Julie Powers
Peter Burgett
3/14/12
Loyalty VS. Betrayal Unit
Part 1
1. Background
a. Type of Unit: The unit will be conventional because it fits best with our English
content area.
b. Topic of Unit: The major theme of this unit is loyalty vs. betrayal. The major texts will
be focused on this theme because it’s a deep topic that spans various time periods and
overlaps with other themes. Instead of the traditional chronological/historical lesson plan
approach, the year plan is broken up by major themes.
c. Unit Details: The class being taught will be eleventh grade English, with fifty-five
minute periods. This unit will last four weeks. An outline of each lesson objective and daily
activities are attached to this unit plan.
2. Overview
a. Rationale: The purpose for teaching the theme of loyalty vs. betrayal is due to it’s
commonality in many texts. The theme spans across many diverse genres, and is specifically
found in many Shakespeare pieces. We also chose this theme for this section of the school year
because it applies to the students’ lives. The first semester focused on identity, culture, and
relationships. The second semester would begin with this unit plan’s theme and would next
explore skewed biases people possess.
b. Overview of Goals and Objectives: One unit goal is for students to understand
Shakespeare’s language. Another goal is for students to appreciate interconnected
relationships, as well as to identify trust or what leads too betrayal. Lastly, a larger unit goal is
for students to further develop an appreciation for Shakespeare’s work.
The students will research and complete a handout about the play, characters, setting,
etc. before reading the play. The students will work in small groups and perform a short scene
to the class throughout the reading of the text. The students will be able to write an opinionated
paper on the theme after the book is read. The students will be able to compare Shakespeare’s
different works to another text, the Bible, in class discussions during the unit.
The short term goals will be listed in the daily plans section.
c.Standards: The professional content standards are from the Michigan Department of
Education. The standards used for this unit plan are drawn from the High School Content
Expectations for English Language Arts and are as follows:
■CE 1.1.4 Compose drafts that convey an impression, express an opinion,
raise a question, argue a position, explore a topic, tell a story, or serve
another purpose, while simultaneously considering the constraints and
possibilities (e.g., structure, language, use of conventions of grammar,
usage, and mechanics) of the selected form or genre.
■CE 1.3.3 Compose essays with well-crafted and varied sentences
demonstrating a precise, flexible, and creative use of language.
■CE 1.5.2 Prepare spoken and multimedia presentations that effectively
address audiences by careful use of voice, pacing, gestures, eye contact,
visual aids, audio and video technology.
■CE 2.1.3 Determine the meaning of unfamiliar words, specialized vocabulary,
figurative language, idiomatic expressions, and technical meanings of
terms through context clues, word roots and affixes, and the use of
appropriate resource materials such as print and electronic dictionaries.
■CE 2.1.10 Listen to and view speeches, presentations, and multimedia works
to identify and respond thoughtfully to key ideas, significant details, logical
organization, fact and opinion, and propaganda.
■CE 3.1.1 Interpret literary language (e.g., imagery, allusions, symbolism,
metaphor) while reading literary and expository works.
■CE 3.1.5 Comparatively analyze two or more literary or expository texts,
comparing how and why similar themes are treated differently, by
different authors, in different types of text, in different historical periods,
and/or from different cultural perspectives.
■CE 3.1.9 Analyze how the tensions among characters, communities, themes,
and issues in literature and other texts reflect human experience.
d. Concepts to be Taught:
i.General Understanding of the English Renaissance Period - The cultural and
artistic movement spreading from Italy to the rest of Europe, with
particular strong influence of authors and musicians such as William
Shakespeare, Francis Bacon, and William Byrd. We will mainly be
focusing on the reciprocal literary influence of the Renaissance on
Shakespeare, and his influence on the Renaissance.
ii.Shakespeare - The life of the author, his influences on theater, mentioning
other major works such as Romeo and Juliet and Othello (which were
presumably taught in previous secondary classes), specifically focusing
on Hamlet to discuss the major theme of loyalty vs. betrayal, other
themes such as gender and class roles
iii.“Sonnet 116” - one of Shakespeare's sonnets that encompasses the theme of
loyalty vs. betrayal, compare Shakespeare’s poetry style with the styles of
his plays
iv.Shakespearean Sonnet Style - the unique poetry style Shakespeare created,
how-to craft these poems and practice doing so, the use of literary
techniques such as metaphors, imagery, and rhythm
v.Bible Passages - loyalty vs. betrayal stories (Judas Iscariot, Ester), focusing
on the relationships of the people and their motives, comparing these
relationships to those in Hamlet
Part 2
3. Daily Objectives
a. Topic/Theme by Week:
1. Week 1: Introduction to the English Renaissance and Introduction
to Hamlet
2. Week 2: Continue Hamlet, further exploration of the major theme
Loyalty VS. Betrayal, explore Shakespeare’s poetry (Sonnet 116)
in connection to the Unit theme
3. Week 3: Continue Hamlet, further exploration of the major theme
Loyalty VS. Betrayal, compare/contrast Biblical stories on betrayal
and loyalty
4. Week 4: Finish Hamlet and the opinion paper, take a unit test
b. Objectives per Day/Lesson:
1. The students will identify what the English Renaissance was and
what the play Hamlet is about.
2. The students will answer questions based on the expectations for
the opinionated unit paper, as well as the expectations for the inclass reenactments of their assigned scenes.
3. Students will begin to explore the meaning of the unit’s major
theme: Loyalty vs. Betrayal.
4. Students will clearly verbally identify the setting and opening
scenes of the play.
5. Students will explore the synonyms of vocabulary words found in
Shakespearean text. They will also have a thorough
understanding of Act 1 scenes 3-4.
6. Students will verbally summarize the plot of Act 1. They will also
be given time in class to begin drafting their opinionated papers.
7. Students will begin reading Act 2 and will analyze the plot. Two
small groups will demonstrate a clear understanding of the scenes
they chose to present from Act 1 based on the rubric.
8. Students will synthesize the major theme from the play and how
the same theme is similar/different in a sonnet that was also
written by Shakespeare.
9. Students will analyze the plot in Act 2 scenes 3-4 in small groups.
Students will explore the synonyms of difficult vocabulary used in
Shakespearean text.
10. Students will reflect/share personal experiences through journal
writing related to the theme of the play. Students will also exhibit
their knowledge of the text/vocabulary thus far with a quiz.
11. Students will the progression of the play in Act 4. They will
demonstrate their understanding of the settings, characters and
conflicts of the play.
12. Students will define the plot in Act 4 scenes 3-4. Two small groups
will demonstrate a clear understanding of the scenes they chose
to present from Act 2 &3 based on the rubric.
13. Students will identify the major unit theme in a different text, and
will be able to compare/contrast the use of the theme in both
contexts.
14. Students will clearly analyze the plot of Act 4 scenes 5-6. Students
will also demonstrate a specific character’s perspective through
the utilization of a creative medium (ie: facebook, text message
conversations, etc).
15. Students will verbally summarize the plot, characters, and setting
for Act 4 in a large group discussion. Students will demonstrate
their knowledge through a multiple choice quiz.
16. Students will make progress on their unit papers.
17. Students will identify the plot in Act 5 scene 1 in group
discussions. Two small groups will demonstrate a conceptual
understanding of the scenes they chose to present from Act 4
based on the rubric.
18. Students will surmise the plot’s actions between characters on
loyalty and betrayal through a poster concept map display.
19. Students will actively participate and show their knowledge
through a closely analyzing the text in review a class discussion.
20. Students will positively exhibit their knowledge on the unit theme
and major events of the play through their performance on the unit
test.
4. Daily Plans
a. Questions, Topics, Title per Daily Lesson:
1. What was the English Renaissance?
2. Unit Projects
3. Exploring the Major Theme: Loyalty VS. Betrayal
4. “Elsinore. A platform before the castle”...
5. Something “strange” about Hamlet
6. Honor thy father
7. When should authority be challenged?
8. Marriage of True Minds
9. Eavesdropping...Shhh!...
10. Was there ever a time when you wanted to get back at someone
for something they did? Did you follow through with it? What was
your thought process?
11. A mother’s betrayal
12. Caution of losing oneself
13. Betrayed with a kiss
14. “When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in
battalions.”
15. Who is avenging whom?
16. Peer work on papers today!
17. ...Not to be, or not to be, that isn’t really a question
18. “If you’re going to seek vengeance, you better dig two graves”
19. Review Day!
20. Papers due today! Unit test today! Yippy!
b. Daily Activities:
1. Introduction to the English Renaissance, Individual research on
Hamlet using a handout*
2. Describe the opinion paper, describe the group presentations and
Rubric, “The Simpsons” version of Hamlet*
3. Prewrite: What is loyalty? What is betrayal? (Pre-evaluation:
students will reflect on the major theme of the unit before the unit
is taught), Meet Hamlet and Ophelia activity
4. Free-Write Journal Prompt, Begin reading Hamlet 1.1-2
5. Hamlet 1.3-4, paint-chip vocabulary activity
6. Hamlet 1.5, Begin/continue drafting the paper
7. Hamlet 2.1-2, Group presentations-two small groups will choose a
scene from Act 1 to present to the class on this date.
8. Sonnet 116, Loyalty and betrayal in a different view
9. Hamlet 3.1-2, paint-chip vocabulary activity
10. Journal Prompt--chosen by the teacher based on class
discussions during the past week, Hamlet 3.3-4, Quiz
11. Hamlet 4.1-2, Exit slip (One example of Formative, since it
happens throughout the unit; Students will exhibit what they’ve
learned by the end of the class)
12. Hamlet 4. 3-4, Group presentations
13. Biblical stories, Loyalty and betrayal in a different view
14. Hamlet 4.5-6, RAF(email)T(Ophelia)
15. Hamlet 4.7, Quiz, Begin/continue drafting research paper
16. In class peer work on the opinion paper, Give out test study guide*
17. Hamlet 5.1, Group presentations
18. Hamlet 5.2, Small group=create a concept map of the story
19. Hamlet -- Revisiting the Unit Theme of Loyalty VS. Betrayal
20. Turn in the paper, Unit test (Summative- A written exam, with
multiple choice questions and short essays)
* Handout - see below
5. Materials:
a. Handouts:
Research Handout:
http://www.slideshare.net/moni_simi/60-handout-william-shakespeare-hamletpresentation
Study Guide Handout:
http://public.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/hamletques.htm
b. Equipment and Technology:
flip-cam for group presentations
SMART board for discussion topics
PowerPoint presentations
c. Bibliography:
Simpsons video:
http://community.knowitallvideo.com/_The-Simpsons-Hamlet/video/26849/1663.html
Study Guide Questions:
http://public.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/hamletques.htm
PowerPoints:
http://worldhistory.mrdonn.org/renaissance.html
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6. Modifications:
There are a couple of physically impaired students in our classroom, and to
accommodate them will we arrange the classroom for maximum mobility. Aisles will be
wide enough for a wheelchair to maneuver comfortably, and the students may be placed
closer to the door to avoid obstructions.
For learning disabled students, they will be given preferential seating where distractions
would be limited and they could clearly see the board. We will also be using a
SmartBoard and other media that will be engaging and hold their attention. Students will
also be told the activities for each class period, as well as warnings before transitions will
take place. This way, students will not be surprised and uncomfortable when we switch
activities.
Shakespeare can be difficult to understand as it is, but it will be especially difficult for
ESL students. Shakespeare was meant to be performed and seen, not just read, so the
students will be acting out scenes in Hamlet, and we will also be watching a short
Simpsons’ representation of the play. Our hope is that seeing the characters’ actions
being performed will enhance the students understanding of the play. There will also be
many pictures within our PowerPoints to enhance understanding.
Part 3
7. Assessment
a. Pre-assessment: The first ten minutes of designated days, students will do a
free-write in the form of a journal entry. Some days, the teachers will give a
prompt that enlists the students to start thinking about what they know about the
class topic as well as to get them to generally think about the topic of the day.
Sometimes the prompt will be personal, asking the students to relate their lives to
what they have read from the text, or what they’re about to read in the text. Other
journal topics will be free writes that can somehow tie in with any work thus far
read in the unit. The hope is that during class discussions, students will think on
what they wrote about, if their opinions have changed, and will contribute to the
discussions, always looking at different ways to interpret the texts and apply
them to their own lives.
These journals will be graded on the basis that they were completed and
will be read by the teacher only; the students will be made aware that these
entries will be read by the teacher alone and to thus writing accordingly.
b. Formative: The formative assessments will largely be based on class
participation. This includes students asking questions about the texts or class
activities, volunteering for reading aloud, taking notes on all materials, attending
classes, answering the teacher’s questions aloud to the best of their abilities, and
being an active listener during class discussions. Many of these will be noted by
a weekly chart that will keep tally marks of daily class participation. Expectations
and explanations of class participation will be clearly outlined in the syllabus so
students will be aware.
The journal assignments are likewise a form of formative grading since
they will not be not be graded on content so much as graded on participating in
the assignment and contributing their ideas linked to journal prompts in
discussions and the final summative paper.
The student performances are a way for students to actively demonstrate
that they understand the playwright’s action by performing short scenes for the
class. This is a way for the teacher to gage that the students have understood
the characters’ motives as well as how the characters ended up in various plots.
Through the students’ performances, as described by the rubric, the teacher can
ensure that the students understand the sometimes-complicated major scenes.
c. Summative: The summative assessment will be made up of a final unit test and
an opinion paper. The final test will assess their understanding of Hamlet, the
Bible stories, Shakespeare’s sonnet, and the identification of the themes in each
of them. Students will display their knowledge of the texts, their familiarity with
quotations, and the synthesis of ideas. The opinion paper will assess similar
things as students create a thesis, taking a stance, and developing it using
citations from the play, sonnet, and Bible stories. These summative
assessments are cumulative in that they are used to determine whether students
have met the unit objectives.
d. Rubrics:
Rubric for Group Presentations
Criteria
Costume
Excellent (5)
The group incorporated
creative costumes and
Fair (4)
A few costumes and props
were used to make the scene
Unsatisfactory (3)
Few or no costumes/props were
used. They weren’t applicable
Line
Memorization
Clarity
Preparedness
props that enhanced the
quality and realism of their
performance.
more believable. Costumes
were a little incomplete.
to the scene and made it
confusing.
Lines were completely
memorized with little to no
hesitation.
Occasionally forgets lines or
cues.
Lines are not memorized and
dialogue is unnatural.
Diction is articulate,
volume, tone, pitch, and
rate are used well.
Diction is sometimes articulate,
volume, tone, pitch, and rate
not shown with variety.
Diction is not articulate, volume,
tone, pitch, and rate not shown
with variety.
Group used class time well
and it was clear that they
understood and interpreted
their lines and scene well.
It was clear that the group
spent some time together
preparing, but the performance
did not always flow and some
parts were not interpreted well.
Little to no preparation, dialogue
was unnatural and interpretation
of the scene was inaccurate.
Total points: ____/20
Rubric for Opinion Paper
Thesis is identifiable and not ambiguous (5 pts)
Comments:
______
Unit theme is incorporated (5 pts)
Comments:
______
Inclusion of quotes/citations (5 pts)
Comments:
______
Clear concepts (4 pts)
Comments:
______
Voice (3 pts)
Comments:
______
Grammar (3 pts)
Comments
______
Total: _____/25
Overall Comments: