Lesson Planning
Course/subject: English B10
Module/unit: Equity & Ethics
Title of Lesson: Blurring the Boundaries: Hero-Villains
Materials/preparation required
- Projector, screen, & internet access
- Monologue instruction sheet (handout)
- Villain monologue example (handout)
- Fishbowl instructions sheet (handout)
Evaluation Methods:
Monologues (in-person performance or recording)
Response Log
Outcomes
Students will…
Indicators
Students will…
CC B10.3: Use oral language to express a
Participate in small- and large-group
range of information and ideas in formal
discussion, observing the courtesies of group
(including a prepared talk on a researched
discussion, and demonstrate effective group
issue, an interview, an oral reading of prose or interaction skills and strategies including:
poetry, and an explanation and defence of a
personal point of view) and informal
o assume some of the work necessary to
(including discussion and group work)
maintain discussion and advance it (e.g., by
situations.
summarizing, raising questions, seeking
clarification, extracting significant points,
making connections, setting agenda).
o maintain and demonstrate respectful
behaviours
o stick to topic and keep goals in mind
o listen carefully
o co-operate by staying positive, waiting turn,
and avoiding put-downs
o disagree respectfully
o encourage others by trying to understand
their ideas and asking for opinions
o clarify and restate speaker’s ideas to confirm
meaning.
Reminders:
1. Take attendance
2. Collect assignments from previous day (if applicable)
Lesson Presentation:
- 10 Minutes of Silent Reading (routine)
- Review (routine)
Response Log
The teacher will write the following question on the board and ask students to
respond to the question in their response logs:
Question: What is evil? What kind of things do evil people do? In real life? In
fiction, especially cinema? Is it possible to actually like fictional villains and enjoy
their wickedness?
Students will have 10-15 minutes to respond in their logs.
Development:
1. “Levels” of Villainy
Facilitate a class discussion about 'levels' of villainy. More complex than just
someone who kills. (Example: Magneto has motivation, which drives the
plot of the films / comics he appears in. Best villains have 'human' side.) The
teacher will ask student volunteers to share their ideas.
2. Fallen Heroes
For readers of a text to understand and care about what happens, they must
know the reasons behind someone's activities. Imagine a film or comic or
book where no one is motivated to do anything. "He's just crazy" is not a
good enough motivation for a super villain (though it might be partially
true.)
Define: dark hero, anti-hero
Sometimes, even heroes are capable of falling or becoming morally
ambiguous:
Harvey Dent (Two-face) – When his girlfriend (Rachel) is killed, former
politician “the white knight” Harvey Dent becomes Two-Face.
The Red Hood (formerly Robin in Batman) – he gets tired of Batman
always sparing the life of dangerous criminals and decides that, in some
cases, villains have to be killed to protect society. This choice results in the
end of his partnership with Batman. Robin becomes The Red Hood and,
unlike batman, shows little mercy to the villains.
3. The Complex Nature of “Villains”
Class will watch some film clips of super villains, which offer an insight into
the motivation for their actions. Before showing the videos, the teacher will
ask for student volunteers to explain what they know about WWII and the
Nazis. The teacher will explain that some of the clips students will see
feature villains giving dramatic speeches or “monologues.”
The teacher will ask students if they know what a “monologue” is and ask
volunteers to provide a definition. If students do not know, the teacher will
write the following definition on the white board and ask students to copy
it down. The teacher should explain that students will need to know this
definition because it will be related to an assignment they will start working
on the next class day.
Most videos are between 1-3 minutes long each. The longest video (Bane)
can be shown for a couple minutes instead of for the full 11 minute time.
Definition - Monologue
A long speech by one character (human, animal or object) to self, an imagined
other character, or audience that:
• reveals (through voice) the speaker’s personality, thoughts, emotions and some
aspects of his/her perception of life;
• might resolve a conflict, solve a problem, entertain or persuade
VIDEO Magneto in concentration camp from X-Men Origins:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI7SEIKaKwE
VIDEO Two-Face monologue about “chance” from The Dark Knight:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJma8pVAvH4
VIDEO Loki’s parentage from Thor:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fJiyYwCyEI
VIDEO Bane’s monologues from The Dark Knight Rises:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxycJ8P2-lk
VIDEO: Rorschach monologue from Watchmen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARDhJ2dpuYU
After showing students the video clips, the teacher will check for
understanding by asking the following questions and ask students to
respond with hands up:
Do these videos help explain the choice to become a 'villain'? Do the
characters seem more sympathetic? Does sympathizing with a character
make them more interesting? Why or why not?
4. Moral Debate – Fishbowl
The teacher will hand out copies of a worksheet containing case studies
featuring ethical dilemmas before explaining the activity:
“Not everything black or white - good or evil – sometimes there is an ethical
“grey area.” Even the actions of some super villains/anti-heroes address
issues relating to questionable or debatable moral choices.”
The teacher will facilitate the discussion and begin the activity by
explaining the activity verbally and by providing instructions as a
written handout for students to refer to. In addition to the instructions
handout, the teacher will give each student a colored recipe card.
Fishbowl Discussion Guidelines & Procedures – Handout
1. One at a time, we will discuss the moral/ethical case studies featured on
your handout
2. The five students sitting in the inner circle will discuss their
views/observations about the case study
3. At any point during the discussion, people sitting in the inner circle can
get up and return to their desks to observe the discussion. Anyone sitting
in the outer circle who wants to participate can get up when there is an
empty chair and join the discussion
4. Try not to dominate/monopolize the conversation. Allow your peers a
chance to talk and be respectful at all times. Your peer may have
different opinions than you do but see that as a positive way to make the
conversation more interesting, rather than as a negative.
5. If you are sitting in the inner circle, try to switch to the outer
(observation) circle every 10 minutes or so to give your peers a chance to
participate. You can re-join the inner circle discussion when a seat opens
up again.
6. If you decide to observe, listen to the discussion your peers are having
and jot down notes/interesting points. Please be respectful of your peers
and avoid causing distractions if you decide to observe. However, if you
change your mind and want to participate, you are encouraged to do
so any time a seat in the discussion circle opens up.
To prevent multiple people from racing to chairs in the discussion circle
(should one become available), you must hold up the index card you
have been given before leaving your desk. If more than one person
holds up the card at the same time, the teacher will choose whoever has
not had a chance to speak to take the available spot. More seats will
open up as the discussion progresses so please be patient and you will
eventually get a chance to join.
5. Arrange Room for Fishbowl Activity
To prepare for the actual fishbowl dialogue, the teacher will ask 5 student
volunteers to sit in a circle in the middle of the room. The rest of the class
will re-arrange their desks so that they sit in an outer circle surrounding the
discussion circle in the middle.
The teacher will begin by reading the ethical situations aloud to the class and
will supervise the discussion, ensuring that students follow the procedures
outlined on the handout, resolving disputes (should any arise), and checking
to ensure students in the audience are on task/listening. If Jack is off task,
the teacher can provide a non-verbal cue (head nod, look in his direction)
indicating that he should take a 5 minute break to refocus.
6. Post-Fishbowl Activity: Generate Questions/Observations
Using the colored index cards at end of the fishbowl activity – the teacher
will ask students to complete “I still have a question about…” OR “I think
that…” “I wonder if…”
In small groups of 3-4 people per group, students will select the most
pertinent question to ask and the most interesting observation/comment.
To encourage students to think a little bit deeper and relate this activity back
to the discussion of villains, the teacher can give students copies of the
villain quotes sheet handout. With their group members, students can read
the sheet and write down their thoughts on the index cards provided.
The teacher can provide Amy with special-grips pens/pencils in case she
wants to try writing down her ideas.
The teacher should advise students to keep the handout/put it in their
binders because it is also intended to be a model for the dramatic
monologue assignment to follow.
The teacher can ask student volunteers to share their
questions/observations and a class discussion can follow until the end of the
period.
PART II – Second Class – Create a Dramatic Monologue for a
Villain or a Hero
1. Review Previous class
Before beginning the monologue project, the teacher will ask a student
volunteer to recap what students did the previous day with blurt out.
Students who know can say what first comes to mind. If too many
students talk at once, the teacher can ask for volunteers to speak one at
a time so everyone can hear.
The teacher will write the word MONOLOGUE on the white board and ask
student volunteers to define what a monologue is with hands up. If
students are having trouble defining a monologue, the teacher can ask them
what the characters in the videos they watched the last class talked about
(review), how they felt, what they were doing while they spoke, and other
dramatic cues leading back to the definition of a monologue.
2. Explain Project
Before students begin learning how to create a monologue, the teacher will
explain that they will be creating their own 3- 5 minute dramatic monologue
based on a famous hero/villain of their choice.
The teacher will outline the assignment requirements, such as the due
date, provide a rubric for assessment, and answer questions/concerns. The
teacher must also explain that students will be performing their
monologues as a final part of the project.
The teacher can provide a handout for ideas on how to get started.
3. Step into Their World:
The teacher will provide students with a collection of scenes featuring
heroes and villains
• Students will create a list of questions the subjects of the pictures might
answer. (For example, what’s going on here? What happened yesterday?
What will happen tomorrow? Who else is in your family? What secrets do
you have? etc.)
• Students choose a photo/comic strip and create a profile of the subject.
As a class, students will create a list of questions that would reveal
information about a character and his/her personality, beliefs, experiences,
etc.
The teacher can use a different picture from the ones students looked at
as an example to generate ideas, model expectations, and scaffold so
students can do the same individually when they begin working on a
dramatic monologue of their own.
4. Heroes & Villains in Comics
The teacher will hand out various comic books to the students featuring
well-known heroes and villains (i.e. Batman, Spider-Man, Iron-Man,
Captain America, etc.) Students will look through comic books. In pairs,
students will discuss and list the situations and issues the comic
characters are placed in.
The teacher will write the following questions on the board for students to
refer to during this activity:
What issues or ideas are the characters talking about?
What makes the characters happy or mad?
What funny or even dramatic situations are the characters placed in?
Pairs can volunteer to share with the class what they saw in the comics.
5. Create Monologues
After sharing as a class, the teacher will instruct students to choose either a
hero or a villain and look for similar issues, ideas, or situations that
those characters might speak out about.
To help students get started (model the assignment expectations), the
teacher will show the class an example of a dramatic monologue for
Spider-Man:
Spider-Man dramatic monologue:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P711mxgEzek
General hero monologue performed by a student:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuqupBS5dEA
In order to provide students with additional assistance when they work on
their own dramatic monologues, the teacher can scaffold by:
1. Allowing students to use laptops to watch YouTube clips of their
chosen hero/villain so they can get an idea of their character,
personality, how they talk, etc.
2. Allowing students to choose one of the comics to use as a guide.
Students can analyze pieces of dialogue spoken by the hero/villain in
the comic or model a monologue based on a scene/panel they see in
the comic. The pictures will help students see the character’s facial
expressions, dress, and other contextual cues about their chosen
hero/villain’s personality.
***Students will most likely need 1-2 class periods to work on writing
their monologues.
6. Revise Monologues (in pairs)
Students will work with a reading/writing partner of their choice for this
revision activity so that they can work with someone they are comfortable
with and trust. The teacher will emphasize that “rehearsal” involves
practicing aloud the delivery of a monologue, and allows for changes and
improvements, especially with the help of “outside ears.”
Partners take turns reading aloud their monologues as they would like
them performed. Listening partners complete the Revision Feedback Sheet
and discuss responses with the writer.
Writer notes on the Revision Feedback Sheet the suggestions s/he will
incorporate.
Closure:
Perform Monologues
One class period will be spent performing monologues. The students will be able
to either perform their monologue or show a video of their monologue to the
class. This will take approximately a full class period. Any time left over will be
used to discuss the importance of monologues to character development and to
conclude this topic.
Sources/Websites used:
Monologues steps & instructions extracted from the following resource:
http://web2.jefferson.k12.ky.us/CCG/supp/HS_Monologue.PDF
Create A Hero/Villain Monologue – Handout
Monologues are pretty open-ended and allow for a lot of creativity on your part as the
performer. Try to adopt the persona of the person you choose to write one for as much as
possible. You do not have to be completely accurate or “in-character” to create an
amazing monologue! If you need ideas about what context to choose, consider the
following:
a) A reflective diary-type monologue written by your chosen hero/villain – see
Rorschach video on YouTube for example
b) You could write a monologue as if your villain/hero is speaking to their
counterpart (enemy) What do you think your character would say? What is the
context? Are they trying to insult the other character? Persuade them? – See Green
Goblin monologue example on handout for example
c) Stream of consciousness – just write the general thoughts/perspective of your
hero/villain on an issue or situation they may be in.
Performance:
You can choose how you would like to present your monologue:
A. Perform for the class
B. Record a video of yourself performing your monologue to show the class
The length of your monologue should be between 3-5 minutes. After completing the written
part of your monologue, you will be given class time to practice your monologue with a partner
of your choice before you perform it.
Villain Monologues/Quotes – Handout
MAGNETO – X-Men
"I am no hero. Merely a man who has seen and done and endured what can never be forgotten or
forgiven." ~ Uncanny X-Men #196
“I wear red, the color of blood, in tribute to their lost lives. And the harder I try to cast it aside, to
find the gentler path, the more irresistibly I am drawn back. I should have died myself with those
that I loved. Instead I carted the bodies by the hundreds, by the thousands, from the death house
to the crematorium, and the ashes to the burial ground. Asking myself now what I could not
then—Why was I spared?” ~ Uncanny X-Men #274
THE JOKER – Batman
“You Wanna Know How I Got 'Em [Scars]?" - "Now I'm Always Smiling"
Wanna know how I got these scars? My father was... a drinker. And a fiend. And one night he
goes off crazier than usual. Mommy gets the kitchen knife to defend herself. He doesn't like that.
Not-one-bit. So - me watching - he takes the knife to her, laughing while he does it! Turns to me,
and he says, "why so serious, son?" Comes at me with the knife... "Why so serious?" He sticks
the blade in my mouth... "Let's put a smile on that face!" And...
THE GREEN GOBLIN – Spider-Man
“Wake up little spider, wake up. No, you're not dead... yet... Just paralyzed... temporarily. You're
an amazing creature, Spiderman, you and I are not so different. Well... to each his own. I chose
my path, you chose the path of the hero and they found you amusing for a while, the people of
this city. But the one thing they love more than a hero is to see a hero fail, fall, die trying. In spite
of everything you've done for them, eventually they will hate you. Why bother? Here's the real
truth. There are eight million people in this city and those teeming masses exist for the sole
purpose of lifting the few exceptional people onto their shoulders. You and me, we're
exceptional. I could squash you like a bug right now, but I'm offering you a choice. Join me.
Imagine what we could accomplish together. What we could create or we could destroy. Cause
the death of countless innocents in selfish battle again and again and again until we're both dead?
Is that what you want? Think about it hero...”
What would you do in the following situations?
1. Heinz’s wife is dying of cancer, a drug was recently discovered that will cure her
but the scientist who developed it is charging ten times what it cost to make.
Heinz can only get half the money but the scientist refuses all pleas. Instead
Heinz breaks in and steals the drug in desperation.
Should he have stolen the drug to save his wife?
Is it okay to steal in any situations? If so when?
2. The building you are in is on fire – you are trapped in a room with one of your
parent’s who is incapable of getting out unaided and a scientist who has the cure
for a major disease. Who should you save – the one you love or the one who
could cure millions?
Is it the ‘greatest good for the greatest number’? Or should family be put above
all?
What would happen if another person you love has the disease the scientist has
the cure for?
3. You are driving home from a night out when you accidentally hit a pedestrian
who now looks seriously injured. You know you will probably end up going to jail
if you stay as you were not paying attention properly and have been drinking. No
one is around and if you leave now it is likely you won’t get found out.
Would you stay and help the person you hit and face the risk of going to jail?
Or would you leave the person, even though it is likely they will not be found for
hours and will die.
4. Tomorrow you have a major examination and have not done any revision at all –
you kept on meaning to but putting it off in order to do other things and now are
really panicking as it will have an impact on your entire future. Then someone
offers you a ‘cheat sheet’ which has all of the answers to the exam questions and
tells you not to give it to anyone else or it’ll look suspicious. What would you do –
cheat or simply try your hardest?
If you do cheat would you do so with a clear conscience? Would you feel guilty
that you have access to resources none of your other friends have – especially
as it means you’ll do better than all who have worked hard without putting any
work in?
If you don’t use the ‘cheat sheet’ will you hand it in to a teacher and risk getting
the person who gave it to you into serious trouble? Will you give it to another
panicking friend?
5. A local shop is broken into and the owner is badly beaten up – you know it is a
gang from your year at school as you saw the incident yet say nothing. Two days
later another shop is broken into and this time both the owners and their child are
attacked. The child is seriously ill in hospital and you are sure it is the same gang
– police are positive the attacks are linked and are urgently appealing for anyone
with information to come forward. What do you do?
If you keep quiet there is the possibility that they will go on to hurt even more
people and you are scared that eventually someone might die. Could you deal
with that on your conscience? Or will you simply hope someone else saw the
incident and comes forward?
If you tell an authority figure who it was it is likely that the gang or their friends will
get to you before they are arrested or after they are bailed as they know that you
saw them breaking into the first shop and are the only one they saw. Should you
put your own safety over that of any other innocents the gang decide to target?
Sample Graphic Organizer - Handout