Summer Beckley, 1 Literacy: Julius Caesar Sixth Grade Anticipated Time: 1:00-2:30 (90 minutes) The Penn Alexander

School

Goals/Objectives - SWBAT read Julius Caesar IOT analyze the metaphorical language of William Shakespeare through close reading and interpretation. - SWBAT discuss a production of Julius Caesar IOT identify elements of drama that that impact them and elucidate a difficult text. Standards (and Assessment Anchors, if applicable) - CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone - CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.1: Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. - CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments. - CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.10: By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 68 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. Materials and preparation - Promethean Board - Laptop - Paragraph practice topic typed and ready to go on Promethean Board o What was your response to the production of Julius Caesar that we saw? What stood out to you? Classroom arrangement and management issues Classroom arrangement - Students have assigned seats at desks arranged in groups of four and six. Management issues: - Concern: Students may not take me as seriously as they do my Classroom Mentor. Strategy: I am utilizing the norms that my Classroom Mentor has established. The vocabulary work and paragraph practice are clearly established routines; students will know what to do and how they are expected to act. I will reinforce these things. Step Description 1. Pre-class - Establish norms: when students are lined up in hallway, ready to enter, wait for them to be in two quiet, straight lines. Please enter the classroom quietly, and take a seat. I know you were all really excited about getting to see Julius Caesar, so you have the chance now to reflect on that and put your thoughts into writing. Take a look at the pre-class prompt on the board when you go in, and get Time 1:00-1:01 (1 min)

Summer Beckley, 2 started. - Pre-class paragraph practice: What was your response to the production of Julius Caesar that we saw? What stood out to you? o While theyre writing, circulate to check vocabulary homework. - Transition: give students 5-minute and 1-minute warning. Take five more minutes; gather your thoughts...one minute, writing your concluding statement(cold call student to start with their opinion good opportunity for quieter student to speak). Discussion - Class discussion: Elicit responses from students on the things that stood out to them about the production. If there are a lot of students who want to talk, have them discuss at table groups first. Review - Review of Julius Caesar (Act I, scene i and beginning of scene ii): Who can give me a 5-sentence synopsis of what has happened so far in the play? What conflict is brewing? - Transition: indicate that were getting back into the text; call on students to play parts of Casca, Cassius, and Brutus. Julius Caesar - Close reading of Act I, scene ii: continue in text, emphasizing close reading and note-taking skills. Students left off at end of page 23 - *See notes attached. PSSA practice - Have students take out PSSA packets. - Review test-taking skills: reading instructions, reading questions before text, process of elimination, etc. Homework - Have students take out their planners: should be working on Antony speech and read/annotate through Act II, scene i. - Dismissal.

1:01-1:15 (14 min)

2.

1:15-1:25 (10 min)

3.

1:25-1:30 (5 min)

4.

1:30-2:10 (40 min)

5.

2:10-2:25 (15 min)

6.

2:25-2:30 (5 min)

Summer Beckley, 3 Close reading notes: Act I, scene ii Call students to play parts of Casca, Cassius, Brutus Starting on p. 24 - What does blunt mean? To the point; can also mean slow or dull in understanding. How is Casca blunt? In his telling of Julius Caesars reluctance to give up the crown. - p. 25: What is Cassius saying? What does enterprise mean? What project might Casca be thinking about? Cascas rudeness and show of ignorance is a rhetorical device, helps people stomach what he says. o Casca: It was mere foolery, I wanted to laugh when I saw Julius Caesar fall. o Not overtly criticizing Caesar, but still undermining him - Brutus: What is Brutus saying? Once again, hes not going to make any rash decisions, he will leave and talk to Cassius later. - Cassius: metal seems hard/unmovable, but it can be bent from its shape. o Discussion point: For who so firm that cannot be seduced? Are there people above corruption? Or is it inherent to human nature? o Using Brutus because Caesar likes him, as opposed to how Caesar feels about Cassius o Discussion point: planted evidence to urge Brutus to act why is that powerfully particularly to Brutus? Ethos, appeal to his place in community. Brutus is much more likely to be moved when he thinks the people of Rome want it than by any emotional appeal Close reading: Act I, scene iii Call students to play parts of Cicero, Casca, Cassius (Cinna later) p. 26-27 - Cicero is a Roman senator. Only thing we know about him so far is that he came in with Caesar during his triumphal entry into the city (p. 12, beginning of Act I, scene ii). - How does Casca explain unnatural events? Must be the gods either at war amongst themselves or punishing the world for being insolent. - Portentous: ominously significant; all these things are portents p. 28 - How does Cassius respond to these things? What do we know he thinks about fate vs. free will? o The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves that we are underlings. (p. 18) o Monstrous state double meaning o Now could I, Casca, name to thee a man most like this dreadful night Who is he talking about? p. 29 - Casca knows immediately who Cassius is talking about. What does that tell us about Casca? - Cassius makes appeals to ethos and pathos, saying Romans are acting like their mothers - Cassius will kill himself rather than be enslaved by an emperor. Suicide is an individuals chance to cancel his captivity. o Patrick Henry, Revolutionary War, 1775: Give me liberty, or give me death. p. 30

Summer Beckley, 4 Its the Romans fault that Caesar is in power Offal: the parts of a butchered animal that are considered inedible; garbage Casca: If youre creating a faction to address these things, Ill be as committed as you are.

p. 31-32 - Discussion point: why is Brutus so critical to their plans?