Senior High School Lessons

Literature/Integrated Studies-Hamlet

 

Title: Hamlet Learning Activities

Description: This unit features a unique way to help students gain an appreciation of Shakespeare's work. The activities motivate learning and offer excellent ways to integrate technology into the curriculum.

Time Required: Approximately 28 class sessions

Materials: Suggested Resources

• Historical books dealing with Shakespeare's life and times and the history of the theater
• Books dealing with historical costume and design
• Complete works of Shakespeare
• Filmstrips
• Model of the Globe Theater
• Chart of the Globe Theater
• DIALOG software, computer
• Books on theater production: set construction, lighting, costumes, design
• Play production catalogs
• Books on reading and interpreting plays/scripts
• Optional--computer drawing/paint programs, spreadsheet/graphing programs, word processing programs

Scenerio: Your group makes up the Board of Directors for a small local community theater devoted to producing four Shakespearean plays a year. Because of recent state and local budget cuts in funding the arts, your theater group will lose 40% of its funding. The Board of Directors must decide whether to continue the productions of the four Shakespeare plays, reduce the number of plays/year, or discontinue the productions entirely.

As a group, you will conduct research and develop a position statement regarding the future of the theater. You will hold a press conference to inform the community of your decision.

Activities:

1. Design a set for Hamlet. Calculate the cost of construction. Draw the set to scale. (You may design the set on computer or on paper.)
2. Develop a budget for the production of Hamlet. Include the cost of costumes, set design, publicity, royalties, programs, tickets, makeup, lighting, sound, and props. Present this information in charts or graphs. (If you have a spreadsheet program with graphing capabilities available, you are encouraged to use it.)
3. Use DIALOG to complete one of the following:
   • Why we teach Shakespeare in high school
   • What Shakespeare plays have been made into movies
   • Which plays have been performed most often
   • Find a review of a play.
4. Follow through on your DIALOG search to print an article that you can use in your presentation.
5. Research a food eaten in Shakespeare's time or in the time of Hamlet. Put the recipe on a chart. Prepare the item and bring it in on the day of the presentations. You may wish to present this in a creative way (e. g. Julia Child, Frugal Gourmet, Chef Tell, etc.). You are encouraged to complete your work using a word processor.
6. Write and perform a soliloquy based on the style/format of Shakespeare. You are encouraged to use a word processor for your work.

Schedule of Activities:

Day 1

• Assign books.
• Discuss project.
• Form groups.
• Read Act I, scene 1
• Write a journal entry.

Day 2

• Reading of Act I, scenes 2-5
• Be prepared to discuss: psychological problems of Hamlet; advice of Polonius to Laertes; the importance of the supernatural.

Day 3

• Discussion of Act I

Day 4

• Discussion of Act I
• Write a journal entry.

Day 5

• Library research

Day 6

• Library research

Day 7

• Quiz: Act I
• Read Act II, scene 1
• Write a journal entry.
• Assignment: scene 2
• Be prepared to discuss: Is Hamlet a coward? What kind of person is Polonius? Purpose of the acting company.

Day 8

• Discussion of Act II, scene 2

Day 9

• Discussion of Act II, scene 2.
• Write a journal entry.

Day 10

• Meet in groups to discuss research.

Day 11

• Library research

Day 12

• Quiz: Act II
• Assign parts within your group to read Act III, scene 1 aloud.
• Be prepared to discuss: Hamlet and Ophelia: Are they in love?

Day 13

• Discussion of Act III, scene 1
• Write a journal entry.

Day 14

• Reading of Act III, scenes 2-4
• Be prepared to discuss: the character of Hamlet based on his instructions to the players, his attitude toward Ophelia, his attitude toward Polonius, his conversations with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and his final soliloquy; the feelings of Claudius.

Day 15

• Discussion of Act III, scenes 2-4

Day 16

• Discussion of Act III
• Write a journal entry.

Day 17

• Quiz: Act III
• Reading of Act IV

Day 18

• Reading of Act IV
• Be prepared to discuss: character of Gertrude; purposes of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern; Hamlet's continued delay for revenge; the mental state of Ophelia; the attitude of Laertes.

Day 19

• Meet in groups to discuss research.

Day 20

• Discussion of Act IV
• Write a journal entry.

Day 21

• Quiz: Act IV
• Work in groups to prepare activities.

Day 22

• Work in groups to prepare activities.
• Read Act V.
• Be prepared to discuss: the psychological state of Hamlet; the attitude of Laertes; the role of Horatio; the state of the kingdom.

Day 23

• Read Act V.

Day 24

• Discussion of Act V

Day 25

• Quiz: Act V
• Work in group to prepare activities.

Day 26

• Press Conferences

Day 27

• Press Conferences

Day 28

• Test

 

Adaptation: You may wish to use WWW resources expand content in the activities.

 

Submitted by:

Shirley Moran
Worcester County School District
Snow Hill, MD

Lesson Plan Disclaimer