webquest assignment

This webquest is about Shakespeare and Macbeth. Macbeth is usually taught senior year, but can be taught before that. This specific webquest is meant to be completed while reading the play. Since it's normally taught senior year, students have usually already been exposed to Shakespeare. I created this webquest with struggling students in mind. Either they are new to Shakespeare or have trouble understanding the concepts. 

Standards

cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the literary text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain. (CCSS RL.11-12.1)
determine two or more themes or central ideas of a literary text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text. (CCSS RL.11-12.2)
analyze the impact of the author�s choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed). (CCSS RL.11-12.3)
cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the informational text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain. (CCSS RI.11-12.1)
determine two or more central ideas of an informational text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex and critical analysis; provide an objective summary of the text. (CCSS RI.11-12.2)
analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the informational text and media. (CCSS RI.11-12.3)
determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a variey of literary texts, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other authors.) (CCSS RL.11-12.4)
analyze how an author�s choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a literary text (e.g., the choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact. (CCSS RL.11-12.5)
in informational text, analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition or argument, including how the author uses structure to make points clear, convincing, and engaging. (CCSS RI.11-12.5)
determine an author�s point of view, purpose and tone in an informational text in which the rhetoric is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness or beauty of the text. (CCSS RI.11-12.6)
analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama or poem (e.g., recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry), critically evaluating how each version interprets the source text. (Include at least one play by Shakespeare and one play by an American dramatist.) (CCSS RL.11-12.7)
integrate, evaluate and synthesize multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem. (CCSS RI.11-12.7)
write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization and analysis of content.
introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts and information so that each new element builds on that which precedes it to create a unified whole; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables) and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
develop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most significant and relevant facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations or other information and examples appropriate to the audience�s knowledge of the topic.
use and evaluate appropriate and varied transitions and syntax to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships among complex ideas and concepts.
use precise language, domain-specific vocabulary, and techniques such as metaphor, simile, and analogy to manage the complexity of the topic.
establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications or the significance of the topic).
(CCSS W.11-12.2)
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 objectives in Text Types and Purposes.) (CCSS W.11-12.4)
develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.(Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of all Language objectives up to and including grade 12.) (CCSS W.11-12.5)
use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information. (CCSS W.11-12.6)
conduct sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation. (CCSS W.11-12.7)
gather and synthesize relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation. (CCSS W.11-12.8)
present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed and determine if the organization, development, substance and style are appropriate to purpose, audience and a range of formal and informal tasks. (CCSS SL.11-12.4)
make strategic and engaging use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning and evidence and to add interest. (CCSS SL.11-12.5)
determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 12 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word�s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or parts of speech (e.g., conceive, conception, conceivable).
consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, its etymology or its standard usage.
verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary). *
(CCSS L.11-12.4)

Credits

Special thanks to the following:
PBS's "Great Performances" (1971), No Fear Shakespeare, Shmoop, BBC, Time Magazine, The Globe Theatre's website, dangerousminds.net, Roman Polanski's "Macbeth" (1971), Phillip Casson's "Macbeth" (1979), "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" (2014), Gregory Doran's "Hamlet" (2009), "Blade Runner" (1982), "The Office" (2005), TeacherTube, "Teaching Reading in the Content Areas" by Rachel Billmeyer, and the blog, "Geekxgirls."

I would also like to think my instructor, Ashley Domico, who implemented Webquest into the curriculum of Reading 622 at West Virginia University


AND of course, William Shakespeare, who gave us Macbeth and many other timeless works.