Talking Points for Shakespeare Plays
What do students think about Shakespeare? Classic, timeless and full of rich ideas; or difficult, impenetrable and completely uninteresting?
We want young people to develop a real interest in Shakespeare, based on their understanding and engagement with the texts. A meaningful classroom discussion that enables every individual to contribute and covers a range of viewpoints, can help students’ understanding of Shakespeare’s plays, consolidate their learning, and increase their motivation.
This highly practical book enables teachers to organise, stimulate and support group discussions that will help students to relate to the characters, and develop their own ideas about the language and meaning. Drawing on four of the most commonly taught Shakespeare plays, the book provides a broad range of exciting tried and tested resources, taking the reader through key parts of the text, along with suggestions for further activities involving writing, drama and electronic media. Features include:
-Scene by scene Talking Points for each play
-'Thinking Together' extension activities for group work
-Guidance on developing your own Talking Points
-Talking Points focusing on Shakespeare’s language use
Offering an accessible, thought-provoking and above all enjoyable way for students to engage with Shakespeare’s plays, this book will be highly beneficial reading for English teachers and trainees.
Lyn Dawes is a teacher and education consultant, specialising in Science and Talk for Learning. She is the author of a series of books dealing with classroom talk, notably Talking Points: Discussion Activities in the Primary Classroom (Routledge, 2012).