Reading Stories from Shakespeare
Source: School Library Media Activities Monthly, (6:10, June 1990)
Grade Levels: 7, 8
Subject(s):
Curriculum (subject area) Objectives
:
The activity may become part of a unit about classical drama or Shakespeare and his dramatic works in reading/language arts.
Resources :
Books
Brown, John.
Shakespeare and His Theatre
. Lothrop, 1982.
Chute, Marchette.
An Introduction to Shakespeare
. Dutton, 1957.
Chute, Marchette.
Stories from Shakespeare. World
, 1956.
Cullum, Albert.
Shake Hands with Shakespeare
. Citation, 1968.
Foster, Cass.
Shakespeare for Children: The Story of Romeo and Juliet. Five
Star Publications, 1989.
Garfield, Leon.
Shakespeare Stories. Schocken
, 1985. (Includes twelve plays).
Hodges, C.
Shakespeare's Theatre
. Coward, 1964.
Horizon Magazine.
Shakespeare's England
. American Heritage, 1964.
Lamb, Charles.
Tales from Shakespeare
. Macmillan, 1963. (Folger, 1979)
Lamb, Charles.
Ten Tales from Shakespeare
. Watts, 1969. (Includes Hamlet
; The Tempest, and Othello
)
Martin, Christopher.
Shakespeare
. Rourke, 1988.
Miles, Bernard.
Favorite Tales from Shakespeare
. Rand
McNally, 1976. (Includes
Macbeth; A Midsummer's Night Dream; Romeo and Juliet; Twelfth Night, or What You Will; and Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
).
Miles, Bernard.
Well-Loved Tales from Shakespeare
. Rand
McNally, 1986. (Includes
The Tempest; As You Like It; Othello; The Merry Wives of Windsor; and Julius Caesar
).
Mulherin, Jennifer.
Hamlet
. Silver Burdett Press, 1988.
Mulherin, Jennifer.
Macbeth
. Silver Burdett Press, 1988.
Mulherin, Jennifer.
The Merchant of Venice
. Silver Burdett Press, 1988.
Mulherin, Jennifer.
A Midsummer Night's Dream
. Silver Burdett, 1988.
Mulherin, Jennifer.
Romeo and Juliet
. Silver Burdett Press, 1988.
Mulherin, Jennifer.
Twelfth Night
. Silver Burdett Press, 1988.
Stewart, Diana.
Romeo and Juliet. Raintree
, 1980.
Turner, Dorothy.
William Shakespeare
. Watts, 1985.
Encyclopedias
Nonprint (Motion Picture Videos may be considered) Othello. Educational Audiovisual. 3 sound filmstrips.
Shakespeare's Theatre. Educational Audiovisual, 1963. 1 sound filmstrip.
Understanding Shakespeare. Educational Dimensions. 4 sound filmstrips.
Instructional Roles
:
This activity may be part of a general literature study unit and initiated by the classroom teacher or the library media specialist. The activities will take three or four sessions and time for the students to read the selected stories.
Activity and Procedures for Completion
:
The library media specialist may select several titles of plays for use in introducing the setting to the students. For example, introductory material from the plays in Bernard Miles work might be shared, i.e. Romeo and Juliet, or Macbeth, etc. It may be equally useful to show students examples of the play scripts which provide the setting and time. The students and the library media specialist may discuss what kinds of pictures these descriptions conjure up in the the students' minds.
Most students may have some trouble getting an image. The library media specialist may talk about the importance of having some understanding of the background or the place and time of a work. The students will have a chance to read some versions of the plays of Shakespeare and learn about the setting of a play that they have chosen. Depending on the level and ability of the students, they may be allowed adaptations or actual written plays.
The library media specialist may provide introductory information about Shakespeare and his works. A list of the plays may be given to the students and each title may be discussed briefly. The library media specialist may explain that some of the plays are definitely historic in nature, some take place within an historic period, and some have scenes of imaginary nature. As the plays are discussed, the students may star those which they think are historical or have a setting within a given period of time. Those will be the plays that they students will be reading for this particular exercise.
Plays
All's Well That Ends Well
Antony and Cleopatra
As You Like It
The Comedy of Errors
Coriolanus
Cymbeline
Henry IV, Parts I and II
Henry V
Henry VI, Parts I, II, and III
Henry VIII
Julius Caesar
King John
King Lear
Love's Labor Lost
Macbeth
Measure for Measure
The Merchant of Venice
The Merry Wives of Windsor
A Midsummer's Night Dream
Much Ado about Nothing
Othello
Pericles
Richard II
Richard III
Romeo and Juliet
The Taming of the Shrew
The Tempest
Timon of Athens
Titus Andronicus
Troilus and Cressida
Twelfth Night
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
The Winter's Tale
After the brief introduction, the library media specialist may explain that they students will have a chance to become more familiar with one of the plays of their own choosing. They may first use general encyclopedias to read about the plays to decide which they are most interested in reading.
When they have made their choice, they will use the card catalog to find copies or adaptations of the works. Versions such as that by Cass Foster, Shakespeare for Children: The Story of Romeo and Juliet have retained the verse and condensed the text. Such versions will be helpful in student with narration and understanding of the setting. Whatever version available, the students should read the play so that they understand the story (plot). They will need to read the play more than once to make sure that they understand the setting. At this point it may be helpful for students to find audiovisual materials related to the works that they selected. The films may give them a better idea of the setting. They will complete a project in which they design a miniature set for the play chosen. The set must be as accurate as possible in terms of the place and time of the play. Therefore, after the students have read the plot, know the characters, and have some idea of the setting, they must use reference sources to help them prepare a setting. Depending on the play that they students select, they may need historical materials on different periods, costume books, art works showing the individuals in the plays, and other works which might show the furniture or architecture of the period. The library media specialist may also show the students the theatre in which the Elizabethans were likely to perform the work. The students may then begin to develop the designs for the background, furnishings and costumes for the plays. The designs may be turned to paper and cardboard models for display.
When the students have finished they may show their models to the othermembers of the class and discuss the setting as a part of the plot of the play.
Evaluation
:
The student will use encyclopedias and materials found in the card catalog to locate one of Shakespeare's plays. After reading the play, the student will use materials to prepare a miniature model of the setting of the play.
Follow-Up: The student may: