Totally Macbeth - Teacher Reflection on the Unit

Teacher Reflection on the Unit

Task 3: Totally Macbeth

What scene really “makes the man”? In Act I, we met Macbeth a few times. Which scene is the most telling of his character? Is it one in which others are talking about him, or is it one that shows something he does? Con- sider the opinions of Macbeth expressed by the witches, the captain, Duncan, Banquo, and Macbeth himself.

Directions:

1. Discuss and reach consensus—meaning that everyone agrees to live with the decision, even if it isn’t their favorite—about the most telling or significant scene in Act I. Cite specific textual examples that support your group’s claim using

• Diction (specific word choice).

• Figurative language, such as simile, metaphor, hyperbole, paradox, and so on.

• Motifs (may also be figures of speech that you see repeated in other scenes).

• Scansion (How do iambs and trochees work to emphasize key words and phrases? Where does Shakespeare break the pattern, and how does that change the emphasis?).

2. Present the scene for the class, involving as many members of the group as possible. Here are some sugges- tions for presentation formats:

• Freeze Frame:Provide actors and an onstage narrator who on occasion stops the action to emphasize or explicate key moments or to ask the audience for feedback (“What do you think Macbeth’s motivation is here?”).

• Twin Time:Act the scene with key characters having a twin who translates the text into modern language.

• What Was He Thinking?: Act the scene and have on-the-spot interviews of the characters to get the “inside scoop.”

RAFT Options for Macbeth (Acts I and II)

Directions:Complete one of the RAFT options below for homework. In your product, be sure to replicate the character’s concerns (the issues, ideas, and motives important to the character) and voice (both in attitude and in tone). These products will be evaluated not only for creativity and completeness, but also for evidence that you understand character action and motivation inMacbeth. For bonus points, use Shakespearean language in your product.

Role Audience Format Topic

Macbeth The witches Missed connections

advertisement in a local paper

When Will I See You Again?

Witches Hecate, chief witch Report Mischief Made of Late:

How We’re Messing with Macbeth

Lady Macbeth Macbeth Diary entry, left open

on her bed for Macbeth to see

Nice Guys Finish Last

Banquo Macbeth Letter Patience Is a Virtue

Duncan His Scottish subjects Newspaper editorial The Past Is Past and Here’s What’s Next

Macbeth Himself Diary entry It’s Time to Be

Two-Faced

You Say Yin, I Say Yang: The Nature of Paradox

A paradox is a contradiction in terms, a truth that contains contradictory elements. For example, in your relationship with a family member or friend, you may experience the emotions of both love and hatred—two sentiments that are in deep opposition. The truth is, however, that you and this person are forever connected in this relationship, for better or for worse.

Also known as “compressed conflicts,” oxymorons are opposites that attract to achieve a certain chaotic bal- ance, or a peaceable war. Ambiguity is the name of the game in Shakespeare’s world when it comes to human nature: Our motivations and dilemmas all take on varying shades of gray.

Task A: Oxymoron or Not? That Is the Question . . .

1. Review the list below and mark “yes” for the phrases that represent both oxymorons and paradoxes. Then mark “no” for phrases that are not oxymorons because they are actually synonyms or imperfect opposites.

Jumbo shrimp ¨ ^YES ¨ ^NO

Loyal friends ¨ ^YES ¨ ^NO

Fated coincidence ¨ ^YES ¨ ^NO

Blatantly obvious ¨ ^YES ¨ ^NO

Practical magic ¨ ^YES ¨ ^NO

Military intelligence ¨ ^YES ¨ ^NO

Treasonous malice ¨ ^YES ¨ ^NO

Real counterfeit ¨ ^YES ¨ ^NO

Wakeful sleep ¨ ^YES ¨ ^NO

Drenching rain ¨ ^YES ¨ ^NO

Reformed criminal ¨ ^YES ¨ ^NO

Violent love ¨ ^YES ¨ ^NO

Thunderous applause ¨ ^YES ¨ ^NO

Corporeal spirit ¨ ^YES ¨ ^NO

Marital bliss ¨ ^YES ¨ ^NO

Clearly obscure ¨ ^YES ¨ ^NO

Bloody execution ¨ ^YES ¨ ^NO

2. Come up with three oxymorons of your own.

3. Find at least three paradoxes in scenes fromMacbeth.

4. Pick one of these paradoxes fromMacbethand either draw a symbolic picture that represents the paradox OR write a poem that provides multiple examples and ways that the paradox can be true in everyday life.

Task B: Pick a Peck of Pickled Paradoxes

1. Identify which in the list below originate fromMacbeth.Explain how they are apt expressions for the scene where they occur.

Jumbo shrimp Loyal friends Fated coincidence Blatantly obvious Practical magic Military intelligence Treasonous malice Real counterfeit Wakeful sleep Drenching rain Reformed criminal Violent love

Thunderous applause Corporeal spirit Marital bliss Clearly obscure Bloody execution

2. Paradox exists in the mind of the beholder. Something that strikes you as an oxymoron may not seem like one to someone else. For example, a grocery store where I shop has a sign claiming, “Our Fish Is Always Fresh.” To me, “always-fresh fish” is an oxymoron. How can something perishable be “always fresh”? To the grocery store, “always-fresh fish” isnotan oxymoron. It just means that fish will be for sale for a set period of time—until it’s no longer fresh. Review the list of oxymorons and identify those that might NOT be oxymorons to someone in specific circumstances.

3. Identify the one paradox inMacbeththat is most emblematic of the truth of the play, and then choose one of the following product expressions:

A. Create a mobile, a sculpture, or some other 3–D representation in which the truth, or thesis, is the hanging device and the suspended elements are quotations from the play that support your claim.

B. Write lyrics for a piece of music that reflects the tone of the play’s truth and that particular paradox.

C. Write a dialogue in which two characters from the play, two famous philosophers, or two famous modern people analyze the play’s truth and emblematic paradox.

Identification Analysis (Group A)

Choose one of the following prompts and respond in writing. Before you make your choice, review the dou- ble-entry journal work you have completed in your Director’s Notebook. If you have a hard time choosing, con- sult the teacher for a recommendation. Be sure to refer to the rubric for writing guidelines.

A. I’m Here to Save the Day!What is a hero and what is a villain? Define the words “hero” and “villain” using a dictionary definition backed by examples of particular individuals within the play.

B. But What About Me?What does it mean to be an individual within Elizabethan society? Define the word

“individual” using a dictionary definition and historical research into Shakespeare’s times. Back up your find- ings using examples of certain characters within the play.

C. Utopia.What would Elizabethans consider to be an ideal society? Define the word “society” using a dictionary definition as well as historical research of Shakespeare’s times, backed by examples of the society pre- sented within the play.

D. Who’s in Charge?What is fate? Define the word “fate” using examples from the play.

E. Be a Man.How does the play define manhood? Use the actions of specific characters (especially Macbeth, Macduff, and Lady Macbeth) to illustrate Shakespeare’s idea of true manhood.

F. Women on the Verge of . . .How does the play define womanhood? Use the actions of Lady Macbeth and Lady Macduff to identify Shakespeare’s idea of true womanhood.

G. The Devil Made Me Do It.How does the play define witchcraft? Is it a craft of bewitching others or something else? Define it, referencing actions of any relevant characters within the play.

H. Power Corrupts and Absolute Power . . .What constitutes power within this play? Define “power” in Macbeth, referencing its healthy uses and its abuses within the play. To introduce or conclude your essay, provide a modern example of healthy use of power and an abuse of power.

I. My Turn.What would you like to identify in this play? Make a proposal for a prompt.

Comparison/Contrast and Interpretive Analysis (Group B)

A. Something Wicked This Way Comes.Unquestionably, Macbeth is tempted in this play. What is the nature of the temptation? What tempts him and how does it tempt him? How does Macbeth handle this temptation?

Examine the source of the temptation and the response of this battle-hardened warrior to the words of a few witches. Why is Macbeth an interesting person for us to watch being tempted?

B. Which Comes First?If Macbeth’s personal goal is ambition, what is his society’s goal for him? What role is he supposed to play? How do his goals and the goals of his society compare and contrast? Does his society support ambition or try to quash it?

C. Love, Power, Freedom, or Fun?Macbeth’s most obvious need is for power, but does he demonstrate a long- ing for any other important need? Do his various needs compete or complement one another? What are the results of his behavior? What is Shakespeare’s message to the audience?

D. Full of Sound and Fury, Signifying . . .Within the larger historical context that the play documents, were Macbeth’s efforts meaningful or meaningless? What, if anything, is a tragic hero supposed to teach us?

E. King for a Day.What do we learn from Duncan the King versus Macbeth the King? Compare and contrast their actions while in positions of royal authority. Also note references to Edward the Confessor. What con- cept of ideal royal authority is Shakespeare presenting here?

F. Be a Man, Why Don’tcha.What is the play’s commentary on manhood? What do we learn from Macduff the warrior and man versus Macbeth the warrior and man? Do any other “real men” step up to the plate? Com- pare and contrast Macbeth and Macduff according to a standard of ideal male behavior established in the drama.

G. I Am Woman; Hear Me Roar.What is the play’s commentary on womanhood? What do we learn from Lady Macbeth, the childless wife, versus Lady MacDuff, the wife and mother? Compare and contrast these two according to a standard of ideal female behavior established in the drama.

H. She-Man.Is Lady Macbeth’s role womanly or manly or something else entirely? Compare and contrast her with Renaissance and/or modern definitions of femininity and masculinity. Use the text to support your definitions.

I. Come, You Spirits . . .Lady Macbeth is power-hungry. What is the source of Lady Macbeth’s power? Is she supernaturally connected—perhaps with the power of a sorceress? Or is she simply a power-hungry thane’s wife? Compare and contrast Lady Macbeth with the witches and other powerful people in the play in order to determine what makes her tick and gives her strength.

J. A Marriage Made in . . .What kind of a marriage do the Macbeths have? Characterize each of them in terms of how they treat one another. Do their personalities complement one another or ultimately conflict? What in the language of the Macbeths’ scenes together tells you how the actors who play the roles should behave toward one another while in character?

K. Power Play.What does Shakespeare tell us about the quest for power? Compare and contrast individuals such as Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Duncan, Banquo, Macduff, and others to find Shakespeare’s message.

L. Vaulting Ambition?Citizens of the 21st century tend to believe that an individual’s progress within a society is a combination of personal choices and coincidence/providence. What is your hypothesis as to why Macbeth rose and fell from power in his society? Weigh the factors of individual choice and coincidence/providence, and produce a theory of what special cause or combination of causes determines the life that Macbeth leads.

M.Motif, Schmotif.How do motifs intersect and complement to produce a particular thematic message? For example, how do nature and weather intersect with the animal world? How do blood and sleep run parallel?

N. My Turn.What would you like to compare and contrast or interpret in this play? Make a proposal for a prompt.

Final Group Projects: The Making of Macbeth Option A

1. With your group, share the entries from your Director’s Notebook and reach consensus about the motif you find most compelling.

2. Develop a group thesis statement:We believe that the motif of X communicates the theme of :

that . In the first blank, write an

abstract noun (your general theme). In the second blank, write an appositive (a phrase that further explains and represents that general theme).

3. Chose one scene fromMacbethto present in front of the class. Consider teacher-recommended scene options before making your final decision. Note that this scene must illustrate your thesis statement—your director’s vision.

4. Assign roles. You’ll need a director, actors, set and costume designers, and film editors.

5. Prepare the scene for class performance. Decide how to stage the scene so that it will be highly symbolic of your chosen theme and convey its motif in all aspects: through acting, blocking, set design, costumes, and props.

Option B

1. With your group, select a historical setting (a time and a place), then choose one scene fromMacbethto present in front of the class in a manner appropriate to that setting. Consider the following teacher-recommended options or propose your own. (You must provide a distinct date and specify the system of government.) Teacher recommendations:

• Nazi Germany, 1939 (a fascist regime).

• New York City, 2001 (a democratic republic, post–9/11).

• Paris, 1789 (an absolutist regime on the eve of the French Revolution).

• St. Petersburg, or Petrograd, 1917 (an absolutist regime fast becoming an autocratic communist regime).

• Rwanda, 1994 (a presidential republic with a multiparty system on the brink of anarchy during the government-orchestrated massacre of Tutsis and moderate Hutus).

• Our Town, USA, 2050 (the future of our democratic republic).

2. As a group, research your chosen historical setting, using electronic and print sources to understand the rules and attitudes that governed both individuals and their society. Here are some questions to consider:

• How were figures in authority and government viewed at the time?

• Who tended to be the heroes?

• How aligned were individual and societal wants?

• What are the powerful and symbolic visual images from this time period that represent the relationships between the individual and society?

3. As a group, discuss how to present your scene fromMacbethin a manner reflective of your chosen historical setting. What would remain the same? What would differ? Write a group thesis statement for your vision of the scene:In (chosen historical setting), the individual and his/her society had a relationship that (describe it, using nouns and adjectives).

4. Assign roles. You’ll need a director, actors, set and costume designers, and film editors.

CriteriaSophisticatedStrongAdequate ActingLinesarefluentanddeliveredwithcom- prehension,feeling,clearcharacter motivation,andauthenticity;actorsown thespacesothatweforgetwe’re watchingaplay.

Linesarestronganddeliveredwithfeel- ing;charactermotivationisevident;use ofspaceisappropriate.

Linedeliveryisinterruptedwithlapsesof memoryandlackofclarityoncharacter motivation,butmorethan80%is memorized;inconsistenciesinuseof spacedetractfromtheperformance. DirectingBlockingdirectlyrelatestothetheme andcharactermotivationsandisinven- tive,takesrisks,andshowsthegroup anddirector’svision;aclearunitylinks allaspectsofthescenetodemonstrate thethemeand/orthetimeperiod’s beliefsabouttheindividualandsociety.

Blockingiscreativeandinkeepingwith themeandcharactermotivations;the sceneclearlydemonstratesthetheme and/orthetimeperiod’sbeliefsabout theindividualandsociety.

Unfocusedortangentialblockingdis- tractsfrompresentationofthemeand charactermotivation;thesceneisren- deredmoreasamomentofShake- speareantextthanasaclearvisionof thethemeand/orthetimeperiod’s beliefsabouttheindividualandsociety. Sets,Props, and Costume Design

Thethemeand/orthetimeperiod comesalivewithappropriateandsym- bolicsets,props,andcostumes;all designelementsareattractiveandcare- fullyconstructedtosupportaunified visionofthetheme.

Sets,props,andcostumesstronglysug- gestthethemeand/orthetimeperiod; appropriateandsymbolicpropsappear; designelementsarewellmade.

Sets,props,andcostumesrepresentthe themeand/orthetimeperiod,butlacka unityofvisionorclearsymbolism;cer- taindesignelementsareverybasicor missing. Group ParticipationThegroupisatrueteam,withwork distributedequitablyandenthusiasti- cally,asshownbyclassmeetingsand finalperformance.

Thegroupshowsstrongevidenceofcol- laboration,butthereareoccasionalrup- turesinteamunity,atwhichtime certainmembersdominateorrecedeto thebackground.

Theperformancecomesoffwelldespite glitchesinteamunity,suchasmember dominationorpassivity;wordofgroup disunityanddiscouragementgetsout. Historical Accuracy (OptionB only)

Thehistoricalsettingcomesalive authenticallythroughaspectsofacting, directing,anddesign;therelationship betweentheindividualandsocietyis accurate,realistic,andcompelling.

Thehistoricalsettingisaccurately presentedthroughaspectsofacting, directinganddesign;therelationship betweentheindividualandsocietyis accurateandrealistic.

Anachronismspreventultimatebeliev- ability,butacting,directing,anddesign attempttorenderahistoricalsetting.

SAMPLE 2.11—Final Group Project Evaluation Rubric

Self- and Group Assessment for the Macbeth Final Group Project Name

Directions:Rate thyself on thy performance: 1 = “poor,” 2 = “on target,” 3 = “strong,” and 4 = “excellent.”

Circle N/A if you did not have that role.

My research 1 2 3 4

My acting 1 2 3 4 N/A

My directing 1 2 3 4 N/A

My scene, costume, and/or prop design 1 2 3 4 N/A

My daily work ethic 1 2 3 4

My consideration of others in the group 1 2 3 4

Here are a few specific examples of my performance that elaborate on the ratings provided above:

I would like to compliment the following group members’ performances because

I would like to constructively critique the following group members’ performances because

Toward Disunion:

1854–1861

A U.S. History Unit on the Path to the Civil War

Unit Developer: Lyn Fairchild

Introduction

This four-week Advanced Placement (AP) history unit challenges students to adopt the role of historian as they identify the causes of the Civil War and explore historical events in comparison to modern events. Students also adopt the role of a created persona from the antebellum or Civil War era who responds to large-scale events through a particular perspective. In addition to reading, taking notes on, and dis- cussing such issues, students practice the skill of marshalling evidence to prove a thesis for free-response questions on the AP History test. Individuals who struggle in this area receive targeted instruction and support, while strong writers have the option to proceed with independent studies.

The culmination of the unit is the Living Time Line Project, which brings the class together on a variety of levels. It challenges everyone to walk in the shoes of an historical figure and to present a persona in an exciting and meaningful way while thinking about the larger themes of sectional tensions, political democracy, and individual contributions to societal trends.

Teacher Reflection on Designing the Unit

This history unit is built on national standards and draws on my belief that students should role-play the task of historian instead of simply reading what others have written. It’s also important for students to realize that history is alive: The past events they study are immediately relevant to the current events they experience.

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weeks may appear to be a luxurious concession of time to any particular unit in an AP U.S. History course, particularly when only 20 to 30 pages of textbook reading frame the unit’s historical events. However, the path to disunion raises core issues and helps students understand how the business of the American Revolution was unfinished and how the Civil Rights movement and other pivotal reforms of the 20th century were consequen- tial developments stemming from events of the Civil War.

In designing this unit, I wanted to include a strong writing component. By the time that an AP U.S. History class typically reaches the unit on the Civil War, the AP exam is beginning to loom large on the horizon. For the teacher, the time has come to identify who can and cannot defend an historical interpretation with evidence. Many students who appeared qualified in August now could be “hitting the wall” in a class that may be the first advanced challenge of their high school career. Students who, at this point, might earn a2on the exam need special attention. Thus, I designed a differentiated unit that allows struggling students the chance to develop the skills they are lacking and at the same time allows advanced students who are eloquent thinkers and writers the opportu- nity to accelerate through unit material so that their progress is unimpeded.

Dalam dokumen Carol Ann Tomlinson Cindy A. Strickland (Halaman 104-114)