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To Be Or Not To Be... (Hamlet)
Students complete a unit of lessons on William Shakespeare's Hamlet. They analyze the plot, themes, and characterization, relate songs to thematic issues, develop plot summaries and translations, and compare the play to a movie version.
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Macbeth: What's Up with the Crime Scene?
High schoolers are introduced to Macbeth by having them act out the scene where Duncan's murder is discovered. This activity enable students to use dialogue only to discover the structure and format of a scene and explain plot.
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The Macbeth Tango
Students examine how Macbeth and Lady Macbeth relate to each other in individual scenes and throughout the play. By taking elements of that relationship and making them physical, students analyze the Macbeths' marriage on many different...
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Investigating Othello: Peeling Away Layers of Meaning
Students analyze piece of literature by looking at it from one perspective and then by re-evaluating what they have discovered when other layers of meaning are added.
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"Thou hast set me on the rack": A Dramatic Reading of Iago's Most Poisonous Lines
Students select and analyze quotations from Othello, and do a dramatic reading to illustrate the power of Iago's most poisonous words.
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Tempest in the Lunchroom
Students act out opening shipwreck scene of The Tempest, or watch and direct others doing it.
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OF PASSIONS SUNDRY AND STRANGE
Students examine on-line primary sources to gain an understanding of Elizabethan attitudes toward different character traits. They use these ideas to help explain Lear, or another strong character, more fully.
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TO LOVE, HONOR AND OBEY (ONE'S PARENTS!)
Learners examine parent-child tensions regarding obedience and communication, in order to explain the conflicts in the opening scene of King Lear. They discuss ways in which expectations for studenT obedience were different in...
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Touchstone Vs. Jaques: a Analyzing Mood in As You Like It
Pupils recognize ways Shakespeare creates and uses mood augment their analysis of the text and help them in making performance choices. They, in groups, select words, phrases, lines, that reveal their character's mood.
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HAMLET HOOK
Students their personal reactions to issues of family relationships in light of the the plot, characterization, and themes of the play. They analyze the characters of Hamlet on an emotional level not just intellectual.
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Who is Gertrude, Really?
Students form opinions about Gertrude by imaginatively creating 5 entries for Gertrude's journal. Each journal entry reveal much about Gertrude's character at pivotal moments in the play.
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The Secret life of Minor Characters
Students read Julius Caesar line by line. They discuss what is going on in a particular scene. Each student in a group takes the role of an assassin and comes up with a clear characterization and motivation. They share and watch within...
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NOTHING TO LEAR BUT LEAR HIMSELF
Learners read a scene from King Lear and decide collaboratively how best to present it. In doing so, they examine the scenes and the play from multiple perspectives.
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Reader's Theater, King Lear, and the Language of Gesture
Students perform a Reader's Theater of a small section of the play, King Lear. They examine the text, read a handout for Reader's Theater techniques, cut and reorder lines in small groups, and add choreography to perform their scene.
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O, LEAR'S MANY REASONS
Students analyze King Lear's speech and identify his "darker purpose", and let them explore different styles for reading it aloud. They can perform the scene as well.
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"The World's Asleep": But Not Your Classroom
Students, in groups, form a circle in which to recite lines from Shakespeare. They throw foam balls to each other and when the ball is caught, a line is recited until all lines are memorized. They line up with quotations to resequence...
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And. . . Freeze!
Learners read a short section of a scene very closely and develop a tableaux as a start to the performance process. They write a paragraph in the voice of a character. They present their beginning, middle and end tableaux to the class.
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The 32-Second Macbeth
Pupils read a very short script synopsis of Macbeth. They read the script, in small groups, trying to break the 32-second record, then write their own 32-second versions of one act from Macbeth.
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"Say you will be mine": Unspoken Answers and Unscripted Scenes
Students hypothesize the content of unscripted moments and responses, search for evidence in the actual text to support their hypothesis, and explore how this hypothesis would affect characterization. Groups perform their scenes and...
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Welcome to Venice
Students read the opening scene of the play, The Merchant of Venice without receiving any background information. They analyze and discuss the relationships between the six characters, and determine the social status of the characters.
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Guess that Scene: A Review of A Midsummer Night's Dream Through Performance
Students rewrite and perform various scenes from the play, A Midsummer Night's Dream. In groups, they include the main quotes and ideas from their scene, perform it for the class, and identify which scene each group is performing.
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Where Do They Stand?: Perspectives on Othello's Marriage
Students read and discuss Act one, scene three of the play, Othello. They examine the text in small groups, determine each character's attitude toward Othello, identify text to justify their conclusions, then recite lines to the class.
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"Twelfth Night": What's so funny?
Students brainstorm and discuss elements of modern humor. They compare humor in their own lives to the humor that Shakespeare used in "Twelfth Night". They perform portions of "Twelfth Night" focusing on its humor.
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Catching the Beat: Exploring the Function of Verse in Othello
Students examine meter and how Shakespeare uses it in dialogue to show character emotion.