Is your head beating as if it would break into twenty pieces looking for activities to accompany a reading of the woeful tale of Juliet and her Romeo? Here's a weighty tool kit that won't hurt your back. The packet is divided into 20...

When it comes to love and midsummer nights, confessions are tricky. Learners place themselves in the shoes of a character from William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream and explain how a character manipulated another character in...

Shake up the writing process with a peer critique. The second of four lessons in the Grade 8 ELA Module 2B, Unit 3 series first has young writers compare their interpretations of a scene from William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's...

"Romans, countrymen, and lovers! Hear me for my cause." "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears!" As part of a study of William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, individuals as asked to compare the funeral speeches of Brutus and...

Encourage readers to determine if Hamlet's madness is actually divinest sense. Class members analyze the words of the play before studying related texts, including T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," scenes from...

Students read a very short script synopsis of Macbeth. They read the script, in small groups, trying to break the 32-second record, then write their own 32-second versions of one act from Macbeth.

Who is responsible for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet? After generating a list of the six characters most responsible, class members prepare for and engage in a formal debate. Prior knowledge of basic rules for debate would be necessary.

Explore the concept of rhyme scheme within a Shakespearean sonnet. After writing out their favorite (appropriate!) rap song and explaining why they like it, middle schoolers define a rhyme scheme. Afterward, they examine a Shakespearean...

The best way to learn vocabulary is to see it in context, right? That's exactly what this worksheet does; it presents 20 terms for Macbeth in context. For part one, learners answer a list of questions that use the target vocabulary. In...

Are you working on a Renaissance unit in your social studies or language arts class? This set of ten flashcards focuses on the creators of famous Renaissance art and literature. Use to reinforce memorization before a quiz.

Learners read Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing to learn about epitaphs. In this Shakespeare lesson, students read sections from the play and piece together Shakespeare's epitaph using index cards. Learners create a 4 line...

High schoolers analyze characters' personalities and relate them to the study of astrology in Shakespeare's time. This activity increases comprehension of early modern beliefs about astrology and, in doing so, give them a greater...

In this Othello worksheet, students discuss Othello's final speech and the role of incoherent language.  Students analyze Desdemona's character, the role of race, as well as the importance of setting in the play. 

High schoolers use the Internet to research one of Shakespeare's plays. They read two myths and create their own script for the play. They also examine the history of Ancient Greece.

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 lesson plan, students discuss astrology and read the speeches made...

Students analyze a monologue by Coriolanus in Shakespeare's play of the same name. In this literature lesson plan, students discuss and define betrayal and the events surrounding Coriolanus' banishment from Rome. 

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.

Students examine the difference between Othello's jealousy and his passion. They create tableaux or living pictures to examine the difference between the two as presented in four of Shakespeare's sonnets. They discuss their findings in...

In this Twelfth Night instructional activity, students fill in phrases which have been left out from Act One, Scene One of Twelfth Night. Instead of filling in Shakespeare's words, kids fill in the given translations for the words in...

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...

Students collaborate in small groups to choose a scene that they write in place of a scene in Shakespeare's play "Julius Caesar". In this dramatic expression lesson, their scripts include roles, lines and stage directions. Students...

In this literature activity, students find the words that are related to the vocabulary of Shakespeare and the answers are found at the bottom of the page.

In this reading and study guide worksheet, students define 5 vocabulary words, define 2 literary terms, and respond to 15 short answer questions pertaining to Act IV of "Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare.

In this reading and study guide worksheet, young scholars define 4 vocabulary words, define 2 literary terms, and respond to 15 short answer questions pertaining to Act V of "Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare.