June 2009
Joel Greene teaches English at Windsor Locks High School,Windsor Locks, CT
Plays/Scenes Covered
Shakespeare's Sonnets
What's On for Today and Why
Students will take a close look at a selected Shakespeare sonnet. They will choose from a select list of sonnets, rich in imagery. Students will use Photostory to create an audio/video montage that represents their selected sonnet. The images need to demonstrate the concept of "illumination": elaborating the words, figurative language, and/or theme(s) that the sonnet evokes.
Completing the project encourages the students to examine Shakespeare's language and imagery closely. In so doing, students become aware of how Shakespeare uses language to create layers of meaning. Associating images with words is a means for students to remember specific words and phrases, and helps prepare them for a reading of one of the plays.
This lesson will take one 45 minute class period.
What You Need
Copies of shakespeare's Sonnets
Access to computers
Microphones
What To Do
1. Demonstrate for students the Photostory program.
2. Have students watch a completed Photostory
3. Have students works in pairs to create a sample text that includes 2 or 3 pictures and a music selection.
4. Have students create their own Photostory for their chosen passage, either in the computer lab or as a homework assignment.
5. Have students produce a finished product that is no more then 2 minutes in length,includes a minimum of 10 images and has appropriate background music.
6.Have students present their projects to the class.
How Did It Go?
How did students select their sonnet?Were there technical glitches?How did they choose the music? What would they do differently next time?What did they learn about the text through the illumination process?
If you used this lesson, we would like to hear how it went and about any adaptations you made to suit the needs of YOUR students.
