Macbeth 4B - Act I Small Group Reading Aloud (An Alternate Lesson)
"If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well / It were done quickly."
Macbeth 4B - Act 1 (thru scene 4) Small Group Reading Aloud (An Alternate Lesson): There were times when I couldn't be in class and I didn't want our progress on the play to stop. This lesson is designed to cover Act I when the teacher is not present - or even if he is and you want the students to have total control and remove yourself from the reading. In groups of about 5-6, students will read the play aloud just as we do as a class. There is a Group Leader for each set of students - and they will keep everyone on track as well as asking essential questions when they get to them. The teacher picks out the Group Leaders at least a day before to give them time to look over the instructions and the questions. I must also say that I don't recommend using this lesson so early in the game. There were times I did this kind of Small Group Reading with me being there - but usually not so early in the process. You want the students to have a feel for the class readings before doing these.
Lesson Overview - If It Were Done - Macbeth Act I Small Group Reading
The Quiz
If the teacher is not there - even with a sub - I don't like giving a quiz. The opportunity for cheating is just too big. Better to wait till the next day when you are there.
If the teacher is not there - even with a sub - I don't like giving a quiz. The opportunity for cheating is just too big. Better to wait till the next day when you are there.
Group Leaders
This lesson has two parts (really three - but you'll see). The first part is a set of instructions for a Group Leader. Essentially, the Group Leader plays the part that the teacher usually does. You give the instructions out ideally the day before (along with the questions) so the Group Leader can look them over as well as looking at the Instructions for Group Leaders. For the first few times that we do this - it's important to pick Group Leaders who you feel are up to the task. As time goes on - everyone will get a chance to be a Group Leader - which I think is an important thing. There is no better way to learn a subject than by teaching it - and it also gives students a chance to look at the "other side". What teachers do (and hopefully they will appreciate it a bit "differently").
Here are some of the instructions from the handout (which can be found below)
You must begin immediately and be very focused in order to get through this Act while answering all the questions (mine and yours). You will be covering scenes before & after scenes we’ve covered through activities.
First choose a group leader and a time keeper – time keeper immediately get a sense of how you need to move along.
Next, divide the characters amongst your group at the beginning of each scene. Do this by starting with one member of your group and assign parts (the group leader should NOT take any parts) clock wise when you get to a new scene (group leaders may want to do that in advance). Remember where you left off for the next scene. Do NOT spend a lot of time on this. ASSIGN roles QUICKLY and move on.
For the rest of the instructions - see the Handout (below). Contrary to the instructions above - unless there is an emergency, the Group Leader is already chosen. If you know you won't be there in advance - you should also choose the groups as well to save time - otherwise have the sub choose them - or you can choose them
The Questions
It's important that during the Reading Aloud - which should be just like in class - only the Group Leader has the questions. When the students get to the appropriate spot in the script, the Group Leader will have everyone pause - and ask the question which is then open to everyone in the Group (except the Group Leader - here's where the teacher part really comes in. The questions have the scene - the line # - and the Group Leaders have looked them over the night before. Here is an example (the complete questions can be found below). Students should continue until the bell rings. They should also takes notes in their own books as normal - except for the Group Leader as they will be far too busy to take notes, and they are encouraged to copy the notes from one of their Group Members when they finish. The Group Leaders also have enough copies of the Questions to give out AFTER they are done - if the Group Members have the questions while they are doing the reading - it is a terrible distraction and makes this process undoable. Remember - they will be reading the play aloud - just as you do in a full class.
Group Leader Instructions and Questions
See the actual handout and the above Lesson Overview for more directions on the use of these Handouts. You will need to print out enough Group Leader Instructions for how many Group Leaders you will have in the class (in a class of 30, 5 Group Leaders is ideal with each group having 6 members) - and enough Questions for everyone - though you need to REMEMBER - make sure Group Leaders know they shouldn't give their members the questions until they are completely done.
Most Recent Test for the Reading - Act I
The Folger Script for today's reading.
Please note that the Folger Online Edition of Macbeth will have the same corresponding page & line numbers that I reference. Also, the script is available to download from them as a PDF, Microsoft Doc, and with or without line numbers. My students had their own copies (which I strongly recommend) that they could take notes directly in - and which have so many valuable footnotes on the left side of the page. See my handout on Reading Shakespeare in my opening Macbeth Lesson.
Remote Teaching
Of course this can be done in Small Groups Remotely if you've set your class up appropriately and students know how to get into Groups remotely. It is also a great way for students who have missed the class to get together and make it up.
The Folger Library has an online edition of the play without the annotations - Shakespeare words (what appears on the right hand page in the paperback edition. It also includes in this online edition the very useful synopses that appear before each scene.
Here is the description from Amazon: "This volume of the Shakespeare Set Free series is written by institute faculty and participants, and includes the latest developments in recent scholarship. It bristles with the energy created by teaching and learning Shakespeare from the text and through active performance, and reflects the experience, wisdom, and wit of real classroom teachers in schools and colleges throughout the United States. "
Macbeth Day 5: A Lesson on Subtext and Act I reading continues (scene 5): This lesson on Subtext - (you will need The Folger Shakespeare Library's Shakespeare Set Free) gives students the power to take control of the scenes that they read, discuss, and later perform. It gives them ammunition to those who would argue that you need to dumb-down Shakespeare's language in order to make it relevant. The Shakespeare Set Free lesson explains what those tools are - how they can change things and how actors can create a subtext out of them. After the lesson on Subtext - we will continue our reading and discussing of Act I - finishing Scene 5.
WHAT CAME BEFORE:
Thoughts on the Lesson
These Small Group Readings become very important as the year goes on. I probably only used this one once - when I couldn't be in class. It takes a while for the class to get the rhythm of reading Shakespeare aloud - and following the Reading Aloud format we use - to set them on their own so soon - is pretty risky.