Rubric Descriptors for the Embedded Assessment for Unit 4

Embedded Assessment: Performing a Scene(s) from a Play

This summative project includes three grades that will be considered as test grades.

They include: The Performance (Videotaped), a Staging Notebook: Actor’s, Dramaturge’s, Director’s, or Cinematographer’s Notebook, and a Reflective Piece of Writing that will be completed on the day of the final for English 9.

The following are additional descriptors for the rubric ( available as a handout and on the class blog) for this final summative project:

To qualify within the numerical grade range of 93-100, students must: 

• Play an active role in the performance. The student performed convincingly in their role or roles. The student made use of facial and hand gestures as well as appropriate body language making their role obvious to the audience. No scripts were visible in the video recording, and it was obvious that this student knew their lines. Appropriate costumes and props were used. The entire performance revealed that this student was in character and that the performance was planned rather than impromptu. This student gave a full contribution to the final product. There is an excellent use of cinematic techniques, editing, and iMovie tools in the final product.

To qualify within the numerical grade range of 85-92, students must:

• Play an active role in the performance.Student gave a good performance. It was usually obvious which character the student played. The student had infrequent mistakes in their delivery of lines from a script. The student seemed out of character at times. These minor inconsistencies in the performance made for a few lapses in the entertainment value of the play. A full effort is not evident; more effort could have been given. The student had appropriate costumes for the performance, but these were in no way a full effort to create something beyond an ordinary appearance. The performance was sometimes seemingly unplanned, but captured the scenario of the original play. The student and his group evidence a good use of cinematic techniques, edition, and iMovie tools in the final product.

To qualify within the numerical grade range of 77-84, students must: 

• This student was not seen as a lead actor or character in the group or on screen. This student put only a fair effort into their performance. The audience is not always convinced that this student is the character in the play. This student missed, forgot, or messed up on a number of lines. This student occasionally acted inappropriate for his or her character. This performance effected the entertainment value of the play. Some effort is evident, but much more could have been put into this performance, i.e, scripting, scenery choice, costumes, use of particular choices of lighting and other iMovie tools and cinematic techniques in the final product.

To qualify within the numerical grade range of 70-76, students have:

• Exhibited confusion in the performance of their role. This student obviously used a script and was not very familiar with it. There were instances of skipping lines, or, sometimes, the lines were incomprehensible to the audience. This student broke from his or her role often and made for a performance of little entertainment value. There was little use of cinematic techniques, editing, or iMovie tools in the final product.

To qualify within the numerical grade range of 60-69, students have: 

• This student showed very little effort. This student used a script exclusively. This student did not have any costume or props. This student showed no knowledge of the play. This performance was not entertaining. There was no use of any of the essential features of a play performance or a videotaped interpretation of the original play.

Tim and the People's Video of US Govt.

Physical Science Documentary

Honors Challenge Video Project by Brian Awalt, Hailey Craig, Tyler Hardwick, and  Dakota Chipman

May 30/31, 2013 Block Days

Essential Question: What are the essential features of an effective drama and/or dramatic performance?

Read the following thoroughly:

Do Now: As there are a number of students who owe assignments from this last trimester, there will be an opportunity in class to make-up several assignments. Below are two quizzes on recent materials; these quiz you on aspects of Unit 4. Please put all of this make-up work on loose leaf paper. Staple pages together, if you need more than one sheet for your response. Write your name, date, and “Make-Up Work” on each sheet you submit. 

Quiz 1 (Each quiz is equivalent to two in-class/ homework assignments):

We have been exploring the essential question above for some weeks. The idea is that every lesson builds upon our knowledge so that we are now more capable of answering this question than we were when we began Unit 4.

In a paragraph of four or more sentences answer this essential question referencing some of the learning strategies we have used and some specific examples from the play interpretations we have close read in order to specifically understand the features of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

Quiz 2

1. Name and explain what each of your play performance group members are responsible for doing on this project.

2. Explain what is unique about your play performance/ video of a scene(s) from Romeo and Juliet.

3. Identify and explain what knowledge from the Springboard curriculum is going into your play performance. You might identify some of the learning strategies we have used, research we have done together or you have done on your own, and your understanding of style devices, cinematic techniques...etc.

Quiz 3

Part of acting a part is knowing your character. Often we ask what motivates a character to do the things that they do in a performance. Explain in a paragraph for each what the following characters do and why? Read the example and model your response to the following characters after it. 

Example: Lady Capulet is motivated by her love for her only child Juliet. She wants her to marry someone who can provide for her and give her status. She wants Juliet to marry Paris. She believes that Juliet is too young to make the decision of marriage for herself. 

1. Friar Lawrence
2. Lord Capulet

Group Work: Embedded Assessment: Play Performance

1. You should rehearse your scenes several times before you consider videotaping.
2. Remember that your individual grade will be largely evaluated from the quality of your notebook.
3. You should create a notebook entry today and date it. You are documenting what you are doing to complete the play product as well as identifying things that you anticipate doing.
4. Write your name, theater company name, and date on all notebook entries.
5. Always consider your behavior when you are working outside the classroom. Do not interrupt or disrupt other classes. You are working on your projects and not fooling around. For those not following this direction and requirement for the project group work, they will be penalized.
6. Please use your time wisely.

Homework: You are working on this group project and individual notebooks for a Thursday, June 6 deadline. 6th Period has until Friday, June 7th.   

The Voyage of Mr. McKechnie's Science Class

Honors Challenge English Video Project by Lukas Firestone, Cooper Holmes,  Julia Zavaleta,
Gunnar Goodrich, & Cathy Nguyen.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Essential Question: What are the essential features of an effective drama and/or dramatic performance?

I. Do Now (8 minutes): Think about our discussions of interpretations and style in film and literature. Whether it be Tim Burton, Franco Zeffirelli, or Baz Luhrmann, particular choices are made regarding characterization, lighting, setting, and other devices/techniques in films and literature. Identify what is unique about your group’s interpretation of your scene(s) from Romeo and Juliet? How far have you distanced yourself from the original?

• Your response to this “do-now” should evidence eight minutes worth of writing. 

II. In Class (10 minutes ): Each group member is responsible for a “notebook” for the final project.

• This should consist of each student’s response to a series of questions or tasks posed in class or as homework.

• As your first task today, please gather all your responses together that you have completed. Staple these together with today’s do-now. Hand these in at the emnd of class.

III. Notebooks (12 minutes) Staple your responses to the following set of questions for your role to your “notebook.” You can collaborate on these with your group. Date it.

Director’s Notebook:

• What does a director do? What are you doing as the director?

• What did your group accomplish so far? What will you do the rest of this week?

• What lighting or sound effects will you choose for your videotaped scene? Have you thought about a sound track? Which songs?

• Summarize your plan for the lighting of your scene. What “saturation” or “color” choices can you make with the iMovie tools?

Cinematographer’s Notebook:

• Are you using title/cast/credits pages in your video product? What will those look like?

• What problems might you encounter with videoing this scene? How will you solve these problems?

• Who will make the editing choices? What editing do you anticipate?

• When do you anticipate videotaping your scene(s)?

1. Actor’s Notebook

• Has your group read through your scene(s) from the script your group has prepared?

• How has your group solved the problem of having three or four people to perform in a scene with more people than that required?

• In addition to speaking lines, we have talked about non-verbal language. What are some of the notes or instructions you have made in the script in order that the actors can act on cue?

• Although you may be setting your scene in the modern day, what costume choices have you made, and why?

1. Dramaturge’s Notebook 

• What research have you done for this play performance?

• Make sure you have some type of bibliography of the sources for the information you have researched.

• How have you solved the problem of getting everyone in your group to participate in the project?

• Since you need props and costumes for this project, where are they and what are they?

1. In Class Group Work (30 minutes)

Exit Ticket: What do you plan on accomplishing in class tomorrow?

Homework: The final project for periods 3,5, & 7 is due Thursday, June 6. For period 6, it is due Friday, June 7. You are to put it on a thumb drive and hand it to the teacher so that he can download it into his computer.

  

   

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Name:________________________________Theater Co.:_____________________

Focus on completing any missing assignments you have from before May 1. Get those in.

Essential Question: What are the essential features of an effective drama and/or dramatic performance? 

Do Now: Period 3: Identify, in writing, as a notebook entry for the final project, techniques and effects we have discussed in relationship to creating a movie. Specifically, how will you use these in your videotaped performance of Shakespeare?

Periods 5, 6 & 7: As you know, you are to be creating a notebook as your individual contribution to the project of performing a scene(s) from Romeo and Juliet. You were, as a group, supposed to come up with the requirements specifically for the cinematographer’s ( the person who is in charge of videotaping your play performance) notebook, as this is something your teacher has adopted for this assessment so that we can present videotapes of the performance and also so each of the four individuals in the assigned groups have an individual notebook task; the embedded assessment requirements outline the requirements for only three notebooks: the requirements for the dramaturge’s, the actor’s, and the director’s notebooks are in your Springboard text, pages 321-323 ( review those again, if you haven’t). 

*For the Do-Now, in complete sentences, and in 8 minutes, decide on five tasks to be completed by the cinematographer in taping the play performance and how this will add to the presentation.

Example: The cinematographer ( videographer ), will add interesting lighting effects and color effects using the iMovie software available to them. This may succeed at presenting a desirable mood or tone.

The cinematographer can edit what he/she films; this will allow us to use....in our presentation.

II. Group Work: Individual Notebooks (20 minutes )

Please have your “notebooks” out, as the teacher will be checking these.

Devote this time to discussing and writing in your individual notebooks. The notebooks should include a series of entries over the time that you have worked on this project; you are essentially documenting your work on this project from the eyes of one of the various contributors to such a project in the real world. You should keep these stapled together. You should include in this “packet” of papers the assignments that are specifically related to this notebook requirement of the embedded assessment. This includes today’s do-now, so don’t turn it in, staple it to your other written work that you will hand in on June 6/7, 2013.  

III. Group Work ( 32 minutes ).

• As a group, complete Springboard pages 308-310, Activity 4.25, but answer the questions and tasks using your assigned scene(s) rather than the ones identified in the activity. Draw the diagrams and graphic organizers and complete them with your scene(s) in mind. You can remove these pages from your Springboard ( only from your own book!) or draw what you need to complete these pages on a piece of loose leaf. Staple this to your notebooks.

Continue the following:

• You should have a working script.
• You should have planned costumes and your setting ( and identified these things in your notebooks).
• You should consider your individual acting performance (s) ( some may have to play more than one role?). What body language, facial expressions, and hand gestures will be part of this performance? Blocking ( that means, have you worked out where people will stand in your video shots and how will they move on and off stage?).
• Start practicing your scene and working out the details. 
• You might videotape your first rehearsal and then review it for the sake of understanding what you need to do to improve your performance and the look of your play performance!

Homework: 

• The comparison and contrast essay is due today. 
• Final Project (It is due next Thurs./Fri., June 6/7  depending on which day you have block day; time will not be given on that day to work on your project.): You should be working on your play performance. This might be a good time to review the criteria of the embedded assessment, so that we don’t forget that this assignment requires that you complete an individual notebook documenting your role and accomplishments in the group. Make sure that you include the names of your group members in the credits, a title, and an introduction in addition to your videotaped performance. Costumes, props, and script are all necessary elements of this project, and what you did to accomplish these should be documented in your notebooks. 

Springboard Activity Check 1 and 2

Springboard Activity Textbook Check 1 and 2

Name:_____________________________________________

1. Activity 2.18 (p.151) _______

2. Activity 2.19 (p153) _______

3. Activity 2.19 (p.155) ______

4. Activity 2.19 (p.158/159) ______  _______

5. Activity 2.21 (p.160) _______

6. Activity 2.22 (p.162/163) _______ _______

7. Activity 2.22 (p.164) _______

8. Activity 2.23 (p.165) _______

9. Activity 2.24 (p.166) _______

10. Activity 2.24 (p.167) ______

11. Activity 2.25 (p.169/170) _____ ______

12. Activity 2.26 (p.171) ______

13. Activity 2.27

14. Activity 2.29 Venn Diagram

Thurs./Fri. May 23/24, 2013 Block Day Lesson

Name:________________________________

Theater Co.:_____________________

Focus on completing any missing assignments you have from before May 1. Get those in.

Essential Question: What are the essential features of an effective drama and/or dramatic performance? 

Do Now: As you know, you are to be creating a notebook as your individual contribution to the project of performing a scene(s) from Romeo and Juliet. You were, as a group, supposed to come up with the requirements specifically for the cinematographer’s ( the person who is in charge of videotaping your play performance) notebook, as this is something your teacher has adopted for this assessment so that we can present videotapes of the performance and also so each of the four individuals in the assigned groups have an individual notebook task; the embedded assessment requirements outline the requirements for only three notebooks: the requirements for the dramaturge’s, the actor’s, and the director’s notebooks are in your Springboard text, pages 321-323 ( review those again, if you haven’t). 

*For the Do-Now, in complete sentences, and in 8 minutes, decide on five tasks to be completed by the cinematographer in taping the play performance and how this will add to the presentation.

Example: The cinematographer ( videographer ), will add interesting lighting effects and color effects using the iMovie software available to them. This may succeed at presenting a desirable mood or tone.

The cinematographer can edit what he/she films; this will allow us to use....in our presentation.

II. Your comparison and contrast essay is due: Tuesday, May 28, 2013. Open up you Pages document and work on this (20 minutes)

Requirements (You might use the suggestions provided):

• You are comparing and contrasting, or explaining the similarities and differences between, Baz Luhrmann’s and Franco Zeffirelli’s interpretation of Romeo and Juliet.
• You should use the point-by-point, or sentence-by-sentence method of comparing and contrasting, as this is only a five paragraph essay.
• Five paragraphs: an introductory paragraph, three body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph.
• The introductory paragraph should include a general statement about the two director’s interpretations of Romeo and Juliet---example: Baz Luhrmann sets the play in medieval Verona as Shakespeare originally did...., a thesis statement--- example: ”Baz Luhrmann’s interpretation of Romeo and Juliet is very different from Franco Zeffirelli’s interpretation, as they both have a unique approach to setting, costume, and characterization.”
• The body paragraphs should each begin with a topic sentence that identifies one of the three stylistic devices you are discussing.
• The body paragraphs should include supporting evidence in response to the topic sentences. You might put each of those topic sentences in the form of a question---example: ”How does Baz Luhrmann’s characterization of Mercutio, Romeo, and Juliet differ from Franco Zeffirelli’s?
• This essay will count as a summative, test, grade.  The rubric for this will appear on the blog site.
• Do your best work, as this will be one of the final grades, and your effort on this will be taken in consideration for your final trimester grade.

III. Group Work: Individual Notebooks (20 minutes )

Devote this time to discussing and writing in your individual notebooks. The notebooks should include a series of entries over the time that you have worked on this project; you are essentially documenting your work on this project from the eyes of one of the various contributors to such a project in the real world. You should keep these stapled together. You should include in this “packet” of papers the assignments that are specifically related to this notebook requirement of the embedded assessment. This includes today’s do-now, so don’t turn it in, staple it to your other written work that you will hand in on June 6/7, 2013.  

IV. Group Work ( 32 minutes ).

• As a group, complete Springboard pages 308-310, Activity 4.25, but answer the questions and tasks using your assigned scene(s) rather than the ones identified in the activity. Draw the diagrams and graphic organizers and complete them with your scene(s) in mind. You can remove these pages from your Springboard ( only from your own book!) or draw what you need to complete these pages on a piece of loose leaf. Staple this to your notebooks.

Continue the following:

• You should have a working script.
• You should have planned costumes and your setting ( and identified these things in your notebooks).
• You should consider your individual acting performance (s) ( some may have to play more than one role?). What body language, facial expressions, and hand gestures will be part of this performance? Blocking ( that means, have you worked out where people will stand in your video shots and how will they move on and off stage?).
• Start practicing your scene and working out the details. 
• You might videotape your first rehearsal and then review it for the sake of understanding what you need to do to improve your performance and the look of your play performance!

Homework: Comparison and Contrast Essay, due May 28. Ongoing work on your play performance which is due June 6/7. 

Have a good Memorial Day weekend!

Tuesday, May 21, 2013 Lesson

GET YOUR MISSING ASSIGNMENTS IN.

Check the following as you complete them :

Essential Question: What are the essential features of an effective drama and/or dramatic performance?

I. Do Now (8 minutes)(This will count as a quiz grade): Each member of your theater company has the responsibility of keeping a notebook ( You should review the requirements of this part of the embedded assessment in your Springboard book again; it is also outlined in the May 13th handout). Create a notebook page that summarizes some of the points of yesterday’s lesson ( Turn this in on a piece of loose leaf with your name and theater company’s name on it. Also, date it. ). 

• _____What facial expressions, blocking, body language, and hand gestures will be part of your performance as one of the characters. Which character? And, specifically, what will you do? 
• _____What other details of the paintings might be used to improve the look of your theater production?
• _____What specific props will be used, and how will you use them ( How will facial expressions, hand gestures, and body language accentuate their use in your performance or vice versa (Example: sword play, drinking a potion from a glass vial, or stabbing one’s self with a dagger, as in the case of Juliet)?

Your answer should be a paragraph or two. You can continue it after a whole group share. 

..........................................................................................................................................

II. Revisiting Yesterday’s Lesson ( If you finished this, make sure you turn it in; go on the Roman numeral “III”) (12 minutes) (If you lost the paper work go onto the blog site):

• ____Complete the graphic organizer ( Name and date on it, please )
• ____Complete a written response to the questions asked in conjunction with the exit ticket/gallery walk.

.............................................................................................

III. Apply yesterday’s lesson to your play performance. Rehearsals: By this point, you should have put together a working script. The reason it is a working script is that your group will likely make changes to it as you begin rehearsing the lines. 

• ____Consider intonation, enunciation, voice projection, blocking (What do these words mean? They are found in the Springboard text in Unit 4) 

• ____Consider non-verbal elements to your performance. Include cues for facial expressions, hand gestures, and blocking (body positions) in your scripts so that you can remember to do these things each time you practice your performance. Include these notes in your notebooks!

IV. THE FOLLOWING REHEARSAL BENCHMARKS SHOULD BE COMPLETED THIS WEEK AS WHEN WE COME BACK FROM THE WEEKEND WE WILL START VIDEOTAPING.

• ____Start rehearsing your act together. Memorize the lines, as this will make your portrayal more convincing. You are responsible for only a scene or two rather than a whole act. You might want to break the performance up if its a long scene; this would be helpful when you are videotaping it. Do not make your recording choppy; it should be polished and seamless.

• _____The dramaturge will need to research things like costumes, setting, and props. Where will your unique interpretation be set? Do research. Include stage directions/setting. The dramaturge will record their findings in their notebook. The more detail the better the project over all. The detailed work will receive the highest marks.

• _____Your director will need to start locating the props, costumes, and things for the setting (These can be kept in the classroom). You need to divide these responsibilities among group members. The director will record in his notebook how these things were accomplished. You will need to have your settings outside the English classroom. You might have settings off campus; that means you might meet with your group outside of school.

• _____Practice the play as a group. Don’t think you will learn your lines and let others be responsible for getting their lines memorized. The lack of rehearsal will be made apparent in the videotape.

V. HOMEWORK: READ: Comparison and Contrast Essay ( Due Tues., May 28, 2013)

• You are comparing and contrasting, or explaining the similarities and differences between, Baz Luhrmann’s and Franco Zeffirelli’s interpretation of Romeo and Juliet.
• You should use the point-by-point, or sentence-by-sentence method of comparing and contrasting, as this is only a five paragraph essay.
• Five paragraphs: an introductory paragraph, three body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph.
• The introductory paragraph should include a general statement about the two director’s interpretations of Romeo and Juliet---example: Franco Zeffirelli sets the play in medieval Verona as Shakespeare originally did...., a thesis statement--- example: ”Baz Luhrmann’s interpretation of Romeo and Juliet is very different from Franco Zeffirelli’s interpretation, as they both have a unique approach to setting, costume, and characterization.”
• The body paragraphs should each begin with a topic sentence that identifies one of the three stylistic devices you are discussing.
• The body paragraphs should include supporting evidence in response to the topic sentences. You might put each of those topic sentences in the form of a question---example: ”How does Baz Luhrmann’s characterization of Mercutio, Romeo, and Juliet differ from Franco Zeffirelli’s?
• This essay will count as a summative, test, grade.  The rubric for this will appear on the blog site.
• Do your best work, as this will be one of the final grades, and your effort on this will be taken in consideration for your final trimester grade.   

May 20, 2013:Learning Map, Unit 4, Romeo and Juliet

Check as you complete:

Essential Question: What are the essential features of an effective drama and/or dramatic performance?

Purpose: 

• To interpret a visual text
• To plan a dramatic performance
• To create an interpretation of a scene from a play

Do Now (8 minutes) Do the following ( Listen to the directions ):

_____1. Divide into “ones” and “twos”. Ones look at the projected painting labeled “ones” while the other, the twos, look at the other entitled “twos”. A pair consisting of a one and a two will pair-up later for discussion.  

_____ 2. You might go to the “May 20, 2013...” entry on the blog site to see the paintings more clearly ( teamthunderenglishblog.blogspot.com).

Ones and Twos:

____ 3. Look at the list below. The words on the left we have used in class to describe literature and film. The words on the right are their equivalents for the sake of describing fine art paintings.

____4. You will write. Choose two terms from the list and use them to describe your painting in writing. Write three or more sentences. Identify specific characteristics of the people in the paintings: their body poses, their facial expressions, and their hand gestures. How do these things relate to style, point of view, imagery, color, tone/mood, or setting?

.

____ 5.  Jigsaw. Pair up with someone who looked at the other painting.Share and record your observations with each other, so that you have descriptions of your painting and your neighbors. 

List:

a. style = style

b. point of view = perspective

c. imagery = imagery

d. color = color

e. tone/mood = tone/mood

f. setting = setting

II. Think-Pair-Share (12 minutes)

• ___Share your findings from the do-now with the whole group. 
• ___Just as we have close read films, advertisements, and literature this year, we are using this strategy with fine art paintings today.
• ___With your partner, after our whole group discussion,  observe, apply two more terms, and write your findings to the following about the two paintings.

• ____Close read the above visual prompts, the paintings, again.

• ____Create a Venn diagram, that identifies similarities between the two paintings. 

• ____The similarities between the two paintings might further identify the style of the artist.  

............................................................................................. 

III. Think-Pair-Share/ Close Read Paintings Inspired by Romeo and Juliet (22 minutes).

• James Stephanoff’s painting:

• Frederick Leighton’s painting:

• Jean Pierre Simon’s engraving of John Opie’s painting:

• ___With your partner, close read some more projected fine art paintings. These were inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

• ___Use both a learning strategy, the handout, graphic organizer, provided, and the above terms to document your close read.

• Complete the graphic organizer with complete sentences, not just words and phrases. The highest marks will be given for these complete sentences. Use the entire 22 minutes, pace yourself.

............................................................................................. 

IV. Exit Ticket/  Applying This Learning Experience to Our Play Performance (8 minutes).

• Gallery Walk. Those not in proximity, take a walk over to the photos of the tableaus on the closet door we created a few weeks ago. 

• Share your response with the group: Are there any connections between the paintings and the tableaus?

• What effects did you see in the paintings and in your re-visit of the tableau photos that you might strive for in your own play performance to make it better?

HOMEWORK: With your play performance group discuss how you can apply your thoughts about the artworks you analyzed today to your own performance. Think about hand and facial gestures and body language. Discuss what visual and emotional effects you want to achieve and how you might use elements such as the placement of the actors (blocking), simple sets and props, and color to create them. Document your findings on the bottom of your meeting log. Turn this in on Tuesday. More visual prompts found on the blog site.