Lesson Author Samantha Levert

Date November 19, 2019

Period 1, 2, 3, 4

Grade Level 8th Grade

Time Allotted 60 Minutes

Context/
Rationale

The following lesson plan is for students in an 8th grade English Language Arts classroom. The
classes are academic and beginning a thematic unit— ‘What is Love?’ The unit is centered around
doing a whole class read of William Shakespeares’ A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This particular
Shakespeare language and grammar lesson focuses on Acts 1 and 2,but can be applied within any
other acts of the play. The main component of the lesson is having students break down the text
and vocabulary of the acts.

Within this lesson students will practice the abilities of breaking down Shakespearean language
grammar and vocabulary) and apply those abilities by constructing their own gist statements of the
acts and scenes assigned them (this lesson plan was designed for Acts 1+2). The tools given to
students in this assignment will also be used periodically throughout the play to check for
understanding.

Central Focus

This lesson is designed to teach students how to break down Shakespearean language (vocabulary
and grammar). The lesson will help in promoting higher order thinking skills by having students
define difficult vocabulary terms within the act/scene given to them and collaborate together
within groups to summarize AND create GIST statements for the scenes assigned to them.

Goals Objectives

Students will be able to:

● Identify and define difficult vocabulary terms and grammar within Shakespearean text.
● Recognize and evaluate key details within a scene in order to aid them in constructing their
own summarizing ‘GIST’ statements.
 ● Summarize and understand the scenes within Act 1 and 2 of a Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Standards

● RL.8.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text; determine
how different word choices would change the meaning"

● RI.8.2 Determine the theme or central idea of a text and select details that relate to it.

● RL.8.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text; determine
how different word choices would change the meaning," as students would be learning how
these unfamiliar words and grammatical tendencies are used and how they impact the text

Assessments Informal Formative

Students will create their own gist statements by There will be no formative assessment for this
identifying and defining (5-7) difficult lesson plan. Student comprehension of the play
vocabulary terms and language within Acts 1 and and paired texts will be examined throughout the
2 of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. These gist unit.
statements (handout) will be collected by the
teacher in order to further assess student
comprehension of the play’s context.

Language Language Function Vocabulary Syntax/Discourse

Supports

write in
paragraph form

Materials & What texts, materials, websites, and equipment do you need to implement your plans? Include materials that students and teachers may need (and
Technology are available at your school). What technology are you using in your lesson? Include hyperlinks.

● https://lingojam.com/EnglishtoShakespearean
○ this is the initial tool that will be getting used to aid students in gaining interest in
the language and the tool they will use to translate their modern english gist
statements into Shakespearean language.
 ● Gist statement PowerPoint slides:
○
● Gist statement student handout:
○
○ Students will be assigned in groups for this activity yet they are all required to
complete individual handouts for the scene assigned to their group.

INSTRUCTIONAL PLAN
How are you inviting students to learn? How are you moving them through the lesson and engage them in the activities? How are you bringing the lesson to a close?
Provide basic “step-by-step” directions and prompts for implementing these areas of the lesson. A substitute teacher should be able to pick up your lesson plan and
say and do everything you would have if you were there. Please be explicit and specific. Remember – YOU CAN (and likely SHOULD) ADD ROWS.
Roles & Procedures (list in numbered form)
Time Lesson Component Teacher Learner

Intro to G.I.S.T/Example 1. Teacher greets students

(15 minutes) at the beginning of the
lesson and asks them to
take out their copies of
A Midsummer Night’s
Dream.
2. Teacher opens the
G.I.S.T
PowerPoint/document.
● Student listens.
3. On the first slide the
engligh to
shakespearean website
pops up
(https://lingojam.com/E
nglishtoShakespearean )
and teacher will type,
“Welcome to your
english class” in the
english to shakespeare
translator---
“Welcometh to thy
english class” will
produce in front of the
entire class. ● Students listen.
4. Teacher says, “So we
are going to be using
this english to
shakespeare translator
 throughout the play to
get better ideas of what
is going on and also
work a little bit with
Shakespearean
language.” ● Students raise their
5. Teacher says, “So hands to share
yesterday— and last responses.
night if you didn’t
finish, we read Acts 1
and 2 of AMND (A
Midsummer Night’s
Dream) and I know it is
difficult for you all to
get through since the
language of the play is
not really what you all
are used to!”, “Today
we will be breaking
down those acts and
creating G.I.S.T
statements in
shakespearean language
in order to deepen our
understanding of some
of those tough
vocabulary terms and
language in the play.
6. Teacher flips to the next
slide, which provides
students with the
acronym G.I.S.T
(General, Idea,
Summary, Text) and
asks if students know
what a gist statement is.

7. Teacher calls on
student(s) and responds
positively and reaffirms
gratitude for student(s)
participation.
8. Teacher says, “So when
we get the ‘gist’ of
something— basically
we get the main essence
or the main point of
what is being said, a gist
isn’t filled with copious
amounts of details but
rather is short and sweet
and straight to the
point.”
9. Teacher flips to the next
slide which provides the
class with the example
of first dialogue between ● Students raise their
Theseus and Hippolyta hands to share difficult
(Act 1, Scene 1). The and or confusing
teacher reads aloud the words/phrases.
original dialogue and
asks students which
words or phrases within
the dialogue they are
unsure about (apace, our
nuptial hour, wanes,
lingers etc.) ● Students use their
10. The teacher writes all devices to do an inquiry
student answers (words
on each word given to
or phrases) on the
whiteboard and asks them (or they can
each group to do an choose).
inquiry with a device to
discover meaning.
11. Teacher will ask each
group to share out what
they discovered and ● Students share out what
write the
they have discovered.
meaning/definition of
word or phrase
underneath the original.
12. Teacher says, “Now we
are going to reread the
dialogue between
 Theseus and Hippolyta
with the definitions you
all discovered and
hopefully it will help in
giving us our GIST
statement.”
13. Teacher rereads the
previous dialogue but
uses the new defined
terms and phrases in
place of the old ones.
14. Teacher asks student(s)
● Students share what they
what they now know the
dialogue is about. now understand is being
said with their
knowledge of the
words/phrases in the
dialogue.

15. Teacher calls on

student(s) and responds
positively—reaffirms
gratitude for student(s)
participation.
16. Teacher says, “So,
basically what (insert
student name here) just
said is the gist of their
dialogue.” (Make sure
you restate the gist).
17. Now teacher is to type
in the gist statement
based on student
responses into the lingo
jam translator so the gist
statement is in
Shakespearean
language.
G.I.S.T Activity 1. Teacher passes out the
(30 minutes) gist handout to students
so they can use for the
 scenes assigned to them
(there are 8 groups and
the students will be
doing Acts 1 and 2
which contain 4 scenes,
so 2 groups will have
the same act, yet the
scenes will be split in
half by page numbers).
2. Teacher says, “Now
each group has an
assigned portion of a
scene to create their gist
statement on, once all
the groups have created
their statements we will ● Students listen to
order them sequentially
instructions.
and have one mega gist
summarizing what Acts
1 and 2 were about. For
the rest of this play you
will be creating your
own gists so we can
really get an idea of how
important love is and
isn’t within the play!”
3. Teacher says, “One you
have created your gist
statements in your
group, I want you to
type it into the Lingo
Jam translator and write
both the modern english
and Shakespearean
language version of your
gist onto your paper!”
4. Teacher explains that
the handout also
contains a section where
students will be asked to
define 5-7 difficult
vocabulary terms and
 phrases in their assigned
portion of the scene
before they create their
gist statements.
Emphasize that though 5
is the minimum 7 is
exceeding and excelling
at expectations!
5. Teacher reminds
students to take some
time and reread the
pages in the scene
assigned to them if
needed.
6. Teacher passes out the
gist handout to students
so they can use for the
scenes assigned to them
(there are 8 groups and
the students will be
doing Acts 1 and 2
which contain 4 scenes,
so 2 groups will have
the same act, yet the
scenes will be split in
half by page numbers).
7. Teacher says, “Now
each group has an ● Students listen to
assigned portion of a instructions.
scene to create their gist
statement on, once all
the groups have created
their statements we will
order them sequentially
and have one mega gist
summarizing what Acts
1 and 2 were about. For
the rest of this play you
will be creating your
own gists so we can
really get an idea of how
 important love is and
isn’t within the play!”

8. Teacher explains that

the handout also
contains a section where
students will be asked to
define 5-7 difficult
vocabulary terms and
phrases in their assigned
portion of the scene
before they create their
gist statements.
Emphasize that though 5
is the minimum 7 is
exceeding and excelling
at expectations!
9. Teacher reminds
students to take some
time and reread the
pages in the scene
assigned to them if
needed.
10. Teacher also reminds
students to work
cooperatively and give
everyone a chance to
share their thoughts and
also informs them that
everyone in the group
must choose at least
ONE word or phrase.
11. Teacher tells students
that they have 30
minutes and she will be
walking around to help
them break down the
text!
12. Teacher starts a 30
minute timer.
● Students work
collaboratively in groups
 13. Teacher walks around on their assigned pages!
while students work
collaborate together.
14. Time for the activity
runs out at 30 minutes.
Coming full-circle/wrap up 1. Teacher writes on the
(15 minutes) board the numbers 1-8
(split by acts and scenes)
and asks one volunteer
from each group to
come up and write the ● Students write the gist
gist statement they have statements they have
created. created as a group on the
2. Once every group has board.
written their gist
statements on the board,
teacher asks for any
● Students read aloud the
student volunteers to
read the two separate two acts paraphrased by
acts created in gist the gist statements.
statements to the rest of
the class.
3. Teacher says,
“Awesome, now we see
how much easier
reading Shakespeare can
be if we use these gist ● Students wait until 5
statements.” minute pack up warning
4. Teacher collects all is given and then pack
student gist handouts. up and leave!
5. Teacher asks if anyone
has any questions and
gives the students 5
minutes to pack up all
materials for dismissal
from class.

Accommodation
After you review various data (collected through your own observations, discussions with your cooperating teacher, student conferences, etc.), how will you adjust
instructional materials, activities, and sequencing given what you have learned about students’ academic skills, attitudes, and needs?
Remediation
Student remediation for A
Midsummer Night’s
Dream:Students will be given a
quizizz that they can practice
throughout the week of
themes/vocabulary in the first four
scenes of the play. Quizizz is a fun
tech tool students can use to
reinforce their knowledge and they
are allowed multiple attempts
throughout the units to work on all
the quizizz’s given to them (this
way once they get the score they
desire they move to the next one).
Additional class time will be given
to students who may need more
time with the quizizz.
Student remediation for GIST:
student will be provided with
examples of gist statements. There
are also YouTube videos depicting
in a fun and creative manner what
gist statements are that will be
shown in class the following day
for students who are having a
harder time grasping the concept.
Extension
As an extension activity, certain groups of
students will be asked to create a 4-5
sentence gist where they also incorporate a
character analysis (i.e. how does the
character feel when he/she is saying this?
What is going on within the context of the
play while this is happening?) These
students will not only be
reading/defining/summarizing and applying
their assigned scene but looking at its
importance as a whole within the context in
their groups.
Differentiation
A document containing modern
text will be given to specific
students (ELLs and students
with an IEP that deems so) and
they will be asked to create a
gist statement based on the
document given to them. In
order to not single out these
students, they will all be given
the same act and scene and
placed within the same group.
ELLs will have an easier time
picking and defining modern
vocabulary terms and a
translated modern text
document will also be provided
to them (if necessary). Students
will also be allowed to
watch/listen to digital versions
of this text if their learning
requires so.
Another method of
differentiation for this lesson
would be providing students
with vocabulary terms they
need to define and paraphrase
on the document beforehand.
This can aid students with time
of prioritizing which words may
or may not seem important
within the document.