Young scholars research the social context of Elizabethan England for Shakespeare's "Hamlet". They identify cultural influences on the play focusing on the theme of revenge and then analyze and compare film interpretations of the play.

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...

During Shakespeare's time, one could make firecrackers by purchasing gunpowder from the local ironmonger. With the fact-filled handout, scholars learn more about how acting companies created special effects in their performances during...

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...

Students examine eras of theatre history using a multi- media approach.

Learners discover how Shakespeare's play interprets Elizabethan attitudes toward revenge, as reflected in the structure of the Elizabethan revenge tragedy, one of the most popular forms of drama of that era. Students perform certain...

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...

Students review and reproduce an article of Elizabethan styled clothing as a part of an analysis of Shakespeare's Macbeth.  In this Elizabethan art lesson, students discuss the fashion of the Elizabethan era and research it online....

Students identify themes in Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet by analyzing the film or text. In this tolerance lesson, students create their own Elizabethan era terms related to interacting with different social groups. In groups,...

Students determine how the themes expressed in Macbeth are also applicable to contemporary society. They complete a series of written assignments demonstrating their comprehension of theme, content, and interpretation of the play....

Clothes might not make the man but they certainly do help an actor create a character. How costume designers employ the same elements of design found in sets (line, color, texture, shape) to realize a character is the focus of a lesson...

Learners compare views of marriage in Macbeth and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.  In this comparative literature  lesson, students discuss and debate the marriages of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare's Macbeth   Brick and Maggie's...

“All the world’s a stage,” exclaims Jaques in As You Like It, but it is the structure of the Globe stage and how that structure influenced Shakespeare’s plays that is the focus of an on-line research project. Class members visit a series...

Students research Christopher Columbus. In this world history lesson, students complete a WebQuest by using suggested website links. Students click on each link and answer questions about Columbus based upon the website.

Tenth graders explore Shakespearean comedy. They read and discuss A Midsummer Night's Dream and create a soundtrack, complete with CD cover, for the play.

Students conduct research on William Shakespeare and Julius Caesar. They research and explore various websites, complete graphic organizers, and develop a research paper.