ST. MARY’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Division of Instruction
LESSON PLANNING FRAME
Teacher: Pam LeFave
Grade/Class: Theatre I (Grades 9-12) Renaissance (will last 2-3 days)
Date:

Stage 1: Identify Desired Results
(Reference St. Mary’s County Public School System’s Essential Curriculum)

Essential Curriculum

Outcome 2: Historical, Cultural, and Social Context: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the history, traditions, and conventions of theatre and dramatic text and ways that forms of theatre satisfy cultural needs, past and present.

Enduring Understandings
(What enduring understandings are addressed?)

• The arts flourish when the economy is strong.
• The arts enrich our lives and help us appreciate the beauty around us.
• Science inspires and enhances art.
• Lack of communication hinders progress.

Essential Questions
(What essential questions will be considered?)

• How does art reflect societal values?
• How do societal beliefs affect relationships?
• How important is money or wealth?
• Can money really give you everything?
• Does “ music really soothe the savage beast”? Why or why not?
• How does science inspire art?
• How important is communication?

Key Content Knowledge and Skills
(What key content knowledge, skills, and processes will students acquire as a result of this lesson?)

• Benchmarks: Students will identify characters in the plot for their function in the text.
• Benchmark: Students will analyze and identify characteristics in plays and performances that reflect
• Renaissance Society (i.e. attitudes, values and behavior).
• Benchmark: Students will identify styles related to the presentation of a production. They will identify production elements.
• Students will recognize the influence of literature and science on art and art forms.

Stage 2: Determine Acceptable Evidence of Learning

Assessment
(What will students do to demonstrate the desired knowledge/proficiencies?)

• Students will turn in KWL.
• Students will make journal entries regarding assigned questions.
• Students will do a think/pair/share.
• Students will draw a picture or set design of the scene in Belmont.

Stage 3: Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction

Lesson Components
(May include Anticipatory Set, Review, Presentation of New Concepts, Guided Practice, Independent Practice, and Closure as appropriate.)

• Anticipatory set: Prepare a KWL Chart: Ask students to write briefly about what they already know about the following:
  
  Greek and Roman Mythology: (specifically) “Troilus and Cressida,” “Pyramus and Thisbe,” “Aeneas and Dido,” “Jason and Medea” and “Orpheus.” Ask the students to also give a brief description of how our solar system works. All that information goes in the BEFORE column.
  
• They will read Act V Scene I Lines 1-30
  
  Students will read the script aloud line by line. We will break up the script and have each student read a line. We will repeat the same lines five or six times analyzing possible meanings and then emphasizing different words each time around. We will look at the imagery literally and figuratively. We will examine the references and their significance.
  I want the students to conclude that the stories are a lover’s game of “one-upsmanship” describing the unusually quiet night and the moon. For Homework Journal reflection: Compare and contrast the relationship between Jeessica and Lorenzo to couples today.
  They can fill in the DURING section of the KWL sheet as we go along.
  
• We will move on in the script to lines 35-61. We will discuss the significance of the information revealed in the lines.

• We will continue with lines 62-76 I will distribute information about Ptolemy’s “Wheel” and the general Renaissance misconception of astrology and its effects on people. Tell them a little about Copernicus who established the basis of modern astronomy in 1543 but due to lack of communication and distribution of information during this age, people were not aware of his theories until confirmed by Kepler in 1609 and Galileo in 1610. Are the lines merely describing the sky or is the passage referring to the relation of the heavens linked to the harmony of the soul? Compare these beliefs to today’s view of astronomy and its effects. Why do you think the Italian Renaissance had effect on England in the arts (i.e. music, theatre, art, dance, architecture) before it reached Europe; yet news of scientific theory was little known until confirmed? Journal entry: How important is communication? Is it important to keep informed? Why or why not?

• We move on to 77-97. We break up this speech by Lorenzo as we did earlier and examine the effects of emphasizing different words and come up with a consensus about its meaning. Music soothes the wild horses and stops them in their tracks. What is his opinion about a man who is not moved by music? Does this reflect the values of the age? How does that compare with our beliefs today? I will play some sweet music from the Renaissance era. (Selection to be determined.) Students will be given time to do a think/pair/ share while music is playing.

• We read on from line 98 to line 119. We will determine what Portia and Nerissa are saying. I will consider playing a recording of “Turn, Turn, Turn” to back up the lines.

• At the end of the lesson, the students will complete the KWL third column.

• Students will be asked to draw a picture of the scene during the music. They can do the picture as visual art, or as a set rendering.

(After we have completed the passage there will be a lesson on music and dance to back up the music portion.)