What teaching methods can we use to teach Shakespearean plays more effectively?

Before Reading Strategies (Purpose: Frontloading, Connections, Skills for Tool-belt)  Read texts with similar issues/themes  Teach how to identify word parts and context clues  Teach about Shakespeare as a writer, the time period, history of play

During Reading Strategies (Purpose: Increase comprehension, engagement, scaffolding)  Literature Circles  Dissection skills: one line at a time, break down scenes into smaller pieces based on changes in emotion or action  Read summary of scene or “No Fear Shakespeare” version before reading original text.  Create visual maps- connections between characters or timeline of plot

After Reading Strategies (Purpose: Review, retaining learned information and ideas)  Watch movie versions of play: Teach point- of-view/time period by setting classroom up like Globe Theatre-pit, gallery, and balcony  Student performances

Assessment Ideas (Purpose: Incorporation of technology, creativity, and student choice)  Download a scene from a movie version of the play onto iMovie, remove the audio track, use the microphone to record a narrative commentary to go along with the scene  Either create an original composition or match existing pieces of current or classical songs to a scene in the play  Create a video that focuses on one theme from the play by combining popular movie clips, songs, and personal performances of scenes from the play  Create a video of a scene from the play using only audio like voices, music, and sound effects