Description
Students will use their personal resources to transport themselves to a shipwrecked island as characters in "The Tempest". Essential Question: How did the shipwrecked crew and passengers in "The Tempest" feel once they realized they had made it to shore?
Materials
1. Large piece of paper (4'x5') with map of island drawn in center and landmarks written in. Surrounding island, category headers written: character, conflict, setting/time, prior events/circumstances.
2. Note cards (1 or 2 per student) with descriptive word(s) on each card: sand, Ferdinand, lonely, hot, seaweed, disoriented, ship, storm, fear, bird calls, cave, mosquitoes, wet etc.
3. Video-BBC Shakespeare Animated Tales (check Folgers Library)
4. text from "The Tempest", Act I, sc. 1 -
Full Lesson Plan
Lesson: (20 minutes)
- Show first scene from "BBC Shakespeare Animated Tales, The Tempest"– ask students afterwards if there was anything they did not understand, words, conflict etc.- Refer to text as necessary
- Class Discussion about what it would feel like to be on a boat in a big storm. Ask, "has anyone been in a similar situation?" "has anyone been in a situation where they felt they had no control over what was about to happen?" "who has control on the boat in the play?" "Does he really have control?" "who is being held accountable?" "what are the different reactions to the situation among the crew/passengers?"
- Show students map and point out landmarks and categories
- Hand out cards (1 or 2 per student) . Ask students to place cards under a category. (This can be done by character)
- Discuss what it must have been like for each of the characters in the scene to end up alone shipwrecked on the beach. What might have gone through their minds? What actions would they take based upon their mindset? What has each left behind? What are the possibilities on this island?
Review: (less than 5 minutes)
- What are the 5 Personal Resources? skills and techniques we use to express ourselves emotionally, intellectually, physically – imagination, observation, concentration, sensory awareness, movement
Reinforcement Activity: (10 minutes)
- Put in CD of ocean sounds (not entirely necessary, but I find the students enjoy this activity with it) –turn off lights
- Ask students to lie down on ground on their backs, hands at side, not touching anyone, eyes closed
- Ask students to imagine they have just been shipwrecked on an empty beach – I speak as soothingly as I can and ask them to use their senses: “feel the sun beating down on you. It warms you.” “Listen to the seagulls in the distance” “ Pick up a handful of warm, soft sand and let it fall between your open fingers” etc.
- Once students are “on the beach” so to speak, specific questions about a character’s state of mind can be asked: For instance, if the focus is on Stephano, then questions might be: “Did Alonso and Ferdinand and the other nobles survive” “what will I do without my job at court?” etc.
- End with “At the count of 3” open your eyes and sit up
Assessment: (less than 5 minutes)
- Still seated, ask students to indicate by a show of raised hands how many felt the sun, smelled the seawater, heard the seagulls, imagined they were the character?