achievement standard 1.5 - 91000 (1.5B version 3)
DEMONSTRATE UNDERSTANDING OF A SIGNIFICANT PLAY
"IN SEARCH OF SHAKESPEARE"
Achievement
Demonstrate understanding of a significant play.
Achievement with Merit
Demonstrate informed understanding of a significant play.
Achievement with Excellence
Demonstrate perceptive understanding of a significant play.
Student instructions
Introduction
This activity requires you to create and give a three to five minute individual presentation that demonstrates your understanding of a play. The activity will take place during 7 weeks approx, using in and out-of-class time.
You will be assessed on the depth of understanding of the play that you demonstrate in your presentation.
Task
Read and explore the play before beginning this assessment task.
Preparation
Your teacher will give you activities to carry out that will help you develop your ideas for your presentation.
Presentation
Demonstrate your understanding of the play through a presentation to your teacher and class.
You may be given time in class to work on your presentations and to share your ideas and progress with others.
Your presentation should not be longer than five minutes.
Your presentation can be in any medium that allows information to be presented, for example, a seminar, a slideshow presentation, an “in role” presentation, a poster, a wall chart, or a podcast.
You are expected to include or use material from any preparatory activities that you have been working on in class, as well as work you have completed for homework.
Your understanding of the play may come from your exploration of some or all of the following:
Hand in a hard copy of your presentation - via your Google Doc.
Student Resource A: Further guidance
Complete the following activities to help you prepare for creating your final presentation. Your teacher will organise your class activities.
.
Preparation activities
Introductory scenes
As a class, consider the introductory scene of the play.
Head up four separate Google DOCS, with:
In your group, detail on the Google DOC and brainstorm everything you have found out about that particular aspect in the first scene of the play.
"Pass" the Google DOC permissions to another group, and repeat until everyone has had the opportunity to contribute to each sheet.
Discuss your findings as a class and summarise your discoveries.
Copies of each of these four sheets are available on our Google classroom page
Action, role, and tension
Choose a short scene (no more than a page) which is important to the main conflict or tension in the play. Make copies of that scene for students to use in this task. E.g. Mercutio & Tybalt conflict scene or When Capulet tells Juliet she must marry Paris
What is important?
Working in pairs, discuss and write down, in order, 6-7 important events that occur in the play. These should cover the whole play.
With your partner, select 5 of these events and create still images for each.
Show them to the class and explain why you decided these events were the most important.
Working in groups, choose the most important characters in the play.
Draw a role on the wall for each character.
Find quotes from the play to justify each of the qualities you have put on your role on the wall.
Record what makes this character important in the world of the play.
Background
Explore the background to the play through your own research. Your teacher may also provide you with some resources.
Your teacher may conduct a jigsaw activity to help you interact with the material and share your findings on the social, historical and cultural context of the play.
( Teacher note: Divide the topics up into different aspects and then allocate a topic to each jigsaw group. It is advisable to work with small groups at each step, rather than individuals. You may want to develop some worksheets or a list of questions to help students with their research.)
The cultural, social, or historical context of the play
Choose one aspect from the cultural, social, or historical context of the play that you have discovered.
In a small group or a pair, devise a short scene showing how this has changed from the context that the play was written in to how things are in your life or your experience of the world.
Teacher note: You may need to help the students by allocating aspects to explore through improvisation.
Themes
Discuss the themes and main ideas in the play.
In a small group or a pair, find examples from the play where a character expresses (or characters express) their views on one idea or theme.
Prepare a still image of the characters with spoken thoughts, quoting from the play, to express their view on the theme.
Show it to the class.
Discuss the choice of still image, what this image communicates to the audience, and how each image reflects the social, historical, or cultural context of the play.
Hot-seat the characters on their views of the theme or idea.
Discuss the themes and main ideas in the play.
Find examples from the play where this theme or idea is expressed through the action, setting, or situation.
Make a diagrammatic representation of each theme or idea, showing examples from the play where the theme/idea is expressed and any links between these.
Staging
Consider the staging of this play.
Your teacher will allocate each group one area of responsibility:
Examine the needs of the play, in terms of your area of responsibility.
Then consider how your area of responsibility could communicate the main themes and ideas.
Prepare a presentation of your ideas for the staging of the play to the director (teacher and rest of class).
Evidence/Judgements for Achievement
The student makes a practical presentation that demonstrates his/her understanding of the play, by making relevant connections between the content of the play and the time it was first produced.
The student has included some or all of: social, cultural, historical context; main ideas and themes and how these are reflected in the play; how drama elements are reflected in the staging/performance of the play; how conventions are used to translate ideas onto stage; the style and purpose of the play.
For example, in a study of Midsummer Night’s Dream, the student’s presentation includes some or all of:
Evidence/Judgements for Achievement with Merit
The student makes a practical presentation that demonstrates informed understanding of the play, by making detailed relevant references to the connections between the content of the play and the time it was first produced, and providing supporting examples.
The student has included some or all of: social, cultural, historical context; main ideas and themes and how these are reflected in the play; how drama elements are reflected in the staging/performance of the play; how conventions are used to translate ideas onto stage; the style and purpose of the play.
For example, in a study of Midsummer Night’s Dream, the student’s presentation includes clear examples from the text to illustrate statements about some or all of:
Evidence/Judgements for Achievement with Excellence
The student makes a practical presentation that demonstrates perceptive understanding of the play, by making detailed, relevant, insightful connections between the content of the play and the time it was first produced, and providing supporting examples.
The student has included some or all of: social, cultural, historical context; main ideas and themes and how these are reflected in the play; how drama elements are reflected in the staging/performance of the play; how conventions are used to translate ideas onto stage; the style and purpose of the play.
For example, in a study of Midsummer Night’s Dream, the student’s presentation includes clear examples from the text to insightfully illustrate statements about some or all of:
"IN SEARCH OF SHAKESPEARE"
Achievement
Demonstrate understanding of a significant play.
Achievement with Merit
Demonstrate informed understanding of a significant play.
Achievement with Excellence
Demonstrate perceptive understanding of a significant play.
Student instructions
Introduction
This activity requires you to create and give a three to five minute individual presentation that demonstrates your understanding of a play. The activity will take place during 7 weeks approx, using in and out-of-class time.
You will be assessed on the depth of understanding of the play that you demonstrate in your presentation.
Task
Read and explore the play before beginning this assessment task.
Preparation
Your teacher will give you activities to carry out that will help you develop your ideas for your presentation.
Presentation
Demonstrate your understanding of the play through a presentation to your teacher and class.
You may be given time in class to work on your presentations and to share your ideas and progress with others.
Your presentation should not be longer than five minutes.
Your presentation can be in any medium that allows information to be presented, for example, a seminar, a slideshow presentation, an “in role” presentation, a poster, a wall chart, or a podcast.
You are expected to include or use material from any preparatory activities that you have been working on in class, as well as work you have completed for homework.
Your understanding of the play may come from your exploration of some or all of the following:
- the social, historical, and cultural context of the play
- the ideas, themes, and concerns evident in the play
- how elements of drama (i.e. role, time, space, action, tension, focus) are used in the play
- how conventions are used in the play
- the style, structure, and purpose of the play
- the staging requirements of the play and how these might be realised.
- demonstrate your understanding by making detailed references, using clear examples from the play
- make insightful connections between the different aspects of the play and the time the play was first produced
- come to a conclusion about what the play has to offer theatre today
- consider how staging aspects would help an audience to understand this.
Hand in a hard copy of your presentation - via your Google Doc.
Student Resource A: Further guidance
Complete the following activities to help you prepare for creating your final presentation. Your teacher will organise your class activities.
.
Preparation activities
Introductory scenes
As a class, consider the introductory scene of the play.
Head up four separate Google DOCS, with:
- Characters
- Setting (time and place)
- Story/situation
- Tension/conflict.
In your group, detail on the Google DOC and brainstorm everything you have found out about that particular aspect in the first scene of the play.
"Pass" the Google DOC permissions to another group, and repeat until everyone has had the opportunity to contribute to each sheet.
Discuss your findings as a class and summarise your discoveries.
Copies of each of these four sheets are available on our Google classroom page
Action, role, and tension
Choose a short scene (no more than a page) which is important to the main conflict or tension in the play. Make copies of that scene for students to use in this task. E.g. Mercutio & Tybalt conflict scene or When Capulet tells Juliet she must marry Paris
- Your teacher will give you a scene that includes an important action in the play.
- Working in small groups, block and rehearse the scene.
- Choose roles, including the director.
- Prepare this scene as a moved reading. Focus on the action, role, and tension in the scene.
- Perform your scene to your class and discuss what has changed from the start of the play (when we first meet the characters) and the situation in your scene.
- Discuss the changes in terms of the characters, relationships, setting, situation, and tension or conflict.
- After the class discussion, work in your group to create a still image of a moment in the scene.
- Each character should reflect in some way on the tension/conflict in this scene (for example, how the character feels, what action this tension has caused/ increased/heightened, how relationships have changed).
- Add spoken thoughts based on the discussion.
- The director will also be in the still image and will use spoken thoughts to reflect on an aspect of the scene as a whole.
What is important?
Working in pairs, discuss and write down, in order, 6-7 important events that occur in the play. These should cover the whole play.
With your partner, select 5 of these events and create still images for each.
Show them to the class and explain why you decided these events were the most important.
Working in groups, choose the most important characters in the play.
Draw a role on the wall for each character.
Find quotes from the play to justify each of the qualities you have put on your role on the wall.
Record what makes this character important in the world of the play.
Background
Explore the background to the play through your own research. Your teacher may also provide you with some resources.
Your teacher may conduct a jigsaw activity to help you interact with the material and share your findings on the social, historical and cultural context of the play.
( Teacher note: Divide the topics up into different aspects and then allocate a topic to each jigsaw group. It is advisable to work with small groups at each step, rather than individuals. You may want to develop some worksheets or a list of questions to help students with their research.)
The cultural, social, or historical context of the play
Choose one aspect from the cultural, social, or historical context of the play that you have discovered.
In a small group or a pair, devise a short scene showing how this has changed from the context that the play was written in to how things are in your life or your experience of the world.
Teacher note: You may need to help the students by allocating aspects to explore through improvisation.
Themes
Discuss the themes and main ideas in the play.
In a small group or a pair, find examples from the play where a character expresses (or characters express) their views on one idea or theme.
Prepare a still image of the characters with spoken thoughts, quoting from the play, to express their view on the theme.
Show it to the class.
Discuss the choice of still image, what this image communicates to the audience, and how each image reflects the social, historical, or cultural context of the play.
Hot-seat the characters on their views of the theme or idea.
Discuss the themes and main ideas in the play.
Find examples from the play where this theme or idea is expressed through the action, setting, or situation.
Make a diagrammatic representation of each theme or idea, showing examples from the play where the theme/idea is expressed and any links between these.
Staging
Consider the staging of this play.
Your teacher will allocate each group one area of responsibility:
- costumes and make-up
- set and props
- lighting and sound.
Examine the needs of the play, in terms of your area of responsibility.
Then consider how your area of responsibility could communicate the main themes and ideas.
Prepare a presentation of your ideas for the staging of the play to the director (teacher and rest of class).
Evidence/Judgements for Achievement
The student makes a practical presentation that demonstrates his/her understanding of the play, by making relevant connections between the content of the play and the time it was first produced.
The student has included some or all of: social, cultural, historical context; main ideas and themes and how these are reflected in the play; how drama elements are reflected in the staging/performance of the play; how conventions are used to translate ideas onto stage; the style and purpose of the play.
For example, in a study of Midsummer Night’s Dream, the student’s presentation includes some or all of:
- An “in role” performance of Titania’s anger when she discovers that she has been tricked by Oberon, linking this to the Elizabethan belief in supernatural forces
- Two still images with spoken thoughts expressing Titania’s feelings about Oberon before and after she is tricked
- A slideshow presentation on The Chain of Being from Shakespeare’s world, which shows the status line from Theseus and Hippolyta to The Mechanicals
- A wall chart showing how the theme “true love never ran smooth” is shown through the relationships of different pairs of characters and how this is linked to the practice of arranged marriages.
Evidence/Judgements for Achievement with Merit
The student makes a practical presentation that demonstrates informed understanding of the play, by making detailed relevant references to the connections between the content of the play and the time it was first produced, and providing supporting examples.
The student has included some or all of: social, cultural, historical context; main ideas and themes and how these are reflected in the play; how drama elements are reflected in the staging/performance of the play; how conventions are used to translate ideas onto stage; the style and purpose of the play.
For example, in a study of Midsummer Night’s Dream, the student’s presentation includes clear examples from the text to illustrate statements about some or all of:
- An “in role” performance of Titania’s anger when she discovers that she has been tricked by Oberon, linking this to the Elizabethan belief in supernatural forces
- Two still images with spoken thoughts expressing Titania’s feelings about Oberon before and after she is tricked and commentary linking this to the Elizabethan belief of a woman’s place in society
- A slideshow presentation on The Chain of Being from Shakespeare’s world, which shows how it relates to the world view of the time, with examples from the play, e.g. a role on the wall that explains how Oberon behaves because of his belief that he should be obeyed
- A wall chart that shows how the theme “true love never ran smooth” is reflected through the action and dialogue of different pairs of characters and how this is linked to the practice of arranged marriages.
Evidence/Judgements for Achievement with Excellence
The student makes a practical presentation that demonstrates perceptive understanding of the play, by making detailed, relevant, insightful connections between the content of the play and the time it was first produced, and providing supporting examples.
The student has included some or all of: social, cultural, historical context; main ideas and themes and how these are reflected in the play; how drama elements are reflected in the staging/performance of the play; how conventions are used to translate ideas onto stage; the style and purpose of the play.
For example, in a study of Midsummer Night’s Dream, the student’s presentation includes clear examples from the text to insightfully illustrate statements about some or all of:
- An “in role” performance of Titania’s anger when she discovers that she has been tricked by Oberon, linking this to the Elizabethan belief in supernatural forces
- Two still images with spoken thoughts expressing Titania’s feelings about Oberon before and after she is tricked and insightful commentary linking this to the Elizabethan belief of a woman’s place in society, with reference to other characters in the play.
- A slideshow presentation on The Chain of Being from Shakespeare’s world, which includes a full explanation of what this means and how it relates to the world view of the time and showing where each character fits on this Chain, e.g. a role on the wall poster of the character Oberon, with several detailed and relevant quotes from the play showing how he behaves because of his beliefs of how he should be obeyed
- A wall chart using an annotated diagram to show how the theme “true love never ran smooth” is reflected through the action and dialogue of different pairs of characters. The annotations draw out the links between the parallel storylines of the different sets of lovers. This is linked insightfully to the practice of arranged marriages, through consideration of what the author’s own perspective on the practice might have been and why.