Writing into Shakespeare

1. Writing into Shakespeare Chippewa River Writing Project Teaching Demo Andy Schoenborn

2. Contentions My demonstration is meant to suggest and support my contentions that: • Writing to learn asks students to use higher order thinking skills, such as interpretation, analysis, and synthesis. • Scaffolding student writing provides a framework for developing ideas toward an end product. • Students who write to a specific audience through the point of view of a literary character retain deeper levels of understanding through the act of writing and role-playing.

3. Supporting Research • “One reason for using writing to think is precisely to bring the unconscious more to the surface, where we can ‘see what we have to say.’” – The English Teacher’s Companion (1999, 140) • “To improve the teaching of writing, particularly in the context of academic tasks, is also to improve the quality of thinking required of school children.” – How Writing Shapes Thinking (1987, 3) • “Teachers, writes Hillocks, can encourage imagination through various applications of role playing: for developing an argument from diverse perspectives, for inventing a character and improvising action in various situations, for assuming the point of view of a literary character, and so on.” – Because Writing Matters (2006, 54) • “In assignments, [intellectual work] means asking the student to construct knowledge through analysis, synthesis, and interpretation.” – Because Writing Matters (2006, 49)

4. As Teachers, please consider: • Does the demo incorporate writing scaffolding into a persuasive letter effectively? • Do the steps seem to follow a logical progression? • How well is the writing incorporated with the reading?

5. As Students, our agenda will be: • Advice from Polonius: (10 – 15 minutes) • Hamlet’s Internal Conflict:(30 – 35 minutes) • Horatio to Hamlet: (20 – 30 minutes) • Peer Review Round Robin: (15 – 20 minutes)

6. Advice from Polonius And these few precepts in thy memory See thou character. Give thy thoughts no tongue, Nor any unproportion’d thought his act. 64 Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar. The friends thou hast, and their adoption tried, Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel; But do not dull thy palm with entertainment 68 Of each new-hatch’d, unfledg’d comrade. Beware Of entrance to a quarrel; but being in, Bear’tthat opposed may beware of thee. Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice; 72 Take each man’s censure, but reserve thy judgment. Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, But not express’d in fancy; rich, not gaudy; For the apparel oft proclaims the man, 76 And they in France of the best rank and station Are most select and generous in that. Neither a borrower nor a lender be; For loan oft loses both itself and friend, 80 And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry. This above all: to thine own self be true.

7. Wish You Were HerePink Floyd - 1975 So, so you think you can tell Heaven from Hell, Blue skies from pain. Can you tell a green field From a cold steel rail? A smile from a veil? Do you think you can tell? And did they get you to trade Your heroes for ghosts? Hot ashes for trees? Hot air for a cool breeze? Cold comfort for change? And did you exchange A walk on part in the war For a lead role in a cage? How I wish, how I wish you were here. We're just two lost souls Swimming in a fish bowl, Year after year, Running over the same old ground. What have we found? The same old fears. Wish you were here.

8. Paint It BlackThe Rolling Stones - 1966 I see a red door and I want it painted black No colors anymore I want them to turn black I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes I have to turn my head until my darkness goes I see a line of cars and they're all painted black With flowers and my love both never to come back I see people turn their heads and quickly look away Like a new born baby it just happens every day I look inside myself and see my heart is black I see my red door and must have it painted black Maybe then I'll fade away and not have to face the facts It's not easy facin' up when your whole world is black No more will my green sea go turn a deeper blue I could not foresee this thing happening to you If I look hard enough into the settin' sun My love will laugh with me before the mornin‘ comes I see a red door and I want it painted black No colors anymore I want them to turn black I see the girls go by dressed in their summer clothes I have to turn my head until my darkness goes Hmm, hmm, hmm,... I wanna see it painted, painted black Black as night, black as coal I wanna see the sun blotted out from the sky I wanna see it painted, painted, painted, painted black Yeah! Hmm, hmm, hmm,...

9. The Man Who Sold the WorldDavid Bowie - 1970 I laughed and shook his hand, and made my way back home I searched for form and land, for years and years I roamed I gazed a ghastly stare at all the millions here We must have died alone, a long long time ago Who knows? not me We never lost control You're face to face With the Man who Sold the World Who knows? not me We never lost control You're face to face With the Man who Sold the World We passed upon the stair, we spoke of was and when Although I wasn't there, he said I was his friend Which came as some surprise I spoke into his eyes I thought you died alone, a long long time ago Oh no, not me I never lost control You're face to face With the Man Who Sold The World

10. I'm so happy. Cause today I found my friends. They're in my head. I'm so ugly. That's okay, ‘cause so are you. We've broke our mirrors. Sunday morning. Is everyday for all I care. And I'm not scared. Light my candles. In a daze ‘cause I've found god. Yeah yeahyeahyeah..... I'm so lonely. That’s okay. I shaved my head. And I'm not sad, and just maybe I'm to blame for all I've heard. And I'm not sure. I'm so excited. I can't wait to meet you there. And I don't care. I'm so horny. But that's ok. My will is good. Yeah yeahyeahyeahyeah..... I like it. I'm not gonna crack. I miss you. I'm not gonna crack. I love you. I'm not gonna crack. I killed you. I'm not gonna crack. I'm so happy. Cause today I found my friends. They're in my head. I'm so ugly. That's okay, ‘cause so are you. We've broke our mirrors. Sunday morning. Is everyday for all I care. And I'm not scared. Light my candles. In a daze ‘cause I've found god. Yeah yeahyeahyeah..... LithiumNirvana - 1991

11. Son, she said, have I got a little story for you What you thought was your daddy was nothin' but a... While you were sittin' home alone at age thirteen Your real daddy was dyin', sorry you didn't see him, but I'm glad we talked... Oh I, oh, I'm still alive Hey, I, oh, I'm still alive Hey I, oh, I'm still alive Oh, she walks slowly, across a young man's room She said I'm ready...for you I can't remember anything to this very day 'Cept the look, the look... Oh, you know where, now I can't see, I just stare... I, I'm still alive Hey I, but, I'm still alive Hey I, oh, I'm still alive Hey I, I, I, I'm still alive, yeah Is something wrong, she said Well of course there is You're still alive, she said Oh, and do I deserve to be Is that the question And if so...if so...who answers...who answers... I, oh, I'm still alive Hey I, oh, I'm still alive Hey I, oh, I'm still alive Yeah I, oh, I'm still alive AlivePearl Jam - 1991

12. Horatio to Hamlet Overview: Hamlet has been acting strangely since the death of his father and some of the characters are beginning to take notice. There is a rumor going around the castle that Hamlet is considering avenging his father’s death by killing his uncle, King Claudius. Some people are disgusted by what the rumors seem to say and others understand his grief in light of the circumstances. Directions: Select a character and write a letter to Hamlet through their point of view that Either persuades him to avenge his father’s death or persuades him to stop his plan of action. You will try to convince (or persuade) him through evidence and support. Character Selection Gertrude Ophelia Polonius Horatio Laertes Marcellus RosencrantzGuildenstern

13. Peer Review Round Robin • In groups of 3-4, take out your letter and pass it to the person on your left. • You will have five minutes to read the letter and write two positive remarks and one suggestion for improvement. • When time is up, pass the letter to the person on your left and repeat the process until you have your original letter back. Focus on: • Character voice (Does the character respond the way we would expect?) • Evidence from sources (Does the author use details from previous writing?) • Rebuttal (Did the author answer opposing viewpoint?)

14. As Teachers, please consider: • Did the demo incorporate the scaffolding of writing into a persuasive letter effectively? • Did the writing steps seem to follow a logical progression? • How well was the writing incorporated with the reading?

15. Bibliography/Related Reading • Burke, Jim. The English Teacher's Companion. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook, 1999. Print. • Esquith, Rafe. Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire. New York: Penguin Group, 2007. Print. • Gallagher, Kelly. Teaching Adolescent Writers. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers, 2006. Print. • Kittle, Penny. Write Beside Them. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2008. Print. • Nagin, Carl. Because Writing Matters. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2006. Print.