This unit uses William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing as a vehicle to help students consider how a person is powerless in the face of rumor and how reputations can alter lives, both for good and for ill. They will consider comedy and what makes us laugh. They will see how the standards of beauty and societal views toward women have changed since the Elizabethan Age and reflect on reasons for those changes. As students consider the play, they will write on the passages that inspire and plague them and on topics relating to one of the themes in the play. Finally, they will bring Shakespeare’s words to life in individual performances and in group scene presentations.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- Students read Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing .
- Students read two Shakespearean sonnets and excerpts from an Elizabethan morality handbook dealing with types of women, and they respond to them from several different perspectives.
- For each work of literature, students do some writing. They learn to write a sonnet; create a Prompt Book; complete a Dialectical Journal; and write an analytical essay about a topic relating to a theme in the play.
- Students see Shakespeare’s play as it was intended to be seen: in a performance. They memorize 15 or more lines from the play and perform them for the class. Students take part in a short scene as either a director or an actor.
GUIDING QUESTIONS
These questions are a guide to stimulate thinking, discussion, and writing on the themes and ideas in the unit. For complete and thoughtful answers and for meaningful discussions, students must use evidence based on careful reading of the texts.
- What are society’s expectations with regard to gender roles?
- Does humor transcend time? Do we share the same sense of humor as our ancestors?
- How do we judge people?
- How important is reputation?
BENCHMARK ASSESSMENT (Cold Read)
During this unit, on a day of your choosing, we recommend you administer a Cold Read to assess students’ reading comprehension. For this assessment, students read a text they have never seen before and then respond to multiple-choice and constructed-response questions. The assessment is not included in this course materials.
CLASSROOM FILMS
The Branagh version of Much Ado About Nothing is available on DVD through Netflix and for streaming through Amazon. Other versions are also available on both sites.
- Subject:
- English Language Arts, Reading Informational Text, Reading Literature, Speaking and Listening
- Material Type:
- Unit of Study
- Level:
- High School
- Grade:
- 11
- Tags:
- Mystery, Plays, Dogberryisms, Language, Elizabethan Era, Poetry, Writing, Humor, Reputation, Shakespeare, Beauty Standards, Performance, Standards, Assessment, Dickens, Narratives, Beauty, Sonnets, Grade 11 ELA, Informational Texts, Directing, Argument, Deception, Iambic Pentameter, Leadership, Suspense, Biography, Characters, Innocence, Prose, Scenes, Women, Unit, Morality
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Common Core State Standards English Language Arts
Grades 11-12,Reading for LiteratureCluster: Key Ideas and Details.
Standard: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
Common Core State Standards English Language Arts
Grades 11-12,Reading for LiteratureCluster: Key Ideas and Details.
Standard: Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text.
Common Core State Standards English Language Arts
Grades 11-12,Reading for LiteratureCluster: Key Ideas and Details.
Standard: Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).
Common Core State Standards English Language Arts
Grades 11-12,Reading for LiteratureCluster: Craft and Structure.
Standard: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other authors.)
Common Core State Standards English Language Arts
Grades 11-12,Reading for LiteratureCluster: Craft and Structure.
Standard: Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text (e.g., the choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.
Common Core State Standards English Language Arts
Grades 11-12,Reading for LiteratureCluster: Craft and Structure.
Standard: Analyze a case in which grasping point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or understatement).
Common Core State Standards English Language Arts
Grades 11-12,Reading for LiteratureCluster: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas.
Standard: Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g., recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how each version interprets the source text. (Include at least one play by Shakespeare and one play by an American dramatist.)
Common Core State Standards English Language Arts
Grades 11-12,Reading for LiteratureCluster: Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity.
Standard: By the end of grade 11, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 11–CCR text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 11–CCR text complexity band independently and proficiently.
Common Core State Standards English Language Arts
Grades 11-12,Reading for Informational TextCluster: Key Ideas and Details.
Standard: Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the text.
Common Core State Standards English Language Arts
Grades 11-12,Reading for Informational TextCluster: Key Ideas and Details.
Standard: Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text.
Common Core State Standards English Language Arts
Grades 11-12,Reading for Informational TextCluster: Craft and Structure.
Standard: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term or terms over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).
Cluster: Conventions of Standard English.
Standard: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
Common Core State Standards English Language Arts
Grades 11-12,LanguageCluster: Conventions of Standard English.
Standard: Apply the understanding that usage is a matter of convention, can change over time, and is sometimes contested.
Common Core State Standards English Language Arts
Grades 11-12,LanguageCluster: Conventions of Standard English.
Standard: Resolve issues of complex or contested usage, consulting references (e.g., Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage, Garner’s Modern American English) as needed.
Cluster: Conventions of Standard English.
Standard: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
Common Core State Standards English Language Arts
Grades 11-12,LanguageCluster: Conventions of Standard English.
Standard: Observe hyphenation conventions.
Common Core State Standards English Language Arts
Grades 11-12,LanguageCluster: Conventions of Standard English.
Standard: Spell correctly.
Cluster: Knowledge of Language.
Standard: Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
Common Core State Standards English Language Arts
Grades 11-12,LanguageCluster: Knowledge of Language.
Standard: Vary syntax for effect, consulting references (e.g., Tufte’s Artful Sentences) for guidance as needed; apply an understanding of syntax to the study of complex texts when reading.
Cluster: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use.
Standard: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 11–12 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
Common Core State Standards English Language Arts
Grades 11-12,LanguageCluster: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use.
Standard: Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
Common Core State Standards English Language Arts
Grades 11-12,LanguageCluster: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use.
Standard: Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or parts of speech (e.g., conceive, conception, conceivable).
Common Core State Standards English Language Arts
Grades 11-12,LanguageCluster: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use.
Standard: Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, its etymology, or its standard usage.
Common Core State Standards English Language Arts
Grades 11-12,LanguageCluster: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use.
Standard: Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).
Cluster: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use.
Standard: Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
Common Core State Standards English Language Arts
Grades 11-12,LanguageCluster: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use.
Standard: Interpret figures of speech (e.g., hyperbole, paradox) in context and analyze their role in the text.
Common Core State Standards English Language Arts
Grades 11-12,LanguageCluster: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use.
Standard: Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.
Cluster: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use.
Standard: Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
Cluster: Text Types and Purposes.
Standard: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
Cluster: Text Types and Purposes.
Standard: Introduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish the significance of the claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that logically sequences claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
Cluster: Text Types and Purposes.
Standard: Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly, supplying the most relevant evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases.
Cluster: Text Types and Purposes.
Standard: Use words, phrases, and clauses as well as varied syntax to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.
Cluster: Text Types and Purposes.
Standard: Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
Cluster: Text Types and Purposes.
Standard: Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.
Cluster: Text Types and Purposes.
Standard: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
Cluster: Text Types and Purposes.
Standard: Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information so that each new element builds on that which precedes it to create a unified whole; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
Cluster: Text Types and Purposes.
Standard: Develop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most significant and relevant facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience’s knowledge of the topic.
Cluster: Text Types and Purposes.
Standard: Use appropriate and varied transitions and syntax to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships among complex ideas and concepts.
Cluster: Text Types and Purposes.
Standard: Use precise language, domain-specific vocabulary, and techniques such as metaphor, simile, and analogy to manage the complexity of the topic.
Cluster: Text Types and Purposes.
Standard: Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
Cluster: Text Types and Purposes.
Standard: Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications or the significance of the topic).
Cluster: Production and Distribution of Writing.
Standard: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
Cluster: Production and Distribution of Writing.
Standard: Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3 up to and including grades 11-12 on page 55.)
Cluster: Production and Distribution of Writing.
Standard: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.
Cluster: Research to Build and Present Knowledge.
Standard: Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
Cluster: Research to Build and Present Knowledge.
Standard: Draw evidence form literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Cluster: Range of Writing.
Standard: Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Common Core State Standards English Language Arts
Grades 11-12,Speaking and ListeningCluster: Comprehension and Collaboration.
Standard: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11–12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
Common Core State Standards English Language Arts
Grades 11-12,Speaking and ListeningCluster: Comprehension and Collaboration.
Standard: Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.
Common Core State Standards English Language Arts
Grades 11-12,Speaking and ListeningCluster: Comprehension and Collaboration.
Standard: Work with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions and decision-making, set clear goals and deadlines, and establish individual roles as needed.
Common Core State Standards English Language Arts
Grades 11-12,Speaking and ListeningCluster: Comprehension and Collaboration.
Standard: Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that probe reasoning and evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of positions on a topic or issue; clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions; and promote divergent and creative perspectives.
Common Core State Standards English Language Arts
Grades 11-12,Speaking and ListeningCluster: Comprehension and Collaboration.
Standard: Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions when possible; and determine what additional information or research is required to deepen the investigation or complete the task.
Common Core State Standards English Language Arts
Grades 11-12,Speaking and ListeningCluster: Comprehension and Collaboration.
Standard: Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data.
Common Core State Standards English Language Arts
Grades 11-12,Speaking and ListeningCluster: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas.
Standard: Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating a command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See grades 11-12 Language standards 1 and 3 on page 54 for specific expectations.)
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Reading Literature
Standard: Key Ideas and Details.
Indicator: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Reading Literature
Standard: Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity.
Indicator: By the end of grade 11, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 11���CCR text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 11���CCR text complexity band independently and proficiently.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Reading Literature
Standard: Key Ideas and Details.
Indicator: Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Reading Literature
Standard: Key Ideas and Details.
Indicator: Analyze the impact of the author�۪s choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Reading Literature
Standard: Craft and Structure.
Indicator: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other authors.)
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Reading Literature
Standard: Craft and Structure.
Indicator: Analyze how an author�۪s choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text (e.g., the choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Reading Literature
Standard: Craft and Structure.
Indicator: Analyze a case in which grasping point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or understatement).
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Reading Literature
Standard: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas.
Indicator: Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g., recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how each version interprets the source text. (Include at least one play by Shakespeare and one play by an American dramatist.)
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Reading for Informational Text
Standard: Key Ideas and Details.
Indicator: Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the text.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Reading for Informational Text
Standard: Key Ideas and Details.
Indicator: Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Reading for Informational Text
Standard: Craft and Structure.
Indicator: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term or terms over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Text Types and Purposes.
Indicator: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Range of Writing.
Indicator: Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Text Types and Purposes.
Indicator: Introduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish the significance of the claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that logically sequences claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Text Types and Purposes.
Indicator: Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly, supplying the most relevant evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience�۪s knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Text Types and Purposes.
Indicator: Use words, phrases, and clauses as well as varied syntax to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Text Types and Purposes.
Indicator: Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Text Types and Purposes.
Indicator: Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Text Types and Purposes.
Indicator: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Text Types and Purposes.
Indicator: Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information so that each new element builds on that which precedes it to create a unified whole; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Text Types and Purposes.
Indicator: Develop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most significant and relevant facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience�۪s knowledge of the topic.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Text Types and Purposes.
Indicator: Use appropriate and varied transitions and syntax to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships among complex ideas and concepts.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Text Types and Purposes.
Indicator: Use precise language, domain-specific vocabulary, and techniques such as metaphor, simile, and analogy to manage the complexity of the topic.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Text Types and Purposes.
Indicator: Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Text Types and Purposes.
Indicator: Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications or the significance of the topic).
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Production and Distribution of Writing.
Indicator: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1���3 above.)
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Production and Distribution of Writing.
Indicator: Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1���3 up to and including grades 11-12 on page 55.)
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Production and Distribution of Writing.
Indicator: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Research to Build and Present Knowledge.
Indicator: Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Research to Build and Present Knowledge.
Indicator: Draw evidence form literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Speaking and Listening
Standard: Comprehension and Collaboration.
Indicator: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11���12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others�۪ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Speaking and Listening
Standard: Comprehension and Collaboration.
Indicator: Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Speaking and Listening
Standard: Comprehension and Collaboration.
Indicator: Work with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions and decision-making, set clear goals and deadlines, and establish individual roles as needed.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Speaking and Listening
Standard: Comprehension and Collaboration.
Indicator: Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that probe reasoning and evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of positions on a topic or issue; clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions; and promote divergent and creative perspectives.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Speaking and Listening
Standard: Comprehension and Collaboration.
Indicator: Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions when possible; and determine what additional information or research is required to deepen the investigation or complete the task.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Speaking and Listening
Standard: Comprehension and Collaboration.
Indicator: Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Speaking and Listening
Standard: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas.
Indicator: Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating a command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See grades 11-12 Language standards 1 and 3 on page 54 for specific expectations.)
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Language
Standard: Conventions of Standard English.
Indicator: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Language
Standard: Conventions of Standard English.
Indicator: Apply the understanding that usage is a matter of convention, can change over time, and is sometimes contested.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Language
Standard: Conventions of Standard English.
Indicator: Resolve issues of complex or contested usage, consulting references (e.g., Merriam-Webster�۪s Dictionary of English Usage, Garner�۪s Modern American English) as needed.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Language
Standard: Conventions of Standard English.
Indicator: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Language
Standard: Conventions of Standard English.
Indicator: Observe hyphenation conventions.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Language
Standard: Conventions of Standard English.
Indicator: Spell correctly.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Language
Standard: Knowledge of Language.
Indicator: Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Language
Standard: Knowledge of Language.
Indicator: Vary syntax for effect, consulting references (e.g., Tufte�۪s Artful Sentences) for guidance as needed; apply an understanding of syntax to the study of complex texts when reading.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Language
Standard: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use.
Indicator: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 11���12 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Language
Standard: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use.
Indicator: Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word�۪s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Language
Standard: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use.
Indicator: Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or parts of speech (e.g., conceive, conception, conceivable).
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Language
Standard: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use.
Indicator: Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, its etymology, or its standard usage.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Language
Standard: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use.
Indicator: Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Language
Standard: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use.
Indicator: Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Language
Standard: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use.
Indicator: Interpret figures of speech (e.g., hyperbole, paradox) in context and analyze their role in the text.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Language
Standard: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use.
Indicator: Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.
Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards
Grades 11-12Learning Domain: Language
Standard: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use.
Indicator: Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
Learning Domain: Reading for Literature
Standard: Key Ideas and Details.
Indicator: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
Learning Domain: Reading for Literature
Standard: Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity.
Indicator: By the end of grade 11, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 11–CCR text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 11–CCR text complexity band independently and proficiently.
Learning Domain: Reading for Literature
Standard: Key Ideas and Details.
Indicator: Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text.
Learning Domain: Reading for Literature
Standard: Key Ideas and Details.
Indicator: Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).
Learning Domain: Reading for Literature
Standard: Craft and Structure.
Indicator: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other authors.)
Learning Domain: Reading for Literature
Standard: Craft and Structure.
Indicator: Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text (e.g., the choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.
Learning Domain: Reading for Literature
Standard: Craft and Structure.
Indicator: Analyze a case in which grasping point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or understatement).
Learning Domain: Reading for Literature
Standard: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas.
Indicator: Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g., recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how each version interprets the source text. (Include at least one play by Shakespeare and one play by an American dramatist.)
Learning Domain: Reading for Informational Text
Standard: Key Ideas and Details.
Indicator: Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the text.
Learning Domain: Reading for Informational Text
Standard: Key Ideas and Details.
Indicator: Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text.
Learning Domain: Reading for Informational Text
Standard: Craft and Structure.
Indicator: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term or terms over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).
Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Text Types and Purposes.
Indicator: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Range of Writing.
Indicator: Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Text Types and Purposes.
Indicator: Introduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish the significance of the claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that logically sequences claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Text Types and Purposes.
Indicator: Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly, supplying the most relevant evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases.
Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Text Types and Purposes.
Indicator: Use words, phrases, and clauses as well as varied syntax to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.
Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Text Types and Purposes.
Indicator: Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Text Types and Purposes.
Indicator: Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.
Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Text Types and Purposes.
Indicator: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Text Types and Purposes.
Indicator: Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information so that each new element builds on that which precedes it to create a unified whole; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Text Types and Purposes.
Indicator: Develop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most significant and relevant facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience’s knowledge of the topic.
Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Text Types and Purposes.
Indicator: Use appropriate and varied transitions and syntax to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships among complex ideas and concepts.
Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Text Types and Purposes.
Indicator: Use precise language, domain-specific vocabulary, and techniques such as metaphor, simile, and analogy to manage the complexity of the topic.
Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Text Types and Purposes.
Indicator: Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Text Types and Purposes.
Indicator: Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications or the significance of the topic).
Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Production and Distribution of Writing.
Indicator: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Production and Distribution of Writing.
Indicator: Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3 up to and including grades 11-12 on page 55.)
Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Production and Distribution of Writing.
Indicator: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.
Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Research to Build and Present Knowledge.
Indicator: Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
Learning Domain: Writing
Standard: Research to Build and Present Knowledge.
Indicator: Draw evidence form literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Learning Domain: Speaking and Listening
Standard: Comprehension and Collaboration.
Indicator: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11–12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
Learning Domain: Speaking and Listening
Standard: Comprehension and Collaboration.
Indicator: Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.
Learning Domain: Speaking and Listening
Standard: Comprehension and Collaboration.
Indicator: Work with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions and decision-making, set clear goals and deadlines, and establish individual roles as needed.
Learning Domain: Speaking and Listening
Standard: Comprehension and Collaboration.
Indicator: Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that probe reasoning and evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of positions on a topic or issue; clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions; and promote divergent and creative perspectives.
Learning Domain: Speaking and Listening
Standard: Comprehension and Collaboration.
Indicator: Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions when possible; and determine what additional information or research is required to deepen the investigation or complete the task.
Learning Domain: Speaking and Listening
Standard: Comprehension and Collaboration.
Indicator: Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data.
Learning Domain: Speaking and Listening
Standard: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas.
Indicator: Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating a command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See grades 11-12 Language standards 1 and 3 on page 54 for specific expectations.)
Learning Domain: Language
Standard: Conventions of Standard English.
Indicator: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
Learning Domain: Language
Standard: Conventions of Standard English.
Indicator: Apply the understanding that usage is a matter of convention, can change over time, and is sometimes contested.
Learning Domain: Language
Standard: Conventions of Standard English.
Indicator: Resolve issues of complex or contested usage, consulting references (e.g., Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage, Garner’s Modern American English) as needed.
Learning Domain: Language
Standard: Conventions of Standard English.
Indicator: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
Learning Domain: Language
Standard: Conventions of Standard English.
Indicator: Observe hyphenation conventions.
Learning Domain: Language
Standard: Conventions of Standard English.
Indicator: Spell correctly.
Learning Domain: Language
Standard: Knowledge of Language.
Indicator: Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
Learning Domain: Language
Standard: Knowledge of Language.
Indicator: Vary syntax for effect, consulting references (e.g., Tufte’s Artful Sentences) for guidance as needed; apply an understanding of syntax to the study of complex texts when reading.
Learning Domain: Language
Standard: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use.
Indicator: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 11–12 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
Learning Domain: Language
Standard: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use.
Indicator: Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
Learning Domain: Language
Standard: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use.
Indicator: Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or parts of speech (e.g., conceive, conception, conceivable).
Learning Domain: Language
Standard: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use.
Indicator: Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, its etymology, or its standard usage.
Learning Domain: Language
Standard: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use.
Indicator: Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).
Learning Domain: Language
Standard: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use.
Indicator: Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
Learning Domain: Language
Standard: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use.
Indicator: Interpret figures of speech (e.g., hyperbole, paradox) in context and analyze their role in the text.
Learning Domain: Language
Standard: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use.
Indicator: Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.
Learning Domain: Language
Standard: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use.
Indicator: Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
Prompt Book Performances
File size 42.5 KB
Dialectical Journal Instructions
File size 455.5 KB
Shakespeare Information
File size 48.7 KB
Write Your Own Sonnet
File size 49.3 KB
Much Ado About Nothing Questions and Final Essay
File size 63.9 KB
Much Ado About Nothing Character Chart
File size 68.3 KB
Dialectical Journal
File size 454.3 KB
Modern Translation of The Good and the Badde
File size 55.7 KB
Performance and Prompt Book Project
File size 812.7 KB
Folger Excerpts from The Good and the Badde
File size 645.1 KB
The “Perfect Paragraph”
File size 40.5 KB
Introducing the Sonnet
File size 78.8 KB
- What Is Funny?
Lesson 2
Rules For Comedy
Lesson 3
Readers Expectations
Lesson 5
The Good and the Badde
- How Do We Judge People?
Lesson 6
Much Ado About Nothing
Lesson 7
Character Analysis
Lesson 8
Shakespeare Performed
Lesson 9
Roles of Leadership
Lesson 10
Directorial Choices Comparison
Lesson 11
Informational Writing
Lesson 12
Character Development
Lesson 13
Character Interpretation
Lesson 14
Humor In Language
Lesson 15
Relatable Characters
Lesson 16
Types of Humor
Lesson 17
Characters Reactions
Lesson 18
Character Chart
Lesson 19
Ending Evaluation
Lesson 20
Scene Preparation & Memorization
- Shakespeare As Performed
Lesson 21
Passage Performance
Lesson 22
Second Group Performance
Lesson 23
Third Group Performance
Lesson 24
Fourth Group Performance
Lesson 25
Final Group Performance
Lesson 26
Performance Structure
Lesson 27
Performance Structure 2.0
Lesson 28
Performance Reflection
Lesson 29
Argument Writing