources.

METS 1.b.5 Students identify common graphic, audio, and video file formats (e.g., jpeg, gif, bmp, mpeg, wav).

Presentation:

Guided Reading Lesson

 

1. Create background of the story
   • Moors in Europe
   • Spanish history
   • Othello and Shakespeare
2. Provide students with vocabulary words from the story. Use posters: at least 3 posters per word or use a PowerPoint slide show (at least 3 slides per word). Present 6-8 words.
   • define the word
   • give proper usage
   • Concretize the word through a mini-quiz
3. Have students answer purpose words that cover main ideas and details. (10- 12 questions)
4. Have students answer discussion questions that cover inferences and judgments. (12-15 questions)

 

Activity

 

1. Put students in groups.
2. Have groups make a “What if…” scene where Othello does not carry out the murder of Desdemona.
3. Have students record their scenes on a digital camcorder and upload them onto the computer.

Materials:

• Othello Highlight DVD (Lawrence Fishburn version) ,
• poster materials (construction paper, markers, magazine clippings, glue, etc.),
• worksheet,
• digital camcorder

Introduction:

Show highlight clips from the movie Othello from a burned DVD compilation.

Closure:

Go around the room and ask each student about their favorite part of the story.

Evaluation:

Have students complete a matching style worksheet. They must match the character to the specific event in Othello’s plot that they did.

 

(Ex. – _

A

__         1. Iago         A. Convinced Othello to murder Desdemona.)

Homework:

Have students keep a journal (on a word processor is fine). Each entry is a summary of the plot by each act. Five acts = five summaries.

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LESSON 3

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Subject:

William Shakespeare — Othello: themes

Objective:

ELA.3.LE.5 Employ multiple strategies to construct meaning while reading, listening to, viewing or creating text.

ELA.3.LE.8 Express their responses to visual, written, and electronic texts, and compare their responses to those of others.

METS 3.a.3 Students have access to and utilize assistive technology tools.

METS 4.a.4 Students collaborate in content-related projects that integrate a variety of media (e.g., print, audio, video, graphic, simulations, and models) with presentation, word processing, publishing, database, graphics design, or spreadsheet applications.

Presentation:

Step 1. Have a discussion about theme in stories.
• How theme works under genre
• How theme provokes inferences & judgements in the reader
• How to read between the lines to understand theme

 

Step 2. Have a discussion about theme in Othello.
• Jealousy
• Deception/truth
• Love vs. blind rage

 

Step 3. Put students into groups for a quick study session before the quiz. Group them together by mixing ability levels.

Materials:

• overhead projector,
• quiz sheets

Introduction:

Provide a short summary/discussion on the previous day’s material.

Closure:

Give a short statement on Othello, and how it resonates in real life to help concretize the lesson for students.

Evaluation:

Have students complete a small multiple choice test covering the past three days of material. (12 – 16 questions)

Homework:

Have students write a five paragraph essay on one or more of the themes found in Othello. Themes to choose from: jealousy, leadership, deception and truth, tragedy, guilt and innocence.

Have students create their essay outlines with the instructional software application Inspiration.

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