Download Shakespeare Medium Term Plan

Medium Term Plan
Title of Unit:
Shakespeare
Text:
Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Outcome:
GCSE English Literature and Language
coursework essay or oral assessment.
Duration:
8 weeks, 32 lessons.
Week Number:
1: The Physicality of the Theatre
i)
Shakespeare’s theatre: The Globe and the Swan.
ii)
The difference between film/TV and theatre. (En2 5c)
iii)
Drama activities to familiarise students with the nature of performance.
(En1 4c)
iv)
Set design and theatre management. (En1 11c)
2: The Historical context of Shakespearean Theatre
i)
Shakespeare’s life.
ii)
The important historical events of Shakespearean England.
iii)
Introduce the play by looking at Act 1 scene 1.
iv)
Look at the Language of Shakespeare through various sources.
3: Examining the Text
i)
Outline of plot (possibly use the animated tales).
ii)
Exploration of the themes of the play.
iii)
Continue reading the first act of the play, focus on scenes 2,3 and 5 in
particular.
iv)
Same as iii)
4: Exploration of the Supernatural in the Play
i)
Close analysis of Act 1 scene 5, Lady Macbeth’s speech.
ii)
Examination of Shakespeare’s use of symbolism and imagery, e.g. the
dagger, the bell, the witches themselves.
iii)
Focus on Act 3 scene 4. Use scene to explore theme of madness.
iv)
Character graph of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s strength/weakness,
sanity/insanity.
5: Characters
i)
Read through to the end of Act 4 continue with character graphs. Use
video versions to support readings.
ii)
Look in detail at Act 4 scene 1. Analyse the use of language in the
witches’ spell. Continue to add information to the character graph.
iii)
Read/watch rest of act, update character graphs. Explore Macduff’s
role.
iv)
Read Act 5 scene 1. Examine theme of madness and look at the effect
of the events on the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.
6: Conclusions and Themes
i)
Hot seating exercise in role of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth and Macduff.
ii)
Read though the remains of Act 5. Focus on Macbeth’s reaction to
Lady Macbeth’s death and the ‘Tomorrow and tomorrow’ speech.
iii)
Produce theme web for play to link theme, character and action.
Possible option for display work and/or presentation.
iv)
As iii.
7: Working Towards Assessment
i)
Introduce essay question or presentation topic. Go over criteria for
assessment using Coursework Cover Sheets.
ii)
Look at format and style, either essay or options for presentation.
Teacher modelling of example texts (whole class), assessment of
example essays (small group).
iii)
Begin to draft/prepare assessment work.
iv)
Continue drafting/preparing. Interim progress report, mini
presentation.
8: Final Assessment Stage
i)
Students using ICT facilities to research topics, work on drafts or
PowerPoint presentation.
ii)
As lesson i.
iii)
Students hand in final drafts, perform presentations and self assess
against GCSE assessment criteria (supplied on Coursework Cover
Sheets). Students set Targets for improvement.
Possible Essay Titles and Presentation Topics
 “What is the role of the witches in Macbeth?”
 “Who is responsible for the downfall of Macbeth?”
 “Explore the use of the supernatural in the Macbeth?”
 “Examine the theme of madness in Macbeth. How does Shakespeare use
this as both a narrative and a presentational device?”
 “Explore the nature of tragedy within the play Macbeth?”
Notes:
The above schedule is a suggested model and remains flexible within the
eight-week deadline. Many of the activities are in fact generic and are
applicable to a range of texts. Classroom teachers should use their own
strengths to develop the programme as they see fit.
Marked for:
En2, Lit