Adaptive Reader Classroom Strategy Favorite: Film and Text Pairings

In order to reduce the potential for cognitive overload, educators must provide an access point for meaningful engagement with grade-level content, and enhance overall learning.

To accomplish that, let’s envision a lesson that includes pre-, during-, and post-reading strategies that incorporate leveled and translated texts.

We’ll focus on William Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth, during a scene in which the titular character receives news of his wife’s death.

The essential question that guides the work for the classroom community and the use of leveled and translated texts is:

How can personal ambition and the pursuit of power impact a person’s behavior and outlook on life?

Because access is integral, here are two helpful rephrasings of that essential question:

How does a person’s drive for success and power affect their behavior and perspective on life?
How can wanting power and having goals affect how someone behaves and sees the world?

Beginning: Pre-Reading

Before engaging with the text, it is always necessary to prime student understanding through the process of previewing. Having students review cover art, read cover descriptions, and even preview visuals is purposeful to building their prior knowledge.

Discussion is also an integral part of all learning communities. After all, education is fundamentally social.

Pose the essential question directly to students. Afford students at least thirty seconds of wait time before prompting them to turn-and-talk or write down their response.

After discussion, lead students through a two-part developmental activity: a viewing followed by reading.

Middle: Viewing and Reading

Prior to reading Macbeth’s iconic soliloquy in Act 5, Scene 5 in Adaptive Reader, students will view three segments from distinct film renditions of Macbeth.

To reduce our students' intrinsic cognitive load, share with them, explicitly, that their objective is to compare these versions in pursuit of answering the essential question, as it applies to Macbeth.

As students watch these scenes multiple times, they will take notes in a graphic organizer.

“Macbeth” (2021)

starring Denzel Washington

“Macbeth” (2010)

starring Patrick Stewart

“Macbeth” (2023)

starring Mark Rowley

1:42:12 to 1:45:30

Macbeth’s Behaviors, Tone, and Facial Expressions

Next, students will read three Adaptive Reader levels of Macbeth’s “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow” soliloquy from Act 5 Scene 5.

Adaptive Reader’s editions have consistent passage markers across all versions to keep students on the same ‘page’ during classroom discussions.

They’ll compare the Original, Gold, and Silver versions with the aim of interacting with the text multiple times, reducing intrinsic cognitive load and propelling deeper learning, retention, and investigation of the story.

End: Post-Reading

Students will use the multiple levels and translations of texts in order to execute a comparative analysis and determine an answer to the essential question.

Adaptive Reader’s leveled and translated texts will provide an equitable access point to all students that will enable them to refer to and recall evidence that supports their ideas.

This experience will facilitate richer collaborative discussions that will allow learners to access their germane cognitive load.

Teachers must be methodical architects who carefully design and differentiate materials and lessons.

It is paramount that we consider our own experiences as learners of new and unfamiliar material because it is during these experiences that we recognize the limitations of our own cognitive abilities.

Such reflection allows us to be more mindful and skilled practitioners for our students. Thankfully, Sweller’s Cognitive Load Theory provides us with an introspective opportunity to reflect upon our own pedagogical practices.