Subject:
English Language Arts, Composition and Rhetoric
Material Type:
Lesson Plan
Level:
High School
Grade:
12
Provider:
Pearson
Tags:
  • George Bernard Shaw
  • Grade 12 ELA
  • Literature
  • License:
    Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial
    Language:
    English

    Act 3 At-Home Episode

    Act 3 At-Home Episode

    Overview

    In this lesson, students will continue reading, annotating, and discussing Pygmalion. Then students will reread and focus on the “at-home” episode in act 3.

    Preparation

    • Read the lesson and student content.
    • Anticipate student difficulties and identify the differentiation options you will choose for working with your students.

    The Wager

    • Call on one or two students to make sure everyone understands what Higgins, Pickering, and Eliza Doolittle are working towards.
      • SWD: Some students may need for you to identify a small section to read that has the evidence. Your directions to them would be to highlight the evidence, then identify the character trait that the evidence represents. For a few students you might even need to identify the character trait(s) for them and then give them a short passage from the text to highlight the evidence.
    • Allow students to share their Quick Writes with their triads before opening up the conversation to the whole class.
    • Facilitate a brief conversation about the Quick Write question.
    • Probe with the following question:
      • ✓ Do they want to change her social class or just pass her off as someone from a higher class and thereby win the bet?
      • ✓ What evidence from the text leads you this conclusion?
    • If students disagree, encourage them to find support in the play for their positions.

    Opening

    With your triad group, review the details of Higgins’s wager with Colonel Pickering.

    Then complete a Quick Write.

    • What does the wager between Professor Higgins and Colonel Pickering reveal about their beliefs about social class?

    Open Notebook

    Share your Quick Write response with your reading triad group and then with the whole group.

    Act 2 of Pygmalion

    • As students continue to read, circulate to check progress and offer support for students who might need it.
      • SWD: This is a good opportunity to conference with students to see if they understand the concepts and ideas in the book.
      • ELL: Monitor that all students are able to engage in this activity productively.

    Optional

    There are a number of film versions of Pygmalion available, including the musicalMy Fair Lady . If you have access to any of these movies, consider showing all or part of them as the class reading of the play progresses.

    Work Time

    Finish reading and annotating act 2 in your triad groups, beginning with the entrance of the Japanese Lady (Liza) saying, “Garn! Don’t you know your own daughter.”

    • As you read, think about whether Liza feels that she may be “ruined” or whether her father assumes that she will be “ruined.”

    Act 3 of Pygmalion

    • Clarify what an “at-home day” is, who is the hostess, and why Higgins has “invited” Liza to the gathering.
    • As students continue to read, circulate to check progress and offer support for students who might need it.
    • After students stop at the point where Liza leaves the “at-home” gathering, facilitate a class discussion.
    • Use the following probing questions to send students back to the text if they don’t touch on them in their sharing:
      • ✓ What mistakes, if any, has Liza made with language at the “at-home” gathering?
      • ✓ What social blunders has she made, if any?
      • ✓ How are Liza’s behavior and/or speech revealing of her social station?
    • Remember that References to Social Class in Pygmalion is provided to you and provides examples of lines and phrases in the play having to do with social class. Some vocabulary words and British terms are defined in Vocabulary and British Terms inPygmalion .
    • Update the Characters in Pygmalion and Social Class Terms class charts as needed.

    Work Time

    Begin reading and annotating act 3 in your triad groups to the point where Liza leaves the party (“Walk! Not bloody likely. [Sensation]. I am going in a taxi. [She goes out].”).

    Note any references to social class and continue to mark places for confusion and unknown vocabulary.

    Then discuss what you’ve read in act 3 with your classmates. Share examples of references to social class, including the specific text and speakers. Also, cover these questions during the discussion.

    • What mistakes, if any, has Liza made with language at the “at-home” gathering?
    • What social blunders has she made, if any?
    • How are Liza’s behavior and/or speech revealing of her social station?

    The "At-Home" Episode

    • Allow students to reread on their own.
    • Ask students to identify areas of confusion in the dialogue of the play.
    • Ask them to note any additional references to social class and be prepared to share them.

    Closing

    Reread the “at-home” episode at Mrs. Higgins’ apartment on your own.

    Mark any parts of the dialogue that remain confusing, particularly that of Mrs. Eynsford Hill and her two adult children.

    When you have reread to the place where Liza exits, write a response to the following question.

    • What is the impression Mrs. Higgins and the other guests have of Liza?

    Open Notebook

    Independent Reading

    • Remind students to continue reading their Independent Reading Group Novel and to turn in journal entries.

    Homework

    Continue your ongoing homework assignment.

    • Read your Independent Reading Group Novel.
    • Remember to submit two journal entries a week to your teacher and share some of your journal entries so others can read your work.