DWP "Teaching Shakespeare" Workshop

You may have heard that Shakespeare is visiting South Dakota this spring as part of a nation-wide tour (if not, click here to read my previous post about it), and while you probably won't be able to make all of the events during the First Folio's 27-day visit to USD's National Music Museum, this might be the one to put on your calendar.

On Saturday, March 12, the Dakota Writing Project is offering a FREE "Teaching Shakespeare" workshop. It is a five-hour commitment, unless you add in the commute to-and-from USD. Here's what the DWP has to say about the workshop:

“Teaching Shakespeare: Bring the Folio Experience into your Classroom"

Dakota Writing Project Workshop

Saturday, March 12, 2016
10am-3pm
Cost: FREE!

"At whatever level you teach Shakespeare, come to this workshop, share your expertise, and learn new ways to approach Shakespeare in the classroom. Workshop facilitated by Darlene Farabee (Associate Professor, Department of English, USD). The Workshop includes continental breakfast, lunch, tour of the First Folio!exhibition, and supporting materials for classroom exercises. Spaces for the workshop are limited."

I realize the description is not very in-depth, but I have participated in two DWP experiences in the past, and they have been some of the best PD I have received. If you are at all interested, please consider attending! Plus, it is free!

Space is limited, so you will want to register soon if you are interested. Fill out the online registration here.

Shakespeare in South Dakota!

Did you hear?!

SHAKESPEARE IS COMING TO SOUTH DAKOTA!!!

That's how I picture your reaction, anyway. Shakespeare being, of course, the English teacher's Beatles...You squealed when you read that line up above, right?

Even if your squeal was more of an "Oooo!" or just a "hmmm" like the girl on the right, you may want to keep reading because this is pretty cool.

2016 marks the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death. To celebrate, the Folger Shakespeare Library is sending out four of its 82 copies of Shakespeare's First Folio to tour the United States. For South Dakotans, that means 27 days of a copy on display at USD's National Music Museum and a plethora of Shakespearean events to commemorate the occasion. (This is starting to remind me of Sir Nicholas' deathday party in Harry Potter...)

The Folger traveling exhibit, First Folio! The Book that Gave Us Shakespeare, includes an interactive display along with a copy of the the First Folio. USD's NMM will host the exhibit from March 7 - April 2, 2016. During that time, USD and the Vermillion community will also host Elizabethan/Shakespeare-related concerts, movies, lectures, and family events, most of which will be free to the public. Click here to see the full schedule of events.

Also, USD's Shakespeare Folio website provides some useful pieces for the classroom. First, it offers a brief history of the book and connects learners to more information via the Folger's website. Second, Darlene Farabee, Chair of the USD Department of English, speaks to students about Shakespeare and his book through three quick videos: "Shakespeare's Connection to Music," "What is the Shakespeare Folio," and "Why is Shakespeare Important?" (Scroll to the bottom of the website to locate the videos.)

Was I right? Pretty cool? Maybe I'm in the dark on this one, but this is the first Folio visit to SD of which I am aware, and I am hoping to catch a glimpse of this historical book. USD is just a wee bit closer than the Folger Shakespeare Library in D.C. Let me know if you want to carpool!

Fate-Led Critical Thinking?

Remember making these? Origami fortune tellers (aka cootie-catchers) were all the rage back in, what...middle school? Maybe further back in elementary school? Bet you didn't anticipate that they would make a comeback as an interesting way to approach critical thinking!

The inspiration for this post came from a Romeo and Juliet lesson I saw by Creative English Classroom on Teachers Pay Teacher. (For $1, you can get her digital template, but you can easily make your own for free.)

The origami fortune teller fits quite nicely with a story like Romeo and Juliet where fate, destiny, the stars, and the like play (possibly) a large role. Students use the fortune teller (fate?) to lead them towards critical thinking questions about the text. It could be used as an actual in-class activity (a humorous way to approach pod discussions?) or the fortune teller could be available for those who finish early and need something productive to occupy their time.

If it has been a while since you last made one (or if you have never made one!), follow these folding instructions. (If you don't have square paper, you can start with a normal 8 1/2 x 11. Once you do the first large triangle fold, cut off the extra paper above the folded section.) Follow the directions through step 11 ("Write the numbers 1-8...") and then adapt according to your needs. Suggestions for adapting follow the illustrated instructions.

Possible Adaptation:

In step 12 ("Add your 8 fortunes..."), replace the fortunes with your set of critical thinking questions.

In step 13, replace the color or object with a symbol or word pertinent to your lesson. (For Romeo and Juliet, it could be character names, the family names, or words such as love, hate, fate, etc.)

Possible critical thinking statements/questions for Romeo and Juliet fortune tellers can be found in this previous post. The critical thinking questions listed below are adapted from questions I've used in the past and the Teachers Pay Teacher lesson. Really, you could use any set of questions.

• Was Juliet's nurse a good friend? What does she (or doesn't she) do to make you feel that way?
• Do Romeo and Juliet truly fall in love? What is your definition of love? How do they fit (or not fit) your definition?
• Do Juliet's parents truly love her? Why or why not?
• Who/what is most at fault for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet? Why?
• How could Romeo's parents have handled the situation better? How could Juliet's parents have handled the situation better?
• What would be the best alternate ending to Romeo and Juliet? Would your ending improve the play? Why or why not?
• What is Friar Lawrence's biggest mistake?
• Which character makes the wisest decisions throughout the play? Explain the wisdom behind the decisions.

Opinionated Romeo and Juliet Discussion Statements

I came across a few opinionated statements regarding Romeo and Juliet this afternoon, and it occurred to me that they could be great fodder for Socratic Circles or pod discussions. They are worded in a way that students would be apt to respond strongly one way or another. Plus, they would have to practice bringing evidence to the table. Without further ado, here are the (mostly) statements from Trent Lorcher at BrightHubEducation:

• Love vs. Lust: Romeo and Juliet are obsessed, infatuated, out of control, and irrational. Sounds like lust to me.

• Prejudice: The feuding families create tension and conflict, not unlike feuding cultures in today's society.

• The Role of Fate: Shakespeare calls the two lovers "star-crossed." Does fate, however, play a greater role than the numerous stupid choices made by Romeo and Juliet?

• Book Smarts vs. Street Smarts: Friar Lawrence knew a lot. Most of it was useless. After all, he had no real world experience. He just walked around all day collecting herbs.

• Suicide: It's the gigantic green elephant in the room. You might as well talk about it.

• The Role of Women: Verona society did not hold much for women, which makes Juliet's strength stand out even more.

• The Role of a Husband: Romeo's weakness dooms the relationship from the start.

• Friendship: Romeo's friend, Mercutio, causes his banishment. His other friend, Friar Lawrence, causes his death. Juliet's friend, the Nurse, abandons her in her time of need.

• Communication: Juliet and her father need to sit down and have a nice long talk.

Happy discussing!

Shakespeare: Uncovered (Season 2)

PBS is in the midst of a second season of Shakespeare: Uncovered. A series of six episodes, PBS has paired well-known faces who have experienced Shakespearean theatre first hand with their respective plays. Tonight's episodes feature Morgan Freeman with Taming of the Shrew (9 pm CST) and David Harewood with Othello (10 pm CST). If you are unable to tune-in tonight, PBS does offer the videos free online after they have aired. PBS also has various resources available for each episode. Both videos and resources can be found here.

Still to come in season two are Antony and Cleopatra and Romeo and Juliet, which will both air next week on February 13 starting at 9 pm CST.  Last week's episodes, A Midsummer Night's Dream and King Lear, can be viewed at the PBS website.

Other Shakespeare-based resources can be found on the PBS Shakespeare: Uncovered - Education page. These cover topics such as character analysis, women in disguise in Shakespearean comedies, the use of soliloquy, and moral/ethical dilemmas within Shakespearean characters, just to name a few.

Season one is also available online and includes Macbeth, the comedies, Richard II, Henry IV & V, Hamlet, and The Tempest.

Stop Motion Illustrated Poetry (and One Short Story)

BetsiePieBaker's YouTube channel, "Some Poetry For You," features stop motion illustrated readings of the poetry (and one short story - "The Gift of the Magi"...English I teachers!) listed below. I had the opportunity to see Shakespeare's "Sonnet 73" in action last week, and the students responded really well to the interpretation. They had already read and discussed the sonnet, and they seemed to appreciate the visual representation created by the stop motion illustrations. BetsiePieBaker's current offerings include:

• "I am Nobody" by Emily Dickinson
• "This Is Just to Say" by William Carlos Williams
• "To a Friend who Sent Me some Roses" by John Keats
• "who knows if the moon's" by e.e.cummings
• "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost
• "Sonnet 73"  by Shakespeare
• "Discovery" by Elizabeth Keller
• "In Defense of Seasonal Poetry" by Elizabeth Keller
• "Shooting Stars" by Sara Henreckson
• "Holy Sonnet 10: Death, Be Not Proud" by John Donne
• "Fern Hill" by Dylan Thomas.
• "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry

Shake It Up...TED-Ed Style

Did I get you singing Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off," which seems to be everywhere right now?

This post actually has nothing to do with that song. (Sorry if it is now in your head...)

TED-Ed recently posted two Shakespeare-based lessons. Each lesson includes lesson ideas to go along with the posted video clips. The lesson segments are: Watch, Think, Dig Deeper, and Discuss. Educators can also take the TED-Ed lesson, customize it, and share it on the lesson site. (The first one currently has 27 versions shared; the second has 47.)

Poetry, Pentameter, & Pirates: Why Shakespeare Loved Iambic Pentameter (~ 6 min) This lesson focuses on the meters and references both Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet.

The Great Conspiracy Against Julius Caesar (~ 6 min) For those opting to do Julius Caesar instead of Macbeth, this clip offers some insight into why the whole event happened.