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allaboutshakespearerapusingiambicpentameter.pdf | |
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Teacher: Cecilia Haley
Teaching Context: ELA 8 -- Love and Friendship Unit
Integrated objective - The objective addresses both subjects being integrated.
Students will use iambic pentameter to create and perform a hip hop chorus that showcases important information about Shakespeare and his works.
Integrated assessment – The teacher looks for evidence of learning in both subjects.
Students will show understanding of both subjects by meeting the following final assessment criteria:
- Identify the main idea and important details from informational text about Shakespeare
- Create four lines of music (a chorus) that use iambic pentameter as rhythm.
- Perform the chorus using appropriate expression and iambic pentameter
Arts Standard(s):
MU.CR.1.8 b. Generate coherent musical ideas (e.g. rhythms, melodies, and accompaniment patterns) within related tonalities, meters, and simple chord changes within a specified form
MU.PR.6.8 a. Perform music with appropriate expression, technique, and interpretation.
ELA Common Core Standard(s):
RI.8.2 Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text.
W.8.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Introductory Activities:
- Introduce Shakespeare to students, emphasizing his contributions to our language and literature AND the idea that his plays are “timeless” -- his plays still ring true to our modern day situations, even though they were written hundreds of years ago.
- Show students a quick video about Shakespeare so they begin to gather some background information.
- Next, show students a more engaging, relatable video about Shakespeare -- from Flocabulary. Students can follow along with the lyrics to the rap.
- Put students into groups, and have each group learn more about the different aspects of Shakespeare mentioned in the rap. Use these lyric notes for this activity. Each group should identify the main idea and 3 important details and record on the “Notes” section of lyric notes.
Check for understanding: Teacher can take a walk around the room to see if students are finding the main idea and identifying important details.
- Explain that students will be sharing their knowledge about Shakespeare with the rest of the class by creating a “Shakespeare style” rap using the main idea and details from their lyric notes section.
- Tell students that Shakespeare and hip hop are more connected than they might think. To illustrate, show students this Ted Talk by Akala (20 minutes).
- Discuss the video, pointing out that iambic pentameter is Shakespeare’s beat.
- Using this lesson as a guide, have students practice iambic pentameter using “Living Iambic Pentameter”
Check for understanding: As groups of students recite the words of the Prologue from Romeo and Juliet, the teacher can assess if students understand the heartbeat rhythm of the iambic pentameter
Synthesis Activities
- Students will work in groups to synthesize their knowledge of Shakespeare and their understanding of iambic pentameter as they create their own Hip Hop Song.
- Hand out directions for how to create a hip hop song and review with students.
- Provide students time to find a beat; if they can and would like to download their beat, they can. Or, they can just play the beat as they create and rehearse their song.
- Provide time for students to sketch out their song -- they should make sure to include the important information about their text.
- Make sure students focus on the hook, as this is very important to the song.
- Finally, give students time to rehearse their performance.
Independent Learning Opportunities
Students can examine Romeo and Juliet to see Shakespeare’s use of iambic pentameter.