Insult Hurling and an Introduction to the Tableau

Prior Knowledge:
It is expected that students will have no prior knowledge of this play at this point. For this specific lesson, students will be asked to draw upon their own knowledge of feuding families and groups.

Lesson Objective
!"#$% identify the importance of feuds and the impact they have on society.

Lesson $ssessment
!tudents will organi&e a list of !hakespearean insults and they will be construct tableaus of the fight scene in $ct ' scene ' to be sure that they understand it.

!tandards
((!!.)L$*Literacy.!L.+*',.'c -ropel conversations by posing and responding to .uestions that relate the current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas/ actively incorporate others into the discussion/ and clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions.

0aterials 1eeded
2andout 3 from page '34 of 5!hakespeare !et Free/6 %eacher*created sheets of paper with %ableau prompts on them.

Time 0-5min

Student Task
!tudents get settled and participate in the discussion being led by the teacher.

Teacher Task
%eacher asks students some warm*up .uestions such as 52as anybody read 7omeo and 8uliet before9 "hat do you know about this play9 :o you know what a feud is9 "hat are some examples of modern day feuds, or feuds you have heard about9 Is it typically good to be involved in a feud9 "hat are some characteristics of feuds96 )tc. Once the concept of feuds are established, the teacher tells students that feuds play a central role in the play. %he teacher then splits the class into two large groups the 0ontagues and the (apulets. %eacher hands out 52andout 36 from page '34 in !hakespeare !et Free, which is a three*column sheet with a variety of !hakespearian insults. %eacher instructs students to come up with at least two insults each, and be ready to 5hurl6 these insults at the opposing team.

6-12min

!tudents get into their groups (apulets and 0ontagues. ;<roups will be determined by the teacher counting them off 5',3,',3,',3,',3....6=. !tudents, with their groups, prepare 3 or > !hakespearian insults based on the handout from page '34 of !hakespeare !et Free.

Time 13-18min

Student Task
!tudents assemble in their groups at the front of the classroom. )ach individual group should be in somewhat of a semi*circle. !tudents take turns hurling insults at the opposing team. Once one student has said all they have to say to their opponent in the center of the circle, they will high*five a teammate and step out of the circle. %he person they high*fived will step in and hurl their insults. %his repeats until all students have participated. $t the end of this activity, students shake hands with the other team and take their seats.

Teacher Task
%eacher has the two feuding groups assemble near the front of the classroom. %eacher asks one of the students to 5hurl6 a !hakespearian insult at him. !ince the student will probably be nervous or new to acting, teacher shows students how to 5take it up a notch6 with stage presence, delivery, and facial expression. $fter, students will hurl insults at the opposing team one at a time, with one student from each team being in the center of the circle ;students should be in something resembling a mob circle=. "hen a student is done hurling an insult they give a member of their team a high five, signaling that new person to enter the circle and hurl an insult or two. %he classroom vibe should not be hostile in any way. 7ather, it should be more similar to humorous and good*natured. ;For added effect, teacher can .ueue up a sound clip of 5%he <ood, the #ad, and the ?gly6 %heme song and play it while insults are being hurled=. "hen students are done hurling insults, teacher asks students from opposing teams to shake hands and return to their seats. %eacher introduces the concept of 5tableaux.6 %eacher explains what a tableau is and how they are typically done, and also gives an example of how to do it, highlighting what makes a good tableau good and bad tableau bad ;again, teacher focuses on gesture, body language, facial expression, stage presence, etc.=.

19-25min

!tudents listen to teacher describing what a tableau is and how to successfully make one. If time permits, students practice under the teacher@s guidance.

Time 26-41min

Student Task
!tudents get into their groups. %here should be three groups total. )ach group has a different section of the fight scene in $ct ' !cene ' written on a piece of paper. !tudents are given 4 minutes to come up with a good, accurate tableau based on what is written on their sheet of paper. )ach group presents their tableau in front of the class. $fter each presentation, the class, along with the group, discusses why the actors stood where they did, why they fro&e in the position they did, etc. !tudents should understand by the end of these presentations what led up to this fight and what each of the participants did, because the groups will be called on chronologically to show a kind of 5before*during*after6 of the fight. !tudents answer the teachers .uestions and write down what they need to read for homework.

Teacher Task
%eacher then splits the class up into three groups, and gives each group a sheet of paper that has a brief description of a moment in 7omeo and 8uliet. For this activity, students focus on the (apulet*0onague fight of $ct ' scene ' ;specifically the events that take place between lines A> and BB=. %eacher gives students 4min to come up with a suitable tableau for their assigned portion of the text, and the whole class watches each group perform their tableau, all of which will be discussed and rationali&ed with the class before they leave the 5stage.6

41-50min

%eacher asks students to go back to their seats and begins an end of the day discussion on feuds, now that students have participated in !hakespearean feuds of their own. %eacher asks students .uestions like 5"hat would you do if you wanted to date someone and this is how your families behaved together9 "ould you still date that person9 "hy or why not96 Finally, teacher assigns readings for the next class, which is act ' scene 3.