Brittany Cassarella

Macbeth Unit Plan

12th Grade Academic English

Text: Shakespeare, William. Macbeth.

This unit was adapted in part by Dr. Lisa Klein’s 12th grade Academic English course
syllabus, semester calendar, and lesson plan resources. This includes quizzes,
exams, and select writing prompts. She is a 12th grade Academic and AP teacher, the
head of the English department at Baldwin High School in Pittsburgh, Pa, and a
professor of Education at Duquesne University is Pittsburgh, Pa.

Rationale

A literature unit on William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is valuable in many

perspectives. First, the study of this play provides a window into the historical
context of the Renaissance Period, the time in which the play was written. This is
provided by first looking into the historical background of the play, and later
studying cues within the play that give the reader insight into the way of life at that
time; and, during the Medieval Period, the time in which the play takes place.
Second, students are given an opportunity to analyze drama written by one of the
world’s most influential authors. Students will have the to opportunity to study a
wide range of vocabulary, literary techniques, and literary devices. Finally, within
this unit the students will have the opportunity to expand their writing skills
through free writes and a formal analytical paper. These assignments will allow the
students to explore their thoughts and opinions about the play, and they will have
the opportunity to study the analyses of critics prior to them as well.

Goals

 Students will utilize reading strategies throughout the reading process by

determining historical contexts before beginning the reading process,
analyzing during the reading process, and reflecting after the reading
process.
 Students will learn about the background of Macbeth, by William
Shakespeare, in a preliminary lesson.
 Students will read and demonstrate comprehension of the text in a variety of
class discussions, activities, writing, and quizzes/exam.
 Students will demonstrate communication skills by participating in large and
small group discussions
 Students will analyze the plot and nuances in Shakespeare in whole group
and small group discussions.
 Students will understand how different literary devices are used in literature
through recognizing them in the text.
  Students will apply knowledge from the text to write in a comprehensive way
that sites specific textual evidence.

Overview

In this Shakespeare unit students will read Macbeth Act by Act.  Each Act will
be discussed at length in class.  Along with this, students will demonstrate
understanding through writing, quizzes, and analysis of select excerpts in class. 
After completing the play, the students will be assigned a writing assignment, in
which they will use textual evidence to support their claims and work together to
help each other through editing and the writing process.  During this time the
students will participate in brainstorming, prewriting, and editing workshops.  The
students will also have an exam on the play.  The unit will end with film analysis,
during which time the students will watch the play.

Standards
PA- Pennsylvania Academic Standards

• Subject : Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening

• Area 1.1: Learning to Read Independently
• Grade 1.1.11: Grade 11

 Standard C.: Use knowledge of root words and words from literary works to recognize and understand the
meaning of new words during reading. Use these words accurately in speaking and writing.

 Standard D.: Identify, describe, evaluate and synthesize the essential ideas in text. Assess those reading
strategies that were most effective in learning from a variety of texts.

 Standard G.: Demonstrate after reading understanding and interpretation of both fiction and nonfiction text,
including public documents.
· Make, and support with evidence, assertions about texts.
· Compare and contrast texts using themes, settings, characters and ideas.
· Make extensions to related ideas, topics or information.
· Assess the validity of the document based on context.
· Analyze the positions, arguments and evidence in public documents.
· Evaluate the author’s strategies.
· Critique public documents to identify strategies common in public discourse.

 Standard H.: Demonstrate fluency and comprehension in reading.

· Read familiar materials aloud with accuracy.
· Self-correct mistakes.
· Use appropriate rhythm, flow, meter and pronunciation.
· Read a variety of genres and types of text.
· Demonstrate comprehension (Standard 1.1.11.G.). (Recommend: 25 books/year)
• Area 1.2: Reading Critically in All Content Areas
• Grade 1.2.11: Grade 11

 Standard A.: Read and understand essential content of informational texts and documents in all academic
areas.
· Differentiate fact from opinion across a variety of texts by using complete and accurate information, coherent
arguments and points of view.
·Distinguish between essential and nonessential information across a variety of sources, identifying the use of
proper references or authorities and propaganda techniques where present.
· Use teacher and student established criteria for making decisions and drawing conclusions.
· Evaluate text organization and content to determine the author’s purpose and effectiveness according to the
author’s theses, accuracy, thoroughness, logic and reasoning.

 Standard C.: Produce work in at least one literary genre that follows the conventions of the genre.

• Area 1.3: Reading, Analyzing and Interpreting Literature

• Grade 1.3.11: Grade 11

 Standard A.: Read and understand works of literature.

 Standard B.: Analyze the relationships, uses and effectiveness of literary elements used by one or more
authors in similar genres including characterization, setting, plot, theme, point of view, tone and style.

 Standard C.: Analyze the effectiveness, in terms of literary quality, of the author’s use of literary devices.
· Sound techniques (e.g., rhyme, rhythm, meter, alliteration)
· Figurative language (e.g., personification, simile, metaphor, hyperbole, irony, satire)
· Literary structures (e.g., foreshadowing, flashbacks, progressive and digressive time).

 Standard E.: Analyze how a scriptwriter’s use of words creates tone and mood, and how choice of words
advances the theme or purpose of the work.

 Standard F.: Read and respond to nonfiction and fiction including poetry and drama.

• Area 1.5: Quality of Writing

• Grade 1.5.11: Grade 11

 Standard A.: Write with a sharp, distinct focus.

· Identify topic, task and audience.
· Establish and maintain a single point of view.
  Standard B.: Write using well-developed content appropriate for the topic.
· Gather, determine validity and reliability of, analyze and organize information.
· Employ the most effective format for purpose and audience.
· Write fully developed paragraphs that have details and information specific to the topic and relevant to the focus.

 Standard C.: Write with controlled and/or subtle organization.

· Sustain a logical order throughout the piece.
· Include an effective introduction and conclusion.

 Standard D.: Write with a command of the stylistic aspects of composition.

· Use different types and lengths of sentences.
· Use precise language.

 Standard E.: Revise writing to improve style, word choice, sentence variety and subtlety of meaning after
rethinking how questions of purpose, audience and genre have been addressed.

 Standard F.: Edit writing using the conventions of language.

· Spell all words correctly.
· Use capital letters correctly.
· Punctuate correctly (periods, exclamation points, question marks, commas, quotation marks, apostrophes,
colons, semicolons, parentheses, hyphens, brackets, ellipses).
· Use nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions and interjections properly.
· Use complete sentences (simple, compound, complex, declarative, interrogative, exclamatory and imperative).

• Area 1.6: Speaking and Listening

• Grade 1.6.11: Grade 11

 Standard A.: Listen to others.

· Ask clarifying questions.
· Synthesize information, ideas and opinions to determine relevancy.
· Take notes.

 Standard B.: Listen to selections of literature (fiction and/or nonfiction).

· Relate them to previous knowledge.
· Predict solutions to identified problems.
· Summarize and reflect on what has been heard.
· Identify and define new words and concepts.
· Analyze and synthesize the selections relating them to other selections heard or read.

 Standard C.: Contribute to discussions.

· Ask relevant, clarifying questions.
· Respond with relevant information or opinions to questions asked.
· Listen to and acknowledge the contributions of others.
· Adjust tone and involvement to encourage equitable participation.
· Facilitate total group participation.
· Introduce relevant, facilitating information, ideas and opinions to enrich the discussion.
· Paraphrase and summarize as needed.

 Standard E.: Participate in small and large group discussions and presentations.

· Initiate everyday conversation.
· Select and present an oral reading on an assigned topic.
· Conduct interviews.
· Participate in a formal interview (e.g., for a job, college).
· Organize and participate in informal debate around a specific topic. Use evaluation guides (e.g., National Issues
Forum, Toastmasters) to evaluate group discussion (e.g., of peers, on television).

• Area 1.7: Characteristics and Function of the English Language

• Grade 1.7.11: Grade 11

 Standard A.: Describe the influence of historical events on the English language.

Daily Lesson Plans: Homework Schedule and Assessments

Day 1: Introduction, finish Act I for homework

Day 2: Act I due

Day 4: Act II due

Day 6: Act III due, Quiz Acts I-III

Day 8: Vocab Quiz Acts I-III

Day 9: Act IV due, Act IV quiz

Day 12: Act V due, Act V quiz

Day 13: Vocab Quiz Acts IV-V

Day 14: Socratic Seminar

Day 18: Prewriting Due

Day 19: Final Exam

Day 24: Typed Rough Draft due

Day 27: Final Paper Due

*Note: This lesson plan was designed for 29 45-minute classes estimated to take
about 6-7 weeks to complete. Reading is to be done at home in order to use the
maximum amount of class time for discussion and analysis of each Act.
Detailed Daily Lesson Plans

Day 1: Intro to Macbeth Powerpoint – historical context and relevancy

Read I.i. together, discuss
Finish Act I for homework
Day 2: Anticipatory set: call on students to give two facts learned in the previous
day’s lesson
Discuss Act I scenes i-iv
Act II due Day 4
Day 3: Anticipatory set: ask for volunteer to summarize what we have covered in the
play up to this point
Discuss Act I scenes iv-vii
Day 4: AS: Review study guide questions for Acts I-II
Discuss Act II scenes i-iii
Focused free write, II.i.32-60: What does this soliloquy tell us about
Macbeth’s character? Reveal about his state of mind? Allude to in the future
parts of the play?
Act III due Day 6
Day 5: AS: magic pen select 4 people to tell the class something we shared on Day 4
Discuss Act II scenes iii-iv
Day 6: AS: Review study guide questions for Act III
Quiz Acts I-III
Act III scavenger hunt
Discuss Act III scenes i-ii
Day 7: AS: Who can tell me where we left off yesterday? Why was this important?
Discuss scenes ii-v
Return quizzes, review quiz as a class
Day 8: Vocab quiz Acts I-III
AS: magic pen select students to review the scenes from the previous day
Finish discussing Act II, scenes v-vi
Day 9: AS: Return vocab quizzes while students review answers to study guide for
Act IV
Act IV quiz
Reader’s theatre: IV.i.1-63, discuss scene
Act V due Day 12
Day 10: AS: Review Act IV quiz, what was the witches’ plan for Macbeth’s demise?
In partner’s locate the 4 apparitions
Continue discussing scenes i-ii
Day 11: AS: 4 volunteers to review the 4 apparitions, what happened afterward?
 Finish discussing Act IV
Day 12: Act V quiz
Socratic Seminar Handout
AS: Act V study guide answers
Groups of 4: sight how each of the apparitions play out in Act V, sight specific
examples from scenes with line numbers
Day 13: Vocab quiz Acts IV-V
Return quizzes, review
Finish discussing Act V
Get leaders for Socratic Seminar
Day 14: Student led Socratic Seminar
Day 15: Intro to Macbeth paper, read aloud together
Sample article
Questions?
Get into groups for bulletic board drawings, assign acts, give instructions,
start until end of period.
Leave drawings in class
Day 16: Students are given the period to start brainstorming and prewriting their
Macbeth papers
Prewriting due day 18
Teacher gives support, answers questions
Day 17: Continue brainstorming and prewriting
If students are finished with brainstorming use left over time to finish
working on bulletin board drawings.
Final exam Day 19
Day 18: Prewriting due
Individual teacher conferences
Free time can be spent finishing bulletin board drawings
**If teacher conferences end early and drawings are done: present drawings
Day 19: Macbeth exam
Day 20: Use beginning of period to present drawings if they are not already done.
Writing workshops with table partners: “comma” workshop directions
Start “comma” workshop
Teacher circulates for support
Typed rough draft due day 24
Day 21: Finish “comma” workshop if necessary
“Sentence starter” workshop
Begin “TO BE” workshop with any leftover time
Day 22: “TO BE” workshop
Citations workshop
Day 23: Continue checking citations
“Read aloud” workshop, check for awkward sentences and missing words
Day 24: Typed rough draft due
Peer Revision
Final paper due Day 27
Day 25: Present bulletin board drawings if not already done
 Film analysis
Day 26: film analysis
Day 27: film analysis
Final paper due
Day 28: Film analysis
Day 29: Film analysis
End of unit

Materials/Handouts

 Macbeth, by William Shakespeare

 Macbeth Study guide
 Macbeth Vocab sheet
 Introductory powerpoint
 Overhead/projector
 Scavenger Hunt worksheet
 Reading quizzes
 Vocab quizzes
 Socratic Seminar handout
 Macbeth final paper handout
 Rubric for paper
 Rubric for Bulletin Board project
 Macbeth film
 Tv
 Paper
 Pen/pencil