EmilyShiner

EDU450
ModifiedInquiryLesson

Objective:
12thgradeEnglishclasswillbeabletoidentifyandelaborateonthemainconflicts
in
OedipustheKing
bySophocles.

Standard:
RIGrade12Standard3.)Analyzeacomplexsetofideasorsequenceofeventsand
explainhowspecificindividuals,ideas,oreventsinteractanddevelopoverthecourseofthetext.

I.
Engagement
A. Theteacherwillrecapthegenretragedyandtermtragicflawfromapastlesson.
Theteacherwillgiveanexampleofamoderndaytragicstoryandthendirectthe
classsattentionontheplayOedipustheKing,aplayaboutthekingwithafatal
flaw.
B. ProductiveQuestions:Theteacherwillposethesequestionstotheclass:
WhatwouldhappenifyouweretotakeaplaylikeOedipustheKingandput
itintoyourownwordsusingcurrentslanganddialect?
Woulditaffectthemeaningoftheplay?

Havestudentssharetheirthoughtsonthesequestions.
C. StudentsarefamiliarwithGreekplaysfrompastexperiencesandthisincludesthe
genreoftragedy.Theywanttoknowhowtobetterunderstandthesekindsoftexts
andelaborateontheconflictsthatdrivethem.Theywillexplorethemainconflict
inOedipustheKing.
II.
Exploration
A. JIGSAW:Informthestudentsthattheywillbegettingintosmallgroupsof3
(oneof4).Eachgroupwillreceiveasectionoftheplaytoreadandasheetof
characternamesandreferencecharacterstobetterinformthemthroughout
theirreading.

ThearethentoreadthroughasectionofOedipustheKing
andthenwillbediscussingthesequestions:
Whatis/arethemainconflict/sinyoursectionoftheplay?
Howdoesthisconflictprogresstothesection?
Howdoesitaffectthecharactersinthesection?
Howdoesthelanguageaffectyourperceptionoftheplay?(beforeandafter
translation)
TheteacherwillMODELhowtheyfirstreadasectionoftheplay,beforethe
studentsread,andthinkaloudaboutitwordbywordtodisplaythethought
processthatstudentsmayusewhenapproachingthetext.Afterreading
throughtheoriginaltextthestudentswill

B.

C.

D.

E.

III.

THINKPAIRSHARE:

(usingmetacognitivethinkingquestions)
Studentswillgetintopairsandrespondtothesequestions:Thinkabouthow
youthinkaboutthisplay:doesthelanguageusedinfluencehowyouthink
abouttheplay?Howdoyouthinkabouttheplaywhenreadingitthrough
thefirsttime?Whatstrugglesdoyouhave?Whatwordswillyouchange?
Afterthisdiscussion,thegroupswillworktogethertorewritethesection
theywereassignedintheirownwords.
a) Theymayusecommonslang(excludingvulgarprofanity)and
dialecticaldifferences.
b) Iftheyhavequestionsaboutthelanguageusedormeaningof
wordsorsentences,theymayraisetheirhandtoask.
c) Thepassagesdonothavetobetranslatedlineby
lineconcisenesscanbeadded.Theyhavefullcreativefreedom
withhowtheywanttheirscenetoprogress.
THINKPAIRSHAREagaintodiscussdifferenceinunderstandingafter
translation:
Isyourunderstandingofthemainconflictmoreclearnowthatyouhavewrittenit
inyourownwords?
Doesitchangetheconflictorprogressionoftheplayatall?Ifso,how?
Whatisthetragicflaw?Whoseflawisit?Howdoesitaffectthemainconflict?
Afterthegroupshavewrittenouttheirsectionsandtheyhavebeenlookedover
bytheteacher,theywillpresenttheminorderofthesections.Afterwards,a
discussionoftheprogressionofthemainconflictwilloccur.
Studentswillbeaskedtoreflectupontheirthoughtprocessindividually
duringthefirstreadingoftheplayusingagraphicorganizerusingBefore
andAftercolumns.

BEFORE:Whatwasyourperception
oftheplayinitsoriginallanguage?

AFTER:Howhasyourperception
changedaftertranslatingthetext?

Explanation:
A. (Puttingthepuzzletogether)
Teacherwillaskeachofthegroupstoperformtheir
sectionoftheplayandthengive

IV.

B. Aftereachgrouphasgone,classwillcometogetherforagroupdiscussion
aboutthemainconflictanditsprogressionthroughouttheplay.Theteacher
willwritethegroupanswersonthewhiteboard.(HigherOrderThinking
QuestionsandReflectiveThinking):
Mainconflictsinthesection:whoisinvolved,howaretheyaffected,isita
growingconflictordecreasing?
Howthecharactersinvolvedareaffectedbytheconflict:allbadeffectsor
arethereanypositives?
Howdidthisconflictresolveitself?Orwasitresolved?
C. Teacherwillaidstudentsfindingsbyelaboratingabitmoreiftheiranswersseem
abitunclearwithouttellingthemthattheirinterpretationisincorrect.Theteacher
mayaskwhytheyfeltthiswayaboutthetopicandthenofferupanotherwayof
seeingitthatmaybeabitclearer.
Elaboration
A. Bywritingouttheplay,afterreadingitinitsoriginallytranslatedform,the
studentswillgainabettergrasponthemainconflictsoftheplay.Thisisbecause
theyarethinkingabouttheirsectionsinanewmindsetandinlanguagethatis
easilyunderstood.Thismethodofteachingalsoaddsinanelementofplaythat
drawsinstudentsattentionmorebecausetheyareallowedtobecreativeinorder
todrawoutdeepermeaning.Playdrawsstudentsinandopensthemupandmakes
themmorewillingtodiveintoatopic.
B. VocabularyIntroduced:willconnecttotheclassobservationbecauseitis
consistentofthemaincharactersandtypeofplaythattheywillbelookingatand
isnecessaryforreadingtheplay
Characternames
a) Oedipus:KingofThebes
b) APriest:ofZeus
c) Creon:brotherofJocasta
d) Jocasta:Oedipuswife
e) AMessenger:fromCorinth
f) AShepard
g) AMessenger:frominsidethepalace
h) AntigoneandIsmene:daughtersofOedipusandJocasta
i) GuardsandAttendants
j) Priest:ofThebes
k) Cadmus
l) Apollo
m) Laius:formerkingofThebes
Thebes:greatcityinancientGreecehubformanyevents

V.

C. Valueoftopic:
Thispieceofliteratureisaclassicandoneofthefinestworksofthetragedy
genre.Thislessonprogressesthestudentsabilitiesoftextcomprehensionandthat
isaskillthatwillbemeasuredthroughouttheremainderoftheireducational
future.Itmattersbecausestudentsneedtoknowhowtotakeapartadifficulttext
anddiscoverthedrivingconflictthroughoutitandhowitaffectsthetexts
progression.Studentsmayhavehadtroubleunderstandingpiecesofliteraturelike
thispreviously,andthismethodofputtingtheplayintotheirownwordscan
inhibitabettercomprehensionoftheplayanditsconflicts.
Evaluation
A. Theassessmentofthislessonwillbecompletedwhenthestudentsperformand
discusstheirsectionsoftheplays.Eachgroupwillalsohandintheirtranslation
forreviewbytheteacher.Understandingwillbecheckedusingthehigherorder
thinkingquestionsabove.
B. QuestionsseenundersectionIII.B.thatcheckforunderstandingandreflection.

TimelineofLesson:

Engagement

56

Exploration:ReadingandRewriting

20

Explanation:PerformingandDiscussion

2025(30max)

Elaboration

Evaluation

Throughoutlesson

GroupDiscussionQuestions:(Beforetranslation)

Whatis/arethemainconflict/sinyoursectionoftheplay?

Howdoesthisconflictprogresstothesection?

Howdoesitaffectthecharactersinthesection?

AfterTranslationQuestions:

Isyourunderstandingofthemainconflictmoreclearnowthatyouhavewrittenitinyourown
words?Why?

Doesitchangetheconflictorprogressionoftheplayatall?Ifso,how?

Whatisthetragicflaw?Whoseflawisit?Howdoesitaffectthemainconflict?
Directions