Hamlet
Unit Presentation
Kyle Koehler
Unit Summary
Students will read Hamlet and analyze and translate the major themes and symbols
into something a contemporary life can understand. They will research a
problem from the play that is still an issue today and analyze, compare and
create a modern solution. Students will collaborate with each other
and use 21st Century skills
to efficiently translate
the work into a modern light.
Curriculum-Framing Questions
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Essential Question:
What is the importance of classic literature in contemporary society?
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Unit Questions:
What truths of Shakespeare’s writings hold true today, hundreds of years after it was first written?
How do we, as a modern population, relate to characters and events that lived hundreds of years ago?
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Content Questions:
What is the major theme of Hamlet?
What conflicts, situations and/or
character traits are popular in
modern cinema?
Why is Hamlet considered a tragic hero?
How does Hamlet reflect the values,
ideas and cultures of the time period?
Goals for the Unit
• I want this unit to make classic literature, namely
Shakespeare, relevant to my students’ lives.
• Students will use technology to analyze and understand
Shakespeare in 21st
Century terms.
Assessment
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Use Content-Framing Questions to learn…
Whether students are understanding the struggle of the characters
Students’ ideas about what a “classic” is
What students are struggling with
Background knowledge of characters and plot of play
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Assess 21st Century skills
Ability to see common traits among the cast
Uses new technology to answer “classic” questions and scenarios
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Standards
Vocabulary and Concept Development
1.1
Identify and use the literal and figurative meanings of words and understand word derivations.
Comprehension and Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Text
2.3
Generate relevant questions about readings on issues that can be researched.
2.4
Synthesize the content from several sources or works by a single author
dealing with a single issue;
paraphrase the ideas and connect
them to other
sources and related topics to demonstrate comprehension.
Narrative Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Text
3.3
Analyze interactions between main and subordinate characters in a literary text (e.g., internal and external conflicts, motivations, relationships,
influences) and explain the way those interactions affect the plot.
3.4
Determine characters' traits by what the characters say about themselves in narration, dialogue, dramatic monologue, and soliloquy.
3.6
Analyze and trace an author's development of time and sequence, including the
use of complex literary devices (e.g., foreshadowing,
flashbacks).
3.7
Recognize and understand the significance of various literary devices,
including figurative language, imagery, allegory, and symbolism, and
explain
their appeal.
3.9
Explain how voice, persona, and the choice of a narrator affect
characterization and the tone, plot, and credibility of a text.
3.10
Identify and describe the function of dialogue, scene designs,
soliloquies, asides, and character foils in dramatic
literature.
Literary Criticism
3.11
Evaluate the aesthetic qualities of style, including
the impact of diction and figurative language on tone,
mood, and theme, using the terminology
of literary criticism. (Aesthetic approach)
3.12
Analyze the way in which a work of literature is related to
the themes and issues of itshistorical period. (Historical approach)
Objectives
• Identifying and asking significant questions that clarify various points of view
and lead to better solutions
• Framing, analyzing and synthesizing information in order to solve problems
and answer questions
• Accessing information efficiently and effectively, evaluating information
critically and competently and
using information accurately
and creatively for the issue
or problem at hand.
Why Projects?
• The use of projects for this class is a great way for you guys to work
together to work on tough material, and to develop your
communication, critical thinking and collaboration skills.
• I am excited to see how you
will utilize technology,
different forms of media
and 21st Century skills
to wrestle with Shakespeare.
Request for Feedback
• Ways to use technology to bring Shakespeare in a relevant
light, other than film.
• Need help letting students explore the text without simply
paraphrasing.