K20 LEARN | Setting, It's Where It's At

Summary

In this lesson, students experiment with changing the settings in well-known fairy tales and examine how conflict might change in a different setting. Students explore the Prologue from Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" and analyze how the setting affects the conflict. After analyzing and comparing different possibilities, students, rewrite their version of the Prologue with a twist. This is a multimodality lesson, which means it includes face-to-face, online, and hybrid versions of the lesson. The attachments also include a downloadable Common Cartridge file, which can be imported into a Learning Management System (LMS) such as Canvas or eKadence. The cartridge includes interactive student activities and teacher's notes.

Essential Question(s)

What is the nature of conflict? How can the setting of a story affect conflict?

Snapshot

Engage

Students analyze how changing the setting in a fairy tale might affect the conflict and the characters.

Explore

Students watch a dramatic reading of the Prologue from "Romeo and Juliet," and then complete a close reading of the text.

Explain

Students watch a video about the importance of setting in a story and consider how both the conflict and the characters in "Romeo and Juliet" might change if the setting were different.

Extend

Students revise the Prologue from "Romeo and Juliet," creating a different rivalry and changing the characters, the setting, and the conflict.

Evaluate

Students reflect on what they have learned about how setting affects the different elements of a story.

Instructional Formats

The term "Multimodality" refers to the ability of a lesson to be offered in more than one modality (i.e. face-to-face, online, blended). This lesson has been designed to be offered in multiple formats, while still meeting the same standards and learning objectives. Though fundamentally the same lesson, you will notice that the different modalities may require the lesson to be approached differently. Select the modality that you are interested in to be taken to the section of the course designed for that form of instruction.

Face-to-Face

Materials

Lesson Slides (attached)
Fairy Tale Scenarios (attached, one per student)
I Used to Think, but Now I Know handouts (attached, one per student)
Romeo and Juliet Prologue (attached, one per student)
Talk Moves handouts (attached, one per student)
Flipgrid Presentation Rubric (attached, one per student)
Paper
Pens or pencils
Highlighters
Student devices with Internet access

Online

Materials

Common Cartridge (attached)
Lesson Slides (attached)
Fairy Tale Scenarios (attached, one per student)
I Used to Think, but Now I Know handouts (attached, one per student)
Romeo and Juliet Prologue (attached, one per student)
Talk Moves handouts (attached, one per student)
Flipgrid Presentation Rubric (attached, one per student)
Paper
Pens or pencils
Highlighters
Student devices with Internet access

Hybrid

Materials

Common Cartridge (attached)
Lesson Slides (attached)
Fairy Tale Scenarios (attached, one per student)
I Used to Think, but Now I Know handouts (attached, one per student)
Romeo and Juliet Prologue (attached, one per student)
Talk Moves handouts (attached, one per student)
Flipgrid Presentation Rubric (attached, one per student)
Paper
Pens or pencils
Highlighters
Student devices with Internet access

Hybrid

Engage

30 Minute(s)

Use the attached Lesson Slides to follow along with the lesson. Display slide 5. Introduce students to the I Used To Think… But Now I Know strategy, and pass out a copy of the attached I Used to Think, But Now I Know handout to each student.

In the "I Used to Think" column, have students take notes about what they know about setting and its importance in a story. Once students are done writing, ask them to put their handouts away until later in the lesson.

Start the conversation about the literary elements setting, character, and conflict by introducing the concept of familiar folk and fairy tales. Consider beginning with a general introduction similar to the following:

We all grew up hearing familiar fairy tales. Although the stories might vary slightly according to the version, every good story has some kind of conflict. Little Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Hansel and Gretel, Sleeping Beauty, and many others that cross countries and cultures all illustrate some kind of conflict.

Invite students to think about fairy tales that are familiar to them. Have them brainstorm stories with various settings and timeframes. Once they have a story in mind, invite them to imagine what would happen if the original characters and themes were imported from the familiar time and place to a different time and place. Ask them to consider how the conflict and characters of the story might change if the circumstances of time and place were different.

Display slide 6 and pass out copies of the Fairy Tale Scenarios handout. Ask students to choose one of the four scenarios and think about how the conflict and characters in the story might change if the setting and timeframe were changed in the way described. Have students write down their thoughts.

Display slide 7 and ask students to turn to an Elbow Partner and discuss how their stories might change. Ask for volunteers to share with the whole class.

Online

Engage

30 Minute(s)

To begin the lesson, have students engage in a discussion about how setting affects a story. Give students a series of prompts, and ask them to share their responses in an online discussion.

Overview:

We all grew up hearing familiar fairy tales. Although the stories might vary slightly according to the version, every good story has some kind of conflict. "Little Red Riding Hood," "Goldilocks and the Three Bears," "Hansel and Gretel," "Sleeping Beauty," and many others that cross countries and cultures all illustrate some kind of conflict. In this activity, you will think about some familiar fairy tales, but the setting will be different from the original story. Your job is to consider how the conflict or characters of the story might change as a result of the new setting. For example, if the three bears lived in a big city, they would probably lock their doors. How would this change affect the conflict in the story? How would it affect Goldilocks? You might say that Goldilocks couldn't just walk into the house. She would have to break in, which would make her a criminal, escalating the conflict.

Procedure:

Choose one of the scenarios listed below.
Little Red Riding Hood. Setting: A large urban city, modern day. Consider how Little Red Riding Hood would react to strangers she encountered on her travels to her grandmother's house. Would she be more aware of her surroundings?
Jack and the Beanstalk. Setting: A science laboratory in the year 2200. Consider how Jack got his hands on the magic beans. Were they created in a lab? Did they contain deadly DNA?
Snow White. Setting: The zombie apocalypse after a deadly virus has ravaged the land. Consider where Snow White might live at this time and who her enemy might be. Does she meet up with the Seven Dwarves in this setting?
Sleeping Beauty. Setting: A modern-day vampire's castle. Consider how Sleeping Beauty ended up in a vampire's castle. Is she now a vampire? Does she really sleep all day and night?
Consider how the conflict and characters of the story might change based on the new setting.
Post your thoughts about the change in conflict and characters on the discussion board. Be sure to mention which scenario you chose. Refer to the attached Talk Moves (also linked here:
Discussion Sentence Starters) for some useful sentence starters to help you with your post and comments.
Add one or two original, constructive comments to classmates' posts. Remember, comments like "This is cool" or "Awesome!" are not constructive. Think about what you like about the post or maybe what you didn't think about until you saw the post. You could start off your comment with something like "I really like how you …" or "I agree with what you said about (blank) because…"

Face-to-Face

Engage

30 Minute(s)

Use the attached Lesson Slides to follow along with the lesson. Display slide 5 and pass out copies of the attached I Used to Think, but Now I Know handout.

In the "I Used to Think" column, have students take notes about what they know about setting and its importance in a story. Once students are done writing, ask them to put their handouts away until later in the lesson.

Start the conversation about the literary elements setting, character, and conflict by introducing the concept of familiar folk and fairy tales. Consider beginning with a general introduction similar to the following:

We all grew up hearing familiar fairy tales. Although the stories might vary slightly according to the version, every good story has some kind of conflict. Little Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Hansel and Gretel, Sleeping Beauty, and many others that cross countries and cultures all illustrate some kind of conflict.

Invite students to think about fairy tales that are familiar to them. Have them brainstorm stories with various settings and timeframes. Once they have a story in mind, invite them to imagine what would happen if the original characters and themes were imported from the familiar time and place to a different time and place. Ask them to consider how the conflict and characters of the story might change if the circumstances of time and place were different.

Display slide 6 and pass out copies of the Fairy Tale Scenarios handout. Ask students to choose one of the four scenarios and think about how the conflict and characters in the story might change if the setting and timeframe were changed in the way described. Have students write down their thoughts.

Display slide 7 and ask students to turn to an Elbow Partner and discuss how their stories might change. Ask for volunteers to share with the whole class.

Face-to-Face

Explore

45 Minute(s)

Display slide 8 and pass out copies of the attached Romeo and Juliet Prologue.

Tell students that they will be watching a video of the Prologue to the play "Romeo and Juliet."

Preface the video by defining the concept of a prologue. A prologue provides preliminary background information about a text. In the Prologue to "Romeo and Juliet," William Shakespeare previews the outcome of the entire play.

Suggest that students use their handouts to follow along as they watch the video. Then show the video.

After showing the video, display slide 9. Introduce students to the Annotating Text strategy. Ask them to re-read the Prologue, looking for unfamiliar words, clues to the setting, and emotionally charged words.

Students should use the following conventions for their annotation:

Circle unknown words.
Put a box around words that provide a clue to the setting.
Highlight emotionally charged words.
Underline repeated words or phrases.
Write notes in the margins making connections with the text or documenting any questions they might have about the text.

Give students 15-20 minutes to complete their annotations.

Display slide 10. When students have finished annotating the Prologue, use the 3-2-1 strategy to guide students in identifying words that provide insight into the setting and in drawing inferences about the plot, characters, and setting.

Ask students to write down:

Three words that provide insight into the setting.
Two inferences they can draw about the plot.
One prediction based on the setting and plot.

Display slide 11. Once they have finished writing, challenge them to come up with a prediction based on the plot and different setting. After students have drafted their predictions, ask them to share their ideas with their Elbow Partners. Ask for volunteers to share their thoughts with the whole class.

Online

Explore

45 Minute(s)

In this activity, students will explore the Prologue from "Romeo and Juliet." Students will first watch a video of the Prologue and then read the Prologue. After their initial reading, they will use the Annotating Text strategy to take notes as they re-read the Prologue.

First, provide students with the Video Prologue of "Romeo and Juliet" and instruct them to think about the setting of the play as they watch.

Next, share the Prologue text with students, which can be found in the Romeo and Juliet Prologue attachment.

Ask students to read through the Prologue once, and then, as they read a second time, annotate their digital copies using the following guidelines:

Highlight in green: Unknown words
Highlight in pink: Words that provide clues about the setting of the story
Highlight in yellow: Emotionally charged words
Underline: Repeated words or phrases

Add as comments: Connections made with the text or questions about the text

After students have finished annotating the prologue, have them use the 3-2-1 strategy to share their responses with the class. Select a platform, such as Padlet or Questions in Google Classroom, where you will create the discussion.

To facilitate this activity, using a Padlet board, use the following recommended setup:

Title: 3-2-1
Format: Shelf. Create three columns for student responses.
- Column 1: What are three words that gave you insight into the setting of the story?
- Column 2: What are two inferences you could make about the plot?
- Column 3: What is one prediction you have about the story?
Description:
If the attribution option is not enabled in the Padlet settings, use the description to instruct students to enter their name in the title of their post.
Settings: Enable comments in the Padlet settings to allow students to comment on posts made by their peers.

After creating the Padlet board, embed it into your LMS or share a link with students.

Provide students with the following overview and procedures for the activity:

Student Overview

In this activity, you will explore the Prologue from "Romeo and Juliet." In a prologue, we are usually given background information about the text we are about to read. But, in "Romeo and Juliet," we are also given the ultimate outcome of the play. After you view the video presentation, complete a close reading of the Prologue. Look for unfamiliar words, clues to the setting, and emotionally charged words. Then, share your thoughts using the 3-2-1 strategy.

Procedure

View the video presentation of the Prologue from "Romeo and Juliet." As you watch, think about the setting in which the play takes place.
Open the Romeo and Juliet Prologue document in Google Docs.
Read through the Prologue once without marking anything.
As you read through the Prologue a second time, use the annotation tools in Google Docs to mark up the text.
Highlight in green: Unknown words
Highlight in pink: Words that give you a clue to the setting of the story
Highlight in yellow: Emotionally charged words
Underline: Repeated words or phrases
Add as comments: Connections you make with the text or any questions you have about the text.
When you have finished annotating the prologue, use the 3-2-1 strategy to share your thoughts on it. Respond to these three prompts:
What are three words that
gave you insight into the setting of the story?
What are two inferences you could make about the plot?
What is one prediction you have about the story?
Post your answers to the prompts on the shared Padlet board.
Submit your annotated text file by uploading it or sharing a link.

Hybrid

Explore

45 Minute(s)

Display slide 8 and pass out copies of the Romeo and Juliet Prologue.

Tell students that they will be watching a video of the Prologue to the play "Romeo and Juliet."

Preface the video by defining the concept of a prologue. A prologue provides preliminary background information about a text. In the Prologue to "Romeo and Juliet," William Shakespeare previews the outcome of the entire play.

Suggest that students use their handouts to follow along as they watch the video.

After showing the video, display slide 9. Introduce students to the Annotating Text strategy. Ask them to re-read the Prologue, looking for unfamiliar words, clues to the setting, and emotionally charged words.

Students should use the following conventions for their annotation:

Circle unknown words.
Draw a box around words that provide a clue to the setting.
Highlight emotionally charged words.
Underline repeated words or phrases.
Write notes in the margins making connections with the text or documenting any questions they might have about the text.

Give students 15-20 minutes to complete their annotations.

Display slide 10. When students have finished annotating the Prologue, use the 3-2-1 strategy to guide them in identifying words that provide insight into the setting and in drawing inferences about the plot, characters, and setting.

Ask students to write down:

Three words that provide insight into the setting.
Two inferences they can draw about the plot.
One prediction based on the setting and plot.

Display slide 11. Once they have finished writing, challenge students to come up with a prediction based on the plot and a different setting. After students have drafted their predictions, ask them to share their ideas with their Elbow Partners. Ask for volunteers to share their thoughts with the whole class.

Hybrid

Explain

30 Minute(s)

Ask students to return to their Romeo and Juliet Prologue handouts and write down a definition of setting based on their annotations.

Have students watch the video The Importance of Setting. This video will help students understand how changes in setting affect other parts of a story.

Then, have students watch the Romeo and Juliet: Introduction video, which will help to clarify what they annotated earlier.

Ask students to respond by writing down their thoughts about how the characters, the conflict, and the outcome might be different in the play if "Romeo and Juliet" had been set in their own town rather than in Verona, Italy. Encourage them to imagine Romeo or Juliet as someone they actually know. What would be different if Juliet were their sister or their neighbor? What would be different if Romeo were their brother or their best friend?" Students can submit their reflections digitally using a discussion post or Google Doc.

Online

Explain

30 Minute(s)

In this activity, students will watch two videos and share their reflections about how setting can affect conflict and other elements in a story. They will share their reflections in a Canvas discussion. This activity has been included in the Canvas cartridge. To facilitate this activity in another LMS, follow the steps outlined below.

Begin by providing an overview of the activity. Let students know that they will be viewing two videos and will be asked to create a discussion post about how setting can affect the conflict and other elements in a story. The following instructions can be copied and distributed to students using an LMS or virtual classroom.

Student Overview

In this activity, you will watch a video about the setting of a story and how it relates to other story elements. When you finish watching this video, you will watch another video that helps explain the key points of the Prologue in "Romeo and Juliet." You will then reflect on the changes in characters, conflict, and plot that might occur if the setting of "Romeo and Juliet" were changed.

Provide students with links to the following videos:

Create an online discussion board where students can post their reflections.

Procedure

On the discussion board, write about how the characters, conflict, or outcome might be different if "Romeo and Juliet" took place today in another city.
You might consider your own community as a setting for the story. Maybe Romeo and Juliet might be your friends or you and your boyfriend/girlfriend.
Refer to these Discussion Sentence Starters for some suggestions to help you craft your post and comments.
Make one or two original, constructive comments on your classmates' posts. Remember, "This is cool" or "Awesome!" are not good examples of constructive comments. Think about what you liked about the post or maybe what you didn't think about until you saw their post. You could start off your comment with something like "I really like how you …" or "I agree with what you said about (blank) because…"

Face-to-Face

Explain

30 Minute(s)

Ask students to return to their Romeo and Juliet Prologue handouts and write down a definition of setting based on their annotations.

Display slide 12. Show the video "The Importance of Setting in a Story." When students have finished watching the video, have students review and add to or update their definitions.

Display slide 13 and show the video "Romeo and Juliet Interview: Introduction."

Ask students to write down their thoughts about how the characters, the conflict, and the outcome might be different in the play if "Romeo and Juliet" had been set in their own town rather than in Verona, Italy. Encourage them to imagine Romeo or Juliet as someone they actually know. What would be different if Juliet were their sister or their neighbor? What would be different if Romeo were their brother or their best friend?

Assign students to small groups to discuss how these changes might affect the characters and the conflict. Pass out copies of the attached Talk Moves handout to help guide the conversation.

Ask for volunteers to share out their group's thoughts.

Face-to-Face

Extend

60 Minute(s)

Display slide 14, which asks students to write a new version of the Prologue with a different setting, conflict, and characters of their choice. Advise them to plan the new version carefully, paying careful attention to how a different setting might affect the conflict in their stories.

Ask students to examine the original Prologue and closely analyze Shakespeare's style of writing. Suggest that they experiment with the same poetic form used in the original Prologue and imitate the rhyme and rhythm of the original play. Remind students that this passage uses the form of a sonnet that is 14 lines long where every other line rhymes until lines 13 and 14.

After students have examined the structure of the Prologue, ask them to consider the characters. The basis for conflict in the play is the generational dislike of one family for another. Invite them to imagine two families who hate each other living in the same small town. Ask students to share their thoughts about such a rivalry.

Because their task requires them to create a new conflict, direct them to familiar possibilities. Some examples of rivals are listed on slide 15. Encourage students to use the list as a starting point for their own ideas.

Give students time to write their new version of the Prologue. This activity might take an entire class period.

Online

Extend

60 Minute(s)

In this activity, students will rewrite the Prologue from "Romeo and Juliet" using a different setting, conflict, and characters.

To facilitate this activity, provide students with the following instructions:

Student Overview

In this activity, you will rewrite the Prologue from Romeo and Juliet using a different setting, conflict, and characters.

Procedure

Choose pair of rivals or enemies from the list, or come up with your own.
North and South
America and England
Dog and cat
Mufasa and Scar
Coffee and tea
Bacon and Sausage
OU and OSU
Facebook and Twitter
Mac and PC
Marvel and DC
Consider carefully how the setting will impact the conflict in your story.
Read this modern translation of the Prologue. You need a good understanding of the text in order to write your own version.
Shakespeare wrote in a very specific way, and there is a rhythm to the lines that you could try to mimic. Try to use the same poetic form as the original Prologue. It has 14 lines and every other line rhymes except for the last two, which rhyme with each other.
Compose your story using Google Docs or Microsoft Word.
Upload or share a link to the completed document.

Hybrid

Extend

60 Minute(s)

Ask students to write a new version of the Prologue to "Romeo and Juliet" with a different setting, conflict, and characters of their choice. Advise them to plan the new version carefully, paying careful attention to how a different setting might affect the conflict in their stories.

Ask students to examine the original Prologue and closely analyze Shakespeare's style of writing. Suggest that they experiment with the same poetic form used in the original Prologue and imitate the rhyme and rhythm of the original play. Remind students that this passage uses the form of a sonnet that is 14 lines long where every other line rhymes until lines 13 and 14, which rhyme with one another.

After students have examined the structure of the Prologue, ask them to consider the characters. The basis for conflict in the play is the generational dislike of one family for another. Invite them to imagine two families who hate each other living in the same small town. Ask students to share their thoughts about such a rivalry.

Give students time to write their new version of the Prologue.

Hybrid

Evaluate

30 Minute(s)

Provide students with instructions for creating a Flipgrid video that demonstrates what they have learned about the role of setting in a story.

You will now create a Flipgrid video sharing what you have learned about setting and how it affects the conflict in a story. Before you record your reflection, return to your I Used to Think, but Now I Know handout and think about what you learned as you completed the activities in this lesson. Write down your thoughts in the right column of the table. Use this information to create your reflection for the video. Be sure to include examples from the lesson in your discussion and explain how setting affects the conflict in a story. Speak clearly and practice before you record your presentation.

Share the Flipgrid Presentation Rubric to provide students with additional details about what is expected of them.

Online

Evaluate

30 Minute(s)

Students will use the I Used to Think, But Now I Know strategy to reflect on what they have learned. They will create a Flipgrid video where they share what they have learned about setting and how it affects the conflict in a story.

To facilitate this activity, you will need to have a Flipgrid account set up and will create a Flipgrid topic.

After you have created the Flipgrid topic, provide students with the following instructions:

Student Overview

You will use the I Used to Think, but Now I Know strategy to reflect on what you have learned about setting in a story. Then, you will create a Flipgrid video sharing what you have learned about setting and how it affects the conflict in a story.

Procedure

Think back to what you knew about setting and its role in a story before you started this lesson. Record that on the left side of the I Used to Think, But Now I Know template.
Think about what you learned about setting and conflict in a story as you completed the activities in this lesson. Record that on the right side of the template.
Use the information from your I Used to Think, But Now I Know chart as a guide to help you create your reflection for the video. Don't forget to include examples from the lesson in your discussion and practice before you record your presentation.
Record your video reflection in Flipgrid. Remember to speak clearly!
Make one or two original, constructive comments on your classmates' posts. Remember, "This is cool" or "Awesome!" are not good examples of constructive comments. Think about what you like about the post or maybe what you didn't think about until you saw their post. You could start off your comment with something like "I really like how you …" or "I agree with what you said about (blank) because…" Here are some useful sentence starters to help you with your comments.

Face-to-Face

Evaluate

30 Minute(s)

Display slide 16 and have students return to their I Used To Think, but Now I Know handout.

Have students document their new knowledge in the "Now I Know" column. Suggest that students include examples from the lesson, from their class discussions, and from their own thoughts about the effects that setting can have on conflict.

Display slide 17 and tell students that they will synthesize the information from their "Now I Know" reflection into a Flipgrid recording. In their recordings, students should share what they have learned about setting and its effects on conflict. Pass out copies of the Flipgrid Presentation Rubric handout to provide students with additional details about what is expected. Remind them to speak clearly when they record their presentations.

Resources

Cresnar, G. (n.d.). Settings [Image]. Flaticon. https://www.flaticon.com/free-icon/settings_126324
Flocabulary. (2017, April 6). The importance of setting in a story [Video]. YouTube.
https://youtu.be/30CPmgVQNks
Florman, B. (2014, May 11). Romeo and Juliet: A Shakescleare translation. LitCharts. https://www.litcharts.com/shakescleare/shakespeare -translations/romeo-and-juliet/prologue
K20 Center. (n.d.). 3-2-1. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/117
K20 Center. (n.d.). Annotating text. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/114
K20 Center. (n.d.). Elbow partners. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/116
K20 Center. (n.d.). Flipgrid. External apps tutorial. https://k20center.ou.edu/externalapps/flipgrid/
K20 Center. (n.d). Flipgrid. Tech Tool. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/tech-tool/1075
K20 Center. (n.d.). I used to think, but now I know. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/137
K20 Center. (n.d.). Online discussions. Pedagogy. https://k20center.ou.edu/pedagogy/online-discussions/
K20 Center. (n.d.). Padlet. External apps tutorial. https://k20center.ou.edu/externalapps/padlet/
my
Shakespeare. (2017, April 25). Romeo and Juliet interview: Introduction [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/sVuO_Rb93NI
Shakespeare's Globe. (2019, March 11). Prologue Romeo and Juliet [Video]. YouTube.
https://youtu.be/ejUW6OXuPuk
Virtual Learning: Tech Integration. (n.d.). Best practices for facilitating online discussions. Pedagogy. https://sites.google.com/ou.edu/k20-virtual-learning/pedagogy

Authentic Lessons for 21st Century Learning

Setting, It's Where It's At

Setting and Conflict

Summary

Essential Question(s)

Snapshot

Instructional Formats

Materials

Materials

Materials

Engage

Engage

Engage

Explore

Explore

Explore

Explain

Explain

Explain

Extend

Extend

Extend

Evaluate

Evaluate

Evaluate

Resources

Publisher

Downloads

Standards

Facilitator Resources

Learner Handouts