UbD Lesson - Antigone

Title of Lesson: Antigone
Grade Level: High School – English 2 Honors
Curriculum Area: Language Arts
Time Frame: Three weeks
Developed By: Maria Debowska


Identify Desired Results (Stage 1)
Content Standards

LAL 3.1. Reading – D, E, F, F, G, and H
LAL 3.2 Writing – A, B, C, and D
LAL 3.3 Speaking – A, B, C, and D
LAL 3.4 Listening – A and B

Understandings

Overarching Understanding

• A human being is a paradox – vulnerable yet great, free yet destined, virtuous yet guilty.
• All choices have consequences, persons need to acknowledge their limitations, the old can learn form the young, and the strong have no right to force their will on the weak.
• We must practice nonviolent civil disobedience to achieve reform of unjust laws.
• The world today has many Antigones and they do make a difference

Related Misconceptions

• We may break laws that we sit unfit.
• You can never get too much of a good thing.

Essential Question(s)

Overarching

• What is a conflict?
• What is a law?
• What is the difference between honor and pride?
• What is a tragic hero?
• What is a tragic flaw?
• What principles, if any, would you stand up for and perhaps die for?

Topical

• Why do all choices have consequences?
• Why is it important to have laws?
• Why did Antigone choose the law of the gods over the law of the land?
• How does Antionge arouse pity and fear in the reader?

Knowledge

Students will know…

• The plot and characters of Antigone.
• The background of Greek theater.
• The interrelationship of episodes and odes.
• The two types of irony: situational and dramatic.

Skills

Students will be able to...

• Identify the themes.
• Define tragedy and its components.
• Discuss the imagery found in the episodes.
• Consider the characters of Antigone and Creoon as tragic hero or heroine.
• Examine the roles of minor characters as foils, parallels, and catalysts.

Assessment Evidence (Stage 2)
Performance Task Description

Goal

You are a reporter that must write an article about the tragic hero; hence you must research and decide who you think it is. Is it Antigone or Creon? Also, you will have to sell your editor on your viewpoint before you write the article. On the other hand, another reporter feels the opposite as you, so a debate will occur.

Role

You will have to convince the opposing side why your choice of tragic hero is correct?

Audience

An editor (the teacher) and all members of the classroom.

Situation

You will be placed on a panel to debate who is the tragic hero in Antigone.

Product/Performance

Product – Notes listing the evidence or quoted phrases and/or passages depicting why your chosen character is the tragic hero or heroine?

Performance – A structured debate held in class.

Standards

LAL 3.2.D.3 Evaluate the impact of an author’s decisions regarding tone, word choice, style, content, point of view, literary merit, and produce an interpretation of overall effectiveness.

LAL 3.3.B.7 Participate actively in panel discussions, symposiums, and/or business meeting formats.

Other Evidence

1. Presentation / Handout - Work in teams to research material on the origin of tragedy, the structure of the Greek theater, actors and acting, the chorus, and theatrical conventions. Teams will present research to the class. Each team must create a handout for the class.

2. Journal Writing - Read the play in class. Discuss daily readings and write in a journal if time permits, if not then do it for homework.

3. Letter - View one scene of the movie Antigone. Write a letter to Sophocles discussing your reaction to the masks worn by the actors.

4. Newspaper Article - Imagine that you are Ismene, desperately in need of advice about your sister Antigone. Write a letter to the “Personal Problem” page of the Thebes Gazette. Tell your story without giving away who you are or revealing the names and positions of the other characters.

5. Characer Sketch - Write a character sketch of each personality in the play based on quotations by that character or about that character.

6. Essay - “The tyrant dies and his rule ends, the martyr dies and his rule begins.” (Kierkegaard) Write an essay discussing this quotation in relation to Antigone.

7. Discussion - “Civil disobedience is wrong.” In a class discussion, argue that validity of this statement. Remember to use logic and reason, not emotions.

8. Quizzes - Three quizzes on plot detaisl during the course of the reading of the play.

9. Test - A unit test after the play has been completely read.

Learning Plan (Stage 3)

Where are your students headed? Where have they been? How will you make sure the students know where they are going?

Several questions in relation to the themes of this play will be asked of the students and later discussed after they have had time to think about them. Each student will be involved in the class discussion.

How will you hook students at the beginning of the unit?

Before beginning the reading of Antigone, I will tell the story of Oedipus (which they must know in order to understand Antigone). With that said, by bringing up students and having the pretend they are the major characters and their relationship to each other will get them intrigued in the storyline. After all, how often do we hear about a son killing his father, marrying his mother, and having four children together?

What events will help students experience and explore the big idea and questions in the unit? How will you equip them with needed skills and knowledge?

The class will tackle big questions about loyalty, betrayal, pride, and values. They will be equipped to answer these questions as they evaluate the actions of the characters and compare and contrast them to other individuals in society with similar characteristics, after we explore and discuss several examples as a class.

How will you cause students to reflect and rethink? How will you guide them in rehearsing, revising, and refining their work?

After the debate will be the best time to reflect and rethink because they will have heard examples of Antigone and Creon’s actions which of course had consequences. As with any good debate, some individuals will possibly be stirred in joining the opposing side’s viewpoint. Whether or not their viewpoint will be changed – it certainly will allow for them to process the different opinions and therefore reflect.

How will you help students to exhibit and self-evaluate their growing skills, knowledge, and understanding throughout the unit?

As the play is read daily, the students will have to keep a journal exhibiting their thoughts about that day’s reading. The entries will be reflections of their growing knowledge or questions they may have that they should ask the next day, before we continue reading.

How will you tailor and otherwise personalize the learning plan to optimize the engagement and effectiveness of ALL students, without compromising the goals of the unit?

There will be many varied assignments to meet the needs of all the students, so it’s not all about discussing or writing or presenting. But instead, it’ll be a little of everything, so that each student’s style of learning will be addressed.

How will you organize and sequence the learning activities to optimize the engagement and achievement of ALL students?

Since the play will be read daily, I can pace the class in such a way that no one feels overwhelmed or lost in the play – all episodes and odes will be discussed. Also, each student will get a chance to read, so they feel part of the action. All assignments will be given during the appropriate times. For example, an introduction to the Greek theater has to be given at the beginning, so they can visual how the play would be performed, whereas the debate will be last, so that by then the students will have read the entire play and can make up their own minds, after evaluating all the evidence, who they feel is the tragic hero or heroine.


From: Wiggins, Grant and J. Mc Tighe. (1998). Understanding by Design, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
ISBN # 0-87120-313-8 (ppk)