Macbeth 7B - Act II Small Group Reading Aloud (An Alternate Lesson)
"Within the volume of which time I have seen / Hours dreadful and things strange."
Macbeth 7B - Act 2 (scene 3) thru Act 3 (scene 1) - 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 2 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. It starts after the Porter's scene (you probably want to be there supervising that one - given its nature). 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. Ideally, 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. For this Group Reading Aloud, I have also introduced a Time Keeper sheet. I urge you (ignoring the directions that I may give on the handout) to give this to the Group Leader - it is way too clumsy to have a separate Group Leader and time keeper. If you give it to the Group Leader the day before - they can fill out the times ahead of time. 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 - Within the Volume of Time? - Macbeth Act 2 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 and the time keeper chart) so the Group Leader can look them over as well as looking at the Instructions for Group Leaders (tell them not to spend more than 20 minutes at home on this - they don't have to answer the questions beforehand - just look them over).
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 these scenes while answering all the questions (mine and your groups). Your first job is to choose a timekeeper – make sure that they can see the clock (it works better than a watch). Give the timekeeper the timekeeper chart – tell them to count the number of lines – and put times next to the boxes indicated on the chart to show where you should be. Remind them to remind you about keeping on time.
For the rest of the instructions - see the Handout (below). Again, I recommend you don't have a separate time keeper but use the group leader to keep time. Also, 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 and Time Keep Charts 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. Also change the directions so the Group Leader is the Time Keeper.
Most Recent Test for the Reading - Act 2
I call these tests (rather than quizzes) because they require more time (and with notetaking - effort) than the usual reading assignment - so I want to reward that effort with more points. It's so important to quiz (see my page on Quizzing) - if the class doesn't read first - a great opportunity is lost - for the students to discover on their own - to question on their own - before it is talked about in the entire class.
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 8 - Things Bad Begun - Act 3 reading and discussion: We will end up skipping a lot of the play for our class readings because they will be covered by the students in small groups (and in one case - because Shakespeare didn't actually write most of one scene). But we will read aloud the first three scenes from Act 3 and discuss them. We won't read what follows: the Banquet scene because the students will be doing a very close dive when they make their Prompt Books for the Scene (about two lessons hence).
WHAT CAME BEFORE:
Thoughts on the Lesson
The biggest danger with the in-class Small Group Readings is that the students - rather than reading the play aloud - will just try to answer the questions outright. This is a huge mistake. If you are there make sure you remind them to read the play - just like we do as a class. If you are not there make sure the sub understands.