Shakespeare

Oh, the Bard!  Either dreaded or loved, he brings up strong emotions.  8th grade English teachers asked me to help them come up with a lesson to help introduce kids to Shakespeare and the time period in which he wrote.  I decided on a Gallery Walk.

What's a Gallery Walk?  It's essentially a bunch of different stations requiring different things of the students.  For example, I have several stations where students watch and listen to YouTube videos of people performing, a biography of Shakespeare, and so much more.  I also have a station where students use manipulatives to match a word (such as soliloquy and farce) with its definition.  This isn't new to the kids.  I stole this idea from another librarian and we've done other Walks before.

Student viewing a 3D Globe model

Student responding  to one of Shakespeare's soliloquys.

Watching a video.

Manipulative of definitions

With each walk, there is some sort of assignment where students have to apply what they've learned.  For this Walk, I decided that the students needed to do a Facebook post.  So, I created the "Bardbook: Facebook Shakespeare-style" on my front windows.  If you lived in Elizabethan times, what would your post be?  The responses have been creative, funny, and deep.  It's amazing to watch my students apply their knowledge.  They've wanted to write so much I had to tack up paper next to the windows for more posts.

Two kids writing their posts and responses.

I pray thee Maid Smith - Soft! What light through yon window breaks?
Tis my sunshiney personality, not east nor Juliet.
(Post from a teacher and a response from me)

TOLO: Thou only liveth once.

Thy mother art a dizzy, brainless slug-bag.

It is so great to see the students apply their knowledge in this manner.  The kids will even sit and look at all the other comments and respond orally and talk amongst themselves about that.  Even the 6th and 7th graders that pass will stop and look and read.  It's just amazing to watch all the learning and sharing going on right now.