This Unit Plan, which will utilize different texts from Shakespeare, will cover many of the Common Core State Standards. One of the standards that will be covered is the LAFS.910.RI.2.6. This standard focuses on students' reading skills in a way to strengthen understanding of an author's point of view or purpose in a text. Students will learn to analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance their point of view or purpose (Educator Toolkits, 2015). We will be reading “Othello” and “A Midsummer Night's Dream” written by Shakespeare as an example to cover these thoughts and ideas. Students will watch “Romeo and Juliet” as a visual to understand the setting and error of the 16th century. Once students have watched and read the plays together, …show more content…
Students will be introduced to Shakespeare reimaginations such as “The Shakespeare Smashup: Hellomeorootlietju” by Ben Arogundade to examine how different authors take a story and make it their own by changing details. This story takes two of the Shakespeare plays and mixes them together. The class will notice how a story line may stay the same, however, the characters and our perspectives of them may be different through another's writings. We will compare and contrast two or three different authors on the same story. This will then lead us to the next Common Core State Standard that we will address, which is LAFS.910.W.1.2. The LAFS.910.W.1.2 standard requires students to write informative/explanatory texts, using information gathered from our readings of Shakespeare and like material to share the different ideas from authors. As a class, we will brainstorm ideas together using a chart diagram. Students will then be instructed to create their own charts with their own
Many college students have the misconception that reading Shakespeare is a waste of time. Michael Mack presents a different view in his speech to college freshmen “From Why Read Shakespeare?” Mack’s speech constructed an effective argument that reading shakespeare will help you in life through his use of rhetorical devices and counterclaims.
First and foremost, reading Shakespeare’s work leads to a better understanding of the English language. The bard had a vocabulary of over 24,000 words, most of which still exist in modern English. High school students enhance their vocabulary and sentence structure through reading his work. The subconscious use of new words and phrases through reading Shakespeare’s works leads to improved writing and oral skills. The extension of vocabulary is very helpful in post-secondary education; students will have better results with assignments such as presentations, reports, and essays. Not only are Shakespeare’s works useful in becoming familiar with the English language, the themes in his plays are still relevant to society.
The morals and values presented in his works speak to the audience, often offering a new perspective on the world in which they live. Students are affected by the powerful and complex characters and are rewarded with profound insights into human nature and behavior.I firmly believe that Shakespeare's works, like no other literature in the high school curriculum, challenge and invigorate the minds of students. Because of the complex characters, difficult vocabulary and style in which he writes, students must elevate their level of learning to grasp a clear understanding of his works. Shakespeare's plays hold intricate meanings and messages. His
If one was able to look into our classroom, they would see the kids rushing to the whiteboard to try and get a part that they can read. Spots filled, they anxiously wait to continue on with the story. Then that person would ask, “Why would they be so excited to read something so old and outdated?” Well to answer, it’s because Shakespeare’s work is still applicable to our lives today. Shakespeare should stay in the 9th grade curriculum, because it strongly relates to today's day and age, keeps the kids in the class active and paying attention, and helps convey a strong message that everyone should follow.
Do you ever wonder why Shakespeare is still taught in high school. In high school, Shakespeare was shoved down our throats and I despised Shakespeare and his works. I thought that they were pointless and was just a way to torture high school students, but the more I think about what Shakespeare is trying to teach through his works. The more I respect and understand the themes and the language of his works. The more that you understand the more that you can relate, the more that you can relate the more that you can reflect on the things that you have learned. In this essay, I will argue that Shakespeare’s works are important to learn . I will support my argument by explaining the universal themes in Shakespeare’s
In the words of T.S. Eliot, “We can say of Shakespeare, that never has a man turned so little knowledge to such great account” (Eliot). The works of Shakespeare are known throughout the world as classic literary pieces. The lessons learned through reading Shakespeare have carried themselves and remain to be true although they have been around for hundreds of years. The style in which William Shakespeare wrote has influenced a great amount of the literature that has been written in the more recent past-- books that are read throughout schools in the United States today. It is necessary to read the work of William Shakespeare in schools today, not only because of the lessons in his work, but to understand the roots of some of today’s literature.
Most people today don’t see any importance or interest in reading Shakespeare. A lot of people think this because it’s simply “too difficult to understand” or “too much effort”. However, Michael Mack, a college professor, speaks on the contrary to a class of college freshmen. Mack develops an effective argument that reading shakespeare is worth the effort at the end, through his use of rhetorical devices and counterclaims.
Whether or not you have read or watched one of the many fascinating works done by Shakespeare, his name is everywhere, giving that students have contemplated at least once or twice about this incredibly intelligent man. One of Shakespeare’s most famous plays would be the tragic love story, Romeo and Juliet. Though Romeo and Juliet is one of English’s most famous love stories, it shows a variation of controversial themes. Critic Kelvin Odoobo states in his essay, “Book Review: Romeo and Juliet By William Shakespeare,” that “Shakespeare
In this essay I will be arguing that shakespeare should be taught in High School. In my opinion, I think that William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in the 9th grade curriculum should be taught because it relates to teenagers during this part of their life as they are going through love, jealously, and etc.. The three topics of which teenagers begin to experience during the beginning of their High School education. As William Shakespeare once said, “Nice and easy does it; those that run too fast will fall”. Just like 9th graders wanting to experience it all too fast without understanding what Shakespeare is trying to get across to the reader. In this paragraph I will show how shakespeare relates to teenagers feeling at this age. In my other paragraph I will be explaining how William became famous all over the world. My third paragraph with be an counter argument.
In schools all over the country Shakespeare is being taught not only in high schools but also at the college level. My first thought of what to think of this is that Shakespeare shouldn’t be taught nearly as much as it is. There are various different sources severely less painful to teach and learn. But the more I researched and learned the importance of Shakespeare, the more I realized its benefits being taught in today’s society. Shakespeare's plays challenges students with difficult language and style, show a great connection to the knowledge of human behavior and offer a deep understanding into our society.
Shakespeare is probably one of the most important playwrights the world is seen, but we need to save his work for a higher grade level that the middle schoolers that are reading Romeo and Juliet for the first time. You shouldn’t be reading most of Shakespeare’s plays until students are at a sophomore reading level, so you vocabulary is more inverse with the old english language Shakespeare's work comes out of. Many people talk about shakespeare as the
The new-age question whether shakespeare should be included in school curriculum is quite controversial. Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest playwright of all time. This is a debatable subject. However he may or may not be the greatest is he worth enough to be in the curriculum taught in America’s school systems? Most opinions vote for the great playwright to be included, but should he really. Shakespeare should be included in the ninth grade curriculum because of his insight on human behavior, and challenges improve us as a whole, and it can help us develop connections within ourselves.
students about Shakespeare and how difficult it is to understand his works but it has a
For as long as Shakespeare has been taught in English classrooms, talk of whether or not this curriculum is truly necessary or educational in any way has constantly been brought up. The typical complaint from the majority of students is that it is extremely strenuous to even begin to try and understand what Shakespeare is saying. Or the usual protest that it is so boring and pointless. Perhaps they are just overwhelmed when they stumble upon Shakespeare’s use of Old English or his sonnets that have deeply embedded messages about love. Whether you agree or not, learning about Shakespeare is an amazing way of presenting to students an unfamiliar form of English used to construct scenarios that would otherwise be found as cruelly embarrassing if it weren’t for Shakespeare bringing them to light in his works of art.
Most who are not English majors or avid Shakespeare fans find his language hard to understand. And when students face Shakespeare’s works, they not only have to navigate through complex language but pluck out the message of the play. Students should not be forced to read Shakespeare. To force students’ to read Shakespeare is to uphold offensive ideas and teach only the perspective of a white man.