Lesson Overview:
Artists have frequently used the motif of the life cycle in their creations. In this lesson, students will express their understanding of the life cycle through a dramatic monologue. The monologue will focus on one stage of the life cycle, and will be modeled after the "Ages of Man" soliloquy in Shakespeare’s As You Like It.
Length of Lesson:
Six 45-minute class periods
Instructional Objectives:
Students will:
- define the stages of the life cycle.
- discuss the behaviors of each age.
- develop an understanding of the responsibilities and privileges associated with each stage of the life cycle.
- read and analyze the "Ages of Man" soliloquy in Shakespeare’s As You Like It.
- write and perform a monologue on one specific stage, modeled after the “Ages of Man” soliloquy
- learn to analyze monologues.
Instructional Plan:
Introduction
Distribute the Vocabulary Handout to the students. Lead students in creating a list of what they believe to be the stages of the life cycle. Read the "Ages of Man" soliloquy from Shakespeare’s As You Like It. Compare the list of the stages of the life cycle that the class has created to the seven stages of man outlined in Shakespeare’s play. Discuss with the class the similarities and differences between the lists.
Lead a discussion on the life cycle with students. Explore the following questions:
- What is meant by the life cycle?
- Name people you know in each of the stages of the life cycle. In what stage do you know the most people? The least?
- What are some responsibilities that are characteristic of each stage of the life cycle in contemporary American society?
- What are some privileges that are characteristic of each stage of the life cycle in contemporary American society?
Activity
Students will now research what life is like for one stage of the human life cycle, utilizing the Internet resources provided. Encourage them to visit the following sites, which either provide information for a particular age in the life cycle or provide information about a particular age:
For information about/for kids:
For information about/for teens:
For information about/for adults:
For information about/for the elderly:
As they become more familiar with one stage of life, encourage them to think about the following questions:
- What types of information are presented for a particular age group? What does the information say about what interests a particular age group?
- How does media shape society? How does society shape media?
- How is daily life affected by a person’s age?
- How do one’s mental and physical abilities change over time?
- What types of rituals or ceremonies mark the beginning and end of that particular stage?
- What aspects and benefits of this life stage do you value most?
- How old did people normally live in Shakespeare’s time compared to today?
- How has a greater life expectancy changed our perception of age?
Tell students they will be writing their own monologues based on the stage of the life cycle that they have researched. Talk about monologues that are effective, such as Macbeth’s "Sound and Fury" and Hamlet’s "To Be or Not To Be" soliloquies. Read these and highlight the points that make them effective monologues. Explain that monologues, especially soliloquies, are powerful forms of expression because they give you a first-person account of what a particular character is thinking and feeling at one moment in time. Monologues are used to convey something that otherwise would not have been readily obvious. They are biased expressions of information, because the character is giving his or her one-sided opinion to the audience without any feedback. The audience is forced to focus on the words being conveyed by one person.
Now assist students in breaking the "Ages of Man" soliloquy into structural elements (metrical length of each line) and rhetorical devices (personification, assonance, consonance, simile, metaphor, etc.). Note the type of rhyme and meter Shakespeare used, and why these were effective tools in conveying meaning. Stress the importance of language and turn-of-phrase in conveying the tone of each stage. How did Shakespeare invoke the mood of each human age? What did he have to say about each stage, and what responsibilities and privileges in each age is worth emphasizing? Help students to develop a character from the stage of life that he/she has selected to be the speaker for the student’s monologue.
In writing and delivering their monologues, students will be speaking with the voice of a character that represents a particular stage of the life cycle, and will express the joys, concerns, benefits, pastimes, and major events of that character. Finally, aid students in setting guidelines for the length and rhyme schemes (if rhyming is to be utilized) of their monologues.
Have each student read his or her monologue in front of the class. Guide students in providing their peers with positive feedback and in analyzing each poem for the elements described above, such as rhetorical literary devices, tone, and rhyme scheme.
Closure
Ask the students to review the process they used to produce the monologue, the basic information they learned, and the reactions of others to their work. Were there any aspects of writing a monologue that were particularly enjoyable or unexpected? What have they learned about the different responsibilities and privileges of each stage of the life cycle? Which stage have they come to better understand and appreciate in particular? Were there any surprises in studying the ages of man? How will they take this newfound knowledge into their everyday life?
Assessment:
Ask students to write an essay on what they have learned about the different stages of the life cycle. In their essays, they should address the following essay question, making sure to elaborate on the responsibilities and privileges associated with each stage of the life cycle: What makes each individual stage of the life cycle unique?
Evaluate students’ monologues on the following criteria:
- Completeness of the script
- Accuracy and believability of the character
- Originality and creativity of the presentation
- Accuracy of the portrayal of a particular stage of the life cycle
- Appropriate incorporation of research materials
Extensions:
Go on to the second lesson in this unit, Transition from Childhood to Adolescence.
Authors:
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ARTSEDGE and DoDDS, Curriculum Partnership
The John F. Kennedy Center
Washington, DC
