Othello
In Year 6 , the children studied the Shakespearean text - Othello. Although quite complicated in its plot and themes, by the end of the work the children had shown a good understanding of the themes and plot.
Othello is a tragic love story written by William Shakespeare and the story revolves around two main characters - Othello and Iago. Othello marries a beautiful Venetian lady (Desdemona); however, her father disapproves of their love due to racial prejudice. Iago is Othello's jealous and bitter rival was maliciously goads his master's jealousy until he kills both his wife and then himself.
During the week, the children completed some drama work. As part of the drama work, the children created three freeze frames to show the important parts of particular scenes within the book. After completing the freeze frames, the children then completed some thought tracking relating to the characters.
While studying the text Othello, the children spent the first week reading the text and completing activities so that they had a sound understanding of the story and its complex themes. After developing an understanding of the text and its themes, the children completed various drama activities including: hot seating and freeze frame work. In addition, the children wrote a summary of the story identifying the main events. As well as writing a summary, the pupils also looked at the contrast between what the character Iago said and what he was actually thinking.