Tess of the D'Urbervilles Lesson Plan

Talk Show

Kind of Activity:

Role Play

Objective:

Students will be able to engage with the plot of the novel as a whole using a humorous approach, and demonstrate understanding of character development and relationships.

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.1, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.11-12.5, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.11-12.3, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.11-12.1

Structure:

Select five or six students to play different characters—Tess, Angel, Alec, Joan Durbeyfield, and Izz Huett are among them (suspend disbelief, imagining Alec and Tess can speak from beyond the grave).

The teacher then interviews the characters of the novel in the style of a talk show host (i.e. Oprah). Ask...