Curriculum  /  ELA  /  8th Grade  /  Unit 10: Fences (2020)  /  Lesson 14

Fences (2020)

Lesson 14
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ELA

Unit 10

8th Grade

Lesson 14 of 17

Objective

Select pivotal passages from the play in preparation for performances.

Readings and Materials

  • Resource: Acting Project Rubric and Reflection 

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Target Task

  1. Write down the pages that your passage begins and ends on.
  2. What is the title of your chosen passage?
  3. Who are your group members? What are your roles?
  4. Why is this passage pivotal to the play?

Key Questions

  • Independently, find a scene you love that you think is important to the overall play.

  • Reread that scene. It should be one to two pages long. Mark the beginning of the scene with a line marked "start" and the end with a line marked "end."
      Your scene is on page(s):

  • Your scene is on page(s):

  • Identify how many characters are in that scene - there should be between one and four. Stage directions don't count - those will be acted out!
      The character(s) in your scene is/are:

  • The character(s) in your scene is/are:

  • Select your group (or teacher assigns groups).

  • Discuss the passage you want to use. You probably will want to look at a couple of passages and talk it out. Conversation should be productive and positive. If there is disagreement, play rock-paper-scissors.
      Your group agreed on the scene on page(s): [List page numbers] This scene is pivotal to the play because:

  • Your group agreed on the scene on page(s): [List page numbers]

  • This scene is pivotal to the play because:

  • Assign the roles of your group. (No one needs to read the stage directions - characters only!)

  • By yourself, reread the page(s) you've selected and annotate to come up with a title that captures what it's about.

  • By yourself, write one sentence that summarizes the central idea of the scene.

  • By yourself, annotate three details (quotes) that support your central idea. Copy them down.

  • Your scene is on page(s):

  • The character(s) in your scene is/are:

  • Your group agreed on the scene on page(s): [List page numbers]

  • This scene is pivotal to the play because:

Notes

The focus of today's lesson and the next two lessons is an Act-Off. Guidelines for the Act-Off are:

  1. Groups of one to four only. Must be with desk partner(s) or someone in front of/behind you. We want to be able to work without switching seats.
  2. Choose a small portion of a scene (one or two pages for groups of two to four) or a monologue if you are a group of one.
  3. Your scene must be pivotal (crucial) to the play overall.
  4. You will be graded based on volume, pacing, emotion, and accuracy. (More on this when we perform.)
  5. Everyone must participate and be included.
  6. Safe, responsible props are allowed.

Common Core Standards

  • RL.8.2 — Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.
  • RL.8.3 — Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.

Next

Practice reading profound excerpts from Fences, focusing on volume, pace, emotion, and accuracy.

Lesson 15
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Lesson Map

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