TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Apr 27, 2025
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An Introduction to Julius Caesar Using Multiple-Perspective Universal Theme Analysis - ReadWriteThink
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): julius caesar (11), plays (32), themes (16)
In the Classroom
Ask students to write an alternate ending to Julius Caesar from the perspective of one of the characters. Challenge students to draw parallels between Julius Caesar and modern political or historical figures. Assign students different themes from the play (such as ambition, betrayal, or loyalty) and have them create a visual collage representing their theme using a resource such as PhotoCollage, reviewed here. Have students create a comic strip and include scenes that could have happened during Roman times using Make Beliefs Comix, reviewed here. Use Printable Comic Strip Templates, reviewed here for rough drafts or classrooms without computers.The Tragedy of Julius Caesar Summary and Analysis - Storyboard That
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): julius caesar (11), plot (15), shakespeare (99)
In the Classroom
Have students create storyboards on Ethos, Pathos, and Logos. Students can compare and contrast two characters on their actions, motivations, etc. Using a resource such as Timeline Infographic Templates, reviewed here create a timeline of Julius Caesar's life events. Create a fictional social media account for one or more of the characters using Fakebook, reviewed here.Julius Caesar - Royal Shakespeare Company
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): julius caesar (11), plays (32), shakespeare (99)
In the Classroom
Divide the class into groups and assign each a key scene to rehearse and perform for the class. Students can work in groups to create a Roman-era newspaper covering the play's events using a resource such as Smore, reviewed here. Select a few students to embody key characters from the play (Brutus, Cassius, Caesar) to play a game of Character Hot Seat. The rest of the class asks these characters questions about their motives, actions, and emotions. This activity helps students delve deeper into character analysis and understand the complex motivations driving the play's events.Shakespeare: Full Circle - NPR
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): characterization (19), plot (15), shakespeare (99), themes (16)
In the Classroom
Break students into groups, assign podcast episodes, and have them discuss how modern themes from the episodes relate to their understanding of Shakespeare's works. Students could choose a character from the podcast episodes and debate their motives, actions, and relevance in today's society. Students could also rewrite and perform a famous Shakespeare scene, incorporating contemporary language and references from the podcast.No Sweat Shakespeare - NoSweat Digital Ltd.
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): ebooks (43), plays (32), shakespeare (99), sonnets (6)
In the Classroom
Have students work in groups to explore major themes in a specific play. Create a game similar to "Taboo" using vocabulary from Shakespeare's plays. Students can work in teams to describe words or phrases related to the plays without using certain "taboo" words. Have students select a scene from one of Shakespeare's plays and rewrite it in modern language. Ask students to create social media profiles for key characters from a chosen play using a resource such as Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here, or Fakebook, reviewed here.Theater & Drama - Crash Course
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): acting (19), plays (32), shakespeare (99)
In the Classroom
Share the Shakespeare videos during a unit on The Bard - or even to recognize his birthday! These videos would be ideal to use for flipped or blended learning. Have students view the videos at home and then use a tool such as Magic School, reviewed here to create instant questions to review the video and use for a quick entrance ticket at the start of the next class.Humy - Humy.ai
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): american revolution (82), art history (102), artificial intelligence (181), authors (107), black history (133), chat (41), civil rights (209), civil war (139), DAT device agnostic tool (147), environment (252), great depression (30), greeks (46), presidents (135), religions (95), renaissance (38), space (220), Teacher Utilities (200), women (151), world war 1 (77), world war 2 (161)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free account provided by Humy to generate conversations on your interactive whiteboard with historical figures to introduce new lessons and units and engage students in upcoming activities. For example, before reading The Giver by Lois Lowry, select her name from the Humies to have a conversation to learn about her inspiration for writing the book and allow students to ask questions about her writing style and how she developed her storytelling skills. Use the chat conversations as a starting point for research projects on historical figures or periods. Ask students to share their projects by creating websites with Google Sites, reviewed here or by using Google My Maps, reviewed here to create an interactive story based on locations on the map.myShakespeare - Richard Clark and Greg Watson
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): england (50), literature (221), plays (32), shakespeare (99)
In the Classroom
This site is a must-have for teachers of Shakespeare! Engage students by sharing the video performances to help students understand key events during any of the plays. Share and point out the glossed (bold) words to help students understand difficult language. Find the tool for glossed words in the top menu to turn it on and off. Have students answer the comprehension questions as a formative assessment for their self-reflection and to guide your lesson planning. This site is perfect for use in remote classrooms or as a flipped learning activity. Assign portions of the text to students to read before class discussions. Using myShakespeare in this way offers many tools for students to view the material in different formats as they complete the reading. Use Padlet, reviewed here to enhance student learning throughout your Shakespeare unit by asking clarifying questions and have students post video responses. This is a link to Padlet's Help section for posting video or an image. Extend learning further by asking students to create short video explainers of different scenes of the play using Adobe Express Video Maker, reviewed here.Great Performances: Shakespeare - PBS Learning Media
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): england (50), literature (221), plays (32), poetry (194), shakespeare (99), sonnets (6)
In the Classroom
Incorporate the videos and lessons from this site into your current Shakespeare lessons. Instead of written responses for portions of your assignments, have students use a video response tool like Gravity, reviewed here to share answers. Upon completion of your Shakespeare unit, instead of a written test or research project, ask students to create a digital book using an online tool like Ourboox, reviewed here. Have students include images, videos, and their written work to create the book.Shakespeare Quotes - eNotes
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): hamlet (8), literary devices (13), macbeth (9), novels (34), plays (32), quotations (19), shakespeare (99)
In the Classroom
Share a link to this site on your class webpage for students to access at any time. Have students use this site as a model for creating their own explanation of quotes from Shakespeare (or any piece of literature). Encourage students to find a suitable quote to introduce their persuasive piece. Have students upload a photo they have taken and add voice bubbles to explain what they learned about Shakespeare using a tool such as Phrase.it, reviewed here. Challenge students to create a fictional Facebook account about a character in a Shakespeare play. Use the Fakebook, reviewed here.Shakespeare Uncovered - WNET
Grades
8 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): hamlet (8), macbeth (9), plays (32), shakespeare (99)
In the Classroom
Enjoy the wealth of material put together for you and your students! Share the videos with your students on your projector or whiteboard. Flip your classroom and assign students to view the video at home and be prepared to discuss the next day in class. To make sure students are prepared use Acclaim, reviewed here to add questions to the video. (Most videos are between 45 - 60 minutes.) Use this program as a "background knowledge" builder before having the students read the play. Whether choosing your favorite play or the one that your district requires, you and your students are sure to enjoy this current, relevant look at Shakespeare.Shakespeare Bookshelf - IPl2: Drexel-College of Information Science & Technology
Grades
7 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): literature (221), shakespeare (99)
In the Classroom
Students and teachers will enjoy using this Shakespeare offering because it is just "As You Like It"! Include this site on your classroom web page to provide students, parents, and yourself ease of access to reputable on-line versions of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and all the other literary works. This website will come in handy for projecting text on your classroom whiteboard to highlight, compare, and interpret particular scenes and lines. If you assign students to create multimedia interpretations of sonnets or passages from the plays, this is a great way to find copy/pasteable text. Two tool suggestions that give students a choice of projects to complete are Genially, reviewed here and Sway, reviewed here. Both Sway and Genially will allow your students to create multimedia projects.Shakespeare - Myvocabulary.com
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): literature (221), shakespeare (99), vocabulary (238)
In the Classroom
Have students work in cooperative learning groups, divide up the vocabulary words, and have each group responsible to find the definitions for their assigned vocabulary words. Enhance learning by having the groups share their words and definitions in an online book, using a tool such as Bookemon, reviewed here. Have the groups share the online books on your interactive whiteboard or projector and embed them in a class wiki. And of course, don't miss the interactive word puzzles! This is a great addition to a unit on Shakespeare or even character education.The Shakespeare Mystery - WBGH Educational Foundation
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): acting (19), elizabethan (13), mysteries (23), shakespeare (99), writing (324)