Students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of Roman society, The Manaechmi, and PSA structure by performing in a PSA they wrote in groups using the dialogue in The Manaechmi and their own words as well.
Learning Level:
Varied, mostly intermediate.
Previous Experience:
Some scenes performed in class. No previous experience with Roman theatre specifically.
National Theatre Core Standards:
TH: Cr1.1.II.a. Investigate historical and cultural conventions and their impact on the visual composition of a drama/theatre work
Understand and apply technology to design solutions for a drama/theatre work.
TH:CR2-II. a. Refine a dramatic concept to demonstrate a critical understanding of historical and cultural influences of original ideas applied to a drama/theatre work.
Cooperate as a creative team to make interpretive choices for a drama/theatre work.
TH:Pr6.1.II. a. Present a drama/theatre work using creative processes that shape the production for a specific audience.
TH:Re9.1.II. a. Analyze and assess a drama/theatre work by connecting it to art forms, history, culture, and other disciplines using supporting evidence and criteria.
Verify how a drama/theatre work communicates for a specific purpose and audience.
Big Idea:
Theatre and English are naturally connected.
Essential Questions:
What is the role of literary devices in the theatre?
How effective are PSAs?
What do we want to go back and tell the Romans?
Key Knowledge and Skills:
Definition and recognition of portmanteau, homophone, and allusion.
Use of video technology (if chosen).
Structure of a PSA.
Roman theatre consists of more than just drama, and those popular entertainments effected the structure and content of their plays.
Roman society was brutal and violent and that effected their plays.
Authentic Performance Tasks:
Explanation: Lectures by class members and discussions
Interpretation: Discussing the PSAs and why we use so many mythological allusions
Application: Performing PSAs, creating PSAs, and finding their own portmanteau and homophones
Perspective: Looking at Roman culture in connection with our own
Empathy: Recognizing the similarities in our culture with the Romans and using that to avoid making judgment calls
Self-understanding: Discussing the PSA creation and performance process
Objective: Students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of how prevalent Greek/Roman culture is in our current day by finding as many mythological allusions in today’s society as possible.
Objective: Students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of how playwrights use the English language to create humor and meaning by raising the correct card at the correct time while reading The Manaechmi.
Objective: Students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of the play The Manaechmi by holding up the correct signs at the correct moments while reading the play as well as discussing the plot.
Objective: Students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of Roman Stock Characters by deciding which characters in the play are which stock characters.
Objective: Students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of the play The Manaechmi and Roman comedy by creating a list of aspects of Roman society and beginning to create a public service announcement to the people of Rome about it.
Objective: Students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of Roman society, The Manaechmi, and PSA structure by performing in a PSA they wrote in groups using the dialogue in The Manaechmi and their own words as well.
