Teacher Page

Despite the fact that the works of William Shakespeare have been read for hundreds of years by people all over the planet, students are very often reluctant to begin a unit on Shakespeare.  The writing style and language are difficult to read and far more difficult to comprehend.  Even so, his works are still read, performed, and referenced by countless authors, screen writers, and song writers, including rappers.  There must be a reason.  Before we begin any of his works, my students must attempt to answer why we should even bother.

General Goals

Introduce Shakespeare as a person and playwrite

Emphasize the relation between Shakespeare and today's culture

Engage the learner

Learner Description

The activities in this web are designed specifically for 8th grade students who have not yet studied Shakespeare.  Students who have not had much experience browsing the web or working on their own may have trouble completing the activities in this web without additional preparation.

Subject Matter

"Shakespeare: What's the point?" - 8th Grade Language Arts - 1st time Shakespeare readers.

Objectives

Students will be able to list 3 facts about Shakespeare's life.

Students will be able to use websites and other online sources to find basic facts about Shakespeare's life.

Students will be able to appreciate the value of reading Shakespeare.

Students will be able to list and explain 3 reasons why we should read Shakespeare.

Prerequisites

Use a web browser and search engines

Use Microsoft Excel to create a chart

Read at least at a 5th grade level

Be curious about why we read what we read

Aims

The "Shakespeare: What's the Point?" web aims to promote new Shakespeare readers' understanding of his contributions to a variety of today's popular culture in order to accept and appreciate why his works are still being read today.