Shakespeare Through Performance

Unit: Shakespeare Across the Grades

Unit Length: Approximately 6-8 weeks each.

Grades: 10th: Macbeth; 11th: Midsummer Night's Dream; 12th: Hamlet.


Students in grades 9-12 will read Shakespearean plays and learn about the language, dramatic elements, interpretive analysis of the plays through various performance-based activities and assessments. The final assessment will involve a group of students (anywhere from 3-4 students) interpreting specific scenes of the play; re-writing the scenes in modern-day language and performing those scenes accordingly.

Throughout the unit, students will be learning about various dramatic methods that will help them understand the text. They will record their final performance on a video camera and use a rubric to evaluate their performance. The goal is to interpret Shakespearean text through dramatic performance.

The flip camcorders will allow students to record their performance; download the video onto a computer and evaluate their final project. Students will also have various project options and opportunites:

1. Add sound elements to their video performance
2. Visually edit their video
3. Use their video to make improvement to their performance