UNIVERSITY OF MAINE AT FARMINGTON
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, HEALTH AND REHABILITATION
LESSON PLAN FORMAT
Teacher’s Name: Miss Mayes
Lesson #: 2
Facet: Self-Knowledge
Grade Level: 11-12
Numbers of Days: 3
Topic: Literature
PART I:
Objectives
Student will understand that multiple themes develop over the course of the text.
Student will know that the themes that appear in Shakespeare's Othello are enduring, and can be applied
to our lives today, and the vocabulary "theme", "Heroism vs. love", "jealousy", "appearance vs. reality",
and "women and sexuality."
Student will be able to reflect on how themes are enduring and how they relate to their own lives.
Product: PhotoShow
Maine Learning Results (MLR) or Common Core State Standards (CCSS) Alignment
Common Core State Standards
Content Area: Literature
Grade Level: 11-12
Domain: Literature
Standard: Key Ideas and Details
Cluster: 1,2,3
Text: Othello by William Shakespeare
Rationale: Students will explore the development of themes over the course of the text by analyzing Acts
I and II of Othello. Students will understand that these themes are enduring and that they can be applied to
our lives today through a visual medium.
Assessments
Formative (Assessment for Learning)
Section I – checking for understanding during instruction
Students will reflect on themes using a Quick Write exercise, where students will be given a 10 to 15
minute period of time to reflect, make connections, and predictions on the subject of themes in Othello.
Section II – timely feedback for products (self, peer, teacher)
Students will self assess their PhotoShows using a checklist and self-assess how they contributed to their
group using a self-assessment form. The teacher will use a checklist to evaluate and assess student
PhotoShows.
Summative (Assessment of Learning):
PhotoShow (50): With a partner, you will create a digital slide show using your own pictures and/or
Creative Commons images on themes of your choice from Othello. Using images, you will connect
themes to your own life and show the similarities and/or differences between them. This assignment will
be assessed using a checklist and a self-assessment form.
Integration
Technology: Students will use the website PhotoShow.com to create a visual medium that conveys their
understanding of themes in Othello and how they connect to their own lives.
Art: Students will use visuals, music, and text to create a slideshow that depicts themes from Othello and
connect them to their own lives.
Groupings
Section I - Graphic Organizer & Cooperative Learning used during instruction
Students will use a Cluster/Web in a Team-Pair-Solo cooperative activity to share ideas. Students will use
their Winter Partners (predetermined in a seasonal partners activity) to complete the activity.
Section II – Groups and Roles for Product
Students will be paired in their Spring Partners when creating their PhotoShows. If their partner is absent,
they will either pair with another student in the same situation, or join another group to form a group of
three. Each student will have an equal responsibility to find images that connect themes from Othello to
their lives, and to use the technology to create a visual representation of themes.
Differentiated Instruction
MI Strategies
Verbal: Students will discuss the connections in character and theme between O and Othello.
Logical: Students will analyze how the themes from Othello were portrayed in the film adaptation.
Visual: Students will find Creative Commons images that capture the themes from Othello to incorporate
into their PhotoShow.
Intrapersonal: Students will select a theme from Othello and reflect on how it relates to their own life.
Interpersonal: Students will discuss how themes from Othello relate to their lives.
Naturalist: Students will find similarities in the environments described in the play and shown in the the
film clip.
Modifications/Accommodations
From IEP’s ( Individual Education Plan), 504’s, ELLIDEP (English Language Learning Instructional
Delivery Education Plan) I will review student’s IEP, 504 or ELLIDEP and make appropriate
modifications and accommodations.
Plan for accommodating absent students:
Students will be emailed the link to the class information from the class website. The class agenda,
Cluster/Web graphic organizer, and the instructions and checklist for the PhotoShow product will be
posted there. I will ask the absent student to complete the assignment independently, since their Spring
Partner will have been paired with someone else, and turn it in as close to the due date as possible.
Alternatively, they will pair with another student in the same situation, or join another group to form a
group of three. Students who feel they can skype into the class will do so, and skype with their Spring
Partner in order to complete the activity.
Extensions
Type II technology:
Students will create a digital slide show to demonstrate an ability to connect themes from a text with their
own lives. The collaborative component, ease with which images are synthesized, ability to insert text,
and ability to use music pushes PhotoShow to a Type II technology.
Gifted Students:
Students who wish to explore the content further will write a short, one to two paragraph component
explaining the relationship between the images they chose and how it connects to their lives and Othello.
Materials, Resources and Technology
List all the items you need for the lesson.
•
laptop
•
internet access
•
LCD projector
•
video trailer of O
•
Cluster/Web graphic organizer
•
Seasonal Partners sheets (already completed)
•
copies of Othello
Source for Lesson Plan and Research
PhotoShow Website
http://www.photoshow.com/home/start
PhotoShow Tutorial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3hogTgzjuU&lr=1&uid=KLMMhrc_ksOZrihKDOmntA
Trailer for O
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz1NIOjkJi0
Quick Write How To
QuickWrite.pdf
Themes in Othello
http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/othello/themes.html
http://www.litcharts.com/lit/othello/themes
Definitions:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theme_%28literature%29
Cluster/Web Graphic Organizer
ClusterWeb.pdf
ISP Graphic Organizer
ISP Graphic Organizer.pdf
Othello text
Online Teact: http://shakespeare.mit.edu/othello/full.html
Kindle Download ($5.99) http://www.amazon.com/Othello-Folger-Shakespeare-LibraryWilliam/dp/0743477553
Alternative Online Text:
http://books.google.com/books?id=qFLLDlKEfhkC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&c
ad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false
Audio Book: http://librivox.org/othello-by-william-shakespeare/
Hard Copy: Folger edition of Othello
PART II:
Teaching and Learning Sequence (Describe the teaching and learning process using all of the
information from part I of the lesson plan)
The classroom will be arranged in a U format with the top of the U facing where the projector will display
on the wall so that all students can see.
Day 1
•Hook: Teacher will show the film trailer O (10 minutes)
•Students will have a discussion on themes in Othello and O and their similarities and differences, making
sure to go over key vocabulary. (40 minutes)
•Students will Quick Write about their thoughts and the themes discussed. (10 minutes)
•Students will compare themes from Othello to their own lives with the Web/Cluster graphic organizer
and a Team-Pair-Solo activity, using their Winter Partner groups to form the initial teams. (15 minutes)
•Homework: Read Act I, Scene i
Day 2
•Students and teacher will discuss Act II, scene i of Othello, using the ISP organizers from the previous
lesson. (30 minutes)
•Teacher will give a demonstration of PhotoShow and give directions and checklist for the product
assignment. (20 minutes)
•Students will work on their PhotoShows in their Spring Partner groups (10 minutes)
•Homework: Read Act II, scene ii
The classroom will be arranged in clusters so the students can work in groups.
Day 3
•Teacher will answer questions about Act II, scene ii homework reading (20 minutes)
•Students will work on their PhotoShows for the remainder of class. (60 minutes)
Students will understand that multiple themes develop over the course of the text. Key Ideas and Details.
Connecting the themes from Shakespeare's Othello to their own lives will allow students to understand
that themes are enduring. By using a graphic organizer, students will identify multiple themes that
connect to their lives, and track their development over the course of the text. The teacher will show the
film trailer for the movie O directed by Tim Blake Nelson. This film takes the plot of Othello and sets it
in a modern day, elite private school in the southern United States. Students will be able to see the
connections between these fictional high school characters and make connections between themes to their
own lives.
Where, Why , What, Hook Tailors: Visual
Students will know that the themes that appear in Shakespeare's Othello are enduring and can be applied
to our lives today, as well as the vocabulary "theme", "heroism vs. love", "jealousy", "appearance vs.
reality", and "women and sexuality." See content notes. After viewing the film trailer, students will
participate in a class discussion of themes that appear in Othello, and make connections between
Shakespeare's original work and Nelson's cinematic adaptation. Key vocabulary will be discussed so that
all students understand the content being explored. The teacher will allow students to process the
information from the discussion with a Quick Write activity, where responses will be posted to the class
website. These responses will allow the teacher to check for understanding. Next, students will be directed
to form teams of four using their Winter Partners. Students will then complete a Web/Cluster graphic
organizer in which they connect themes from Othello to their own lives. After five minutes, the teams will
split into pairs where they will continue to work on the graphic organizer, and after the next five minutes
have gone by, students will have the chance to personally reflect and finish the organizer. Their
homework will be to read Act II, scene i. The next day, the teacher and students will discuss the previous
night's reading using the ISP organizer from the previous lesson. Afterwards, the teacher will give a
demonstration of PhotoShow and hand out the checklist. For the last 10 minutes of class, student will pair
with their Spring Partners to start thinking about the themes they wish to connect to in their PhotoShow.
The homework will be to read the next scene in Othello. The next day, the teacher will answer any
questions about the assigned reading. The students will have the class period to work on and complete
their PhotoShows.
Equip, Explore, Rethink, Revise, Tailors: Visual, Verbal, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Logical
Students will be able to understand that multiple themes develop over the course of the text, and make
connections between those themes and their own lives through PhotoShow. Students will analyze the
development of themes and evaluate how they connect to their own lives. The final product will utilize
student ability to create and synthesize information into a visual representative of their thinking process.
Students will be grouped in their Spring Partners (previously determined in a partner-finding activity).
Each member of the group will have the responsibility of finding images to use in the PhotoShow, using
the technology, and contributing one or more connections between Othello and their own lives. Students
who understand the themes that occur in Othello and who are able to make the connection between those
themes and their own lives will have a rich visual representation of their thinking process. Students will
be assessed via checklist, and be given the opportunity to revise their work should they choose to do so
after the teacher has assessed their PhotoShows..
Explore, Experience, Revise, Refine, Tailors: Interpersonal, Visual, Interpersonal
The teacher will post the checklist and the written directions for the project on the class website. Students
will individually self-assess their work with a personal reflection and the checklist provided by the
teacher. The student will email a copy of their self assessment and checklist to the teacher. Students will
post the link to their completed PhotoShows to the class website, and the teacher will assess them with the
checklist. The self assessment will include the following criteria, and will ask students to give themselves
a 1-5 (one being the lowest score):
•
How do you feel you contributed to finding the connections between Othello and your life?
•
How satisfied are you with the amount of images you found?
•
How well did you and your partner work together?
•
If you had to grade yourself, what would you get in terms of a 1-5?
The checklist will include the following criteria for the teams:
•
At least two connections between students and Othello are used in the PhotoShow
•
At least six images were used in the PhotoShow
•
Correct spelling and grammar were used in the captions
•
The finished product was posted to the class website on time
Once the student self-assessment component is received, the teacher will grade the final product, taking
into consideration the student self-assessment. The purpose of the self-assessment is to ensure that each
member of the group contributed in a productive and meaningful manner to the creation of the product.
Students will continue to build upon their knowledge of the themes in Othello as we read the book. The
homework assignment will be to pay special note to how the themes they chose to explore in their
PhotoShows develops in the night's reading. The next lesson directly links to the exploration of themes
done in this lesson, as they are explored further in the next lesson.
Evaluate, Tailors: Intrapersonal, Visual
Content Notes
Students will know that the themes that appear in Shakespeare's Othello are enduring and can be applied
to our lives today, as well as the vocabulary "theme", "heroism vs. love", "jealousy", "appearance vs.
reality", and "women and sexuality".
Film Trailer O
The teacher will have the film trailer from YouTube projected onto the wall when the students enter the
room. The teacher will explain that the trailer they are about to see if a film adaptation of Othello. The
teacher will instruct students to look for connections between Othello and this film. The teacher will play
the video, which will lead into the discussion.
Discussion on Themes and Connections
After the students have watched the video, the teacher will ask the students to share some of the
connections they made between O and Othello. After students have shared their thoughts, the teacher will
go over the following terms and vocabulary, integrating it into the discussion and making sure that all
students are familiar with the terms.
Theme
- a central topic, subject, or concept that the author is trying to point out
- NOT message or moral
Heroism vs. love
Before and above all else, Othello is a soldier. From the earliest moments in the play, his career
affects his married life. Asking “fit disposition” for his wife after being ordered to Cyprus (I.iii.234),
Othello notes that “the tyrant custom . . . / Hath made the flinty and steel couch of war / My thrice-driven
bed of down” (I.iii.227–229). While Desdemona is used to better “accommodation,” she nevertheless
accompanies her husband to Cyprus (I.iii.236). Moreover, she is unperturbed by the tempest or Turks that
threatened their crossing, and genuinely curious rather than irate when she is roused from bed by the
drunken brawl in Act II, scene iii. She is, indeed, Othello’s “fair warrior,” and he is happiest when he has
her by his side in the midst of military conflict or business (II.i.179). The military also provides Othello
with a means to gain acceptance in Venetian society. While the Venetians in the play are generally
fearful of the prospect of Othello’s social entrance into white society through his marriage to Desdemona,
all Venetians respect and honor him as a soldier. Mercenary Moors were, in fact, commonplace at the
time.
Othello predicates his success in love on his success as a soldier, wooing Desdemona with
tales of his military travels and battles. Once the Turks are drowned—by natural rather than military
might—Othello is left without anything to do.
One might well say that Othello is saying farewell to the wrong things—he is entirely
preoccupied with his identity as a soldier. But his way of thinking is somewhat justified by its
seductiveness to the audience as well. Critics and audiences alike find comfort and nobility in Othello’s
final speech and the anecdote of the “malignant and . . . turbaned Turk” (V.ii.362), even though in that
speech, as in his speech in Act III, scene iii, Othello depends on his identity as a soldier to glorify himself
in the public’s memory, and to try to make his audience forget his and Desdemona’s disastrous marital
experiment.
Jealousy
Iago refers to jealousy as the “green-eyed monster.” As this metaphor suggests, jealousy is
closely associated with the theme of appearance and reality. For instance, at one point Othello demands
that Iago provide “ocular proof” of Desdemona’s infidelity—he demands to see reality. But Iago instead
provides the circumstantial evidence of the handkerchief, which Othello, consumed by his jealousy,
accepts as a substitute for “ocular proof.” Othello’s jealousy impedes his ability to distinguish between
reality and appearance. While the prejudiced characters in the play denigrate Othello as an animal or a
beast based on his race, Othello’s obvious honor and intelligence makes these attacks obviously
ridiculous. Yet when Othello is overcome by jealousy, he does become beast-like, falling into epileptic
fits that rob him of the ability to speak intelligibly.
Othello is also not the only character in Othello to feel jealousy. Both Iago and Roderigo act to
destroy Othello out of jealousy, with disastrous consequences.
Women and Sexuality
Two contrasting images of womanhood dominate Othello: the virtuous and loyal woman, or
Madonna, embodied by Desdemona; and the whore, embodied, to a certain extent by Bianca. Yet over the
course of the play, it becomes clear that these two different ways of describing women don’t actually
apply to real women. Instead, they are male fantasies imposed on women—ideals that men want woman
to fulfill, and roles that women therefore purposefully play for men. For instance, Desdemona often
describes her devotion to Othello in front of other people, underscoring that, even though she does love
him very deeply, she is to a certain extent playing the role of the virtuous wife. Iago then stokes Othello’s
jealousy in part by forcing Othello to realize that there is no way for a man to tell the difference between a
truly virtuous wife and one who is just playing the role of virtuous wife while actually acting as a whore
and being unfaithful.
Meanwhile, Iago’s wife, Emilia, complicates the simple contract between the Madonna and the
whore. Initially, she wants to please her husband—and does so by stealing Desdemona’s handkerchief,
knowing that he has long hankered after it. Yet she is not wholly loyal, and even tells Desdemona in 4.3
that she believes many women, including she herself, would cheat on their husbands under certain
circumstances. And, finally, she proves her own, independent virtue by defending Desdemona’s virtue
and revealing her husband’s crimes in the process. So while womanhood in Othello is, therefore, often
defined by men in terms of pure virtue or voracious and deceptive sexuality, the play ultimately shows
that real women are far more complex.
Appearance vs. Reality
The tragic plot of Othello hinges on the ability of the villain, Iago, to mislead other characters,
particularly Roderigo and Othello, by encouraging them to misinterpret what they see. Othello is
susceptible to Iago’s ploys because he himself is so honest and straightforward. As Iago puts it: “the Moor
is of a free and open nature/ That thinks men honest that but seem to be so; and will as tenderly be led by
th’ nose/ As asses are” (2.1.391-4)
In Othello, Shakespeare plays with the idea of unreliable reality in a number of ways. The
language of the play, which time and again refers to dreams, trances, and vision, constantly highlights the
way in which what seems to be real may actually be fake. In addition, Shakespeare extends the theme of
appearance vs. reality to include the art of playwriting and acting. As he develops his plot against Othello,
Iago creates scenes within scenes. He sets up encounters between two characters and putting a third in the
position of a spectator. For instance, he has Othello watch Cassio and Desdemona speak, and he has
Othello watch him speak with Cassio about Bianca. In each case, Iago manipulates Othello so that Othello
sees the appearance that Iago wants him to see, rather than the reality of what is actually happening. In
this way, Iago becomes a kind of “director”—he even directly addresses the audience through his many
soliloquies—and Shakespeare draws attention to the way that a playwright and actors create an
appearance onstage that tricks the audience into seeing something other than reality.
Quick Write
After the discussion, the teacher will instruct the students to write down their thoughts about the themes
and connections discussed. Importance is not on grammar, spelling, or cohesion, but student thought
process. Students will post their five minute Quick Writes onto the class website for the teacher to view as
the responses are answered.
Web/Cluster Graphic Organizer and Team-Pair-Solo Activity
Students will be directed to form teams of four using their Winter Partners. The teacher will instruct
students to first get together with their Winter Partner, then instruct the class to form quartets by joining
with another pair. Students will then complete a Web/Cluster graphic organizer in which they connect
themes from Othello to their own lives. The web format of the organizer allows for individuality and
flexibility in connecting thoughts and ideas. After five minutes, the teams will split into the original pairs
where they will continue to work on the graphic organizer, and after the next five minutes have gone by
students will have the chance to personally reflect and finish the organizer. During the Team-Pair-Solo
activity, the teacher will walk around the room and observe the students, making sure they understand the
directions and are on the right track. The teacher will also answer student questions and converse with
them about their ideas, providing verbal feedback.
PhotoShow Tutorial and Assignment
The teacher will show student how to use the PhotoShow site by projecting their screen onto the wall for
all students to see. The teacher will go through the basic functions of PhotoShow, and let the students
know that the images they are finding a licensed as Creative Commons, which means that they are
copyright free images. The teacher will then direct students to the class website where the directions, self
assessment, and product checklist have been posted for them to download. After verbally walking through
the directions and product checklist, the teacher will instruct students to get together with their Spring
Partners and begin working on the activity. The teacher will circulate the room and answer any individual
questions and help keep students on task.
Handouts
Web/Clusters Graphic Organizer
ClusterWeb.pdf
ISP Graphic Organizer
(From previous lesson)
ISP Graphic Organizer.pdf
Maine Standards for Initial Teacher Certification and Rationale
Standard 3 – Demonstrates a knowledge of the diverse ways in which students learn and develop by
providing learning opportunities that support their intellectual, physical, emotional, social, and
cultural development.
Learning Styles
Clipboard: Students will use a graphic organizer to organize their thoughts. Directions for activities will
be clearly dictated by the teacher. Checklists for the PhotoShow will be gone over with the students, and
will be used by students as well as the teacher.
Microscope: Students will analyze the text and video to make connections between them. Students will
analyze how themes are connected to their lives, and discuss their connections with partners.
Puppy: Students will be working within the Team-Pair-Share cooperative learning structure, using their
Winter Partners to complete their graphic organizer. Students will be paired with their Spring Partners to
complete their product. Teacher will walk around and check in with students consistently to provide an
atmosphere of encouragement and receptiveness to questions.
Beach Ball: Students will use a variety of intelligences (verbal, visual, logical, interpersonal, and
intrapersonal). Students will have creative freedom when making their PhotoShows as long as objectives
stated on the checklist are met.
Rationale: The diverse intellectual, physical, emotional, social, and cultural learning styles of students are
met within the lesson using the Clipboard, Microscope, Puppy, and Beach Ball categories of student
learning. Using activities that target the multiple intelligences allows for students with diverse learning
styles to connect with the content and their higher order thinking skills.
Standard 4 - Plans instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, curriculum goals,
and learning and development theory.
Content Knowledge: content notes
MLR or CCSS:
Common Core State Standards
Content Area: Literature
Grade Level: 11-12
Domain: Literature
Standard: Key Ideas and Details
Cluster: 1,2,3
Text: Othello by William Shakespeare
Facet: Self-Knowledge
Rationale: Students will focus on Key Ideas and Details and the domain of literature through the study
Othello. Students will make connections between the themes of the play and their own lives. Students will
be asked to self-reflect at multiple times in the lesson, including after the class discussion, during their
cooperative learning structure, and after the product has been completed.
Standard 5 - Understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies and appropriate technology to
meet students’ needs.
MI Strategies:
Verbal: Students will discuss the connections in character and theme between O and Othello.
Logical: Students will analyze how the themes from Othello were portrayed in the film adaptation.
Visual: Students will find Creative Commons images that capture the themes from Othello to incorporate
into their PhotoShow.
Intrapersonal: Students will select a theme from Othello and reflect on how it relates to their own life.
Interpersonal: Students will discuss how themes from Othello relate to their lives.
Naturalist: Students will find similarities in the environments described in the play and shown in the the
film clip.
Type II Technology: PhotoShow
Rationale: Students will create a digital slide show to demonstrate an ability to connect themes from a
text with their own lives. The collaborative component and ease with which images are synthesized
pushes PhotoShow to become a Type II technology. When students focus on design elements such as
layout and image the Type II nature of the program is also emphasized.
Standard 8 - Understands and uses a variety of formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate
and support the development of the learner.
Formative: During instruction, students will use a Quick Write to process information and dig deeper into
content, which the teacher will assess as responses are posted to the class website. Teacher will also use
individual check-ins with students while they are working in groups and on their products.
Summative: Students will create a visual that demonstrates and ability to connect to themes within a text
and an understanding of what the key themes in Othello are with a partner. Using their Web/Cluster
organizer and copy of Othello, students will create a PhotoShow to show their thinking processes.
Rationale: Formative assessment be used periodically throughout the lesson. During the lesson, students
will submit their thoughts for the teacher to assess and make sure that the students are getting the content.
Also, teacher will use individual check-ins to gauge how students are doing periodically throughout the
lesson. Summative assessment will be used at the end of the lesson to make sure that students have met
the objectives for the lesson.