Blended Learning Lesson Plan

Lesson Title:

Introduction to William Shakespeare and Hamlet

Objectives:

Students will be able to name the characters in the play Hamlet

Students will be able to explain William Shakespeare’s life

State Standards:

7.1 Interpret how a literary text relates to diverse media with an emphasis on the effect
various media techniques have on ideas, themes, and topics.

7.2 Compare and contrast a literary depiction of a time, place, or character to a historical
account of the same period to understand how authors use or alter history for rhetorical effect.

Context:

This lesson is for a seventh grade English class about Hamlet. This lesson is crucial for
students as they need to learn about classic literature. They will be able to compare the work of
Shakespeare to the modern day works we have already read in class. Works like; Tears of a Tiger,
Poem for English B, and To Kill a Mocking Bird. The students will be able to compare these
works and the time periods they are from. Once the students have a clear understanding of
Hamlet, they will be asked to do a final project comparing Hamlet to one of the previous works
we read.

The students have little to no prior knowledge of Hamlet, but they should have some
understanding of who William Shakespeare is. The students were supposed to read Romeo and
Juliet in sixth grade, so they should have some basic background information about Shakespeare.

Data:

Students will work individually on the scavenger hunt until their paper is completed.
Once they have answered all the questions, they may collaborate as a group to check to see if the
answers are the same. Once they have finished group checking, we will gather as a large class
and go over the answers. I will confirm that all the students have the correct answers to study
from.
Materials:

Part of Lesson Materials Needed

Introduction • White board

• SmartBoard
• Hand out (printed questions and
website to access the answers)
• https://kids.kiddle.co/Hamlet
Teacher Directed • Hand out
• Pencil
• Stopwatch timer on SmartBoard
• https://www.online-stopwatch.com
Independent Digital • iPad/ laptop
• Hand out
• Writing utensil
Collaborative • iPad/ laptop
• Hand out
• Writing utensil
Closure • Whiteboard
• Hand out pulled up on whiteboard
• https://kids.kiddle.co/Hamlet

Procedures:

Introduction (15 - 20 minutes): Students will be shown a photo of William Shakespeare

on a powerpoint and asked if they know anything about him. Any information students know will
be written on the board (correct or incorrect and relevant to the lesson). Students then will be
asked if they know any of his works. Students again, will volunteer any information they know.
Once someone mentions Hamlet, stop taking answers. - If no one mentions Hamlet, ask students
if they know anything about Hamlet. Once students answer, give a brief description of Hamlet.
Along the lines of “Hamlet is one of the most popular plays written by WS, it is a story of
delusion and betrayal…..”. The next slide on the powerpoint will be a list of vocab. words that
students will need to copy down.

Teacher Directed (10 minutes): Students will be given a hand out sheet with 20
questions and two separate websites to find answers. The first 10 questions will be about WS and
his life, while the other questions will be about Hamlet. The questions will follow the
information given on the website EXACT. So all students have to do is read the website. The
hand out will also feature the vocab. words and ask the students to define them. The teacher will
explain all of this to the students while passing the paperwork out. The students can ask any
questions they may have before they begin their work.

Independent Digital (35 - 40 minutes): Students will spend most of their time searching
for answers to the questions. A digital timer will be set so students know how long they have to
answer the questions. The timer will be set for 35 minutes, but most students will finish in about
27 minutes. The extra time is to make sure everyone has all the answers. Students are to be
completely silent during this time but they may listen to music. When the timer goes off, students
will be asked if they need more time. Time will be given as needed.

Collaborative (5-10 minutes): Students then are allowed to discuss among their group to
see what answers they all have and if they need to be adjusted. The teacher should walk around
the room to make sure everyone is actively working and talking, not just copying the answers
from their friends.

Closure (25 minutes): Students will be asked to return to their seat and have their
answers ready. The hand out document will be pulled up on the white board completely blank.
Students will raise their hands to answer the questions. The student who gives the correct answer
will be asked to write it on the white board. Every student needs to make sure they have the
correct answer. You could also ask each table group what they had as an answer, that way
individual students don’t feel singled out. The more confident students from each group can
come up to the board. Again, check to see if students have the correct answers as they go. Once
they have finished going over the answers, they are to turn in their paper to the back bin with
their class block.

Rationale:
• Quizlet - Quizlet allows students to make their own flashcards or study a set that has
already been pre-made. Students can quiz themselves on these cards and play memory
games. The teacher can track how much a student has done with certain decks of flash
cards. This can be used as a grading tool as well as a functional learning tool. Quizlet is
good for all learners, because it allows students to learn at their own pace.
• BrainPop - BrainPop offers a wide collection of informative videos. Their videos are
good fro many ages, as it also includes a BrainPop jr for younger students. On
BrainPop, students can watch the videos and answer questions. The questions can be on
a printed hand out or as a quiz at the end of each video. Students can pause the videos
as frequently as they’d like, and they may also take notes.