Tag Archives: high school

Shakespeare for Special Needs

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Shakespeare for Kids

I have worked and talked with many teachers that have used my books to help kids with special needs.  As well, I have done many plays with kids with special needs, and the change and awareness that is created during the process is amazing!  Knowing this, I wanted to share an idea that I just received from a teacher.  Here is what she wrote:

I used your Midsummer Night’s Dream for Kids as reading material. I couldn’t get my high school special ed students to reread anything. Their thinking was I have already read that … Continue reading →

Classroom Insult-a-thon

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shakespeare insult video

Classroom Insult-a-thon

(Don’t forget, April 23rd is National Insult Like Shakespeare Day!)

It’s simple and fun and works like this:

  • Everyone writes up 3-4 different insults using the Shakespeare Insult Generator
  • They spend about 5-10 minutes practicing their insults, working on generating the appropriate delivery with angst!
  • Split the class into 2 groups that line up against each other
  • FIRST ROUND of insults: one student from each group steps forward and they insult each other with one of their insults.
  • The teacher, or some voting panel, votes for the best insult.  Loser … Continue reading →

    • Shakespeare’s Top 10 Dirty Jokes

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    dirty bard

    I work hard to make sure kids find him funny with my Shakespeare for Kids books.  But what’s equally clear to me, teens generally consider Shakespeare boring or “Why is my teacher wasting my life reading this #$%@”  As I have seen on Twitter many times.  But hey, if it’s not presented right, it comes across that there are a lot of big words, most of the language we don’t really understand, and don’t even mention iambic pentameter, what the heck is that?

    That being said they don’t realize how funny and ironic he really is. And … Continue reading →

    Shakespeare in Ender’s Game

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    shakespeare in enders game

    So I love to read, and I love a good sci-fi, and one of the best sci-fi series that I’ve read is the Ender’s Game series by Orson Scott Card. Recently, I reread Ender in Exile, which is the next book after Ender’s Game. The relevant piece about this, and why I am bringing it up to you, is that there is a Shakespeare activity build right  into this one. In this book, the actual colony that Ender goes out … Continue reading →

    Shakespeare Word Challenge

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    Shakespeare word challenge

    Thanks to mentalfloss.com, for helping us see another list of 20 words we wouldn’t be able to iterate today without the help of The Bard. Words such as assassination, bedazzled, cold–blooded, fashionable, scuffle, swagger, and more… It’s amazing what this guy brought to the table.

    So, because of this, I thought of the Shakespeare Word Challenge for your kids: In your classroom, challenge your kids to come up with 10 words or phrases that Shakespeare created or first penned and then have them use them in a sentence. What this will do is help them realize that his “language” is not … Continue reading →

    #ShakesTag the Online Game of Shakespeare

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    #ShakesTag

    Well today is the day of the week that most people practice religion of one type or another. For some people it’s the church, others football, and to others, reading is religion. Stepping into a slightly tighter niche than that, Shakespeare. And some of these people who love the Bard, get together on Sunday for a friendly game of #ShakesTag.#ShakesTag Continue reading →