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K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Defining tyranny

Students will focus on gathering support for and elaborating on ideas for an essay of definition on tyranny. Students will use examples from history and from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.

A lesson plan for grades 9–10 English Language Arts

By Bethany Hill

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

  • identify types of support for definition essays.
  • brainstorm ideas to gather support for a definition essay.
  • draw on their ideas/assumptions about tyranny from Julius Caesar to write an essay of definition on tyranny.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

3 Hours

Materials/resources

  • overhead projector or blackboard
  • overhead pen or chalk
  • copies of attached handout
  • copies of attached rubric
  • paper
  • pen/pencil

Technology resources

overhead projector (optional)

Pre-activities

Students will need to be familiar with Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. Examples of tyranny within the play should be discussed at some point before beginning this lesson.

Activities

  1. Teacher should begin the class by stating the objectives for the lesson.
  2. The teacher should write the word “tyranny” on the blackboard or overhead, asking students to write down any/all impressions they have of the word on a separate sheet of notebook paper (3 min).
  3. Once students have had a chance to write down their ideas, the teacher should share the Merriam-Webster definition of a tyrant with the class; the class should discuss the differences/similarities between their impressions and the dictionary definition. The teacher should stress that differences in language and ideas are not only permitted, but encouraged with definition essays (5-10 min).
  4. Teacher should tell students that there are multiple approaches for developing support for a definition essay. The teacher should provide students with a copy of the attached handout. This handout is divided into two columns: the first column names and defines different types of support for definition essays, the second column has space for adding examples of each type of support.
  5. The class should create a list of actions that they consider tyrannical and/or persons of power that they consider tyrants. The teacher should create a two-column chart on the overhead, writing student support in one column (20 min).
  6. Once the student-suggested support fills one side of the column, have students refer to the handout to decide what type of support each example represents. The teacher should fill in the other side of the column with the type of support each example represents (15-20 min).
  7. Students can match the teacher notes with their own notes in the handout. Encourage students to think of possible examples for supports not represented on the overhead.
  8. Tell students they should draw from the lists of support created by the class to design their own definition essay. Make students aware that the definition essay can be developed with more than one support type. Encourage students to continue to play with their own definitions of tyranny, creating supports that will help them develop their definitions fully.
  9. Students should then break apart from groups to begin the first drafts of their essays, using the information they brainstormed in small and large groups. As part of their draft criteria, have students label their paper according to what types of support they decided to use within their essays.

Assessment

Student work will be submitted to the teacher to be assessed according to the attached rubric.

The rubric provided is for second-draft assessment only. I encourage students to edit these drafts and have students create a third, and final draft for a grade. This will help students to see writing as a process. Students can also use these Revision Guidelines to have a peer edit their paper.

Supplemental information

Comments

This lesson was created as part of the NCDPI Writing Lessons for Writing Features Workshop.

North Carolina curriculum alignment

English Language Arts (2004)

Grade 10

  • Goal 2: The learner will evaluate problems, examine cause/effect relationships, and answer research questions to inform an audience.
    • Objective 2.02: Create responses that examine a cause/effect relationship among events by:
      • effectively summarizing situations.
      • showing a clear, logical connection among events.
      • logically organizing connections by transitioning between points.
      • developing appropriate strategies such as graphics, essays, and multi-media presentations to illustrate points.
  • Goal 4: The learner will critically interpret and evaluate experiences, literature, language, and ideas.
    • Objective 4.01: Interpret a real-world event in a way that:
      • makes generalizations about the event supported by specific references.
      • reflects on observation and shows how the event affected the current viewpoint.
      • distinguishes fact from fiction and recognizes personal bias.

  • Common Core State Standards

    • English Language Arts (2010)

      • Language

        • Grade 9-10
          • 9-10.L.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 9–10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. 9-10.L.4.1 Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph,...

        • Speaking & Listening

          • 9-10.SL.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and...

        • Writing

          • 9-10.W.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)