Final Projects - Midsummer Night's Dream

I really enjoy giving students choices for final projects. I am in a temporary position until the end of the year and we are doing Grade 9 Midsummer Night's Dream. I believe final projects can be a great way to assess learning in a variety of ways. For my groups I have set-up their final project, which I will share in a future post, but for now, here is a list of ideas that helped motivate me to create some cool options for my class.....

1.

THE DAILY NEWS: Imagine you are an Athenian journalist who wants to report the events of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in your newspaper story. Apply the information given in the play to your story and design an appropriate layout for your newspaper.

2.

THE EVENING NEWS WITH ________________: Write a script for a news broadcast which reports on the events in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Include a weather report, a missing person report, a fast-breaking story, a human-interest angle, a "strange but true" feature, etc. Use at least two anchors to present the broadcast. You may videotape or perform your broadcast for the class.

3.

A BUSY DAY AT THE CASTING AGENCY: A casting agency is where actors are selected to play parts in movies. Suppose you are the head of the largest casting agency in Hollywood, and a large film studio that wants to make a new movie version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream has contracted you. Make up the casting list by deciding which roles will go to which movie or television actors. Decide during what time period your production will take place. Also, write a short synopsis on why you think each actor is "perfect for the role."

4.

YOU’RE THE TALK SHOW HOST: Imagine yourself as a popular talk show host. Your producer tells you that next week you will have the characters of A Midsummer Night’s Dream on your show. As you plan your show, consider such things as the show’s title (for example, "Runaway Athenian Kids"), whom to have in the audience (Athenian teens, nobility, etc.), and your own angle on the story (Fairies and Sprites: can they be trusted?). Write a script, and act it out or videotape it for the class.

5.

COMIC BOOK CREATOR: If you have a natural talent to write a comic book, or you have ever wanted to try to write a comic book, try reproducing A Midsummer Night’s Dream as a comic. Remember that you must use the actual dialogue of the play in order to write your comic; you may edit the text, but you must use enough of the main story to keep the plot true to the story as told in the play.

6.

WANTED: Create a "wanted" poster for Puck, the mischievous sprite. You must include an illustrated "photo," a list of his criminal activities (mischief-making), physical description, aliases, where he was last seen, his probable whereabouts, and any rewards being offered. Who is offering the reward for his capture (think about who in the play might want to capture Puck to keep him from further mischief)? What punishment might he receive if he were captured?

7.

FLOWERS FOR SALE: Create a commercial and print ad campaign for Oberon’s magic flower, the "Love-in-idleness." You must come up with a pitch, a slogan, and one unique way to market your target audience. Who would be the most likely to buy such a product? What would be the best ways to reach this audience—radio, television, direct mail, billboards, magazines, newspapers, Internet ads? Would getting testimonials from several "satisfied customers" be effective? Create your campaign and present it to the class.

8.

FASHION DESIGNER: Fairy Wear is the latest fashion! Create sketches of clothes fit for Titania and Oberon, the Queen and King of the Fairies. Remember, they are the rulers of the natural world, so the clothing should have a "natural" appearance. Then, plan a fashion show to unveil these designs: write a descriptive plan of the show including the brand name, the theme of the show, music used during the show, a script for the host to use to describe the fashions, etc. Then videotape the fashion show using "live" models or dolls!

9.

WEDDING PLANNER: Imagine that you are in charge of the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta. There is no limitation on the budget, so you have unlimited resources. What would you plan for the wedding ceremony? The wedding reception? Prepare a detailed schedule and a budget of the event.

10.

CHILDREN’S BOOK AUTHOR: Create a children’s story about the fairies in the play. They can interact with characters from the play or with new characters that you create. Keep in mind the personality of each fairy so that they act in ways that are true to their characters. Illustrate the book with your own drawings, pictures from magazines, or from pictures you design on a computer. Create a cover that displays the title of your book, a scene from the book, and your name. Find a creative way to bind the book together!

[Source]