Objectives
ELLs must not only be taught the mechanics of the English language but also require exposure to the intellectual richness of higher level literature to ensure that they will move forward and progress in their studies. In this case, I am interested in exposing my students to Shakespeare's work in anticipation of what they will learn about when they go on to high school. In this manner, this unit will serve as prior knowledge for the students, giving them an opportunity to better understand what is occurring in the high school English classroom.
Shakespeare writes human stories with intense emotions and familiar themes to which my students will be able to relate. For example, in Romeo and Juliet he speaks to rebellious adolescents wanting freedom to make grown-up decisions without their parents' knowledge or approval. Many of the plays, such as Macbeth, The Taming of the Shrew, and As You Like It expose students to the role of gender at this time period – what it meant then to be a woman or a man. In Othello and Antony and Cleopatra the idea of nationalism is explored. My students will be able to relate to this as they are all very proud of where they have come from displaying their countries' flags and symbols on their clothing, notebooks, and backpacks.
A requirement of our standards is that they must be able to analyze characters in literature. In this unit, students will be required to analyze characters according to their identity – how is it revealed? My students who are caught between two countries, cultures, and languages, have different experiences and relationships which create conflicting pressures that influence who they are and who they will become. The same is true of characters in literature. My students will have an opportunity to analyze these confusions within the literature and make connections in relation to their own lives.
By studying Shakespeare, students will acquire information about vocabulary regarding the theatre and drama. These ELLs will work in small groups to re-create portions of the plays that enable them to use more of the English spoken language – not only to discuss with their group members what and how they will present their portions of the plays but also to increase their oral English language production.
In addition to these objectives, the unit also addresses the English Language Arts (ELA) standards for the state of Delaware (Appendix A). Although my students are ELLs, they are required to meet the content area standards for their grade levels. Students will have various opportunities to work individually, with partners and small groups to address these four standards. For example, the first two standards will be met as students are reading the varied leveled texts and discussing these with their small groups to better determine understanding of Shakespeare's work. The third standard will be met when students work together to re-write a play in Spanish to present to their families. In doing so they are evaluating what they have learned about the play, organizing it into manageable acts, and re-writing parts to show they have understood what they have read. The fourth standard is addressed while students are reading the varied materials, making connections to their lives – comparing and contrasting themselves with the various characters in Shakespeare's plays.
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