Fun with Shakespeare (4th-6th)

Have fun with Shakespeare!! Kids will get to experience the Bard and all the richness and quirkiness of his work! We’ll start by an introduction to the life and language of Shakespeare with fun games, surprising phrases, and even insults! Then we’ll get into one of Shakespeare’s most imaginative and hilarious plays, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Each week we will summarize (with character puppets) a scene from the play (no “performance” or reading required!). Then we will listen to a fully dramatized audio of the play performed by professional Shakepearean actors – while following along in the script. (Hesitant readers can simply listen.) Students will also be given a page of famous lines from various Shakespearean plays, and the opportunity to practice memorizing them in class. Prizes will be given for passing them off! Crafts and other activities will be interspersed throughout the semester as time allows. Note: Each student should bring one 3-ring binder to the first class, to hold their script and other handouts.