Twelfth Night
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Taming of the
Shrew Quiz and
Trivia games
Shakespeare
Timeline
Plays
World History
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Shakespeare
Timeline
Lesson Plans
Lesson Plan 1:  Creative Writing                                         

Why say it simply when you can jazz it up, Shakespeare Style?
Shakespeare never took the easy way out when he wrote.  He tried to make even the most
commonplace statements elegant and poetical.  

Read the quotes from the plays below and try to figure out the simple meaning of the lines.

1.        The iron tongue of midnight hath told twelve.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Act v. Sc. 1.

_______________________________________________________________________  


2.         A goodly apple rotten at the heart:
O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath!
The Merchant of Venice. Act i. Sc. 3.

_______________________________________________________________________

3.        And he will make the face of heaven so fine
That all the world will be in love with night,
And pay no worship to the garish sun.
Romeo and Juliet. Act iii. Sc. 2.

________________________________________________________________________

4.        Night’s candles are burnt out, and jocund day
Stands tiptoe on the misty mountain-tops.
Romeo and Juliet. Act iii. Sc. 5.

________________________________________________________________________

Write your own Shakespearean version of the statements below:

It is very cold outside.

________________________________________________________________________

The night was dark and stormy.


________________________________________________________________________

The dog would not stop barking at the cat.

Lesson plan 3 -  
Hut Hut!  How is Theater like
Football?   
     Grade level:  6-12

Producing a play takes many people with different skill
sets.  If you look at the jobs that make up a football team,
you will find a coach, a quarterback, regular players and  
special teams.  Players set aside many hours of practice
to prepare for the big game.
Theater is not so very different.  Look at the pairs of jobs
below then draw a line from the football jobs to the theater
job that most closely match.

Coach/Director
A football coach can be compared to the director of a
play.  The coach plans the strategy, picks players and
calls the plays during the game.  The director in a
Theatrical production selects the play to be performed;
she picks the actors and directs them throughout the
rehearsal period.

Quarterback/Lead Actor
In football, the quarterback is the lead team member.  He
sets the example for the entire team and carries the
game through his quick wits and knowledge of the
opposition.  The Lead Actor in a play carries the weight of
having the most lines and usually carrying the largest
emotional or physical burden of the play.  

Football players/Actors
Members of a football team follow the coach’s directions;
memorize plays and practice in order to hone their
football skills.  They occasionally study ballet or yoga to
build stamina and flexibility.  Actors in a play take direction
from the director.  They memorize their lines and learn
their blocking (which movements go with which lines in
the play) they learn new skills like Fencing, dance,
singing and foreign accents.

Special Teams/Technical Crew
Special teams in the game of Football such as kick off
teams, punt return and the field goal teams all have very
specialized jobs.   They must be practiced and ready to go
at a moment’s notice. In a play, the Technical Crew is
made up of the Sound, Lighting, Construction, Costume
and Hair/Make-up crews.  Each crew learns specialized
jobs and a play cannot be performed without these crews
working in unison with the actors and the director.  

Referee/Producer
The referee’s job is to make sure that the game goes
according to the rules of the game.  Referees need to
learn the complex rules of the game and enforce them
without playing favorites.  A Theatrical Producer’s job is to
make sure that the play is following the budget set up for
the play.  A budget is the amount of money set aside to
pay for everything from the actor’s pay, the costumes,
theater rental, and technical staff.  The producer needs to
make sure that the entire cast and crew follow the rules of
the budget so that the play makes money.

Draw a line from the Football job to the
matching Theater job.

Football                           Theater  
Coach                                Producer
Punt Return                       Lead Actor
Quarterback                       Actors
Referee                              Director
Football Players                 Sound Director
Click here for
Lamb's The Taming
of the Shrew
Teacher Resources
for Shakespeare from the
Folger Shakespeare Library

Click here to go to the Folger
Teacher Resources
Lamb's Tales from
Shakespeare.  Classic
retelling of the stories from
Shakespeare's plays for
children
Click here for
Tales of
Shakespeare for
children.
Click on the box to the right to go to The
Tales of Shakespeare  for children link
. This
link takes you to a website where
Shakespeare's play of The Taming of the
Shrew as well as many others are translated
to help children understand and follow along.
Signet Classic
Teacher's Manual
to The Taming Of
The Shrew
Click here
for the PBS
site
Click the box to the right to access
the excellent website from Public
Broadcasting System.  This site
includes multi media and lesson
plans
Click here for E
Notes' Study
Guide
Click the box on the right to link to the
E-Notes site.  It contains a complete set of
study materials, lesson plans and quizzes
for Much Ado About Nothing.
Field Trips & Classroom Visits
Ye Olde Extra Credit                                Ye Olde Resource Center
Shakespeare in the Park
Free Student Shows
Bustin' it Big Willy Style
Free School Shows

will be re-scheduled due to cold
weather predicted for this week.
email us at
shakesmiami@gmail.com
if you want to participate.

watch this space for more
information.
Attention Teachers:   
Space is limited. Sign up now.

B
For directions to the Coconut Grove show
and to register,  click
 HERE              
This fast paced and entertaining morning with
Shakespeare Miami will encourage your students
discover more about classical literature as we
bombard them with scenes from Shakespeare,
exploration of literature and just plain fun.

Grades:   
Middle School:  Advanced Language & Theatre Arts
High School Language Arts and Theatre Arts
Gifted 6th Graders
only if there is one chaperon per 10 students

Jobs in the Theatre Covered:
Actor, Director, Producer, Lighting and Sound
Directors,  Crew Positions, Electrician, Costume
and Set Designers.
Fun Stuff:
Student participation,  Sword fighting/ stage
combat demonstration
Q&A with Cast and Crew
Students receive:  
Free VIP area passes for them and their families to
attend the free mainstage production of Macbeth.

Click here for More Information on the
program and directions to the shows
The 2010 Mainstage Production is
The Taming of the Shrew
Good Things to be aware of for
the Field Trips:
Students are encouraged to bring their
lunches and enjoy a picnic at the Barnacle in
Coconut Grove or in Young Circle Park in
Hollywood
Each of the parks does not provide seats for
the shows.  Students should bring a towel or
something to sit on.  Some teachers bring a
roll or trash bags for their students to sit on.

Teachers who do not supervise their
students will be hung by their thumbs.
Then we will give each student a loud
whistle to take home.
MACBETH
RAP
 
There was a Scottish brother
by the name of Macbeth
He wore a giant helmet
and he had terrible breath

He was loyal, he was good,
he was a thug for his king  
And he never even wondered
what tomorrow would bring

When the Scotts had a turf war
against the Norway gang
He chopped them and he stabbed them
Macbeth blew them all away

He was out on the moors
just a washing off  the gore
he saw the 3 Wyrd Sisters,  
And said “I want to know some more”
They look weird, they got beards
they got creepy kinds of bodies

The sisters say  - Macbeth you know
this ain't our little hobby
We look into the future and yours looks kind of
tight
Hang on you freaky Scotsman
cuz you’re going for a ride

You’re the thane of  Glamis - now don’t you frown,
you'll be the Thane of Cawdor
then You're gunning for the crown

Macbeth wrote a letter and told his wife
That the witches had predicted
that his future was bright
She was happy she was psyched
she was totally down
She wondered how she’d look
when she was wearin’ the crown

King Duncan came to visit
and she made her move
Macbeth you big old dummy
better get in the groove
You’re a wussy, you’re a baby,
your’re a terrible wimp,
Get your daggers -  kill the King -  
and you're my number one pimp.

King Duncan he was murdered
and his sons became afraid
Malcom went to England so
he could  fight another day

Now Macbeth was the King
but he wasn’t really thrilled
He was worried about Banquo
and if  he should be killed.

The witches were just grooving
they  was gettin kind of bored
so Macbeth went back to see them
and he  took his big sword

They were chantin they were cookin
they were beatin on their drums
By the pricking of my  thumbs
something wicked this way comes
double double toil and trouble
fire burn and cauldron bubble
mmmmm love to love ya baby

They said he was invincible
and couldn’t come to harm
he wouldn't get killed
by any man to woman born

He wouldn’t loose a battle
til the woods got up and walked
and he know he was safe
unless Lady M  talked

Now Lady M was going  crazy
cuz her hands she couldn’t clean
All that blood was buggin her
and only made  her scream
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Well Macbeth went into battle -
thinking he was safe
Lady M took the short way down
and landed on her face
AAAAaaaa.  Splat. Ouch.

Now Macbeth lost his mind
when the woods began to move
A thousand bushy soldiers
were marching  to the groove

Malcom went to battle -  
for defeat he was preparin’ him
Malcom not of woman born,
Cuz he was born cesearian

Macbeth you big old dummy
now you totally dead
Who's the  King of Scotland now?
He Just chopped off  yo head
Advanced Students
Questions about the set:

Why do you think the Director chose to put two water elements on the stage?  
What scenes in Macbeth are about water?  

What is the only color on the stage?  Why?

Look at the initial stage design above.  
How is the initial design different than the actual stage design?  
List three elements that are different than the initial design
List three elements that are the same as the initial design.

The waterfall is falling from approximately 20 feet into a pit in the stage deck.  Come
up with an idea to muffle the noise of the water as it hits the ground from 20 feet in the
air.

After seeing the production, spend some time to Design your own set for the play.
A mock up of the initial stage design is above

Using the theme of water, the stage's main feature is a 20'  infinity waterfall.  The simple
design has red fabric columns topped by propane torches.  A center platform slides over
the 'river' to be used as a bed, a banquet table and a platform for the throne.  

The river is used by the Witches as their cauldron,
for battle scene drownings and of course, for
Lady M's famous hand-washing scene.

The main stage is bare, permitting free movement of the actors and plenty of room to
swing those broadswords.  Our stage is low to the ground to accomodate audience
members at ground level.
Designing the set
Advanced Lesson Plans are below.  
Scroll down for the advanced
lesson plans.
How To Sign Up
NOTE:
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Please email us:  
Shakesmiami@gmail.com

Please include your
Name
Grade level,
Special interests,
Number of students
Which date/show you
are attending.
Your Contact information
We will email you back with
a confirmation and lesson plans

Thanks so much.
These programs are made possible in part by the State of Florida Culture Builds Florida grant and by the Miami Dade county Department of Cultural Affairs, The Mayors and Commissions of Miami Dade County,
The City of Miami, The City of Hollywood, Commissioner Marc Sarnoff,  TARGET corporation, Shell Lumber, Shake-a-leg Miami,  Publix, ShoreCrest,
Shakespeare Plays Covered:

The Taming of the Shrew,
Macbeth, Othello
Romeo & Juliet, Macbeth
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Education programs sponsored by
WORDS WORDS WORDS
Some people say they don't understand
Shakespeare's Words!   Go on line to
www.dictionary.com and try to figure out the best
definition of the following words in The Taming of
the Shrew.  

abjure
accouterments
askance
argosy
bandy
banns
bauble
brazen
carouse
cavil
chafe
chattels
conserves
coxcomb
dainty
denier
dotard
drudge
ducat
encounter
enthrall
fain
fray
gamut
haggard
homage
hose
ingenious
kindred
lusty
ordinance
pantaloon
pate
prodigy
quaff
reverence
savor
trencher
usurp
vantage  
VOCABULARY WORDS:
THE TAMING OF THE SHREW