Activities

1. What are the main elements of a drama/play? 
   
   
2. What are different types of poetry?

3. Interpret why a character in a drama might change the way he/she behaves depending on which part of the drama/play the event is taking place.
   
   
4. Identify the tone in a poem and cite evidence from the poem in support of your interpretation of tone.

5. Analyze how the characters in the drama develop the main idea or theme in the drama.
   
   
6. Analyze how the type or structure of a poem impacts the overall tone of the poem.

Answer Key/Rubric

1. Students correctly identify key elements of a drama/play:
   
   
   1. Exposition – introduces important background information such as events that occurred before the play starts, information about characters, information about prior events in the characters’ lives
   2. Rising action – events that lead the actors and audience to the most important event
   3. Climax – the turning point for the characters; the story has reached the top point in terms of conflict and now must be resolved
   4. Falling action – the conflict between characters starts to unravel
   5. Denouement or resolution – the conflict between characters is resolved and, depending on whether the play is a comedy or tragedy, can end happily or tragically.
      
      
2. Students correctly identify grade-appropriate types of poetry:
   
   
   1. Sonnet – a very formal poem that is always 14 lines long and follows a specific rhyme scheme
   2. Free verse – a poem with no set rhyme scheme and often does not follow the rules of writing poetry
   3. Elegy – a poem written in honor of someone who has died
   4. Ode – a poem written in honor of someone who has not died or some object
   5. Ballad – a poem written to tell a story (sometimes called a narrative)
   6. Epic – an extremely long poem about a serious event usually featuring a hero
   7. Soliloquy – a speech spoken alone by an actor on stage and which reflects the character’s innermost thoughts and emotions.

3. Student demonstrates an understanding of how a character will appear differently depending on which part of the drama/play he is in.  Students should recognize how exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and denouement/resolution affect a character.
   
   
4. Students demonstrate an ability to read poetry, which involves using figurative language to make sense of the poem, to identify a tone.  Their understanding of tone will be dependent upon the poem’s meaning, specific word choices, and literary elements such as imagery, metaphor, and personification.
   
   
5. Student recognizes how characters play a part in the development of central idea/theme.  Students will cite evidence based on characterization, setting, and conflict in establishing the central idea/theme and will recognize the connection the characters had in developing that central idea/theme.
   
   
6. Student recognizes that poetry form plays a major role in the tone of a poem.  For example, a sonnet, with its rigid structure and formal rhyme scheme rules, tend to add a certain formality to poems.  A free verse poem, on the other hand, can develop a more light-hearted tone because it does not follow such a strict structure.  Depending on the type of poem studied, student responses will vary but will always demonstrate an understanding of the type of poetry and how that type of poetry might develop a certain “feel” or tone.