YEAR 8 ENGLISH
Assessment
Task B: Play Review
Text: A Midsummer
Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare
Task A: Script writing and performance
Due Date: Term 1, Weeks 10 - 11
(Teacher to allocate date for each group)
Outcomes:
1. A student responds to and composes texts for
understanding, interpretation, critical analysis and pleasure
4. A student uses and describes language forms and
features, and structures of texts appropriate to different purposes, audiences
and contexts
5. A student makes informed language choices to shape
meaning with accuracy, clarity and coherence.
6. A student draws on experience, information and ideas
to imaginatively and interpretively respond to and compose texts
11. A student uses, reflects
on and assesses individual and collaborative skills for learning.
You
have been introduced to Shakespeare’s work and background through the play
A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This assignment requires you to be familiar
with the characters, plot and some of the themes of the play, as well as the
conventions of a play script.
You
will be assessed on your ability to transpose Shakespeare’s main ideas into a
different context, write in the play genre, and perform your script using
appropriate oral and dramatic techniques.
Details of the Task
No
scene may be presented more than once.
1.
Every student must speak and perform for an adequate time to
gain a mark for the speaking component of the assessment. Roles should be allotted to allow each
student more or less equal time to speak and perform.
2.
There must be evidence of planning and preparation in each
student’s workbook.
3.
Your script should adhere to the conventions of modern play scripts.
(While in Shakespeare’s day very few stage directions were written down on the
players’ scripts, modern playwrights provide detail about the appearance of the
set and costumes, where and how the characters move and the tone of voice in
which the characters should speak.)
4.
Costume and props are optional but strongly advised.
1.
Groups – each class teacher will decide whether to form or
cast the groups, OR, allow students to form the groups. Whatever group you are
in, ensure you are co-operative and also welcoming to everyone.
2.
Teachers may allocate specific scenes/part scenes or may
allow groups to choose their own scenes. If the latter, your group should
discuss, obtain advice from the teacher and make a careful final decision. If there are too few characters in the scene,
it may be necessary for some students to change groups.
3.
Together, read your scene aloud and decide exactly what is
going on in the action of the scene and in the behaviour and hearts of the
characters. Write this down in your
workbook.
4.
Choose a different historical or cultural setting and
discuss the ways this will change the situation, characters and language. You will need to retain the themes and key
concerns of Shakespeare’s text. As a
group, ask yourself: What is it essential to retain? What can be changed to suit the time and
place? Write this down in your workbook.
5.
Allocate parts. NB:
Every student must speak and perform (see above).
6.
Create a flow chart of the intended events in your new
script. Write this down.
7.
Where will your audience be in relation to the action? What will they see? How will this convey the meaning?
Imagine
how you want the scene to look and/or how the actors should stand in relation
to each other at key moments in the scene. Avoid blocking the audience’s view
of some actors.
Avoid
bunching actors together – use all the space available. Make sketches or note
down your decisions about this.
8.
Together, write a draft of your translation of the
scene. Each student should have their
own copy of this.
NB: The Dramatis Personae must be included
at the top of the script, ie, make a list of the characters’ names and the
names of the students taking those parts.
Indicate the Act, Scene and Line Numbers
of the original text that your scene appropriates.
9.
Write an explanation of the changes you have made to time,
place, language and other elements of the original script. Length: at least 100
words.
10. Rehearse your scene,
taking careful note of what works and what doesn’t.
NB:
Does your scene have adequate stage directions and indications of tone
of voice to guide the actors?
11. Make changes to the
script as necessary.
12. Rehearse the scene again.
13. Make any further changes
as needed.
14. Create final script – this
must be legible and set out according to the conventions of the play script
genre.
15. Make a copy of the script
and explanation for each member of the group and one to hand in to your
teacher. Each student should highlight his or her words and actions. Each
student’s copy will later be filed in the English folios.
16. Prepare optional costume
and props if time.
17. Present your performance
to the class. Before beginning, explain to
the audience the changes you have made to Shakespeare’s original conception and
say why you have done this.
18. Hand in your play script
and explanation to your teacher.
Assessment Task B: Play Review
Outcomes:
1. A student responds to and composes texts for
understanding, interpretation, critical analysis and pleasure.
4. A student uses and describes language
forms and features, and structures of texts appropriate to different purposes,
audiences and contexts.
6. A student draws on experience,
information and ideas to imaginatively and interpretively respond to and
compose texts.
7. A student thinks critically and interpretively about
information, ideas and arguments to respond to and compose texts.
You
have been introduced to the elements of dramatic performance and you have
learnt how to evaluate these.
This
assignment requires you to demonstrate your understanding of one of the
productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream that
you have viewed during this unit through a critical examination of the play and
using the conventions of a review.
Write
a play review in response to a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream that you have seen during this unit of
work.
You
may use ONE of the following
performances for your review:
Word limit: 400 words
Steps:
1.
Your teacher will decide which of the three productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream to be
reviewed. (Film version only for those
who are absent for both performances)
2.
Your teacher will show you some examples of play
reviews. Take note of their language and
form features. This should assist you
when writing your review.
3.
Find some more examples from newspapers and/or magazines.
4.
Look at the sheet titled ‘How
to write a play review’.
5.
Write your own review.
Make sure that you critically analyse the performance.
Year 8 English
Introduction to Shakespeare
TASK A: Appropriation and
Performance of a Scene
Marking Guide
Act and Scene chosen:
|
No. |
Criteria |
Adv |
HC |
C |
D |
ED |
|
1. |
Choice
of scene
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2. |
Understanding
of ideas and language of original script
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3. |
Creativity
of appropriation or performance concept
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4. |
Use
of the conventions of the script genre
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5. |
Quality
of performance: individual
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6. |
Quality
of performance: group
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7. |
Meet
time limit: 3 – 5 mins |
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Mark: /20 Adv: 18 – 20, HC: 14 – 17, C: 9 – 12, D: 5
– 8, ED: 0 – 4
Comment:
Year 8 English
Introduction to Shakespeare
TASK B: Play Review
Marking Guide
|
No. |
Criteria |
Adv |
HC |
C |
D |
ED |
|
1. |
Thought and content 8.
understanding the task and requirement 1.
originality and creativity 2.
use of description and detail 3.
development of ideas ·
focus (established and maintained) |
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2. |
Understanding of original script
and performance ·
Plot and action
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3. |
Creativity of review
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4. |
Use of the conventions of the
review text type (Structure)
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5. |
Use of review language features ·
Suitable punctuation and layout ·
Use of adjectives and adverbs to make the reviewer’s
opinion clear. ·
Use of present tense ·
Use of first person ·
Logical ordering of ideas |
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6. |
Mechanics ·
paragraphing ·
punctuation ·
grammar ·
spelling |
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