Introduction
William Shakespeare is one of the most famous playwrights in British Literature. His tragedies and comedies have transcended time and are read by people all over the world. Shakespeare lived in a time that was quite different than ours and as such its important to understand the Renaissance and the role it played in the development of Shakespeare and his plays.
Task
There are three components to this webquest. You will be looking at the Renaissance, Shakespeare’s life as well as how it influenced his plays.
Part 1: Renaissance
Part 1 is done in groups of 4-6. You will be researching the Renaissance and creating a time capsule of the era in order to have a better understanding of the time in which Romeo and Juliet as well as Macbeth was written. What information, images or samples would you include in your time capsule? Your time capsule must include information on five of the eight following categories:
1. Music: Who were the great musicians of the period?
2. Parties: What were Renaissance parties like?
3. Daily life: Where did people work? What were their houses like? What were the schools like?
4. News Events: What were 2 things that happened during the Renaissance that were newsworthy to that time period?
5. Science: What was happening scientifically during that time period? Who was one of the great scientists of the Renaissance?
6. Artists: Who were three great artists to come out of this time period and what were some of their most famous pieces?
7. Marriage: What was a typical Renaissance wedding like? At what ages did people marry? And whom did they marry?
8. The Globe Theater: Why was this theater different? Who performed the plays? Who went to see the plays? Describe the typical Renaissance audience.
Part 2: Shakespeare
Part 2 is done individually. Using the sources provided as a starting point look into the life of Shakespeare. Who was he? What were his influences? What tragedies happened in his life? When was he born and when did he die? What two plays are considered to be his best?
Part 3: Connections
You will write a short essay detailing how the era in which Shakespeare lived influenced his work, more specifically Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth. The research you do for the first two parts should help you in completing this final task.
Process
http://www.bardweb.net/man.html
http://www.musesrealm.net/writings/shakespeareengland.html
http://www.teachersfirst.com/lessons/shak-feast.cfm
http://www.music.iastate.edu/antiqua/instrumt.html
http://www.shakespeares-globe.org/navigation/frameset.htm
http://www.bardweb.net/globe.html
Using the sources provided as a starting point do research for each part of the assignment. You will be assessed on accuracy, creativity as well as effort. The essay will be marked according to the rubric provided.
You will be completing the following steps:
- In your groups research the Renaissance and compile information and artifacts for at least five of the eight categories. Create a visual for this (it can be a poster, a video, a power point presentation, etc.)
- Individually research the life of Shakespeare.
- Use your research and complete any additional research to write a 1-2 page essay on the influence of the Renaissance era on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth. The essay must contain an introduction, 3-5 body paragraphs and a conclusion.
Evaluation
You will be evaluated on all three parts of the webquest with the majority of the marks being focused on the visual for part 1 and the essay in part 3.
Criteria being looked at are as follows:
- Information is accurate and relevant
- Time capsule contains information on a minimum of 5 areas of interest
- Information is presented in a clear and easy to follow manner
- All group members contributed to the project
- The essay contains an introduction, a body and a conclusion
- The reasons are backed up with relevant and accurate supporting details
- Sentence flow is used to allow for easy reading and understanding
- Resources are clearly cited
Conclusion
We have now completed our webquest and unit on the Renaissance. I hope you enjoyed the process and the presentations of our time capsules. It is now time for you to reflect on what you have learned. Answer the following questions on the rubric scale.
1 = disagree 2=somewhat agree 3 = agree 4 = strongly agree
1. I found this assignment interesting and engageing. 1 2 3 4
2. I enjoyed working with the Internet for research. 1 2 3 4
3. I learned some new things about the Renaissance. 1 2 3 4
4. I am interested in doing further reading/research on
one of the topics in my Time Capsule. 1 2 3 4
5. I would suggest that this activity is experienced
by future freshmen reading Romeo and Juliet
and/or Macbeth 1 2 3 4
6. This activity enhanced my reading of Romeo and Juliet
and/or Macbeth 1 2 3 4
Comments:
Credits
Inspired and adapted from the existing webquest with permission: