November 9th, 2016

McGill University
Student Teacher: Alessia Fasanella

Lesson Plan

Group: ENG 106-08

Date: November 9th, 2016
Duration: 50 minutes
Time: 10:10-11:00 a.m.

Course: ELA
Cycle/Year: Cycle I, Year I
Lesson Title: Much To Do About
Shakespeare

Location: A-308
Number of Students: 26
Topic: Introduction to William
Shakespeare & Elizabethan England
Subject-Specific
Competencies
Cross-Curricular
Competencies

Learning
Objectives

Major Goal(s) of
lesson

Self Directed
Teaching Goals

Classroom
Management &
Organization

Competency 1: Uses language/talk to communicate and learn

Competency 2: Reads and listens to written, spoken and media texts

Competency 1: Uses information

Competency 3: Uses critical judgment
Competency 4: Uses creativity
Competency 5: Adopts effective work methods
Competency 8: Cooperates with others
Competency 9: Communicates appropriately
Upon completion of this lesson students will have a thorough understanding of life in
the Elizabethan Era. They will understand the economic circumstances, the role of
women, the English Renaissance, health, and the fashion of the time. In addition to
this, students will obtain an overview of Shakespeares verse, and will be able to
connect Shakespearean language to modern English, while collaborating in the
creation of unique Shakespearean insults.
The lesson serves as a primer before the students engage in reading Shakespeares A
Midsummer Nights Dream. Students should therefore be able to:
- Understand the various circumstances of living in Elizabethan England
- Connect this understanding to Shakespeares plays
- Identify Shakespearean verse
- Create a unique Shakespearean insult
I have a variety of targeted teaching goals I wish to accomplish. I wish to slow my
teaching pace in order to ensure maximum student comprehension. I also want to
ensure that I speak clearly throughout the activity, and manage the classroom
effectively (i.e. ensure that instructions are being followed by maintaining an on-task
attitude). I also wish to address any off-task behavior in a quick and effective manner
by implementing the On-Task Signal that I have established in the past week. In
addition to this, I hope to execute the lesson in a time efficient manner that still
supports the understanding of my students. Finally, I want to ENGAGE the students by
maintaining high energy and enthusiasm throughout the lesson.
This lesson does require internet access, however, if the latter fails, I can simply skip
the YouTube videos, as they serve as creative additions to the lesson, but are not
instrumental to the learning process. In addition to this, I have arranged the seating
plan of the class in order to minimize distractions and maximize student participation
and focus. I have also stipulated my basic class rules, so the students know to raise
their hands before speaking, and respect one another and their environment.
Throughout the past week I have also implemented a clapping signal, which
redirects classroom misbehavior.

Materials Needed

Time
3 minutes

Internet access
Smartboard access
Sufficient copies of the Shakespearean Insults handout for each
student
Sufficient copies of the Shakespeares English handout for each
student

Plan
Opening: Shakespearean Words
I will open the lesson with a list of commonly used words, such as:
- Uncomfortable
- Elbow
- Addiction
- Undress
- Excitement
- Champion
- Lonely
- Luggage
- Lower
- Eyeball
- Fashionable
- Skim Milk
- Swagger

I will then ask the students if they have used any of these words. I will explain
that each of these words was invented by William Shakespeare himself, and
that before his plays, people did not have a word for those round things in your
head that help you see.
15- 20 minutes

Pre-Assessment #1: Introducing Elizabethan England

I will then go on to present life in Englands Golden Age, or Elizabethan England.
This will be done using a PowerPoint presentation demonstrating the economy, health,
fashion, and other interesting facts that this vibrant era had to offer.
- During the Fashion segment, students will, within their pre-determined groups,
categorize images of Elizabethan citizens into one of the following categories: peasant,
merchant, or noble.
- During the health segment, I will also show a video from the film Just Visiting to
demonstrate a funny twist on how inhabitants of the Middle Ages would have
responded to modern bathrooms:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5LCHLIxghU&list=TL0jYP-Gw3hPE
15- 20 minutes

Pre-Assessment #2: Introducing William Shakespeare

I will then provide a brief overview of William Shakespeare, his plays, and his verse.
We will discuss Shakespeares personal life, the infamous Globe Theater, the
differences between his comedies, tragedies, and histories, and finally, a brief
introduction to iambic pentameter.
This will culminate with a clip from Kenneth Branaghs Much Ado About Nothing, in
order to demonstrate what good Shakespearean delivery looks and sounds like:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkjS7wTVKB4
10 minutes

Learning Activity(ies): Insulting One AnotherShakespeare Style!

I will then distribute copies of the Shakespearean Insults handout, and ask the

McGill University
Student Teacher: Alessia Fasanella

2 minutes

November 9th, 2016

students to combine the words from columns 1,2 and 3 in order to produce a unique,
Shakespearean insult. We will then use these insults to play a round of Oh, Yeah?!.
This is a game typically used in a drama class. The first student will present their
chosen insult to the class. A second student will then proclaim their insult, prefacing it
with Oh, yeah?! Well thou art a. This continues until everyone has voiced his or
her unique insult.
This game is safe to use in a classroom environment because the insults the students
will be using are completely nonsensical to modern audiences. The insults are also not
directed at any one particular student, but are directed to the entire class. The game is
lighthearted and serves the purpose of demonstrating the uniqueness of Shakespearean
verse.
Examples of insults listed on the handout (Appendix I):
- Fawning, folly-fallen, giglet
- Qualling, sheep-biting, dewberry
- Bootless, elf-skinned, fustilarian
Closure:
I will ask the students if they are excited to learn more about the play we will be
reading next class (A Midsummer Nights Dream), and what their expectations are for
a play with that particular title.
Assessment: I am not formally assessing my students with this lesson, however, I am
assessing their ability to follow instructions and contribute valuable and appropriate
information to our discussions, while working together.

References and
resources used

Adaptations

Professional
TEACHING
Competencies

Jean-Marie Poirs Just Visiting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5LCHLIxghU&list=TL0jYPGw3hPE
Kenneth Branaghs Much Ado About Nothing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkjS7wTVKB4
Elizabethan England resources: http://www.bardweb.net/england.html
Shakespearean words: http://shakespeareonline.com/biography/wordsinvented.html

There are no students with IEPs, learning difficulties or behavioural disorders in this
class. However, as public speaking is always a challenge for many students, I have
designed the lesson so the students can participate from their desks. I have also
incorporated stimulating visual media throughout my presentation (in the form of
images and videos) that appeal to both visual and auditory learners.

Competency 1. To act as a professional inheritor, critic, and interpreter of knowledge or

culture when teaching students
Competency 2. To communicate clearly in the language of instruction, both orally and in
writing, using correct grammar, in various contexts related to teaching.
Competency 4. To pilot teaching/learning situations that are appropriate to the students
concerned and the subject content with a view to developing the competencies targeted in the
programs of study.

 Competency 6. To plan, organize and supervise a class in such a way as to promote

students learning and social development.
Competency 9. To cooperate with school staff, parents, partners in the community and
students in pursuing the educational objectives of the school.
Competency 10. To cooperate with members of the teaching team in carrying out tasks
involving the development and evaluation of the competencies targeted in the programs of
study, taking into account the students concerned.

Competency 11. To engage in professional development individually and with others.

Competency 12. To demonstrate ethical and responsible professional behavior in the
performance of his or her duties.

What to do if we
have extra time
What to do if we run
out of time

Begin introducing the play A Midsummer Nights Dream and assigning roles.

Lesson Feedback
(What to change for
next time)

Great success! The students were hooked the entire length of the lesson. For next
time, cut down on PowerPoint slides and videos. Theres too much to get through
in a 50-minute period, unless you want to go over into the next period.

Play the Oh, Yeah?! game next class.

November 9th, 2016

McGill University
Student Teacher: Alessia Fasanella

Thou droning flap-

Appendix I

mouthed mammet!

Shakespearean Insults
Here are 125,000 Shakespearean Insults, thou mammering hedge-born gudgeons.
To constructs a Shakespearean insult, combine one word from each of the three columns below, and
preface it with Thou.
Column 1
bawdy
beslubbering
bootless
churlish
cockered
clouted
craven
currish
dankish
dissembling
droning
errant
fawning
fobbing
forward
frothy
gleeking
goatish
gorbellied
infectious
jarring
loggerheaded
lumpish
mammering
mangled
mewling
paunchy
pribbling
puking
puny
qualling
rank
plume-plucked
pottle-deep
pox-marked
reeling-ripe

Column 2
bat-fowling
beef-witted
beetle-headed
boil-brained
clapper-clawed
clay-brained
common-kissing
crook-pated
dismal-dreaming
dizzy-eyed
doghearted
dread-bolted
earth-vexing
elf-skinned
fat-kidneyed
fen-sucked
flap-mouthed
fly-bitten
folly-fallen
fool-born
full-gorged
guts-griping
half-faced
hasty-witted
hedge-born
hell-hated
idle-headed
ill-breeding
ill-nurtured
knotty-pated
milk-livered
motley-minded
onion-eyed
miscreant roguish
moldwarp ruttish
mumble-news saucy

Column 3
baggage
barnacle
bladder
boar-pig
bugbear
bum-bailey
canker-blossom
clack-dish
clotpole
coxcomb
codpiece
death-token
dewberry
flap-dragon
flax-wench
flirt-gill
foot-licker
fustilarian
giglet
gudgeon
haggard
harpy
hedge-pig
horn-beast
hugger-mugger
joithead
lewdster
lout
maggot-pie
matl-worm
mammet
minnow reeky
pignut
puttock
pumpion
ratsbane

rough-hewn
spongy
surly
tottering
unmuzzled
vain

nut-hook spleeny
pigeon-egg
rude-growing
rump-fed
shard-borne
sheep-biting
spur-galled

scut
skainsmate

Appendix 2

Shakespeares English
Helpful Hints:
Three Ways to Say YOU
Thou- is informal, used among friends and to address a child or servant. Also used in direct address to
God.
You- is formal, used to address a stranger or someone of a higher station.
Ye- is plural
Common Words
A- usually means a in the modern sense, but also means he sometimes
An, And- usually have their modern meanings, but can also mean if
Anon- means soon
Brave- usually means courageous, but could mean conception, imagination or thought
Cousin- any relative or close friend
Cuckold- the husband of an unfaithful wife, and usually the brunt of jokes
Cur- can be any god, but often used as an insult
Fain- gladly
Forsooth- means in truth, and is mostly used to add strength to a statement
Gaol- means jail and is pronounced like jail.
Hap, Haply- perhaps
Hence- away from here, and can refer to place or time
Hither- here
Mistress- could be applied to almost any woman, usually the female head of the household
Sirrah- term used to address a man or boy of low station
Tarry- to wait
Thence- related to hence, thence means away from there
Troth- faithfulness or faith
Wench- a girl or young woman, often used to address a daughter or female servant
Wherefore- why (and not where)
Wither- means where to?