Shakespearean Drama
updated August 11, 2021
Recorded here is my own personal collection of articles, resources, favorite links, teaching ideas, and lesson plans. It encompasses many years, from the very beginning of my experience studying and learning about Waldorf to the present time. People from all around the world visit my site and recommend it to others. Welcome!
This site records my journey. I hope my honesty is encouraging and helps break down some barriers that may prevent people from trying Waldorf ideas. Because this is an ongoing site documenting my curriculum experiences and ideas, some materials are more Waldorf-y than others. Please feel free to take what you like and leave the rest.
Shakespeare
for Class 8
Mission Statement - Consulting Services - Lending Library
MLB Pages - Shakespeare - my blog post with all of the photographs of Natalie's work in this block!
William Shakespeare was a master wordsmith. If your students enjoy puns (or you want them to), check out Tearable
Pun Sheets Vol #1, Vol #2, and Vol #3.
"That Would Be a Great SNL Skit"! blog post
Main Text
We are using my treasured volume from college...
The Riverside Shakespeare
Natalie will be transitioning to the public high school for 9th grade next year, which I took into account
when planning her Language blocks for 8th grade. They were
Beowulf, Literary Criticism / Short Stories, and Shakespearean Drama. I used the Signet Classics lesson plans (very traditional) for Beowulf and I liked them so I looked to see what they had for Shakespeare. Quite a lot, actually, and they are easy to follow and FREE to download (pdf format). We are just doing Romeo & Juliet and Much Ado About Nothing in this block... but here is the entire roster of what Signet has to offer:
TEACHER'S GUIDES FOR THE SIGNET CLASSIC SHAKESPEARE SERIES
Antony and Cleopatra
As You Like It Hamlet Henry V
Julius Caesar
King Lear
Macbeth
Measure for Measure A Midsummer Night s Dream
Much Ado About Nothing
Othello Richard III
Romeo and Juliet The Taming of the Shrew
The Tempest
Twelfth Night
Other Resources:
Romeo & Juliet
Pre-Reading Activities from Signet Guide
#4 - Natalie had seen "Gnomeo & Juliet" but wasn't sure which parts of it were from the Shakespearean play and which parts were adapted
#2 - Reminder of plot diagram graphic organizer from Short Stories block
#1 - Synopsis
#5 - Reminder of feud lasting generations in The Interlopers from Short Stories block
#3 - Introduce main characters
Main Lesson Book - two page spread (House of Capulet & House of Montague)
Read Prologue
During Reading Activities
Exit Tickets / Reader Response Questions free download from Teachers Pay Teachers
record the chronological sequence of events - add to timeline each day
keep a diary of one of the major characters of the play, recording in diary form what he/she is doing and how he/she is feeling
Act I
exit tickets 1 & 2
Main Lesson Book - timeline of events in Act I
How to Make Masquerade Masks activity perform / table read -
Romeo first notices Juliet - Act I, Scene v
Main Lesson Book - diary entry - Natalie chose Tybalt
Act II
exit tickets 3 & 4
Main Lesson Book - timeline of events in Act II
Main Lesson Book - diary entry
Act III
exit tickets 5 & 6
Main Lesson Book - timeline of events in Act III
Main Lesson Book - diary entry
Act IV
exit tickets 7 & 8
Main Lesson Book - timeline of events in Act IV
Main Lesson Book - diary entry
Act V
exit tickets 9 & 10
Main Lesson Book - timeline of events in Act V
Main Lesson Book - diary entry
Post-Reading Activities
Much Ado About Nothing
Pre-Reading Activities from Signet Guide
Genre: comedy or tragicomedy
Character
Theme (do NOT skip the personal opinion survey)
Main Lesson Book - two page spread
(diagram of the relationships among the characters / map of Italy)
During Reading Activities
Exit Tickets / Reader Response Questions free download from Teachers Pay Teachers
record the chronological sequence of events - add to timeline each day
journal writing activity and/or
oral response questions daily
Act I
exit tickets 1 & 2
Main Lesson Book - timeline of events in Act I
Journal Writing activity #2 (modified: we did text to self, text to text, text to world)
Act II
exit tickets 3 & 4
Main Lesson Book - timeline of events in Act II
Journal Writing activity #6 (modified: Natalie wrote Beatrice's "letter" to Benedick and then tore it up into pieces. We then glued
this on the front cover of her MLB as the artwork.)
Act III
exit tickets 5 & 6
Main Lesson Book - timeline of events in Act III
Main Lesson Book - journal writing activity #5
(modified: Natalie chose the following quote from Act III, Scene iii)
"We charge you, in the Prince's name, stand!"
"Call up the right Master Constable. We have here recover'd the most dangerous piece of lechery that ever was known in the commonwealth."
Act IV
exit tickets 7 & 8
Main Lesson Book - timeline of events in Act IV
Act V
exit tickets 9 & 10
Main Lesson Book - timeline of events in Act V
Lesson 28 "Dogberry Logic" (Act V, Scene i) from
Reviving The Essay: How To Teach Structure Without Formula
by Gretchen Bernabei
Post-Reading Activities
#3 e - Kenneth Branaugh and Emma Thompson did a wonderful film adaptation
Much Ado About Nothing
I also really liked these ideas, but we ran out of time and were unable to do them all:
#3 a
#3 b
#3 f
#4 b (second part)
#4 d
#4 f
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