Curated OER
The Merchant of Venice
Students read parts of Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice. Using primary sources, they gain a glimpse into the early modern period's negative perceptions and stereotypes of human beings of African descent.
Curated OER
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.
Curated OER
A Year in the Work of the Bard
Students study the life and times of Shakespeare. In this William Shakespeare lesson, students research the noted Web sites to discover details about Shakespeare's life and the times he lived in. Students also virtually visit the Globe...
Curated OER
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.
Curated OER
The Bard, the Globe, the Midsummer Night's Dream
Students complete a unit of lessons to learn about William Shakespeare and the Globe Theatre. In this William Shakespeare lesson, students complete 7 lessons of activities to study William Shakespeare, the Globe Theatre, and the play 'A...
Curated OER
Introducing the Ghost: Asking Questions and Finding Answers
Students write words that describe the Ghost in Hamlet and act out scenes to grab the audience's attention. In this Hamlet lesson plan, students use language to interpret feeling and grab the audience's attention.
Curated OER
When Fair is Foul: Paradox and Equivocation in Macbeth
Students read Macbeth for examples of paradox and equivocation in the text. In this literature-response lesson, students work in groups to analyze Shakespeare's writing for use of paradox using handouts to guide their search. Student...
Curated OER
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.
Curated OER
"Words, words, words"
Students discuss words that represent the "big ideas" in Othello and that recur throughout the play. They will be assigned words to track throughout the text, recording which character says the word and in what context.
Curated OER
Macbeth Madness
Young scholars analyze Shakespeare's Macbeth by completing the creative activities. In this Macbeth lesson, students discuss the timeline for William Shakespeare and identify the characters for Macbeth. Young scholars read Act One,...
Curated OER
I Want to Believe: Astrologers and Sceptics in King Lear
Students examine two conflicting writings on solar eclipse that occurred on Black Monday and discuss them in the context of Shakespeare's King Lear. In this Shakespeare instructional activity, students discuss astrology and read the...
Curated OER
Message in a Bottle
Students read acts from The Tempest and complete analysis activities for the play. In this Shakespeare lesson, students read the first four acts of The Tempest and choose one of the characters to write a rescue message from their point...
Curated OER
Character Found Poems: Investigating Language in Twelfth Night
Students create found poems to represent characters in Twelfth Night. In this Shakespeare lesson, students discuss how to compose found poems and select characters from the play to write their poems about.
Curated OER
War and Remembrance: St. Crispin's Day speech from Henry V
Students discuss their opinions about war. In this political science lesson, students use a video about war to analyze their own ideas about war. They discuss the terminology Shakespeare used in reference to war, and examine the...
Curated OER
Fathers and Sons in Henry IV
Young scholars explore the power struggles in England's history using Shakespeare's Henry IV. In this Shakespeare instructional activity, students write answer to journal questions about the play and discuss specific passages. Young...
Curated OER
Macbeth Madness
Students participate in various social studies activities in correlation to William Shakespeare's Macbeth. In this Macbeth lesson plan, students study maps of Scotland, England, and Norway to identify locations mentioned in Macbeth....
Curated OER
Wordles, Wordles, Wordles: Pre-Reading for Hamlet Using Key Words
Students analyze a Wordle of the top 150 words in Hamlet and complete a study of the language in the play. In this Hamlet literacy lesson, students work in groups to complete the given handouts to categorize the words of the play and...
Curated OER
Analyzing Solutions in Julius Caesar
Students investigate Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. In this drama lesson plan, students read through Act IV of the play and then collaborate to determine Brutus's role in the military. Students write their evaluations.
Curated OER
Touchstone Vs. Jaques: a Analyzing Mood in As You Like It
Students 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.
Curated OER
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.
Curated OER
Hamlet on the Ramparts: A Pre-reading Activity
Students explore the first act of Hamlet. In this Shakespeare lesson, students pantomime important events from Hamlet in a pre-reading activity. Classmates observe the performances and write reviews.
Curated OER
Characteristics of Point of View and Dialogue
Students discover the impact of dialogue Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. In this drama lesson, students read selected scenes and note the point of view and dialogue in the scenes.
Curated OER
Words, Words, Words
Students discover Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. In this drama lesson, students read the first act of the play and then rewrite the original passages in today's English.
Curated OER
Romeo and Juliet
Students read Romeo and Juliet and then write an essay from the point of either Lord Capulet or Friar Lawrence persuading someone to adopt their views concerning marriage.