Beacon Lesson Plan Library
The Assassin's Hand
Santa Rosa District Schools
After reading Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, students research the assassination of another historical figure.
The student determines the main idea or essential message in a text and identifies relevant details and facts and patterns of organization.
The student locates, organizes, and interprets written information for a variety of purposes, including classroom research, collaborative decision making, and performing a school or real-world task.
The student uses a variety of reference materials, including indexes, magazines, newspapers, and journals, and tools, including card catalogs and computer catalogs, to gather information for research topics.
The student speaks for various occasions, audiences, and purposes, including conversations, discussions, projects, and informational, persuasive, or technical presentations.
-Classroom copies of the play Julius Caesar
(Most tenth grade literature books contain the play.)
-Library resource materials
Teacher should be familiar with the play Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare.
Teacher should do a study of the life of William Shakespeare before reading the play.
Teacher could research and provide a list of names of assassinated victims, such as John F. Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr., Robert Kennedy, Yitzhak Rabin, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Thomas A. Becket, Mahatma Gandhi, Rasputin, Rosa Luxemburg,Leon Trotsky, Pancho Villa, Jean-Paul Marat, Malcolm X, Albert I, James A. Garfield, Anwar Sadat, Rafael Trujillo, Emiliano Zapata, and William McKinley.
1. Class reads and studies William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.
2. Teacher reads famous quote spoken by Cassius from the play in Act III, scene 1, lines 111-113: “How many ages hence shall this our lofty scene be acted over in states unborn and accents yet unknown.”
3. Teacher asks the students to interpret this passage. (Teacher explains that this line could be interpreted as meaning that this scene would be acted again and again on stages throughout the ages in all parts of the world or that it could mean that there would be other assassinations in other countries throughout all time.)
4. Teacher gives research assignment.
THE ASSASSIN'S HAND
Where did he or she live?
What marked this person for assassination?
Give details about the actual assassination.
Assess the historical events that occurred
as the result of the assassination.
5. Students spend several class periods doing research and taking notes.
6. Students give an informal oral presentation about his or her historical figure.
7. Teacher evaluates presentation. (See assessment.)
Student locates information. (10 POINTS)
Student organizes written information. (10 POINTS)
Student interprets written information. Student takes notes. (10 POINTS)
Student uses a variety of reference materials. (10 POINTS)
Student gives an informal informational presentation, giving the answers to the questions on the assignment sheet. (60 POINTS)