EngageNY
Grade 11 ELA Module 1: Unit 2, Lesson 6
How does Shakespeare develop the characters of Laertes and Ophelia in Hamlet? Scholars complete a Quick Write to answer the question. They also continue reading and discussing the first act of the play.
Curated OER
"To Be Or Not To Be" And the VT
Using the online Visual Thesaurus, nascent actors work in groups to analyze and interpret Hamlet's "To Be Or Not To Be" monologue. Individuals then craft a contemporary version of this famous speech and present their adaptation...
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Document Based Question: Erie Canal
Fourth graders read the provided documents about the Erie Canal to discover the impact that this transportation systems had on the New York community. In this history lesson, 4th graders first analyze the documents and answer the...
Star Wars in the Classroom
"Shakespeare and Star Wars": Lesson Plan Day 1
"Now is the summer of our happiness/Made winter by this sudden, fierce attack!" Luke Skywalker meets Hamlet in a 10-lesson unit based on Ian Doescher's William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, a New Hope. Using Star Wars® as source...
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Breathing New Life into Old Traditions
Students investigate the role of ceremonies and other traditions of Native American cultures. They research various Native American nations and create posters that visually depict their research.
Shmoop
ELA.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.9
As the saying goes: there are no new stories. Standard 9 for reading literature in the Common Core addresses this fact and requires that students be able to analyze how authors use the themes, stories, and characters of earlier works....
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Who Wrote That?
Young scholars explore the Project Gutenberg website and conduct a webquest to answer questions about well known literature and authors.
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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 Bard in the Big Apple
Identify their feelings about Shakespeare's plays, addressing their readability and relevance to their lives.
2. Explore the effects of remaking Shakespeare plays in a modern context, as well as differences that emerge when a play is...
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Using Chuang Tzu in a British Literature Curriculum
Students read and compare/contrast translations of Chuang Tzu and "Beowulf." They complete handouts, answer discussion questions, identify themes and symbols, and complete various writing assignments.
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The Renaissance was a Rebirth
In this Renaissance study guide worksheet, learners read a brief overview pertaining to the time period in world history and then respond to 4 reflection questions.
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What? Did Caesar Swoon?
Students discover the "dumb show," a scene that enacts a story silently while focusing on an example from Hamlet. Divided into groups, they act out the silent scene from the play. Again, in groups, they create a "dumb show" from Julius...
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Like, Wow
High schoolers read Hamlet. They read again and hunt for a word that appears 4 times. They identify the word "like" and define it. Volunteers act out the scene and they discuss the uses of the word like. They discuss the senses and...
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Mapping the Most Common U.S. City Names
Students discuss the most common U.S. place names. They map the locations of U.S. cities with the most common names and use an atlas, or an online map tool such as MapQuest or Yahoo Maps.
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Saving the Past for the Future
Students review web images to identify human impact on nature and site destruction.
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The Group Essay
Students write an essay of comparison between two works they have studied but have not yet compared. They recognize similarities of themes between two very different works. They submit a group evaluation form.
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Ordinary People, Ordinary Places: The Civil Rights Movement
Students analyze Martin Luther King's message of nonviolent protest discover how individuals adapted his message to their own communities and situations.
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Shakespeare's Words
Students explore monologues of Shakespeare and the structure of the Globe Theatre. They participate in a Shakespeare phrase guessing game, examine a diagram of the Globe Theatre, and read and discuss monologues from Shakespeare.
British Library
British Library: Teaching Resources: Hamlet: Ophelia, Gender and Madness
In his portrayal of Hamlet and Ophelia, Shakespeare raises troubling questions about gender and madness. These activities encourage young scholars to compare these two central characters, and how they have been used to reflect changing...