Shakespeare & Iambic Pentameter

Shakespeare and Iambic Pentameter: A multimodal lesson series
Day 3 - Atara Bernheim
I. Common Core State Standards
1 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.10 By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend literature,
including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 9–10 text complexity band proficiently, with
scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
II. Objectives
1 SWBAT understand the use of iambic pentameter to enhance the flow of a text, assisting in
comprehension of increasingly difficult Shakespearean texts.
2 SWBAT apply iambic pentameter to their own creation of a text, using common themes found
across Shakespeare’s works.
III. Activities
1 Anticipatory Set (5 minutes):
a Do Now: Students will log in to computers and post a two line compilation in iambic
pentameter on http://wallwisher.com/wall/rd03x4ysic
2 Activity (40 minutes):
a Teacher will introduce assignment for today: Today we will be constructing poems in
iambic pentameter using various Shakespearean themes.
b Watch Steps 1-5 ONLY: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6gxaL5wtLo
c Teacher will hand out common Shakespearean topics/themes for students to choose from
(love, betrayal, social conformity, sexual identity)
d In small groups of three (3), students will choose a theme and will construct a poem,
based on that theme, in iambic pentameter.
e Once finished, students will write their poems on a large sheet to be displayed around the
classroom. Underneath each line, iambic syllables should be noted. The theme should be
labeled.
f As students begin working in groups, Teacher will circulate and provide feedback where
necessary. Teacher will ask probing questions allowing students to evaluate their own
work and set goals for improvement. Questions may include:
■ In what ways does your group feel your poem is strong?
■ How could you make your poem better while still writing in iambs?
g Groups will read different pieces to the class and class will discuss.
■ How does the iambic structure enhance or detract from meaning and
pronunciation?
■ Were there topics where the structure worked better? Worse?
■ What effect/limitations did it have on the writing?
3 Closure (5 minutes):
a Individual Exit Cards to discuss one student-made writing piece, addressing one or all of
the above questions (see Activity e):