MACBETH

by William Shakespeare

A WebQuest for students

INTRO

The purpose of this WebQuest is to explore William Shakespeare’s Macbeth through contemporary forms of music, art and drama. Shakespeare’s plays are often seen as esoteric and cumbersome to the present-day young adult reader. This WebQuest will focus on modernizing and simplifying this complex text. Students will be creating a storyboard sketch of Macbeth, presenting their storyboard to the class, dramatizing it, and performing a spoken word poem / song that they create. This WebQuest uses a Flipped Classroom model. Students will prepare for their group collaboration work by first completing several tasks at home.

TASK #1

Watch the summary of Macbeth on Video SparkNotes. Familiarize yourself with an abbreviated animated version of the story.

SPARKNOTES

TASK #2

At home, create your own storyboard. See link to StoryboardThat in the RESOURCES section below for ideas.

STORYBOARD TEMPLATE

TASK #3

Examine this spoken word piece inspired by Macbeth.

SPOKEN WORD POEM

TASK #4

Study this video made in an AP English class.

AP ENG SLAM POETRY

TASK #5

In class, share your storyboard with your peers and create a master storyboard. Collaborate and combine ideas, images and scene sequences.

STORYBOARD TEMPLATE

TASK #6

Dramatize. Rehearse a short skit to accompany your storyboard. Choose actor roles. Create paper props.

DIY COSTUMES

TASK #7

Create a spoken word piece, poem or song on the topic of Macbeth. Use the examples from Tasks #3 & #4 as inspiration.

WHAT IS SPOKEN WORD?

THE PROCESS

STEP ONE: Read Shakespeare’s Macbeth. After you have finished reading the text you will be ready to begin Task #1.

STEP TWO: Complete the tasks above. Use these resources to help guide you in completing the tasks:

STORYBOARD THAT

https://www.storyboardthat.com/lesson-plans/macbeth-by-william-shakespeare#anchor_macbeth-fiveact

VIEW WEBSITE

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY BLOG (use this for ideas on how to create descriptions for your storyboard).

http://www.cambridgeblog.org/2014/04/romeo-and-juliet-love-and-death-in-the-digital-age

VIEW WEBSITE

TED TALKS: SPOKEN WORD (watch great examples of and about spoken word in action).

https://www.ted.com/topics/spoken+word

VIEW WEBSITE

STEP THREE: Present your storyboard, dramatic skit and spoken word poem / song to the class. The group will use the overhead projector to show an image of their storyboard while orally discussing each scene. Each group will act out the individual scenes as they present. The group will then perform their poetic / musical piece.

EVALUATION

RUBRIC

CONCLUSION

SUMMARY

Congratulations, you have successfully provided your interpretations of Shakespeare’s Macbeth using 21st Century rhetoric. You have taken a very esoteric text written in the 17th century in Early Modern English and given it a fresh perspective. Be proud of your work!

STANDARDS

CCSS

This WebQuest is in alignment with the following California Common Core State Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.D
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to manage the complexity of the topic.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.9
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

California English Language Development (ELD) Standards:

ELD.P1.6.a.Ex

Reading/viewing closely a) Explain ideas, phenomena, processes, and relationships within and across texts (e.g., compare/contrast, cause/effect, themes, evidence‐based argument) based on close reading of a variety of grade‐appropriate texts, presented in various print and multimedia formats, using increasingly detailed sentences, and an increasing variety of general academic and domain‐specific words.

ELD.P1.10.c.Ex

Composing/Writing Draw, dictate, and write to compose short literary texts (e.g., story) and informational texts (e.g., a description of dogs), collaboratively with an adult (e.g., joint construction of texts), with peers, and with increasing independence.

THANK YOU FOR COMPLETING THIS WEBQUEST. STOP IN AGAIN ANYTIME!

More resources on blended learning and the flipped classroom model can be found here.

BLENDED LEARNING

FLIPPED CLASSROOM