Literary Devices with Toys

At the beginning of our time together in the AP Literature course, students engage in an activity that is purposeful for three reasons:

1.  Students practice (solo) speaking and listening skills
2.  Students introduce themselves and an aspect of their personalities (so we get to know a bit about our classmates)
3.  We review literary devices


Here's what we do:


1.  Students select a toy from a bin (items cultivated from cast-off toys at home and garage sales) that they think is reflective of their personalities in some way.
2.  Students select a piece of paper that has a literary device printed on it (they are not to share the device with anyone).

NOW:

3.  Students are tasked with introducing themselves (and explaining their connection to the toy) while using the literary device.


Example:

Student: Carrie
Personality trait: friendly
Toy: sunshine squeeze ball
Literary Device: Simile


"Hi, I'm Carrie, and I'm as friendly as the sunshine on a warm spring day."


Admittedly, some of the literary devices are more challenging than others.  Even I wouldn't want to be the kid who draws synecdoche, but students are always surprising me with their ability to come up with fun, creative, and precise sentences.


FINALLY:

4.  During the presentations, the rest of the students try to figure out what device the student is employing.  They take notes, and it serves as a great review for literary devices overall--and it helps us get to know each other.





Here is a student presenting (his toy was very small). You can also see the box of toys in the foreground.

Shakespearean Truth or Dare

To embrace Shakespeare's language, play with some of his typical situations, and, yes, be a little bit silly, student engage in some Shakespearean Truth or Dare.  During our unit reading Hamlet, students will have the opportunity to select a Truth or a Dare.  A Dare is a silly task to complete or perform.  A Truth requires students to answer a question about the play (that I usually make up on the spot depending on where we are in the reading of the play).





Here is a sample of a few of the "Dares":

Impersonate Polonious.  Give someone advice.

As Ophelia, dote in idolatry to a “Hamlet.”

Tell the class “Horatio” how much you value him/her.

It’s cold tonight at Elsinore Castle.  Show us how cold.

Give us your best ghost impression.

You are now Francisco.  Go stand guard at the door for the rest of the period.

Here is a sample of the types of questions I might use for "Truths":

Who seems to be Hamlet’s best friend so far?

Why do the guards think that the ghost leaves initially?

Who says “with an auspicious and a dropping eye, with mirth in funeral and with dirth in marriage”?

What is a First Folio?

And, here are a few photos of my students in action (performing Dares or answering Truths):

   

             

   

Hamlet's First Eleven Lines

As we begin reading and analyzing Hamlet, we are starting small.  Eleven lines only.  Students read the first eleven lines and focused on the question:

EQ: What does the opening of a text reveal about it?

Then, so everyone could get the feel for the language--and have a little fun, students paired up to perform the first eleven lines in the style of one of the following genres:

Horror

Western

Soap Opera

Musical

Spy

Rom Com

Fantasy

Silent

Animated/Puppetry

News Broadcast

Interpretive Dance

Poetry Slam

Rap

Here are some photos of their performances.  Can you guess which style they are presenting?