Lesson Plan Annotation

This lesson plan annotation is focused on my teaching of Act 3 Scene 1 of Hamlet.

Having previously read the scene as a class, I believed it was necessary to spend more time
answering students questions and delving into some of the deeper meanings of the play as
they are presented in this scene. I especially wanted to focus on the themes explored in
Hamlets To be or not to be soliloquy and his bizarre behavior towards Ophelia after delivering
his speech.
As I sat down to prepare this lesson, I was considering a number of factors. At the
forefront of my concerns was the fact that a large portion of my students had not been actively
engaged in the classroom. My style is often to read and discuss as a large group, which can
alienate those students who are uncomfortable reading in front of the class or answering
questions on the spot. I spoke with both my classroom and Penn mentors regarding strategies
to rectify this situation, and I have been actively seeking out opportunities and designing lessons
that will ensure all students are involved in the learning process. The key to accomplishing this
goal is differentiation; of assignments, of group size, etc. Another thing that I realized was
hurting my class was that I was the one doing most of the talking. The activities I included in this
assignment were designed to encourage the students to speak up and be creative.
I found that this was one of my most successful lessons. While I was unable to get to
every task I had hoped to, the class had incredibly engaging conversation and I provided
students with various opportunities for participation. And, most importantly, my voice and opinion
were not the dominant ones in the room. Large-group discussions were student-directed and
led, and group work required little instruction from me. Students worked diligently in groups of
two or three on the assignment, and delivered their finished products in front of their classmates
at the end of the period. To further expound upon my thought process and the implementation of
the lesson plan, I will address a number of factors.

First, this lesson plan demonstrates my knowledge of Hamlet and Shakespeares plays.
Act 3 Scene 1 is an important scene for a number of reasons: one, this is where one of the most
famous soliloquies of all time is found; Hamlets To be or not to be speech. In Hamlets words
and following actions, readers are given insight into a mind that is battling with the terrifying
reality of contemplating to end ones life. Perhaps even more telling is Hamlets behavior
towards Ophelia after delivering his speech. There are countless interpretations as to why
Hamlet behaves the way he does; I wanted my students to come up with their own, and not
simply accept my perspective. In order to develop their own interpretation, it was necessary for
my students to spend more time on this scene than we normally might on others.
My lessons are structured so that they will keep all students engaged and active in the
learning process. This requires devising strategies that provide for the many diverse learners in
the classroom. In this particular class session, I ensured that all my students were able to
participate by providing multiple avenues by which they could enter into the text and be a part of
the group. First, I had students work independently on a warm-up journal question that was
intended to get their minds moving and put themselves in Hamlets shoes. This way, students
who are disinclined to speak in front of their classmates still had the opportunity to share their
thoughts and ideas. I also find that those students who typically stay quiet are more likely to
open up when they have the chance to first think about the questions that will be asked. Next,
students were to create groups of two or three and translate To be or not to be into the 21st
century language that they themselves might use were they to find themselves in a similar
predicament to Hamlet. Students spent the majority of class time working on this mini-project,
which allowed them to display their creativity and writing ability while working within a small,
comfortable group. Near the end of the period, those who were confident in their work came up
to the front of the class and read (or rapped) their work to their peers.
This was important content to cover. Even people who havent read Hamlet are familiar

with its plot and To be or not to be even if they dont know it. It has become such an integral
part of our national subconscious that it is critical to expose the work to students. Based on a
conversation we had at the start of this unit, I was keenly aware that my students were not fans
of Shakespeares works, which they were required to study each year of high school.
Nonetheless, they were going to read Hamlet and I took it upon myself to try to make it relevant
to their lives and interesting. These students are incredibly bright; many of them are collegebound and expect to be challenged academically. For the most part, they are all ready to
participate in college-level courses. Many of our discussions, in fact, remind me of similar
conversations I partook in as an undergrad. With that in mind, I strive every day to provide
content that will make them think without making them dread the next day of Shakespeare. The
goal of this unit is to have students think critically about the actions of the characters in this play,
and to a greater extent, how those actions are reflective of human nature. To help them see that
most of Shakespeares themes are issues that many of us deal with even today is one of my
main objectives. This lesson in particular was critical in providing the perspective of a depressed
teenager who is dealing with a really difficult situation and is expected to take on responsibility
he may not be quite ready for.
Each day, I try to assess my students learning. This lesson contained multiple
assessments. One was their to be or not to be translations, which, if done correctly, displayed
that the students understood the message and importance of Hamlets speech. Another form of
assessment I used was asking students questions based on the previous scene that we read.
These questions were all student-created, which was another way of encouraging them to look
deeper into the text and examine the things they might not have understood. A final miniassessment was the warm-up journal, which asked them to consider Hamlets views of death
and suicide alongside their own opinions. In order to answer the question adequately, students
had to have an understanding of Hamlets words and actions.

This lesson, I think, went rather well. There certainly were things I could have improved,
wrinkles to be smoothed out, but overall I believe that I accomplished my objectives and the
students gained deeper insight into Hamlets mind. In my reflections on the lesson, I commented
that I must give clearer instructions; a number of students asked the same question because I
did not explain myself very well. I realized, too, that its important I deliver all the directions
before sending students off, otherwise they will miss what Im trying to say. I also decided, near
the beginning of class, to flip two of my tasks for the day because I realized that it would flow
better the other way around. This is something I should have realized while planning, because
switching the two tasks ended up working out quite well. And finally, time management is
essential. I have difficulty stopping the students from doing one task to move to another,
especially if they are really engaged. In the future I may just have to allow some extra time for
that possibility.