The Shakespeare Teaching Resources

Shakespeare can speak to everyone, and with this belief, we've begun assembling a collection of dynamic lesson plans for teaching Shakespeare in all kinds of classrooms with all kinds of students. The lessons we include here demonstrate the power of active learning--what can happen when we put the plays in students' hands and invite them to become the actors, directors, stage managers or filmmakers, interpreting meaning from the text. Each of these lessons can be counted on to coach students to look closely at the plays' texts, to engage students' learning in active, multi-faceted ways, and to be adaptable to a variety of classroom contexts. They work best, however, in a classroom that embraces the idea of learning through performance.

Check our archives regularly, because we add to them all the time. If you try one of the lessons here and have comments, questions, or adaptations you'd like to share, visit the Shakespeare feedback page. We encourage active dialogue and feedback among authors and archive users.

If you'd like to submit a lesson to the archives, please e-mail the Teaching Resource editors.  To aid the editors in their review process, please attach your Word document to the e-mail. 

Conference Handouts & Updates

A Close Look at King Lear on Film
NCTE Conference
Nashville, TN
November 20, 1998

Imaginary Mentor
NCTE Teaching Shakespeare Conference
Chicago, IL
February 27, 1998

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