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Designer: Megan Shewmake
Topic: Act I, scene iii
Lesson: 4
Lesson Objectives: Aligned with grade-level SOL (including technology and related SOL). Each objective
contains a measurable active verb/behavior.
 Students will define the word omen, by list two examples of omens, and discuss their responses with a
partner and then as a class.
10.6 The student will develop a variety of writing to persuade, interpret, analyze, and evaluate with
an emphasis on exposition and analysis.
10.1 The student will participate in, collaborate in, and report on small-group learning activities.
f) Collaborate with others to exchange ideas, develop new understandings, make decisions, and
solve problems.
 Students will collaborate in small groups to interpret optical illusions and inkblots and as a class discuss
how the activity relates to the omens Act I, Scene III.
10.1 The student will participate in, collaborate in, and report on small-group learning activities.
f) Collaborate with others to exchange ideas, develop new understandings, make decisions, and
solve problems.
 Students will perform and discuss Act I, Scene III of Julius Caesar.
10.4 The student will read, comprehend, and analyze literary texts of different cultures and eras.
a) Identify main and supporting ideas.
b) Make predictions, draw inferences, and connect prior knowledge to support reading
comprehension.
 Students will synthesize their knowledge of Cassius’s motivation for joining the conspiracy and
interpreting the omens by constructing a journal entry in which they assume Cassius’s point of view.
10.6 The student will develop a variety of writing to persuade, interpret, analyze, and evaluate with
an emphasis on exposition and analysis.
c) Elaborate ideas clearly through word choice and vivid description.
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Lesson Content: Essential knowledge for students. All content must be detailed and explicit. Another
teacher should be able to pick up the SLP and teach it.
Students will define the word omen.
 An omen is a phenomenon that is thought to foretell future events.
Students will collaborate in small groups to interpret optical illusions and inkblots.
 Psychologists used the Rorschach inkblot test in the 1950s and 1960s to determine an individual’s
personality and emotional characteristics based on what he or she saw in the inkblots.
 Optical illusions are visually processed information that differs from objective reality.
The following questions are the guiding thoughts that the teacher will ask students as they read Act I Scene
II. The answers are provided below the questions.
 p. 36-7: What are the omens Casca describes?
o A slave with his left hand set ablaze without burning, a lion in the Capitol, men on fire, and an owl in
the marketplace
 p. 37: What is the significance of Cicero’s line “But men may construe things after their fashion / Clean
from the purpose of the things themselves” (I.iii.34-5).
o Casca interprets the events as god’s wrath upon Rome for glorifying and wanting to crown
Caesar, but Cicero brings Casca’s interpretation into question by pointing out that Casca’s
interpretations are based on what he wants to see.
 p. 39: How does Cassius compare himself to Caesar?
o Caesar is “no mightier than myself . . .” (I.iii.79). Cassius’s statement emphasizes his jealousy.
 p. 41: Casca states, “So every bondman in his own hand bears / The power to cancel his captivity”
(I.iii.104-5). Why do you believe the topic of fate reappears throughout the play?
o Conspirators use free will to justify their actions. An extreme act of free will is seen by the conspirators
as the only way to overthrow Caesar.
 p. 41: How does Cassius feel about Rome?
o He calls Romans sheep and rubbish for following Caesar.
 p. 45: What does Cinna agree to do for Cassius?
o He agrees to plant the forged letters in Brutus’s study.
 p. 45: What is the significance of comparing Brutus to alchemy?
o Just like alchemists, the conspirators want to deceive the masses into believing that their assassination
plan is “golden” rather than something that was done out of jealousy. Brutus is the “golden boy” to the
citizens; his shiny reputation will save the conspirators.
 How does the inkblot and optical illusion group activity relate to Act I, Scene III?
o Just like there is no one correct way to interpret omens, there is also no one correct way to interpret the
optical illusions or inkblots. Like Cicero says, men often fashion the meanings of omens to suit their
particular fancy.
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Instructional Strategies:
1. Initial Activity: Writing Prompt (20 minutes)
a. The teacher will have the following writing prompt projected on the whiteboard: “What is an omen? Give
examples of two omens and what they signify. Do you believe in the omens? Why or Why not? Please, write
your response on a piece of paper.”
b. The teacher will ask for volunteers to define the word omen and synthesize a definition.
c. The teacher will ask students to turn to their partner and share their two examples of omens. After students
have discussed their responses, the teacher will ask for 3-5 volunteers to share their examples of omens and
whether or not they believe in them. The teacher will tell the class that there are several omens in Act I, scene
iii and that they should look for omens during the performance.
2. What Do You See? (25 minutes)
a. Students will be broken into six groups.
b. The teacher will hand each group a piece of paper containing three images. Two images are optical illusions,
and one is a sample from the Rorschach inkblot test.
c. Students will discuss on what they see. If group members disagree on what they see, then they will try to
persuade the rest of the group that their perception is the correct one. By each image, the group will write what
different members think the image is and circle the label that most members agree correctly describes each
picture.
d. The teacher will project the images on the screen. Each group will report back to the class.
e. After all groups have presented, the teacher will ask if there is one right way to view and interpret the images.
f. After the class discusses the question, the teacher will tell students that the inkblot is a part of a psychology
test called The Rorschach inkblot test and explain its origin. The two remaining pictures are optical illusions,
and there are no correct answers. What a person sees in the image varies by individuals.
3. Discussing Act I, scene iii (30 minutes)
a. The teacher will ask for five actors: the stage director, Casca, Cicero, Cassius, and Cinna.
b. Once the actors have completed the scene, they will return to go their seats.
c. During and after the performance, teacher will guide the conversation about the scene’s plot and record the
names of those who speak. Guiding thoughts include:
i. p. 36-7: What are the omens Casca describes? What is the significance of Cicero’s line “But men may
construe things after their fashion / Clean from the purpose of the things themselves” (I.iii.34-5).
ii. p. 37: Why does Cassius bare his chest to the lightening and thunder?
iii. p. 39: How does Cassius compare himself to Caesar? Caesar is “no mightier than myself . . .” (I.iii.79).
iv. p. 41: Casca states, “So every bondman in his own hand bears / The power to cancel his captivity”
(I.iii.104-5).
v. Why do you believe the topic of fate reappears throughout the play?
vi. p. 41: How does Cassius feel about Rome?
vii. p. 45: What does Cinna agree to do for Cassius? What is the significance of comparing Brutus to
alchemy?
viii. How does the inkblot and optical illusion group activity relate to Act I, scene iii?
4. Exiting Activity: Cassius’s Journal (15 minutes)
a. The teacher will distribute the assignment entitled “Cassius’s Journal,” read the directions, and answer
questions.
5. Homework:
Aaaaaaa a. Students will complete Cassius’s journal and read Act II, scene I.
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Multi-disciplinary Connections:
 The lesson connects psychology through the
Rorschach inkblot test.
Adaptations:
10B student: type initial journal and Cassius’s Journal assignment
Differentiation Strategies:
Students may read or listen to Act II, Scenes I. If students choose to
listen to the play can either check out a mp3 player from the library
or use the following site:
https://archive.org/details/juliuscaesar_1002_librivox
Reflection/Recommendations for Future Use (Numbered List):
SOE Student Teaching Competencies demonstrated (List with numbers and descriptors):
 12. Engages students actively in learning.
o Uses learner-centered activities and assignments that give students multiple opportunities to respond
 14. Helps students develop thinking skills that promote learning.
o Promotes critical thinking strategies through questions and other inquiry-based activities
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Cassius’s Journal: Cassius has just bared his chest to lightening, interpreted the storm as an omen against
Caesar’s rule, attacked Caesar’s character, persuaded Casca to join the conspiracy to kill Caesar, and ordered
Cinna to deliver forged letters to Brutus. Imagine you are Cassius and write a journal entry about the day’s events
from his perspective. You may want to consider Cassius’s motives for assassinating Caesar, his relationship with
other conspirators, how he will convince Brutus to join the conspiracy, or what you believe the forged letters say.
The journal entry should be at least two paragraphs in length and address Cassius’s belief about omens and his
motives for spearheading the assassination.
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