Title: A Midsummer Night’s Forum
Course: BC - English 9 - XT - 2.0.0.0 > Section: Unit 5: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Your job is to help your classmates understand something about A Midsummer Night’s Dream by completing online research about one aspect of the story that might not be obvious to a present-day reader. Complete one of the following activities, writing a 150- to 200-word forum post in response.

- Find an insult in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Research what the insult means and why it is an insulting thing to say. In your post, be sure to provide context for the insult in the play: Who says the insult to whom, and why do they say it?
- Find a literary or cultural allusion in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, such as a reference to an ancient or classical story. Most often, these can be found by looking for unfamiliar names, which are often literary characters. What is this allusion about? Where is it used in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and how does knowing about the allusion help you to understand what Shakespeare was trying to say?
- Find a word or phrase that means something different today than it did then. Please avoid words that today would be considered rude or swear words. What did the word mean in Shakespeare’s time? How is it used in the story, and how does understanding the word help you to understand the play better?
- Find any part of the play that you find confusing or difficult to understand. Using online resources, create a modern translation for the passage that you found and write an explanation for what the passage is about. Be sure to give the context of the passage you are writing about.

You must provide a properly formatted citation for the source of your information. It is recommended that you use an online bibliography creation website such as bibme.org or mybib.com. Here is an example of a properly formatted citation:

“Act 3, Scene 2: Popup Note Index Item: ‘Minimus of Hind'ring Knot-Grass.’” MyShakespeare, 10 Jan. 2023, https://myshakespeare.com/midsummer-nights-dream/act-3-scene-2-popup-note-index-item-minimus-of-hind-ring-knot-grass.

Once you have written your original post, read through five to ten of your classmates' posts. Write an encouraging comment in at least three of them, letting them know how the information they shared was helpful for you. A full response is not required, and your response posts are not graded for this forum.

Forum Rubric

 | Insufficient Evidence | Emerging | Developing | Proficient | Extending
 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
Quality of original forum post | There is too little content to adequately assess my proficiency. I need to resubmit this assignment. | I have provided minimal background information, or some of what I have written is inaccurate. I have attempted to add to my classmates’ understanding of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I may have forgotten to include a citation. | I have provided adequate background information, but it may be hard to follow. I have added to my classmates' understanding of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I have included a citation, but it is not properly formatted. | I have provided meaningful background information in an understandable way, helping my classmates learn more about A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I have included a properly formatted citation. | I have provided thorough background information in a clear and concise way, helping my classmates increase their understanding about A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I have included a properly formatted citation.