How to Teach a Full Play in One Week (Grades 11–12): A Repeatable 5-Day Routine

How to Teach a Full Play in One Week (Grades 11–12): A Repeatable 5-Day Routine

If you teach Grades 11–12, you already know the pressure: full-length plays are powerful, but the pacing rarely fits real schedules, and reading levels are rarely uniform. The goal of this post is simple: give you a repeatable one-week structure you can run again and again across multiple plays, without splitting your class into separate units.

With this routine, you can realistically teach four to five complete plays in a semester (or over two quarters) depending on your calendar. You pick the titles that match your goals, reuse the same daily flow, and students always know what to expect.

Why one-week play units work in Grade 11–12

  • They protect instructional time by limiting each play to a predictable schedule.
  • They create a consistent discussion and assessment routine that students can master.
  • They reduce the “we’re lost” problem by keeping reading aligned to clear daily parts.
  • They let you differentiate reading level without running two separate lesson plans.

The 5-day routine (one play per week)

This routine is built around a five-part structure. Each day uses one Part, one discussion set, and one exit check. Your class stays on the same storyline at the same time, even when students read different text versions.

Day 1: Part 1 (Launch + first conflict)

  • Quick hook (2–4 minutes): essential question for the week.
  • Read or perform Part 1 (whole-class read-aloud, small-group performance, or partner reading).
  • Discussion: main ideas, motives, conflict setup.
  • Closure: quick exit quiz or 1–2 short responses.

Day 2: Part 2 (Escalation + turning pressure)

  • Two-minute recap: identify what changed and why.
  • Read or perform Part 2.
  • Discussion: choices, consequences, tension, power dynamics.
  • Closure: exit quiz or short answer evidence check.

Day 3: Part 3 (Point of no return)

  • Quick prediction: what is the character trying to control, and what is slipping?
  • Read or perform Part 3.
  • Discussion: key decision, misread evidence, manipulation, or moral compromise.
  • Closure: exit quiz or brief constructed response.

Day 4: Part 4 (Consequences + collapse begins)

  • Two-minute recap: trace the decision chain.
  • Read or perform Part 4.
  • Discussion: how consequences spread, what becomes irreversible.
  • Closure: exit quiz or short answer check.

Day 5: Part 5 (Resolution + meaning)

  • Read or perform Part 5.
  • Discussion: theme claim, character accountability, what the ending forces the audience to face.
  • Finish the week with a final worksheet sequence (vocabulary, short answers, challenge questions).

How to differentiate without splitting the class

The key is running one schedule for everyone and assigning the reading track based on readiness. Supported readers use the adapted script for clarity and momentum. Advanced readers use the original play for extension, quotations, and deeper evidence work. Everyone completes the same aligned discussions and assessments because the tasks are built around shared meaning.

How to reduce printing and keep the text accessible

Instead of printing the full play for every student, distribute the text digitally using the included access code for the Leveled-Lit Classics Library text. Then print only what you truly need: the final worksheet pages or any specific assessment pages you want students to write on. This approach reduces paper waste and makes it easier for students to reread key sections.

Which plays should you choose for Grade 11–12?

You can select four to five plays depending on your schedule. Many teachers build one semester around a Shakespeare cluster, or mix Shakespeare with modern drama and comedy to keep the year balanced. All eight titles below fit the same one-week routine.

Included plays you can run as one-week units (Grades 11–12)

A practical way to plan your year with this system

  • Option A (Shakespeare focus): Choose Hamlet + Macbeth + Othello + King Lear, then add one non-Shakespeare title for contrast.
  • Option B (Variety focus): Choose two tragedies, one comedy, and one modern drama, then add a fifth play if your calendar allows.
  • Option C (Senior pacing): Run four plays (one per month) with a buffer week between units for writing, projects, and exam prep.

Start here if you want to test the routine quickly

Begin with the free Hamlet download to see the structure in action. If the one-week routine works for your class, you can reuse it across all eight titles with minimal prep because the unit architecture stays consistent.

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