| 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 the box to the right to access the excellent website from Public Broadcasting System. This site includes multi media and lesson plans |
| Ye Olde Extra Credit Ye Olde Resource Center |
| Photos from the 2011 Free Schools Show |
From the Page to the Stage Shakespeare Miami announces their annual Free School Shows & Workshop The free schools workshop Miami-Dade County were held on: January 28, 2010 10:00 am - 11:30 pm at the Barnacle State Historic Site in Coconut Grove |
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
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.
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: Our website has been spammed by bots using our email forms. Sigh... 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, |
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
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 |
RECOMMENDED LINKS
FOR FURTHER STUDY
Artsedge
Shakespeare Lesson Plans from the
Kennedy Center
Shakespeare Resource Center
A collection of very useful Shakespeare sites
on the web
Folger Shakespeare Library
A world-class resource center on
Shakespeare and teaching Shakespeare
Lois Burdett's terrific site for teaching
Shakespeare to young children
William Shakespeare at eNotes
Content on the life and work of the world's
greatest author
No Sweat Shakespeare
Online modern English play translations and
resources for Teachers and students
Search Shakespeare
Engine that supports searches on the text of
the plays and the poetry
Teachers First
Information on Shakespeare's works most
commonly encountered in a K-12 curriculum
using materials geared to older students
Shakespeare Dictionary
Hard-to-find word definitions that have
changed over time or are no longer used
Educational Theatre Association
Support for theatre educators and their
students
Readers Theater
Delightful collection of free orginal
classroom scripts
Theater History
All the history of theater you could ask for
RhymeZone Shakespeare Search
A great Shakespeare search engine
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