Learning Experience Plan

Subject: ELA Grade level: 8th

Grade

Unit: Shakespeares Hamlet periods: 30 min

Topic: Questions, Cues, and Graphic Organizers

Content Standards:
RL.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of
what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

Literacy Standards:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and
analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the
characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.

Learning Experience Outcomes Learning Experience Assessments

Students will : Do Now Activity
Recall prior lessons, in which we Main Idea and Details Worksheet (#1)
made connections between the (Summative Assessment)
characters of Hamlet by analyzing Inside-Outside Circle Activity
their relationships between each
other.
Use their prior knowledge and
understanding of the play to
determine the main idea/them
throughout the text by analyze
major events, plot, and
relationships between characters to
find major issues that the play
raises.
Demonstrate their understanding by
completing a graphic organizer
corresponding to the particular
scene we analyze.
Perform a fishbowl activity
Present their interpretations in a 2-3
sentences summary that is concise
and can be backed up by evidence
when asked to explain.
Use learned knowledge to use these
major themes/ideas to make
connections between Hamlet and

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 other texts that we read (eg
:MacBeth and the role of
vengeance)

Differentiation
Visually Impaired ELL Students Students with
Students Students could be ADD/ADHD
Students could listen to a allowed more time to This activity gives students
voice recording of the complete their an opportunity to watch a
powerpoint of What Is Summative Assessment part of a movie, which may
The Main Idea. The audio give them a break from the
from the video clip should hands-on tasks.
be helpful, however. They also have an
opportunity to move around
and chat during the inside-
outside circle strategy.

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Curriculum Integration
The lesson incorporates technology by use of the video clip which will present a
scene from the play, Hamlet. This activity/lesson gives students the opportunity to
demonstrate their knowledge through a graphic organizer. Students also have a
kinesthetic aspect incorporated into the lesson with the inside-outside circle
activity, in which they will be able to get up move around and talk with their peers.

Material Procedures and Strategies:

s/Resou
rcesPow
erpoint

Comput
er

Main
IdeaWor
ksheet

White
board

Marker

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Day 1

Sponge Activity (activity that will be done as students enter the room to get them into the
mindset of the concept to be learned)

Do Now Activity: What is a main idea? Write down on a piece of

paper what you think a main idea is and how we might find it.

Anticipatory Set (focus question/s that will be used to get students thinking about the
days lesson)

Today we are going to look at a powerpoint called How Do We Find

the Main Idea?

As we do so I would like you guys to take notes to help you with our
next activity. (5 min)

Activating Prior Knowledge (what information will be shared with/among students to

connect to prior knowledge/experience )

In the last few weeks of class, we have been reading Hamlet, a play
comprised of many different plot points.

Does anyone remember what plot is (Hopefully a student would

answer correctly from their prior knowledge)

Keep in mind our discussions about the characters in Hamlet and their
relationships between each other, as well as the plot as we depicted
in our concept maps and our summarizing activities along with the
powerpoint you guys have just seen.

Direct Instruction (input, modeling, check for understanding)

Today we are going to analyze Hamlet and determine what the

possible main idea or ideas could be

I will put on a clip from a video production of the play to jog the
students memories and visualize the main tensions arising in the play.
In this scene, Hamlet kills Polonius after reminding his mother of his
negative feelings towards her and Claudius, and their marriage. He also
speaks about the death of this father. The video clip should cue
students to start beginning to think of betrayal, revenge, vengeance,
love, and hate as a few possible main ideas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a38HZFbhB-M

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Guided Practice:

After watching the clip, students should be thinking about the main idea.

I will post some guiding questions on the board for them, in which they can work
with a partner to answer in their notebooks.

Questions:

What is the main idea of this piece of text?

How do you know what the main idea of a piece of text is?

What do details tell the reader about the main idea?

How does an author help the reader determine the main idea?

What evidence from the text helped you to determine that was the main idea?

What supporting details does the author include to help the reader learn
about____________________?

Where in the text did you find those supporting details?

Independent Practice (what students will do to reinforce learning of the lesson)

After speaking with a partner, students will fill in a Main Idea and Details
worksheet (#!) independently, which they will hand in as part of their summative
grade for the class.

Closure:

Using the strategy of an inside - outside circle students will share their main idea
statements from the worksheet completed during the Independent Practice.

Inside - Outside Circle Strategy: Half of the students stand up and form a circle
with their backs to the inside of the circle. They are partner A. The other half of the
students form a circle facing a partner from the first circle. These students are
partner B. Partner A will speak first and read their two main idea statements. This
takes about a minute. Then partner B speaks for the same length of time and
reading their main idea statements. The teacher can stand in the center of the

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circle to monitor the statements that are being read. If there are an uneven
number of students the teacher may need to become part of one of the circles.
Once students have read their main idea statements for the first time, it is time to
move. Have the students who are partner A raise their left hands and then move
two people to the left to meet with a new partner. Repeat the reading of the main
idea statements with partner B speaking first.

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Worksheet #1

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