British Council
William Shakespeare
After watching a three-minute video detailing the life of William Shakespeare, scholars take part in several activities designed to show what they know about the famous writer. Learners read a series of eight sentences and put them in...
Fluence Learning
Writing Informative Text: Did Shakespeare Write Shakespeare?
William Shakespeare penned some of the richest and most fascinating works of literature—or did he? Middle schoolers read three brief informative passages and conduct additional research to evaluate the claim that Shakespeare did not...
Penguin Books
A Teacher's Guide to the Signet Classic Edition of William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar
Are the lessons of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar still applicable today? Explore themes, characterization, and plot structure with a thorough teacher's guide to the play. The resource covers the entire text and offers rigorous activities...
Curated OER
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
"It is my lady, O, It is my Love!" Provide class members an opportunity to develop their skills reading difficult text with an exercise that focuses on the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet (Act II, scene ii). Using the provided...
PBS
Shakespeare & The Renaissance: Activity Ideas
Looking for ways to implement the words and works of William Shakespeare into your curriculum? This list of activity ideas is a great starting point, as it covers a wide range of grade levels and a wealth of online references to explore.
Prestwick House
Macbeth
Double the enjoyment of the Scottish play with a crossword puzzle based on Shakespeare's Macbeth. The activity tasks readers to identify characters and events and to fill in the missing words from Shakespeare's tragedy about the...
British Council
Romeo and Juliet
An engaging video featuring William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is accompanied by six activities designed to reinforce vocabulary, story elements, and comprehension. Scholars match words to pictures, place events in sequential order,...
Prestwick House
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Lovers, madmen, and readers of A Midsummer Night's Dream will need seething brains to complete a crossword puzzle designed for Shakespeare's engaging comedy.
Prestwick House
Romeo and Juliet
What is the setting of Romeo and Juliet? Who is the rich count who wants to marry Juliet? The 24 clues in a crossword puzzle test readers' knowledge of the events in Shakespeare's famous play of two young star-crossed lovers.
Prestwick House
Othello
Oh, beware, reader of the clues in a Othello crossword puzzle. What you know of Shakespeare's tragic tale of the Moor, his wife Desdemona, and the manipulative Iago, you know. Or you just might have to use the text of Othello to find the...
Green Hope High School
Close Readings from The Tempest + New World Readings
What was Shakespeare's intent? That is the question at the heart of a summer assignment designed for AP English Literature. Class members focus on five scenes from The Tempest and compare the interactions of Prospero, Caliban,...
British Council
Twelfth Night
Scholars experience Shakespeare's, Twelfth Night, with an engaging interactive. After watching the story, six activities extend the learning experience. Topics include characters, vocabulary, a sequence of events, comprehension, and...
Prestwick House
Julius Caesar
Learners won't consider a practice crossword puzzle on Shakespeare's Julius Caesar proves to be the unkindest cut of all. As they complete the puzzle, high schoolers review key concepts and characters from the play, checking both...
Gottlieb
Kennings vs. Stock Epithets – A Quick Review
Bone-crusher. Troll-wife. Battle-sweat. Blood-worm. What study of Beowulf would be complete without offering readers of this Old English epic poem an opportunity to craft their own kennings and epithets? Provide individuals with a copy...
Curated OER
As You Like It Word Plays
Students explore and analyze the sounds and shapes of the words used in Shakespeare's works They participate in a charades-like memorization exercise in which they create "word plays" for each of the words in the monologue.
Curated OER
Children's Literature Across the Curriculum Ideas-Shakespeare and Macbeth: The Story Behind the Play
Students read Shakespeare and Macbeth: The Story Behind the Play by Stewart Ross. They complete a variety of cross-curricular activities surrounding the play and Shakespearian culture. Included are reading, art, math, science, writing,...
Shmoop
ELA.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.9
As the saying goes: there are no new stories. Standard 9 for reading literature in the Common Core addresses this fact and requires that students be able to analyze how authors use the themes, stories, and characters of earlier works....
Curated OER
"Set Your Heart At Rest" Word Plays
Learners read Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream." They create a dramatic reading of Titania's monologue in Act II by randomly assigning words of the monologue that are demonstrated using sound and movement, not the actual words. ...
Curated OER
"Here's much to do with hate, but more with love": The Prologue in Romeo and Juliet
Students participate in a guide close reading of the Prologue to Romeo and Juliet. They write a prologue sonnet to another piece of literature they have read.
Shmoop
ELA.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.4
Although it does not properly address how to use the Common Core standard, this resource does provide a decent writing prompt that explores how minor characters influence Hamlet's decisions throughout the play. The prompt can be used for...
Curated OER
Writing Process
Students read Macbeth and work in groups to organize and create an outline for a persuasive essay. In this persuasive essay lesson, students work in tiered learning groups to organize their thoughts for a persuasive thesis about the...
Curated OER
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's Tortured Sonnet
Students read four of Shakespeare's sonnets and determine whether they are read from Macbeth's or Lady Macbeth's point of view. They support their decision using evidence from the text.
Curated OER
MND Sound Ball Activity
Learners are introduced to Act II, scene 1, lines 188-244 of "A Midsummer Night's Dream." They explore and analyze how dramatic lines can have varied interpretations by playing a game of sound ball utilizing a list of vocabulary words...
Curated OER
Dropping-in a Line
Learners read any play (A Midsummer Night's Dream, for example.) They participate in a teacher-led relaxation exercise designed to help the students review specific lines from the play. They write about the experience and answer other...