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Lesson 1

We will learn about the unit’s topic and Central Question by reviewing the Unit Overview. We will discuss the Culminating Task and determine what we need to know and do to succeed on the Culminating Task. We will be introduced to key features of the archetypal criticism lens, and we will read a brief introduction to the tragedy genre and its archetypes in preparation for reading the play Hamlet. We will use a range of strategies to determine the meaning of unknown words in the text.

Lesson Goals

  • Can I explain what I need to know and do to succeed on the Culminating Task?

  • Can I use a variety of strategies (e.g., context clues, word study, and vocabulary resources) to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words and phrases in a text?

Texts

Core

  • Tradebook
    • Hamlet, William Shakespeare, Simon and Schuster, 2003
  • Unit Reader
    • Tragedy, excerpt from “A Guide to the Study of Literature: A Companion Text for Core Studies 6, Landmarks of Literature, Section II Tragedy: A Genre, Tragedy,” English Department, Brooklyn College, English Department, Brooklyn College, 2009

Materials

Tools

Reference Guides

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Read – Discuss – Write

We will review the Central Question and read and analyze the Culminating Task. We will identify specific knowledge we are expected to gain throughout the unit and specific skills we will need to succeed on the Culminating Task.

Step 1

Read the Central Question:

How many ways can the same text be read?

Use the following questions to guide a discussion with a partner or small group:

  1. What is the Central Question asking?

  2. What might you already know in relation to the Central Question?

  3. What about the question piques your curiosity?

  4. How do you think this question relates to the texts or topic of the unit?

  5. If you were to provide an answer to the Central Question today, what would it be?

In your Learning Log, write a response to Question 5. You will return to this initial response in later lessons to examine how your understanding of the Central Question has evolved.

Step 2

Read and annotate the Culminating Task Checklist. Determine what skills and knowledge you need to succeed on the Culminating Task. In a small group, discuss and respond to the questions on Part 1 of your Culminating Task Progress Tracker:

  1. What is the focus of the Culminating Task? What does the task ask you to do?

  2. What questions do you have about the Culminating Task?

  3. What do you need to understand and think about to succeed on the Culminating Task?

  4. What skills do you need to build in the unit to succeed on the Culminating Task?

  5. What habits do you need to practice in the unit to succeed on the Culminating Task?

As a group, create a checklist in your Learning Log or use the Culminating Task Progress Tracker to determine what you need to know and do to succeed on the Culminating Task. For each knowledge and skill identified, assess how prepared you are.

Activity 2: Read

We will review the Unit Text List to familiarize ourselves with the texts we will analyze and discuss throughout the unit.

Step 1

Access and review the Unit Text List. Note the information that is included about each text. These texts are also listed in the activities in which they appear, under the Materials tab. You will notice that each text has an icon by it. These indicate where the text is located, which corresponds to the Location column in the Unit Text List.

Text locations:

  • Tradebook: These texts are full-length novels or nonfiction books you will most likely have copies of.

  • Digital Access: You can find these texts online. Use the information provided in the Unit Text List or on the Texts tab for the activity to conduct a web search for the resource. Digital Access resources include online articles, videos, podcasts, and other web sources.

  • PDF Texts: These are formatted PDFs of texts that are available for download on the Materials tab.

  • CD/DVD: These materials are available on CD or DVD and might also be available through online content providers.

Step 2

Review the Independent Reading Text Options. Here, you will find suggested options for independent reading related to the unit.

Activity 3: Write

We will be introduced to key features of the archetypal literary criticism lens.

Hamlet is often called Shakespeare’s most complex tragedy. By examining it through different literary lenses, you can deepen your understanding of the play.

On your Archetypal LensNote-Taking Tool, write down the following notes in the Notes on Archetypal Lens cell:

  • An archetype is a recurrent symbol or idea in a text or a typical example of a certain person or thing.

  • The archetypal lens considers ideas that are common across many cultures. One example is the hero’s quest.

  • This lens also explores recurring character relationships, such as the hero-mentor relationship.

  • This lens also examines how a genre provides context for how to interpret archetypes in a text. We will examine how the tragedy genre shapes our interpretation of Hamlet.

  • The focus is meant to help you anticipate elements of a text and examine how a text adheres to, or transforms, established archetypes.

Activity 4: Read

We will read an introductory text on the Tragedy genre.

Read and annotate the first three paragraphs of “A Guide to the Study of Literature: A Companion Text for Core Studies 6, Landmarks of Literature, Section II Tragedy: A Genre, Tragedy.”

Use the following question to guide your reading: What are the key features of the tragedy genre?

Be sure to annotate the text for unknown words.

Activity 5: Read – Write

To determine the meaning of an Unknown word or phrase in a text, we will decide when to use context clues and when to use other strategies.

Step 1

For this activity, you will use a Vocabulary Journal, which you will maintain for the entire unit. You might use a Vocabulary in Context Tool for words you can decipher from the text; for others, you might use morphology to decipher the meaning, or a reference resource to check if your meaning is accurate. For some words, your teacher might present you with definitions.

Some of the vocabulary words or phrases in the text have enough context to determine their meaning. For example, in Paragraph 1, the term hubris is defined in the text as "an excessive pride that causes the hero to ignore a divine warning or to break a moral law."

Though not quite as explicit, this same appositive can be used to determine the meaning of the word offense in the next sentence. An offense is a transgression against a law or code of conduct.

Add both terms and their definitions to your Vocabulary Journal. Identify context as the strategy used to determine meaning.

Step 2

Some of the words do not have enough context, such as inevitable in the Tragic Vision section.

  1. How will you know when to use context clues and when to try another strategy?

Examine the guiding questions in the Vocabulary in Context Tool to determine when and how to use context clues.

Write down the word inevitable and its definition in your Vocabulary Journal.

Activity 6: Write

For homework, we will decide when to use context clues and when to use other strategies to determine the meaning of an Unknown word or phrase in a text.

For homework, use the Vocabulary in Context Tool to help you determine the meaning of the following words and phrases:

  • pity

  • tragic flaw

  • divine

  • catastrophic

  • human limitations

  • protagonist

  • disproportionate

  • culpability

  • redemptive

  • capacity

Write down your answers in your Vocabulary Journal. For each word, identify the vocabulary strategy (e.g., context, morphology, reference material) you used to determine its meaning. Use the questions in the Vocabulary in Context Tool as a guide.

Check your definition by using a dictionary, either printed or online.