Comprehending and Experiencing Hamlet

References:
Royal Shakespeare Company. (2004). Exploring Shakespeare: Hamlet, Macbeth, and A Midsummer
Night’s Dream. Retrieved September 24, 2008, from
http://www.rsc.org.uk/exploringshakespeare/keyidea/hamletkeyidea.htm

GlobeLink. (2008). Adopt an Actor 2008. Retrieved September 24, 2008, from
http://www.globelink.org/adoptanactor/

Grade Level and Subject: English Language Arts 30-1 (Grade 12)
Brief Description of Activites:
These activities will be ongoing for the study of the play Hamlet. The students and teacher will adopt an actor, accessing , http://www.globelink.org/adoptanactor/ involved in the production of Hamlet at the Globe Theater. The adopt an actor project allows students to follow the production of the play while reading blogs/comments put up by “their actor” about the character he/she is playing, the plot, main themes and language within the play. Often, there are questions involved so, as a class, some of the questions this actor asks can be discussed an applied to the classroom study. Students will also be asked and encouraged to respond to “their actor” on a weekly basis with responses or opinions to the actor’s thoughts and the students’ own ideas/questions about the play and actor’s comments.
While following along and responding to aspects of the Hamlet production students will be asked to go to the website http://www.rsc.org.uk/exploringshakespeare/keyidea/hamletkeyidea.htm, where there are featured key concepts (revenge, secrets, lies, tragic hero, etc…) which are expanded upon as each area is explored, as a homework activity for each night. Each of these key ideas are demonstrated through video reenactments of the scenes, with questions as you go along, or explanations/theories in video form. Again, discussion about the questions/ themes will be taken up in small groups each class, focusing on the analyzing of questions and thinking about how the scenes apply to the key ideas. Students will also discuss what they think about the questions during the scenes (helpful or confusing?), what they believe the answers to be, and their opinion or thoughts on the “key ideas.

GLO:
1-Explore thoughts, ideas, feelings, experiences
2-Comprehend literature and other texts in print, visual and multimedia forms, and respond personally,
Critically, and creatively
5-Respect, support, and collaborate with others
SLO:
-1.2 Extend awareness: 1.2.1 Consider new perspectives
-2.1 Construct meaning from text and context: 2.1.1 Discern and analyze context
2.1.2 Understand and interpret content
-5.1 Respect others and strengthen community: 5.1.2 Appreciate diversity of expression, opinion,
perspective
5.2 Work within a group

ICT Outcomes: C.2 4.1 Consult a variety of sources that reflect varied viewpoints on particular topics
F.2.4.1 Use technology outside formal classroom settings

Rationale for Computer Integration:
By introducing students to a visual reproduction of a play and demonstration of concepts, it gets students excited about learning and willing to take the time to do so. By enabling them to go onto a website unaccompanied, students will be encouraged to learn in a non-school setting, independently, and learn how they can use technology to see visual representations of literature not just through television. By being in contact with someone through the internet, they are encouraged to communicate their thoughts and ideas about what they are learning and have learned. This, in turn, enables them to communicate in the classroom, while maintain respect for their peers as they would the actor they have “adopted”. The computer integration allows students to experience a different form of technology and encourages them to experiment with different contexts. This is also practice for interpreting language arts (reading, writing, speech, plays, stories) in a more exciting and virtual form as oppose to only reading it from a book. This enable students to actually experienc the play and ask questions about it from someone involved in Hamlet first hand. Students could create their own blogs later to discuss questions and comments about the play and ideas they have about it.