British Council
William Shakespeare
After watching a three-minute video detailing the life of William Shakespeare, scholars take part in several activities designed to show what they know about the famous writer. Learners read a series of eight sentences and put them in...
California Department of Education
Tragoidia and Catharsis: A Retelling of Classical Tragedies
What a tragedy! Scholars take a close look at Greek tragedy in the form of plays. After analyzing plays, learners think about a play that relates to their own personal anxiety and recreate or reinterpret a scene from that play.
British Council
Much Ado About Nothing
An interactive introduces English learners to William Shakespeare's comedy Much Ado About Nothing. Pupils watch a short animated version of the play, match character names with images from the video, and put sentence strips in order.
British Council
Hamlet
Introduce language learners to William Shakespeare's Hamlet with an interactive that presents a short, animated version of key scenes from the tragedy. Also included is a game where pupils match the image of a character with their name,...
British Council
Macbeth
Double the fun of studying Shakespeare with an interactive that introduces English learners to Macbeth. After watching a short, animated video that presents key elements of the plot, class members complete a worksheet identifying the...
British Council
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream takes center stage in an interactive designed for an audience of English learners. After watching a short animated version of the play, individuals read a printed version of the script, match the...
Shakespeare Globe Trust
Fact Sheet: Indoor Theatres
Pull up a cushion, grab an apple or some nuts, light a candle, and get ready to explore indoor theatres from Elizabethan England. Readers use a handout to distinguish between indoor and outdoor theatres and the types of actors who...
Shakespeare Globe Trust
Fact Sheet: Costumes and Cosmetics
Theatre producers in Shakespeare's time didn't have the special effects that are common today, so they had to get creative. Using the handout, pupils explore the topic of costume design. Additionally, readers learn about the stage makeup...
Shakespeare Globe Trust
Fact Sheet: Writing Plays
Who were some of the popular playwrights of Elizabethan England? Using the provided fact sheets, scholars research playwrights, explore three different types of plays, and learn about censorship in Elizabethan England.
Shakespeare Globe Trust
Fact Sheet: Playhouses
Laborers used common materials to build London's first performance venues, including sticks, plaster, and ... hair? Using an informational handout, scholars learn about the construction of different types of playhouses where actors...
Shakespeare Globe Trust
Fact Sheet: The First Globe
Where did actors perform plays during Shakespeare's era? Using the handout, pupils learn about London's historical Globe Theatre and discover which of Shakespeare's plays actors performed there. Scholars also explore the cause of the...
Shakespeare Globe Trust
Fact Sheet: Actors
Back in Shakespeare's time, the public considered actors unruly, unlike the prestige they enjoy today. An informative handout outlines more about the acting profession in London during the Elizabethan era. Pupils discover how actors...
Shakespeare Globe Trust
Fact Sheet: Audiences
In Shakespeare's time, people could attend a play at the local theatre for as little as one penny. Using an informative handout, scholars learn about the typical London audience member during the 1600s. Readers explore how theatre...
Orlando Shakes
The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen's Guild Dramatic Society's Production of "A Christmas Carol": Study Guide
What could be better than a play within a play? A study guide for "The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen's Guild Dramatic Society's Production of 'A Christmas Carol'" has theater-goers share their thoughts on the comedic...
Orlando Shakes
Arms and the Man: Study Guide
Few aspects of life make better fodder for a comedic play than politics. A study guide introduces George Bernard's Shaw comedy Arms and the Man. Along with summaries of each scene and brief biographies of the main characters, two lesson...
Orlando Shakes
The Best of Enemies
History comes to life with the play The Best of Enemie. Scholars learn literary elements as well explore racial issues in American history. The play is based on a true story and addresses the universal truth that people are capable of...
Orlando Shakes
Two Gentlemen of Verona
What teenager can't relate to the drama of a love triangle? Scholars put their literary skills to use in a gripping role-play drama. William Shakespeare's Two Gentlemen of Verona unfolds as the classroom becomes a stage of young actors.
Orlando Shakes
Pericles: Study Guide
Everyone loves a great riddle, right? Everyone except for the characters in Shakespeare's Pericles, who will be killed unless they answer the king's riddle correctly. With the study guide, scholars use words coined by Shakespeare to play...
Orlando Shakes
Shakespeare in Love: Study Guide
What word has two syllables and means a ray of moonlight? If young readers guessed moonbeam, they are correct! With the Shakespeare in Love study guide, participants test their guessing skills in an exciting game of Shakespeare Taboo...
Orlando Shakes
Hamlet: Study Guide
Hopefully, learners do not sleep during a performance of Shakespeare's Hamlet. A helpful study guide introduces theater goers to the popular Shakespearean tragedy and includes activities to accompany a production of the play. Activities...
Orlando Shakes
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: Study Guide
Can science ever go too far? Learners explore this topic with the Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde study guide. They read about the connection between scientific experimentation in fiction and real life and then compare a scene from the novella...
Orlando Shakes
The Great Gatsby: Study Guide
Uncover the exciting world of the Roaring Twenties with The Great Gatsby study guide. Individuals become critics as they write a review of the production. Scholars also read historical information and analyze the differences between the...
Orlando Shakes
West Side Story: Study Guide
Hey, enough frabbajabba about that stool pigeon, Daddy-O! Using the West Side Story study guide, scholars explore the language of the play and read about its historical associations and themes. Pupils also engage in a Spectrum of...
Orlando Shakes
Julius Caesar: Study Guide
What makes a good leader? Use the curriculum guide for William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar to help scholars answer that question. Pupils research the play's historical context and other background information before engaging in...