Suggested Activities Session One Blackline Master #1 Define theme In a class discussion, review the definition of theme and ask students to brainstorm a list of themes found in Shakespeare s A Midsummer Night s Dream (or other Shakespearean play). Suggest such themes as parenting, love, power in relationships and the supernatural/magic if they are not raised in discussion. knowledge of theme and of the play Compare themes Ask students to complete the Theme comparison chart (Blackline Master #1) beginning with the themes generated in the class discussion. Instruct students to describe in the first column how the theme is treated in the play and in the second column how the same issue is considered in modern society. Name: Blackline Master #1 Parenting Theme comparison chart comparison chart SHAKESPEARE S TIME CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY Love Discuss relevant themes Once completed, discuss the charts with the class. Open the discussion with questions such as: Which issues seem the easiest to link between the past and present? Power Supernatural Which issues seem the most difficult to link between the past and present? Present the first critical challenge Introduce the critical task: Create a comparative collage showing the links between Shakespearean and present times. Critical Challenges in English for Secondary Students 133 The Critical Thinking Consortium Discuss with the class the criteria for an effective comparative collage: contains many relevant items or features; clearly shows the links between the two periods; criteria for a comparative collage is revealing or interesting. Create collages Divide students into small groups. Provide each group with scissors, current newspapers and news magazines, glue, and a large piece of construction paper. Direct each group to search through the newspapers and news magazines to find articles, headlines and/or pictures referring to current issues and to use them to compose a now and then collage that illustrates the links between the present and Shakespearean times. (An additional class period may be required for students to complete this task.) Critical Challenges in English for Secondary Students 130 The Critical Thinking Consortium
Session Two Blackline Master #2 Display collages When the collages are completed, ask groups to display them and explain their choice of clippings. Determine relevance today Ask students to complete Comparing Shakespeare s time with the present (Blackline Master #2). Use the completed masters as a foundation for a discussion to determine which Shakespearean theme has the greatest relevance today. Invite students to consider which of these themes has the most extensive and pertinent applicability in contemporary life and why. Name: Blackline Master #2 Comparing Shakespeare s time with the present SIMILARITIES DIFFERENCES Parenting in Shakespeare s time is similar to Parenting in Shakespeare s time is different from today because today because Love in Shakespeare s time is similar to today Love in Shakespeare s time is different from today because because Power in Shakespeare s time is similar to today Power in Shakespeare s time is different from because today because The supernatural in Shakespeare s time is similar The supernatural in Shakespeare s time is different to today because from today because Pose the second critical challenge Pose the critical question: Which Shakespearean theme is most relevant to modern society? Critical Challenges in English for Secondary Students 134 The Critical Thinking Consortium Ask students to write a short essay (1 3 pages) in which they explain and defend their choice. Suggest that students explore why their theme is more extensive and pertinent to today s life than any of the other themes. criteria for personal relevance Evaluation Blackline Masters #3-4 Assess the collage Assess student groups collages using the rubric Assessing the collage (Blackline Master #3). According to this rubric, the collage is worth 10 marks based on the following criteria: Names: Blackline Master #3 Use the following rubric to assess students comparative collage of Shakespearean and contemporary times. Award intermediate marks for work falling between the descriptors. Assessing the collage Underdeveloped Competent Well developed Clearly Very few links are represented Represents a handful of links Clearly represents an extensive represent the clearly between past and between past and present number of links between past links present times. times, but important parallels and present times. are overlooked. clearly represents a number of relevant links made between the past and present; Comments: Items are The items in the collage are Many aspects of the collage are The items in the collage are interesting uninteresting or confusing. somewhat interesting or very interesting and revealing. and revealing revealing. selects and arranges items that are interesting and revealing. TOTAL / 10 Critical Challenges in English for Secondary Students 135 The Critical Thinking Consortium Critical Challenges in English for Secondary Students 131 The Critical Thinking Consortium
Assess the short essay Assess the short essays using the rubric Assessing personal relevance (Blackline Master #4). According to this rubric, the short essay is worth 10 marks based on the following criteria: provides convincing reasons for the relevance of the identified themes; explains why the identified theme is more relevant than any of the other themes. Assessing personal relevance Use the following rubric to assess students justification of the most relevant theme. Award intermediate marks for work falling between the descriptors. Underdeveloped Competent Well developed Provides Provides no convincing Provides a few reasons for the Provides very convincing convincing reasons for the relevance of relevance of the identified reasons for the relevance of reasons the identified theme. theme, but important issues the identified theme. are overlooked. Explains No attempt is made to explain Provides some explanation why Provides very convincing relevance over why the identified theme is the identified theme is more explanations why the other themes more relevant than any of the relevant than the other themes. identified theme is more other themes. relevant than all of the other themes. Comments: Names: Blackline Master #4 TOTAL / 10 Critical Challenges in English for Secondary Students 136 The Critical Thinking Consortium Extension Debate the relevance of the play Translate into a modern setting Hold a debate with the resolution: A Midsummer Night s Dream is still relevant to modern society. Translate a scene from a Shakespearean play into a modern setting using current English to demonstrate that the play is relevant to contemporary society. References William Shakespeare. A Midsummer Nights Dream. Critical Challenges in English for Secondary Students 132 The Critical Thinking Consortium
Name: Blackline Master #1 Theme comparison chart SHAKESPEARE S TIME CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY Parenting Love Power Supernatural Critical Challenges in English for Secondary Students 133 The Critical Thinking Consortium
Name: Blackline Master #2 Comparing Shakespeare s time with the present SIMILARITIES Parenting in Shakespeare s time is similar to today because DIFFERENCES Parenting in Shakespeare s time is different from today because Love in Shakespeare s time is similar to today because Love in Shakespeare s time is different from today because Power in Shakespeare s time is similar to today because Power in Shakespeare s time is different from today because The supernatural in Shakespeare s time is similar to today because The supernatural in Shakespeare s time is different from today because Critical Challenges in English for Secondary Students 134 The Critical Thinking Consortium
Names: Blackline Master #3 Assessing the collage Use the following rubric to assess students comparative collage of Shakespearean and contemporary times. Award intermediate marks for work falling between the descriptors. Underdeveloped Competent Well developed Clearly Very few links are represented Represents a handful of links Clearly represents an extensive represent the clearly between past and between past and present number of links between past links present times. times, but important parallels and present times. are overlooked. Items are The items in the collage are Many aspects of the collage are The items in the collage are interesting uninteresting or confusing. somewhat interesting or very interesting and revealing. and revealing revealing. Comments: TOTAL / 10 Critical Challenges in English for Secondary Students 135 The Critical Thinking Consortium
Names: Blackline Master #4 Assessing personal relevance Use the following rubric to assess students justification of the most relevant theme. Award intermediate marks for work falling between the descriptors. Underdeveloped Competent Well developed Provides Provides no convincing Provides a few reasons for the Provides very convincing convincing reasons for the relevance of relevance of the identified reasons for the relevance of reasons the identified theme. theme, but important issues the identified theme. are overlooked. Explains No attempt is made to explain Provides some explanation why Provides very convincing relevance over why the identified theme is the identified theme is more explanations why the other themes more relevant than any of the relevant than the other themes. identified theme is more other themes. relevant than all of the other themes. Comments: TOTAL / 10 Critical Challenges in English for Secondary Students 136 The Critical Thinking Consortium