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Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: Becoming History Detectives Using Shakespeare's Secret

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Is the case closed on the authorship of Shakespeare's plays? Student history detectives explore the evidence for and against one of the possible alternatives, Edward deVere, using the novel Shakespeare's Secret plus a variety of online...
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Website
Other

Shakespeare Resource Center: The Authorship Debate

For Students 9th - 10th
This site outlines the various "conspiracies" associated with Shakespeare's work.
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Primary
Other

Marshall Foundation: The Shakespearean Ciphers Examined

For Students 9th - 10th
Both William and Elizebeth Friedman worked at Riverbank Laboratories. Elizebeth was tasked with applying cryptographic techniques to analyze William Shakespeare's writings in order to prove that they were in fact written by Francis...
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Website
PBS

Pbs Frontline: The Shakespeare Mystery

For Students 9th - 10th
This site weighs the ever present debate about who really was Shakespeare, and whether or not he truly wrote all he wrote.
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Website
PBS

Frontline: Much Ado About Something

For Students 9th - 10th
Companion site for a Frontline program about the mystery surrounding the real author of Shakespeare's works. Contains information about the controversy, video excerpts from the program (Click "Video" along right side of the page),...
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Website
Washington State University

Washington State University: Shakespeare and Authorship Controversy

For Students 9th - 10th
Introductory information concerning Shakespeare's biography and the controversy surrounding it. Clear and concise information.
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Website
Other

Shakespeare Oxford Society: Beginner's Guide to Shakespeare Authorship Problem

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from the Shakespeare Oxford Society contains a great deal of information in support of the theory that Edwared de Vere, the Earl of Oxford, actually wrote the works traditionally attributed to Shakespeare.
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Website
Other

The Shakespeare Authorship Page

For Students 9th - 10th
This site, by a renowned Shakespeare scholar, systematically refutes arguments made by people who argue that someone other than William Shakespeare, most notably the Earl of Oxford, wrote the works of William Shakespeare.
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Website
Absolute Shakespeare

Absolute Shakespeare: Authorship Debate

For Students 9th - 10th
Here are the basic arguments for each of the authorship claims. The site is helpful since it summarizes each of the arguments in plain language.
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Article
Other

Shakespeare Oxford Society: History of Doubts

For Students 9th - 10th
This page from the Shakespeare Oxford Society contains a list of the history of doubts regarding the authorship of Shakespeare's works. Organized in chronological order.