Lesson Plan:

Literary Dinner Party: Objectives

1. Demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the characters, conflicts, and themes we have studied this year.

2. Clearly and convincingly articulate relationships and connections between the works we have studied; consider and communicate the implications of these connections.

3. Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of one character’s perspective. Consider the following:

a. How and why does this character’s perspective contribute to the meaning you make of this piece of literature?
b. What ideas or opinions might the character have in relation to other works, characters, or ideas we have examined in this class? What, specifically, leads you to believe your character would think this way?
c. How and why might the perspective of this character challenge, change, or solidify specific world views or outlooks you have?

4. Work together to show what you know in a creative, convincing and entertaining performance.

Tasks:

Form groups. I usually choose the groups for this assignment, attempting to balance genders and work ethics within each group.

Groups brainstorm. Generate possible guest list, topics of conversation, conflicts and questions that might arise between characters.

Groups write rough scripts.

Rehearse.

Individuals research characters. Re-read key passages. Consider the experiences, conflicts, motivations, and worldviews of your character as evident within his/her piece of literature. Consider how the character might interact with the other characters in the dinner party.

Revise scripts.

Rehearse.

Make menu, costume, prop and setting decisions.

Rehearse!

Perform. I encourage students to think more about character outlooks, motivations, and conflicts than about memorizing specific lines. Hopefully the students write a good script, then leave it behind. The best stuff seems to come from right off the cuff.

Write reflectively on your groups performance, your individual performance, and on the portrayal of your character by other students.