Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

ReadWriteThink offers a comprehensive lesson plan titled "An Introduction to Julius Caesar Using Multiple-Perspective Universal Theme Analysis." This resource helps students explore the play through a thematic lens, emphasizing how power, loyalty, and ambition play out in different characters' perspectives. The lesson guides students to analyze key scenes and speeches, encouraging critical thinking and discussion. It also includes activities such as group work and text analysis to engage students in understanding Shakespeare's themes and their relevance today. The plan is designed to be adaptable for middle and high school classrooms.

tag(s): julius caesar (11), plays (32), themes (16)

This page from Storyboard That provides resources for teaching Julius Caesar in a classroom setting, including customizable lesson plans, pre-made activities, and engaging visuals. Teachers can use storyboards to help students break down complex scenes, explore character motivations, and understand themes. The activities focus on key elements such as plot diagramming, character analysis, and vocabulary building, making it a versatile tool for guiding students through Shakespeare's famous play. Additionally, the platform allows for creative expression by having students create their own visual summaries or alternative endings.

tag(s): julius caesar (11), plot (15), shakespeare (99)

The Royal Shakespeare Company's Julius Caesar learning section offers a wealth of resources for teachers looking to introduce Shakespeare's play to their students. The site includes detailed lesson plans, videos, and activities to help students engage with the text, understand key themes, and explore character development. The resources support a deeper comprehension of the play's political and moral dilemmas with interactive tools like scene analysis and relevant background information. Teachers can use these materials to bring the drama of Shakespeare's world to life, making Julius Caesar accessible and relevant to all learners. If your district blocks YouTube, then the videos may not be viewable.

tag(s): julius caesar (11), plays (32), shakespeare (99)

Dive into Shakespeare with NPR's Shakespeare: Full Circle, a podcast that unpacks the timeless works through modern lenses. Perfect for educators looking to enliven their classroom discussions, this series explores themes, characters, and plots in a way that resonates with today's students. From the famous soliloquies to the nuances of Shakespeare's lesser-known plays, this podcast offers valuable insights and fresh perspectives for teaching classic literature.

tag(s): characterization (19), plot (15), shakespeare (99), themes (16)

Unlock the wonders of Shakespeare in your classroom with No Sweat Shakespeare--a teacher's go-to resource for bringing the Bard to life. This website offers modern, student-friendly translations of Shakespeare's most famous plays, making his complex language accessible and engaging for learners of all ages. From detailed summaries and character analyses to lesson plans and quizzes, No Sweat Shakespeare provides everything you need to help your students appreciate Shakespeare's timeless works. If your district blocks YouTube, then the videos may not be viewable.
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tag(s): ebooks (43), plays (32), shakespeare (99), sonnets (6)

Theater and Drama, from Crash Course, offers a collection of YouTube videos related to many famous (and not-so-famous) dramas. Find video titles, such as Shakespeare's Tragedies and an Acting Lesson, The Spanish Golden Age, Greek Comedy, Satyrs, and Aristophanes, among many others. The videos include a short paragraph describing the content; some also have lesson stems. What a great collection for secondary English teachers or anyone looking for short videos related to Shakespeare and the history of drama. Be aware - some of the videos include short advertisements before they begin. As these videos are hosted on YouTube, if your school does not allow YouTube, this site would not work well for you. There is an option on the site to download the video to view off of YouTube.
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tag(s): acting (19), plays (32), shakespeare (99)

Chat with over 1,000 historical figures, from Tutankhamun to Michael Jackson, with Humy's chatbots, or Humies. Create an account, then visit the Humies to search for specific characters or scroll through options that include diverse groups such as Greek Gods and Space Exploration. Select a character to begin your conversation and ask questions. Additional tools found on Humy include lesson planning and question generation tools. Visit the collections to find options to edit and share curated collections. The free subscription consists of 800 messages (renewed monthly, approximately 25-30 chat conversations) and access to over 40 history collections; however, activating a collection uses many more credits than individual chat conversations.

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myShakespeare provides interactive content, including videos and study tools to accompany six of the most well-known Shakespeare plays. In addition to the play's complete text, the supplemental materials include video performances of key scenes, character discussions, complete audio recordings, and pop-up notes that share insight into the literary devices used within the text. Another option includes viewing portions of each play in modern language to help guide comprehension of the material. The Notebook portion of the site offers study tools that have comprehension questions and includes the ability for students to highlight and annotate the text. Finished notebooks can be saved, shared, and exported to teacher accounts. Select any play to begin; at the top of the page, you will find links to the materials, including a summary, the number of videos, toggle glossed words on or off (alternative words for items in the text), and notebook activities. Then, as you scroll through the page, available items appear next to the selected area on the right and left side of the screen. Use the links to share to your Google Classroom account as desired.

tag(s): england (50), literature (221), plays (32), shakespeare (99)

PBS LearningMedia presents Great Performances, a performing arts series with a worldwide range of performing arts specials. This collection includes classroom-ready resources from several productions, including''?'Shakespeare Uncovered,'''?Romeo & Juliet,'''?Much Ado About Nothing,'''?Merry Wives,'''?Making Shakespeare: The First Folio, and'''?Hamlet. The series of lessons uses a media gallery and video segments to tell the stories behind some of Shakespeare's greatest plays. Choose any link to access the full lesson including suggestions for use, links to PDF forms, and introductory through culminating activities. Use links to assign to students in Google Classroom or share with social media links.

tag(s): england (50), literature (221), plays (32), poetry (194), shakespeare (99), sonnets (6)

If you teach Shakespeare, you'll want to check out these explanations of over 200 Shakespeare Quotes. Each quote contains an explanation of the meaning of the quote along with the context used within the play. Tags below each explanation lead to additional quotes with a similar theme.

tag(s): hamlet (8), literary devices (13), macbeth (9), novels (34), plays (32), quotations (19), shakespeare (99)

PBS LearningMedia's Shakespeare Uncovered is a collection of resources, including videos and discussion questions, that delve into Shakespeare's history, context, and relevance of Shakespeare's greatest plays. It explores the stories behind Shakespeare's plays, incorporating history, biography, iconic performances, new analysis, and the perspectives of celebrated hosts. There are plenty of interesting lesson plans such as The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Shakespeare's Characters, Supernatural Elements in Shakespeare, In Shakespeare's Time are just a few interesting titles. Click Episodes on the bottom menu to view rare footage from some renowned productions, including Taming of the Shrew with commentary by Morgan Freeman. The series is built on interviews with actors, directors and scholars, clips from screen versions of the plays. PBS LearningMedia's "Shakespeare Uncovered" series offers a variety of resources, including lesson plans and classroom activities, that can be used as a teacher's guide. These resources provide engaging ways to bring Shakespeare's works to life for students of all ages. PBS LearningMedia also provides a Shakespeare Uncovered Viewing Guide.
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tag(s): hamlet (8), macbeth (9), plays (32), shakespeare (99)

This attractive library of Shakespeare's literary works is organized just as you want it: each poem, comedy, history, and tragedy is bound in its own volume and placed in alphabetical order on the appropriate shelf of the bookcase. The titles link to the 1914 edition of The Oxford Shakespeare at Bartleby and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare from Jeremy Hylton at MIT. This is truly a delight for librarians, English teachers, or any lover of literature! You can find the actual text of any Shakespeare work.
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tag(s): literature (221), shakespeare (99)

As part of their extensive site for vocabulary, roots, and more, MyVocabulary.com has added a themed area for Shakespeare. Find interactive vocabulary activities using Shakespeare vocabulary words. You will also find printable crosswords, fill in the blanks and more, all using the same theme words. This and other "themes" available on the site will make vocabulary development fun.

tag(s): literature (221), shakespeare (99), vocabulary (238)

Since almost every high school reads Shakespeare, the look at the man himself and the controversies surrounding him make fascinating study for students and pull them into the Elizabethan world (generally making study of the plays more interesting!). You will need to click the TEXT VERSION of this site to get links that work. Originally aired in April 1989 (and no longer available for purchase), this site offers the text and links to the fascinating debate of whether Shakespeare was the man from Stratford or really an intimate of Elizabeth I, the Earl of Oxford. It is divided into three sections: The Debate Continues, Updates, and Shakespeare on the Web. In a related report, the site looks at Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe as contemporaries, rivals, or being the same man.

tag(s): acting (19), elizabethan (13), mysteries (23), shakespeare (99), writing (324)