Shakespeare Outline

Goals of the Study:

A poem is different from other types of text.

Recognize that poets need to notice, wonder, and imagine.
Recognize that poets make choices.
Know that we can engage with poetry be moved by it, laugh, feel sad
or angry, make it come to life.
Use the skill of visualization to comprehend poetry.

Common Core Learning Standards

1W.11
Create and present a poem, dramatization, art work, or personal
response to a particular author or theme studied in class, with support as
needed
1.R.1 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
1.R.4 Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or
appeal to the senses.
1.R.7 Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters,
setting, or events.
1.R.10
With prompting and support, read prose and poetry of
appropriate complexity for grade

Thoughts on Using Shakespeare with Children

From
http://www.laits.utexas.edu/shakespearekids/winedale/teachers/why.php
When children are introduced to Shakespeare in a playful, imaginative way
they respond with real enthusiasm and affection. They laugh at the funny parts.
They get goosebumps at the spooky parts. They are tickled by the strange new
words and the predicaments of the colorful characters.
Children seem to recognize in Shakespeare a kindred spirit: a grown-up who
hasnt forgotten how to play. Remember what it was like to really play hard and
come home all dirty and sweaty and yet energized? Shakespeare does. He plays
with sounds, images, words, actions, plot twists, emotions, historical figures,
mythic archetypes even with the idea of playing, as in A Midsummer Nights
Dream when a group of craftsmen put on a play within the play. He invents and
improvises, then invites us to join in. When given a chance to actively
participate, kids will work hard at this kind of play, in the same way they work
hard at other types of play a game of tag or soccer, a musical performance, a
fantasy Star Wars adventure in the back yard.

The big new words dont faze them in the slightest. Its part of the mystery: a
new code to be broken. Soon they are experts. Its a good feeling to be an
expert in something usually reserved for grown-ups!
When children are engaged in this way, the learning just flows. Work and play
become one. Kids are blissfully unaware that they are exercising all sorts of
essential knowledge and skills, learning about verse, imagery, deduction skills,
reading for meaning, dramatic interpretation, summarization, context clues,
team-building, problem-solving, responsibility and self-discipline, public
speaking, critical listeningThey think theyre just having fun.

Whole Group Lesson I

Show portrait of Shakespeare. Reveal that this is William Shakespeare who
was a playwright, a poet, and an actor. Some would argue he was the
greatest writer, even the greatest poet, in the world. Show students the
volume of his collected works.
Poets must have strong imaginations and be able to visualize scenes in their
mind. (Visualizing is one of the focus skills for the 1st grade shared reading
unit). I am going to describe the setting of one of Shakespeares most
famous plays, A Midsummer Nights Dream. You are going to draw a scene
based on the picture that you create in your mind from listening to me.
Read all details first while students listen/visualize in their minds. Then pass
out paper. Read details slowly so students can draw the details.
The setting for a Midsummer Nights Dream is a forest.
Ivy twists around the trunks of some of the large trees.
The full moon shines.
The forest is a magical place so fairies can be seen fluttering about.
There is a grassy area near the forest, covered in flowersviolets, pink
flowers with yellow centers, roses. A pink thistle has a bumblebee buzzing
above it.
Dew has formed on the grass and glitters in the moonlight.
Closing Shakespeare wrote much of his plays using poetry. Elicit from
students what a poem is (a poem has rhythm--and sometimes rhyme, but a
poem doesnt have to rhyme--, line breaks, creates images in your mind,
feelings in your heart). Save for opening in next class.

Whole Group Lesson II

Today were going to meet a mischievous character from Shakespeares play
A Midsummer Nights Dream. In fact, we are going to become this character.
Remind students what they said a poem is during the last class.
Show students text with picture of Puck and ask them if it is a poem (thumb
up/thumb down):
The mischievous hobgoblin Puck scared the men in the woods. He
yelled at them. He told them that hed chase them through swamps,
bushes, and prickly shrubs. He would change his shape into a horse,
a big dog, a hog, a headless bear, or a burning fire. And he would
neigh, bark, grunt, roar, and burn to scare them. They would see
him wherever they turned.
Show students this text from A Midsummer Nights Dream. Is this a poem?
(thumb up/down)
Puck, Act III, Scene 1
Ill follow you, Ill lead you about, around
Through bog, through bush, through brake, through briar
Sometime a horse Ill be, sometime a hound,
A hog, a headless bear, sometime a fire;
And neigh, and bark, and grunt, and roar, and burn,
Like horse, hound, hog, bear, fire, at every turn!
Brake: thicket, bushes
Briar: prickly shrubs

Were going to bring this poem to life. All of us are going to be Puck. Provide
background as to what speech is about (remind students to visualize):
This play is set in the ancient city of Athens, Greece, long ago. In the play a
number of the people in Athens run off into the woods. Now, one thing they
dont know is that at night, the woods are haunted by fairy spirits, invisible
to the humans. One of the funniest characters in this play is a fairy spirit of
the woods named Puck, like hockey puck. He is the servant and jester to
the King of the Fairies, Oberon. Now Puck is a practical joker. He loves to do
crazy things to make Oberon laugh. So, Puck loves to mess with the humans
he can transform himself into any shape or creature, so hell turn into a
stool to sit on, and an elderly person telling a long story will come to sit on
him, and hell vanish and theyll tumble down on their rear end Or hell
change the road signs in the woods to get people lostSo one night, some

of the characters in the play, a group of craftsmen working on a play for the
Dukes wedding reception, come out to the woods for a midnight rehearsal.
They dont want anyone to get a sneak peek at their play. Well, Puck is
zooming along and happens to see them and decides to watch. He notices
one of the craftsmen, Nick Bottom, playing the lead role in their play. Bottom
loves to act and wants to play all the roles in the play. Puck thinks, Hey, Ive
got a great joke to pull on these guys, and follows Bottom behind some
trees when Bottom exits his first scene. He sneaks up behind Bottom and
POOF turns his head into a donkeys head! Just like that! Bottom doesnt
notice anything different he feels the same, his body and clothes are the
same, his voice is the same but he has the big ears, and the huge head
So when Bottom comes out of the dark woods for his next entrance these
guys just have lanterns, the night is very dark when he emerges, what do
you think his friends do? Right! They panic! If your teacher stepped out the
door and suddenly returned and had the same voice and clothes but a
donkeys head, youd run like crazy! So Bottom cant figure out why the guys
are running away. And as the guys are tearing off into the woods, crashing
through bushes and trees, Puck shouts out a short speech at them,
describing how he is going to scare them even more.
Put speech on Smart Board again. Sit in circle. Each person will receive 2 or 3
words on a card. Read your words and memorize them (put your hand on
your head if you'd like help with your words) We will go around the circle
say your words when its your turn.
First time will probably be a bit halting
Second time ask students to remember they are all one character,
speak smoothly and strongthis character is trying to scare people
Third time Try again with a super strong voice and put feeling into the
words
Last time Tighten up the circle and whisper the speech.
Does anyone have the speech memorized? Give copies for students to take
homeparent letter on back.
Closing: Remind students that visualization and bringing words to life can
help us understand what we read.

SMALL GROUP
At first visit, send home Oberons speechoptional homework to memorize
the speech by 6/16; props are welcome but not necessary
Cycle
1st visit
2nd visit
5/20
Briefly review story of Midsummer
Imagery read Fairy
Nights Dream (might use summary
speech; have students
video from byrdseed.tv)
draw picturewhat
Share Oberons speech - (Listen to
words did Shakespeare
recording on
use to create the image
howtoteachyourchildrenshakespeare.co in your head
m)
Show pictures of the vegetation
mentioned
Students will illustrate the speech
Alternati Briefly review story of Midsummer
Introduce Haiku
ve idea
Nights Dream (might use summary
Write a haiku about the
for 5/20 video from byrdseed.tv)
forest or other favorite
cycle
Share Oberons speech
place
Show pictures of the vegetation
mentioned
Students will illustrate the speech,
focusing on the woods and nature
5/29
Reread Oberons speech
Create choose an
Personification give examples (without object to personify
naming the literary device) from
I am a

Alternati
ve idea
for 5/29
cycle

6/8

6/16

childrens lives (Nemo, Cars, etc.slide

show on slide share), then share
examples from Shakespeare, what is
the author doing? Why? (set mood,
convey idea, have fun with words)

I
I
I
I
I

Reread Oberons speech

Discuss Oberon what is he like? What
is your feeling about him? Why do you
say that? List words that students
mention (mean, hateful, clever, tricky)
Introduce Cinquain
Revisit Oberons speech
Look for rhyming words
Introduce rhyming couplets
Write some together
Revisit Oberons speech
Word Choice - Shakespeare was very
careful about the words he chose.
He used tongue twisters to slow down
the reader of his poetry.
e.g.: where oxlips
weed wide enough to wrap a fairy in
Have students try to say these tongue
twisters fast, several times in a row.
Shakespeare also chose strong words,
like luscious streak
Word choice practice rock words vs.
jewel words
Rock
Jewel
Happy
Overjoyed,
ecstatic
Mad
Angry, furious,
exasperated
Sad
Distraught,
depressed

Write a cinquain about

Oberon together
Then students could
write a cinquain about
someone they know

Oberons speech

am able to
am happy when
am sad when
wish I could
would like to say

Students write their own

rhyming couplets

Lets perform Oberons

speech

I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,

Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,
Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,
With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine:
There sleeps Titania sometime of the night,
Lulled in these flowers with dances and delight;
And there the snake throws her enameled skin,
Weed wide enough to wrap a fairy in:
And with the juice of this Ill streak her eyes,
And make her full of hateful fantasies.

FAIRY speech (speaking to Puck):

Over hill, over dale,
Thorough bush, thorough brier,
Over park, over pale,
Thorough flood, thorough fire,
I do wander everywhere,
Swifter than the moons sphere;
And I serve the fairy queen,
To dew her orbs upon the green.
Farewell, thou lob of spirits; Ill be gone:
Our queen and all our elves come here anon.
http://www.slideshare.net/gherm6/personification-for-first-graders - pictures
of personified objects (familiar characters)
Shakespeare personification examples from A Midsummer Nights Dream:
Titania: I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again:
Mine ear is much enamourd of thy note
Oberon: We the globe can compass soon,
Swifter than the wandering moon.
Fairy: I must go seek some dewdrops here,
And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear.
Helena to Hermia (Act I, scene i):
O that your frowns would teach my smiles such skill!
Helena to Hermia and Lysander (Act I, scene i):

Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind