Who Wrote It Better: Taylor Swift or William Shakespeare?
A Learning Activity is a strategy a teacher chooses to actively
engage students in learning a concept or skill using a digital tool/resource.
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Phase:
During/Explore/Explain
Activity:
1. Students will view the music video of Taylor Swift's song "Love Story" in a whole class setting (the teacher will project and play the video). Give students copies of the lyrics for "Love Story" to refer to throughout the activity.
2. Individually or in groups, have students complete the TRANSFORM chart. Students can make a copy of the TRANSFORM chart in Google Docs and meet it online, or the teacher can print copies for each student or group.
3. When complete, have students individually complete a 3-2-1 Exit Slip:
THREE: List the THREE most important/critical ways Taylor Swift transformed Shakespeare's original story.
TWO: List TWO reasons why Swift may have changed Shakespeare's story so drastically.
ONE: In a paragraph, tell which ONE you prefer, Shakespeare's story or Swift's song, and explain why.
Assessment Strategies:
Evaluate student understanding by assessing the work product (TRANSFORM chart) and exit slip.
Informal observation and discussion throughout the activity will also reveal the level of understanding.
Advanced Preparation:
Students should have already read William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet.
The teacher should print the song lyrics for each student. Lyrics can be found here.
The teacher should have access to a device with an internet connection and projection capabilities.
Before the scheduled lesson, the teacher should test all links on the school network.
Variation Tips (optional):
Teacher may choose to allow students to view this website that reveals information about why Taylor Swift chose to manipulate Shakespeare's drama into a love song.
Notes or Recommendations (optional):
Keywords and Search Tags:
analyzing word choice, compare and contrast, diverse media, Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare