On Thursday, December 12th, Mrs. Onochie’s 9th grade English class participated in a creative project in light of their new unit.
Onochie’s students created masks based on the Shakespearean play, Much Ado About Nothing, in order to develop a deeper understanding of each individual character.
Freshman, Alexia Aponte, and member of Onochie’s class, commented on what this project consisted of. She explained that after analyzing the play, students chose a specific character they wanted to research.
The class used their time to view the play and discuss each character more thoroughly. In doing this, they had the ability to construct a mask fit to wear to a masquerade party.
“The character that I am focusing on is Beatrice, a loud-mouthed woman, who doesn’t hold back, and stands up for herself,” Aponte explained.
By integrating this hands-on activity, students who enjoy a more active learning environment were given the opportunity to thrive.
-
9th grade students in Mrs. Onochie’s English class working on creating masks. (Ms. Nguyen)
'
-
9th grade students in Mrs. Onochie’s English class working on creating masks. (Ms. Nguyen)
'
-
9th grade students in Mrs. Onochie’s English class working on creating masks. (Ms. Nguyen)
'
“Other teachers should definitely consider incorporating art or hands-on activities in their classroom because it engages students in their learning,” Aponte told The Prowl.
This unit has been a class favorite because it gives them an opportunity to close their computers and dive deeply into a Shakespearean play.
Mrs. Onochie is a new teacher at South Windsor High School, and is already starting new traditions. Inspired by dual/art literacy projects, typically based off of Romeo and Juliet, Onochie worked tirelessly to bring this creative idea to life.
“In Literature, we want students to take on dual perspectives and create a mask that represents the ‘true face’ of a selected character to play with and create meaning,” Onochie said.
The creative process challenged the students.
“After we finished Act 1 of the play, students began to notice complications or contradictions in the actions of several characters, one specifically, Claudio, which led to several tensions and crises in the play,” Onochie explained.
Students were instructed to select a character and evaluate their character, assigning character traits that considered the overall personality of the character. Students were able to draft some ideas that represented their characters, discussing their potential choices individually or with peers.
“Timing was always a struggle as was gathering materials. I’m glad students and colleagues were flexible during this last minute cleanups during transition. I am a floating teacher, teaching in three rooms, so it was challenging to get a system set that worked for cleaning up,” Onochie commented.
Even though there were challenges, during this project, there were also some pleasant surprises.
Onochie purchased an assortment of paint and decorative options for students to employ, and was pleasantly surprised by the level of student creativity and artistry.
“It is important for students to know their potential and know what it’s like to write an essay as well as writing a poem,” Onochie explained.
In response to the positive impact of this project, Onochie stated how she plans on continuing creative projects like this in the future.
