Erin Wilcox

SPE 504 – UDL Project

English Literature – Shakespeare

Grade 12

December 01, 2009

Erin WilcoxSPE 504 – Professor Amanda FenlonUDL Project12/01/09

English Literature – Shakespeare

The Study of the Plays of William Shakespeare - English Literature – 12th Grade

NYS Learning Standards:

English Language Arts: Standard 2

- Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and expression.

- Students will read and listen to oral, written and electronically produced texts and performances, relate texts and performances to their own lives, and develop an understanding of the diverse social, historical, and cultural dimensions the texts and performances represent. As speakers and writers, students will use oral and written language for self-expression and artistic creation.

Key Idea I: Students will use proper English spelling and grammar in their papers as well as relate ideas, themes, issues, and other discussion material in their writing pieces. Writing pieces will be utilized in this class as a means to develop theories about the readings and visual material that will be covered.

Key Idea II: Students will participate in active discussion groups during predetermined times during class to talk about shared or differentiated viewpoints on the readings and performances that will be used in the class. Social interaction will allow the students to grasp the different perspectives that readers can have centered on Shakespeare’s works, and will gain more understanding about literary interpretation and analysis.

The Arts: Standard 2

- Students understand the concept of live performance and appropriate conduct (b).

Key Idea I: Because we will be using visual representations of Shakespearean, such as stage performances, students will demonstrate active observation skills to take note of how characters and scenes are portrayed in performances (this may also be applied to video performances if funding is unavailable to have students attend one.) Students will behave themselves throughout either a media viewing or live performances and will take

active mental notes about what they see happening and be prepared to discuss some important observations in class discussion.

Educational Goal/Outcome

1) Students will be able to identify characters and quotations from various Shakespearean plays and understand the internal meanings of them.

2) Students will examine issues that exist in Shakespeare’s plays that relate to current events and concerns, including but not limited to questions of racism, sexism, violence, rivalry, socioeconomic caste systems, etc. They will be able to see these issues within a long and broad historical context and gain an understanding for how long these problems have existed.

3) Students will be able to conduct proper research skills and will gather information written by theorists and professional researchers, and will utilize their findings in assignments and papers that require various sources. The culmination of their research will be shown in a final paper due at the end of the term.

4) Students will use visual resources such as video-recorded or live performances of Shakespearean plays in order to form/create their own theories on character dynamics, symbolism, motifs, and themes within the plays.

5) Students will use scheduled group discussion times to talk about their individual interpretations and observations of reading/seeing the plays, and discuss what brought them to their personal conclusions. They will thus, throughout the school year, listen to a vast variety of interpretations and gain an understanding on how perception differs and why.

6) Students will be able to use the analytical and observation skills they have possessed in this class in order to interpret other literary works during their college careers and beyond.

Short-Term Objectives

1) Analyze one specific Shakespearean play at a time and select one or two characters, scenes or themes to think about, discuss, and begin researching for later assignments.

2) Discuss how Shakespearean plays are presented in different ways by different performers and companies, and why these discrepancies exist due to varying interpretations.

3) Prepare brief written assignments where they write down their personal theories about certain events or characters in the plays, and why they understand them to be this way.

4) Perform brief scenes in which students will assume the roles of specific characters and be allowed to personify them in the way that they chose to.

5) Students will participate in group readings of scenes and acts from the plays in order to practice reading in front of others, give fertile ground for discussion in the group, and also to aid students who may be having trouble with the readings to hear some of the important parts of the plays that are being used in class.

6) Talk to the rest of the class informally about what they have discovered in their research and if they agree or disagree with what they’ve found so far.

Materials (In-Classroom):

Computer(s)

Printed online or printed resources of Shakespearean scholars, Spark Notes, Cliff Notes, No Fear Shakespeare editions, and other supplementary materials for students to use. (List of sources are in Print Resource section of this project) These resources will be at several different levels, including some at lower high school reading levels.

Text to Speech Software (for students who are visually impaired or are struggling with the readings.)

Internet Video / DVD / Television / Video-DVD Player (for viewing performances if attending live performances are not available, or are sparse.)

Tape Recorder / Digital Recorder (for students with motor skill deficiencies to have notes from class to utilize)

Audio-recordings of Shakespearean plays (in other media forms, such as disc or cassette)

Visual aids such as digital screen-captures of live performances and artistic illustrations of Shakespearean plays (for students with disabilities to help them brainstorm and get ideas for discussion and writing.)

Class Time:

Two 75-minute blocks.

Lesson #1: Romeo and Juliet

Introduction to Class Lesson:

Before the beginning of the lesson, the students will have already finished reading the play (various representations of the text have been noted in my resource list and will be discussed.) The class will be started by having students offer any of their initial observations or opinions about the readings, i.e. specific details that they noticed, what issues or events concerned or interested them, what characters stood out the most to them, and so forth. To help the students visualize the play even further before more activities are to come, I will show them a scene from the 1968 Romeo and Juliet motion picture. Because the play is a tragedy, I would show them the final scene of the play, where both Romeo and Juliet meet their ends because of the hatred between their families. Then, to show how similar issues still exist today, I would show them the ending scene to William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet, which takes place in more modern times, in order to make a connection to the world that we live in today. This will give the students something to think about when discussing and writing about issues and concerns that are present in the storyline of the play.

Lesson Objectives:

By the end of the class, students will be able to:

Identify several characters and quotations from the play. (An emphasis will be placed on remembering key/central characters and at least one or two famous (or infamous) lines or narratives associated with them that sum them up.)

Identify key issues and events in the play that are important both in the context of the play, and relate to modern times.

Students will get the chance to meet in groups for around 15 minutes in order to share what they interpreted to be the tragic parts of this play, in order to understand why it is classified as a tragedy. There will be some research (scholarly) texts available to them that they can use to find some information that supports what their groups have concluded in shared observations and opinions on certain characters and events.

Students will get the opportunity to see a professional performance of the play through a video or DVD presentation, which will show the (ending) scene that the students have just acted out. Seeing this will teach them the kind of dynamic and emotion that actors and actresses need to emphasize in order to bring the characters to life. There will then be an activity that follows that allows students to select the means they chose to present what they have learned about the play.

Multiple Means of Representation:

Complete Works of William Shakespeare, the textbook for the classroom. Romeo and Juliet (No Fear Shakespeare Graphic Novels) (No Fear Shakespeare

Illustrated). (Meant for Young Adults) (Can be used for students who are visual learners or have reading disabilities, since the words are reconfigured into modern English and accompanied by illustrations.)

Ending Sequence from the 1968 Movie Production of “Romeo and Juliet” (Set in the original historical era of the play)

Ending Sequence from the 1996 Movie Production “William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet” (Modern-Day Version of the Classical Story)

A Story Map Graphic Organizer for students to map out the key events of the play: http://eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/pdf/storymap1_eng.pdf

Multiple Means of Engagement:

Once the film and group meeting times are completed, the students will have the opportunity to express what they have learned about the play so far through one of the following methods:

o If students prefer to work alone or do not have the materials or enough of their group to work on their final project (or are far along in it and want to dedicate some time to additional research), they can compose a brief paper summing up the totality of what they have learned so far, along with their own personal observations about motifs and themes they noticed while doing the reading. This small paper (aided by the Story Map graphic organizer) can help them arrange their thoughts about certain issues and ideas that they want to utilize later. They can also create other small in-class projects such as timelines, character and word definitions from the text,

o Students can chose to dedicate some time to working on their final projects if it’s closer to the end of the term, especially if they’re going to be doing a group presentation or performance. This will give them some in-class time to practice lines and acting with the other students alongside them and give them some time to organize other times that they can meet and work on it.

o Students who are doing individual projects can also use some of the time I designate for them in class to do some work on their projects and get some feedback from myself and their peers. The final projects will be selected from a wide range of options, so students will be able to experiment with making presentations, composing a song influenced by Shakespeare, writing a larger research paper, and so forth. (These are discussed later on in my five selected summative assessment tools.)

Multiple Means of Expression

After the groups have had about 25 minutes or so to work on or plan their final projects, students will then use the remaining time left in the classroom to talk and present to the

rest of the class what their findings in their groups have been thus far. This will be a very informal session and allow students to simply show some interesting facts or theories they have developed in the time they spent together. The groups will be broken into three different ‘workers’, a Facilitator, Recorder, Reporter; if there are more than three members, they can help share the responsibilities of the other three and can assume other responsibilities, such as keeping track of time, finding materials for the group to use, etc.

The students can chose to present what they have discovered to the class through several different methods:

o They can perform a small snippet of the play that really captured their interest and then discuss it briefly.

o Students can simply read the lines of the play if performing a short skit of the lines makes them nervous, and then lead a discussion on what happened in the scene.

o Students can make a small chart or visual presentation to show to the class.o Students can read off of a short paper written for the discussion or work off of cue

cards, or even a small PowerPoint presentation if they’ve taken the time to create one.

Adaptations / Modifications: Some assistive technology will be available to students in the class who require them in order to participate in group work, final project work, and end of class presentations:

Speech-to-Text Software: This software (Natural Soft) will allow non-verbal students to be able to communicate with the rest of their groups and allow them to take part in discussions and presentations.

Tape Recorder / Digital Recorder: These can be used for students who may have a disability that relates to impaired motor skills and are unable to take notes by hand. This allows them to have a permanent record of the discussions in class and also record what their in-class and project groups are working on. (If these were ever unavailable, student volunteers could also be used to shares their notes with students who are unable to take their own.)

Visual images, screen-captures, and video/DVD presentations (which are closed caption) can be used to help students who have hearing impairment to help them become engaged in the discussion and get them thinking about the plays.

Audio-Recordings of Shakespeare’s plays will be available for students who have visual impairments, so that they can hear the dynamic of the dialogue, and if at all possible will be given brail translations of the plays.

Readings will be somewhat tiered in the classroom to help readers who may be behind their classmates; No Fear Shakespeare, for instance, provides the original text of the play alongside a modern-day translation of it which is much easier to read. There will also be graphic novel adaptations of the plays available if possible (some of them are included in my materials list) which can be used by students who are more visual learners (though they will be encouraged to read the original text as well in conjunction with them as well, if they are able to.) There will also be supplementary material provided for students that helps explain Shakespearean terms and the language of his plays, since there is a variety of sometimes confusing words and phrases used in his works.

Conclusion / Closure: The conclusion of the classroom will be a brief full-class discussion about what the in-class groups managed to learn, and also allow students to share their progress on final projects with their peers and talk about what aspects of the projects are really captivating them. Hearing other final projects may give some students who are a bit stuck some inspiration in their own work, and also allow for additional feedback for the students. We will also conduct some discussion on the usage of time for the small in-class groups; I will ask students what they think of the talking and brief research they do in class and get their opinions on how much it is teaching them and what kinds of things they’re learning. If they believe there is another way for them to learn, I will listen to their suggestions and take note of different means they come up with for using that time after watching parts of the play at the beginning of the class. As they depart from class, I will remind them of due dates well in advance and place the dates on the board so that all of the students can keep them in mind, and also ask them to keep thinking about what we learned in class today.

Lesson Plan #2: Othello

Introduction/Drawing in the Previous Lesson:

As with the previous lesson, the students will get the chance to watch part of the play Othello when they arrive to class; the students will watch the final scene of this play as well since it contains, arguably, the most drama and tragedy of the play and will be comparable to the motifs and themes of tragedy that were present in Romeo and Juliet. I will ask students as they watch the movie presentation to think about questions and observations from the previous class that they can apply to this class as well, including things they may have discussed in their temporal in-class groups: How do the conclusions of Shakespeare’s tragedies usually culminate? Who are the characters most likely to die in these kinds of plays, and why? What role do the villains/antagonists play in the context of the stories and what does it come to? These are the kinds of questions that I would have them think about, so that they can take their individual thoughts into their groups.

Class Objectives:(These are about the same as with the previous lesson, since they are very similar Shakespearean plays theme-wise.)

By the end of the class, students will be able to:

Identify several characters and quotations from the play.

Identify key issues and events in the play that are important both in the context of the play, and relate to modern times.

Students will get the chance to meet in groups for around 15 minutes in order to share what they interpreted to be the tragic parts of this play, in order to understand why it is classified as a tragedy. There will be some research (scholarly) texts available to them

that they can use to find some information that supports what their groups have concluded in shared observations and opinions on certain characters and events.

Students will get the opportunity to see a professional performance of the play through a video or DVD presentation, which will show the (ending) scene that the students have just acted out. Seeing this will teach them the kind of dynamic and emotion that actors and actresses need to emphasize in order to bring the characters to life. There will then be an activity that follows that allows students to select the means they chose to present what they have learned about the play.

In additional to the expectations of the previous class, students will also begin comparing the similar themes and motifs of Shakespeare’s plays when they see the common conclusions of these plays, and begin to make the ties between them that show Shakespeare’s individual style and habits in his writing, so that they can utilize their observations for other plays (especially when reading other tragedies.)

Multiple Means of Representation:

Complete Works of William Shakespeare by Harper Collins Publishing (Upper High School / Early College Level Reading Level) (Main Textbook)

Othello (Graphic Shakespeare) by Vincent Goodwin (Writer) and Chris Allen (Illustrator).

“Othello.” Directed by Oliver Parker, distributed by Turner Home Entertainment. (Watching the final sequence of the play/the ending.)

Cluster/Word Web Graphic Organizer (to help connect characters and their roles to one another): http://eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/pdf/cluster.pdf

Multiple Means of Engagement:

More time will be dedicated to in-class group discussions today because this lesson is working off of the previous one; while students meet, I would want them to start taking notes and make another small presentation, this time focusing on the similarities between “Othello” and “Romeo and Juliet.” Part of gaining a firm understanding of Shakespeare’s work is seeing the themes and motifs that are present throughout plays of the same genre, so I want students to start comparing the roles of characters, how events play out, and so forth.

For the group activity, I will want them to make posters specifically today showing the connection between characters, quotations, and scenes from the different plays to show to the class, and have each of them contribute one new item to the discussion for everyone to think about if possible.

Once each group has done a sufficient amount of work (I’ll be leaving the designated times loose today since I want students to dedicate more time to the in-class activities instead of the final project development.) The webbing graphic organizer will help them

to get everything mapped out before they put their information up onto a poster or into a digital presentation if it’s easier for the group to manage.

Whatever time is left will be dedicated to final project groups (if there is sufficient time to give them to work on them) and the rest of the time will be given to the in-class groups presenting their posters to the rest of the class to discuss at least one interesting connection that they found while talking in their groups (I may limit it to one only because I don’t want one group talking about all of the ideas and leave the other groups with little to talk about besides adding onto theirs.)

There will still be scholarly and analytical work available to students if they need some help thinking of something to write and talk about in their groups.

Multiple Means of Expression:

As discussed in the previous section, I want students to try and express themselves purely through a physical presentation for this class so that students will have something concrete to take notes from and listen to as the students make their arguments about their choices. Students can still utilize acting out brief quotations, but I want the in-class project to be focused on talking about analysis of the two plays and compare-and-contrast observations that the students have made. I also want the students to work off of what they’ve made for the presentation; I don’t want them just reading the information off of whatever they’ve created. I want this to partially be a lesson in using resources and physical representations as jumping-off points for discussion since they’re going to be doing more presentations and similar projects when they enter college.

As I’ve already explained in previous sections, the means of expression for the final project will be varied depending on the preference of the students and what they feel like their strongest means of expression is. My five different assessment tools are located in the back of this UDL packet, and explain more about what I would expect the students to accomplish in these different projects in order to receive a good grade.

Adaptations / Modifications: Some assistive technology will be available to students in the class who require them in order to participate in group work, final project work, and end of class presentations:

Speech-to-Text Software: This software (Natural Soft) will allow non-verbal students to be able to communicate with the rest of their groups and allow them to take part in discussions and presentations.

Tape Recorder / Digital Recorder: These can be used for students who may have a disability that relates to impaired motor skills and are unable to take notes by hand. This allows them to have a permanent record of the discussions in class and also record what their in-class and project groups are working on. (If these were ever unavailable, student volunteers could also be used to shares their notes with students who are unable to take their own.)

Visual images, screen-captures, and video/DVD presentations (which are closed caption) can be used to help students who have hearing impairment to help them become engaged in the discussion and get them thinking about the plays.

Audio-Recordings of Shakespeare’s plays will be available for students who have visual impairments, so that they can hear the dynamic of the dialogue, and if at all possible will be given brail translations of the plays.

Readings will be somewhat tiered in the classroom to help readers who may be behind their classmates; No Fear Shakespeare, for instance, provides the original text of the play alongside a modern-day translation of it which is much easier to read. There will also be graphic novel adaptations of the plays available if possible (some of them are included in my materials list) which can be used by students who are more visual learners (though they will be encouraged to read the original text as well in conjunction with them as well, if they are able to.) There will also be supplementary material provided for students that helps explain Shakespearean terms and the language of his plays, since there is a variety of sometimes confusing words and phrases used in his works.

Conclusion/Closure: The conclusion of the class will be with the group presentations, which will be given as much of the class time as is required to have all the students get a chance to participate and show their findings to their peers. After this class, since I am placing these lessons closer towards the end of the semester, I will ask students to leave what they have of their final projects in the classroom for me to look at for some ungraded formative assessment, to see how the projects are coming along and see where I can help students if they are struggling. If they do not have their projects there with them, I will ask the students to bring them with them to the next class so that I can observe how they are coming along. Being able to take a look at them will convey to me if the group has got a solid grasp on what they are doing, and also tell me if the group communication and teamwork is strong or lacking. After announcing this, I would gather whatever students have with them and once again advise them to go home and think about what we talked about and learned in class so that they can keep it fresh in their minds.

UDL Lesson Plans – Five Assessment Tools(Five Different Means to Conduct Summative Assessment at the end of the Term)

1) Final Examination – Though tests have come under a lot of scrutiny in more recent years about their efficiency, it is possible to use tests properly to gauge how much a student has learned. Instead of a stereotypical question-and-answer format, the test could have a variety of different kinds of questions, including (but not limited to) multiple-choice answers, truth or false options, short essay questions that allow students to make their own educated response (i.e., an answer that shows what symbolism, motifs or themes they noticed, etc.) Tests can also be modified in order to accommodate for students who have disabilities. Tests can be provided with larger font, given in private rooms if they do not feel comfortable around others, be conducted on a computer if the student lacks the motor skills to write their answers, and so forth. With some changes considered, and with a testing method that is flexible, tests can still be given in classrooms to see what students have retained about the stories, theories and observations of Shakespearean plays.

2) Writing a Cumulative Final Paper – This is an option that should be available, at the very least, to the stronger writers in the classroom who are able to convey what they have

learned most effectively through doing a research paper. Since the assignment is progressive, it allows students to take their time and I will allot class sessions to do work on the project. There are immeasurable resources out there for students to utilize in order to analyze Shakespeare’s works, so I believe that if certain students feel confident that they would do a good job with a lengthy paper, then I’ll have them do this for their final assignment. (For students that do not write as well as others, they can opt to take additional summative projects, including making a presentation, or becoming a part of a group and portraying a scene from a Shakespearean play in front of the classroom (or they can perform a soliloquy by themselves if they prefer to do narrative by themselves.))

3) Performing a Scene or Soliloquy from the Play – This is a good selection for students who are interpersonal or intrapersonal and are kinetic in their learning and presentation. This form of project is simple; the students will either perform a singular narrative in front of the classroom (such as a soliloquy from a Shakespearean play) or groups of 2 or more can act out a chosen scene from a play that all of the students agreed upon together. This project would not be about memorizing the lines, however; if students are able to do so, I would encourage them to, but for some students it’s nearly impossible to remember lines without a script, especially if they are playing a central character who speaks a lot in the scene. Instead, my emphasis on grading this particular project would be to see the kind of emotion and power that the students put into their parts, since I’ll be able to tell the difference if they’re really trying with their roles, or just doing the motions to get a grade. The student(s) would also be require to take some time after their performance to explain the significance of the passage or scene they reenacted with regard to the whole of the play, and talk about the internal symbolism, meaning, and so forth behind the words.

4) Creating a Presentation – Students can choose this option if they prefer a way to show the culmination of their research in front of the class; presentations will be allowed to take numerous different forms. Students can prepare a PowerPoint presentation to show to the rest of the class and outline their research results, can create posters or props to show some thing(s) that fascinated them, can arrange for a guest speak to come in and help them discuss their findings (such as another teacher, local literary historian, college professor, etc.) There are numerous ways that the student could show their work and the time they’ve spent; the only requirement I would make of this is that the student let me know what they’re going to be doing in advance so that we can set aside the time for the presentation and make arrangements for equipment that they need.

5) Create an Artistic or Musical Piece Inspired by a Shakespearean Work – Some students work better with the arts to convey what they have learned; this kind of final project would allow students to create an artistic or musical piece that they were inspired to create by one of the pieces that we read in class. This assignment won’t be graded entirely on quality; instead, I want to be able to see the effort that the student put into the work. I know that not all students can create masterpieces in a few short weeks of work, even if they have their ideas early on, but I want to be able to observe in seeing or listening to the piece they’ve made that they really did try their best to convey what they felt or learned when they read something specific by Shakespeare. Most of my grading

will be mostly centered on gauging the effort that these students put into their work, instead of only on the physical investment that they are showing to me. There are plenty of students out there who try their very best, but still can’t make the best work, and are oftentimes penalized because of it; I want to try and resist this tendency and give students credit for their creativity, individual thoughts and effort, and give them encouragement to continue trying their best on everything they do.

Reflection – Features of the UDL:

The features of these lesson plans are an emphasis on group work and participation that

involves the entire classroom; this kind of organization will prevent me from falling into the

habit of calling only on the same students or pressuring the kids to answer methodically. With

group activities, the students have the time and chance to work out their thoughts and opinions

and see what other people’s interpretations of the plays were. This allows students to analyze

work from different kinds of perspectives, and when the group presents its findings they will use

a system that makes it a different student leading the discussion each week so that no one is

singled out and doing it constantly. These kinds of activities will also help the students gather

information for their final projects and also giving them some time to work on the projects in

class will hopefully allow them to feel comfortable asking me questions about what will be

required of them. For the final project (as well as other larger assignments that would be given

during the term) I will provide a rubric that would outline everything that I expect of the

students, and give them a point system to see what they’ll earn for the kind of work they give

me. This way, the students will know exactly what they need to accomplish for a good grade on

their projects.

The potential barriers of teaching literature are evident still in many classrooms across

this country; most English classes fall into the realm of a lecture-like lesson where the teacher

talks all about the features of the book and all of the information, and every once in a while calls

for the input of a student. There might be some group activity, but it is limited usually to just

reading off lines from plays such as Shakespeare’s. I can remember in high school as well that

there was usually more strength placed on memorizing already established literary theories and

observations instead of being able to make our own. That is why in these lesson plans I have

students meet in groups for the majority of the class to talk amongst themselves while I would be

going around and see what they’re talking about and what kind of things they noticed. I also

would want students to use their own minds to think of ways to interpret what Shakespeare is

conveying in his works instead of just going by what scholars and researchers have already

written about. Letting the kids think for themselves will help them prepare for college too

because the analytical writing they do in college-level English classes will require them to use

both research and their own theories in conjunction with each other. I’m not going to ask the

students to make any enormous contributions with their own thoughts; all I’m really looking for

is some in-depth thinking and some obvious interest in what they’re reading and thinking about. I

want to create a classroom that is made to include everyone and give equal importance and

emphasis to every single student’s thoughts.

The specific UDL features of the classroom that I have presented in these lesson plans are

shown through the assistive equipment that I will strive to have someday in my real classroom,

software and devices that allow all students to gain the same kind of education. I’ve already

discussed how I want to prevent barriers from occurring with the structure of the classroom

itself, but I also want to make sure that no students who have different disabilities feel like they

aren’t included in the classroom community. Programs such as NaturalSoft’s Text-to-Speech

software, the audio and digital recorders, and the visual aids will help students with disabilities

be able to participate in classes. For instance, a non-verbal student with autism can discuss in his

group using the NaturalSoft program and can act as the spokesperson for their group as well

through it. I have also found some ways to address the reading barriers that can surface,

especially with literature as difficult as Shakespeare’s can be for some students. In the reading

list, I included some graphic novels for students who are more visual learners to help them along

with the reading, so they can envision the story themselves, and even more importantly have

made the No Fear Shakespeare series in my list of resources, which gives the students a modern

English translation of Shakespeare’s work so that they won’t have to struggle with the Middle

English of the original text. If they still are having trouble with the reading and fall behind in

their assignments, I will help them along to make sure that they gain a comprehension of the

reading through other means that exist out there, such as the websites I have provided in my

resource list.

Differentiated Instruction in this classroom is conducted through these assistive

technologies which unite all students together, both the general education students and inclusive

students. The instruction is also modified with everyone in mind through the loose nature of the

final projects that I have included with these lesson plans and discuss within them as well.

Instead of assigning one kind of final project and expecting every student to commit to that

project, whether it captivates them or not, I am allowing them to chose what they want to do for

their final project. Of course, I will want to be a part of the process and see how they are doing,

but I also want the variety to be there for students of different learning levels and strengths (for

the most part, I kept in mind the Multiple Intelligences model for assigning the different kinds of

projects they can do.) I also give them the option to work alone at times, though during the

lessons above I encourage a lot of group work because I strongly believe that students learn a lot

when they are interacting and discussing with peers instead of listening to the teacher talk for

most of the time. Graphic organizers and other tools also help students get their thoughts together

and help them open up and talk about what they’ve been contemplating, and also help students

with disabilities help contribute something to the group without having to keep their thoughts

inside their minds. For the most part, though, I’ve tried to keep my classroom fairly relaxed so

that everyone can learn in a way that’s comfortable for them. If there was ever a particular

student that would refuse to work in a group, I myself or, if available, an assistant to the student

could work with them instead. I know that even with a lot of implementations, teachers need to

be able to adapt to different situations and keep an open mind about helping all students and

making sure they’re in a comfortable learning environment.

Overall, I am very pleased with how my lesson plans have come out in this project;

admittedly, I was a bit nervous coming into this project because I’ve never constructed lesson

plans before, but I feel confident that I managed to integrate all the tools and instructional

flexibility needed to make for a good inclusive classroom. I am very happy for the experience

that this project has allowed for me to explore and I know that it has worked as an astounding

jumping-off point for me as I continue my career as an Education student at SUNY Oswego.

Printed Resources

Complete Works of William Shakespeare by Harper Collins Publishing (Upper High School / Early College Level Reading Level) (Main Textbook)

Romeo and Juliet (No Fear Shakespeare Graphic Novels) (No Fear Shakespeare Illustrated). (Meant for Young Adults) (Can be used for students who are visual learners or have reading disabilities, since the words are reconfigured into modern English and accompanied by illustrations.)

Othello (Graphic Shakespeare) by Vincent Goodwin (Writer) and Chris Allen (Illustrator).

Shakespeare's Words: A Glossary and Language Companion by David and Ben Crystal. (Upper High School / Entry College Level Reading Level)

The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare (Oxford Companions) by Stanley Wells. (General High School Level / Entry College Level) (This companion gives a lot of basic information and some scholarly supplementary material.)

Shakespeare and Modern Culture by Marjorie Garber. (Regards Shakespeare’s plays with relation to modern-day issues.)

Non-Print Resources

DVDs (Shakespeare Performances):

“Othello.” Directed by Oliver Parker, distributed by Turner Home Entertainment. (This production is rated R, so I would have to get parental permission for the students to watch it. If there was resistance, an alternative would be the 2007 Globe Theater Production of “Othello”. The Oliver Parker edition, however, is incredibly well done, so it was my first choice.)

“William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet.” Directed by Baz Luhrmann, distributed by 20th Century Fox. (Modern day adaption of the play from 1996.)

“Romeo and Juliet (1968).” Directed by Franco Zeffirelli, distributed by Paramount Studios. (Classical Edition of the Play.)

Supplementary Websites:

Triangulating Shakespeare: http://cla.calpoly.edu/~smarx/Shakespeare/triang/index.html (Divided into play categories and different levels of understanding for all students.)

Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet: ‘You Kiss by the Book’: http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=303 (Guidelines to reading and thinking about Romeo and Juliet.)

Cumming’s Study Guides – Othello: http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/xOthello.html

No Fear Shakespeare (SparkNotes):

http://nfs.sparknotes.com/

Visual Thesaurus:

http://www.visualthesaurus.com/

Graphic Organizers:

http://eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/

Rubric Generator:

http://www.rubistar.com/

Text-to-Speech:

http://www.naturalreaders.com/

Complete Works of William Shakespeare by Harper Collins Publishing (Upper High School / Early College Level Reading Level) (Main Textbook)

Romeo and Juliet (No Fear Shakespeare Graphic Novels) (No Fear Shakespeare Illustrated). (Meant for Young Adults) (Can be used for students who are visual learners or have reading disabilities, since the words are reconfigured into modern English and accompanied by illustrations.)

Othello (Graphic Shakespeare) by Vincent Goodwin (Writer) and Chris Allen (Illustrator).

Shakespeare's Words: A Glossary and Language Companion by David and Ben Crystal. (Upper High School / Entry College Level Reading Level)

Shakespeare and Modern Culture by Marjorie Garber. (Regards Shakespeare’s plays with relation to modern-day issues.)

“Othello.” Directed by Oliver Parker, distributed by Turner Home Entertainment.

“William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet.”

The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare (Oxford Companions) by Stanley Wells. (General High School Level / Entry College Level) (This companion gives a lot of basic information and some scholarly supplementary material.)