Primary Subject Area : Drama

Teacher: Heath Carroll

Primary Subject Area: Drama

Outside Subject Area: English Language Arts

Class: Theatre I

Class Level: Regular

Grade Level: 9th - 12th Grade

Class Time: Five 50-minute periods

Profile Sheet

PBL Title: Amateur Artists Educate Elementary Students on Shakespeare

Description of Student Roles and Problem Situation:

Students will act as the varying members of a Theatrical Troupe (actors, directors, and designers) tasked with presenting an educational performance of the works of Shakespeare to an elementary school. They will propose their performance to the school’s administration; as it addresses the challenge of dialect and historical context brought before such a young audience.

Adaptations for a Student from a Non-Western Culture

1. Preceding the lesson, I will determine student’s prior knowledge of the subject and offer reference documents and links to the subject matter.

2. To reduce culture shock, I will help cultivate a welcoming environment focusing on the validation of all opinions and generate class discussion for the free exchange of ideas. If necessary, I will engage non-western student in questions to be assured of participation.

Adaptations for an ESOL Student

1. I can offer translation for instruction and referential Shakespearian texts.

2. I can assign a student mentor or peer-buddy to assist with communication and translation issues throughout the PBL lesson.

Adaptations for a Student with Disability

1. I will use multi-modal methods to present classroom material. This will address a variety of learning styles and strengths (e.g., auditory, visual, kinesthetic). I will provide important information in both oral and written formats.

2. I will give one-on-one time to allow for clarification of directions and essential information.

3. In accordance with IEPs, I will allow students additional time to complete in-class assignments, particularly writing assignments.

4. For students with physical disabilities, I will endeavor to offer adaptive equipment and technologies to fit their needs. (keyboards, recording devices, large print/text visualizers)

Title, Learner Characteristics, Florida Standards

Teacher: Heath Carroll

Primary Subject Area: Drama

Outside Subject Area: English Language Arts

Class: Theatre I

Class Level: Regular

Grade Level: 9th - 12th Grade

PBL Title: Amateur Artists Educate Elementary Students on Shakespeare

Florida Standards in Drama:
TH.912.H.1.3 – Present a design or perform in the style of a different historical or cultural context to gain appreciation of that time and culture.
Content Complexity Rating: Level 4: Extended Thinking & Complex Reasoning

TH.912.S.2.9 – Research and defend one’s own artistic choices as a designer.
Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning

Florida Standards in English Language Arts:

LA.910.5.2.2 – The student willresearch and organize information for oral communication appropriate for the occasion, audience, and purpose (e.g., class discussions, entertaining, informative, persuasive, or technical presentations).
Content Complexity Rating: Level 4: Extended Thinking & Complex Reasoning

Learner Characteristics #1, Cognitive: High school students become increasingly capable of engaging in formal thought, but they may not use this capability.

Justification for #1: The planning and design process is very formulaic. There are basic steps to take to necessitate a production. During adolescence, students get distracted with ease. This assignment will require formal thought and focus.

Learner Characteristics #2, Social: The development of interpersonal reasoning leads to greater understanding of the feelings of others.

Justification for #2: These students must work together for the success of a production. In order to be successful there must be collaboration and compromise. Students must take into account the feelings of team members all the while focusing on the out-come of the production.

Learner Characteristics #3, Emotional: The most common type of emotional disorder during adolescence is depression.

Justification for #3: The emotional learner characteristic is probably the most beneficial of them all because of the self-esteem, or self worth that the students will feel after building a production and seeing the reaction of children.

Learner Characteristics #4, Social: Many high school students are employed after high school.

Justification for #4: Working in groups, students will be learning work ethic, communication skills, and how to function and perform in a future work environment.

Learner Characteristics #5, Social: The peer group becomes powerful and begins to replace adults as the major source of behavior standards and recognition of achievement.

Justification for #5: Peer pressure is rampant at this age. If a few choice students begin to falter or neglect their roles, other students may either follow suit or have to pick up the slack. Inversely, if the group takes a positive attitude toward the assignment, they make keep themselves on task.

Learning Outcomes, Student Roles and Problem Situation, Meet the Problem Method

PBL Title: Amateur Artists Educate Elementary Students on Shakespeare

Florida Standards in Drama:
TH.912.H.1.3 – Present a design or perform in the style of a different historical or cultural context to gain appreciation of that time and culture.
Content Complexity Rating: Level 4: Extended Thinking & Complex Reasoning

LO# 1: In groups, students will perform an excerpt from a Shakespeare play in accurate Elizabethan style.

TH.912.S.2.9 – Research and defend one’s own artistic choices as a designer.
Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning

LO# 2: In groups, students will research one particular Shakespearian play of their choosing and design mock sets and costumes that accurately reflect those used in the Globe Theatre during the Elizabethan period.

Florida Standards in English Language Arts:

LA.910.5.2.2 – The student willresearch and organize information for oral communication appropriate for the occasion, audience, and purpose (e.g., class discussions, entertaining, informative, persuasive, or technical presentations).
Content Complexity Rating: Level 4: Extended Thinking & Complex Reasoning

LO# 3: After researching their play in groups, students will write a proposal for their production to be presented before the class, that earns a 3 or above in each dimension of a 5 point-scaled presentation rubric.

LO# 1: In groups, students will perform an excerpt from a Shakespeare play in accurate Elizabethan style.

TH.912.S.2.9 – Research and defend one’s own artistic choices as a designer.
Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning

Florida Standards in English Language Arts:

LA.910.5.2.2 – The student willresearch and organize information for oral communication appropriate for the occasion, audience, and purpose (e.g., class discussions, entertaining, informative, persuasive, or technical presentations).
Content Complexity Rating: Level 4: Extended Thinking & Complex Reasoning

Description of Student Roles and Problem Situation:

Meet the Problem Documents:

Students will receive a memo from a local area elementary school (see attached) as well as two documents related to fine arts in elementary education. One is an article from PBS.org and the other is an article on drama education from Bright Hub Education.

M E M O R A N D U M

To: Melissa Oropesa, Artistic Director, Paradox Theatre Company

From: Reginald Watts, Principal, Hill Valley Elementary School

Re: Introducing Elementary Students to Shakespeare

Date: [Appropriate Date inserted here]

Ms. Oropesa, our Elementary students are studying a school-wide unit on dramatic arts through our English department. We would like to hire your theatre company to come in and provide an educational performance introducing our student body to the works of William Shakespeare. We want to enlist the work of a professional company to show the students an expert depiction of classic works. We understand the challenges of trying to make Shakespeare appeal to an elementary audience, especially the difficulty conveying the language. Non-verbal messages transmitted through acting can transcend any hurdles of the Elementary students’ comprehension.

The performance will be on [date inserted here is at least 30 days later than date of memo]. We know that 30 days is not much time, and your work is greatly appreciated.

We will have one performance for the entire student body. And three separate breakout sessions where the students will be able to interact with the members of your company and ask questions. Our performance space available for you is not a traditional theatre and stage – in order to accommodate our entire student body, the cafeteria will be utilized for this event. Please bring any materials you need to transform the space to your requirements.

http://www.pbs.org/shakespeare/educators/elementary/casestudy3.html

To Perform or Not to Perform? That is the Question

The study of Shakespeare through the performing arts brings to life the history of the Elizabethan period, the language of artistic passion, and the ability to connect with one of the greatest literary minds in history. For younger students (such as my wonderful fourth grade class!), performing plays creates an opportunity to comprehend the incomprehensible and learn that studying literature can be great fun.
Last year, my class received an invitation to perform at a Shakespeare festival. Of course, as a teacher who is all about learning while having fun, I was very excited about the opportunity, but previous experience had taught me that unless the children themselves decided to take part as a collaborative team, this play would never happen. It was important that they take ownership of this play from the very start. Therefore, we took a vote by secret ballot. (Yes, everything is secret when working with 4th graders!) Although some of the students were not too excited about the idea of extra work and line memorization, the other half of the class - all of whom had taken part in plays before - wanted very much to participate, because they knew how much fun it could be. Ultimately, the majority vote was to take part in the Shakespeare festival. The loud voice of the students screaming, "Yaay!!" was wonderful to hear.
So we began to plan our stages of preparing to select a play, memorize our lines, rehearse, and - Voila! - perform. (See handout for easy-to-follow, step-by-step directions)
First, I read to my students every day from children's books based on Shakespeare's plays. Then, each day for homework, the students wrote about their favorite scenes and characters. This allowed me to gauge if a large percentage of the group preferred a specific play. Next, I narrowed the selection down to three plays, according to their write-ups. From those three plays, the students voted on a selection by secret ballot and chose "Twelfth Night." Finally, I had everyone share their written opinions of the characters in the play, and asked the students to create small skits displaying the traits of each character.
Once the play was chosen and the students had some idea of who the characters were and what the play was about, I decided to hold our class auditions. The significance of holding auditions, as informal as they may be, rather than just assigning parts, is to give children an opportunity to show themselves in a different light. (You may be surprised with the results; I was!) Remember to give the children a short period of time in class to rehearse the part they wish to audition for; it will help them, as well as you, to prepare.
I had a couple students who spoke English as a second language and both were too shy to audition. As the other students were asked to improvise and to read lines with one another in partners and in groups, the informality of this process and the relaxed pace of the class removed their fears. So with the encouragement and support of friends the students leaped to the audition stage.
Although the auditions were informal, the process helped me to know how comfortable my students were in front of an audience (no matter how small) and if any new talents would reveal themselves (There maybe a superstar hiding under the guise of a young fourth grade student!).
The key to having a successful play with children is breaking down their walls of fear and invoking in them the level of competency and confidence they need in order to know that they can learn anything...even Shakespeare! Overcoming our fears enabled all of us to learn a great deal from this experience!! Mainly we learned that performing is from the heart! Subsequently, find out how much time you are given to present the play. Since we were only offered twenty minutes of stage time, we had to cut many scenes out of the play. In the end it was still great! What's more note that two students can play one part, especially in a big class. After all, this is a 4th grade play - not Broadway.
After each child was assigned a part, I gave a deadline for line memorization. Because the children were having difficulty memorizing their lines, we practiced in class with buddies. In the beginning, we would often read from the script, or I would prompt them if they didn't remember their lines - they just had to call out "line". Later, I became stricter and required the students to memorize small sections at a time, so that they would be prepared for our rehearsals. Getting things going was somewhat challenging, but these children were studying and memorizing Shakespeare in its original text!
In order to help the students better understand the scenes, I rented the BBC and other versions of "Twelfth Night" to watch in class. With time, practice, and exciting movie - watching, we began to have fun, and soon the students not only knew their own lines, but the lines of all their peers. It was truly amazing!
During this period of rehearsal, faculty, parents, and other students donated items of clothing and hats to complete our costumes. The last touch our play needed was a school banner to hang in the theatre. The students and I created a piece that included all of their names and parts on a scroll in the center of the banner with two theatrical masks on either side. The banner was named "The John Eaton Players." (Get it? Shakespeare's actors were called "players" so we thought it would only be appropriate to name ourselves after them.)
Finally, we were just two weeks away from being on stage, and the students needed to have a dress rehearsal. I talked with my colleagues and principal to set aside three different dates to perform for the other grade levels in the school. This would give our children the opportunity to perform and then to rectify mistakes (if any) during their scenes. This process tremendously helped them to calm their nerves and, more importantly, to practice in front of a live audience. By the third attempt, these kids were ready for Broadway!