Introduction
Today’s goal is for you to become more familiar with who Shakespeare was, the society he lived in, what kinds of work he did, and where his plays were performed.
This web exploration will help you accomplish this goal. Please follow all directions carefully.
Process
This is a group project. Your group should decide which members will do what tasks.
ALL work will then be printed off and turned in TOGETHER!
Step # 1 - Get in a group
Step # 2- Divide the work among the group
Step # 3 - Begin your work.
READ ALL DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY!
Exploration #1: Who was William Shakespeare?
View this video (please use headphones while watching the video!):
http://www.biography.com/people/william-shakespeare-9480323/videos/will…
Write a short paragraph (approximately 5-8 sentences) that answers the following questions. You may answer these questions in any order you choose, but the answers must appear somewhere in your paragraph. Visit additional sites of your choosing if you need more information.
- Who was William Shakespeare?
- What kinds of writing did he do?
- Where was he born? Where did he work?
- When did he live?
- Why is he so famous? There have been plenty of other playwrights in history, so what’s so special about Shakespeare specifically?
Exploration #2: What was it like to go to school in Shakespeare’s England?
- Visit:
- How does an Elizabethan-era education compare to the education you’re getting? Make a table comparing and contrasting the two. (To create a table in Google docs, click on “Table” at the top of the screen, select “Insert a Table,” and make a 4x4 table.)
- What kind of education did girls receive in Shakespeare’s time? How was it different from a boy’s education? Read this page to find out.
http://internetshakespeare.uvic.ca/Library/SLT/ideas/education/girls.ht…
Write 2-3 complete sentences to answer this question.
Exploration #3: Where were Shakespeare’s plays performed?
What can you tell me about the Globe Theatre, where most of Shakespeare’s plays were performed?
1. Take a virtual tour of the Globe Theatre
http://virtualtourtheworld.com/index.php/50-shakespeare-s-globe
2. Use YouTube to watch one SHORT video about the Globe.
Write a bullet point list of ten facts that you found particularly interesting or surprising. For more information on the Globe, visit additional websites of your choice.
Exploration # 4: Will the Real Shakespeare Stand Up?
There are many conspiracies about whether or not Shakespeare actually wrote everything he is credited for. Using GOOGLE, research 3 "suspects."
Who do some argue was the "real" Shakespeare?
Include a picture of each person, with their name, and include at least 3 facts about them or reasons they might be the "real" William Shakespeare."
Once you have finished this web exploration, please check your document for grammar and spelling.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you have now learned a few things about William Shakespeare, considered to be the GREATEST writer of all time.
It is important to understand an author's background and the society they lived in to perhaps understand the literature they wrote.
