William Shakespeare

1. William Shakespeare introduction task process resources evaluation conclusion credits By Jessica Zosky

2. task process resources Introduction evaluation conclusion credits Has a tabloid magazine ever caught your eye? Do you flip through TV channels and stop at a show that chronicles the history of a famous band or celebrity? People are often interested in the back story behind people who are famous, talented, or troubled. The scandalous, awe-inspiring, or humanizing events of a person’s life intrigue average people, often to the point of obsession. Historical figures were just as prone to scandalous, awe-inspiring, or humanizing events as contemporary celebrities and here’s your chance to prove it.

3. introduction process resources Task evaluation conclusion credits You are part of the production team for VH1s new television show about historical scandals and tragedies. Before you board a plane to start filming and editing, you need to conduct some preliminary research to verify and target the most influential, scandalous, tragic, and captivating information about your focus, William Shakespeare. You and your production team members need to: • designate who will host the segment, edit the segment, fact check the information, and organize the production schedule • thoroughly investigate his background, relationships, political influences, and societal tendencies • write a script and design a sample storyboard for your segment • pinpoint a hook, the crucial piece of information that will keep a viewers attention through numerous commercial breaks • structure your information for a three-minute segment preview that you will then film and debut in class

4. introduction task resources Process evaluation conclusion credits As a member of your production crew, you will need to complete a series of tasks in order to successfully create a preview segment for airing. Your production processes include: 1. using the provided sites and questions to research the facts of Shakespeare’s life, work, relationships, and the political and social environment during his life 2. analyze and organize the information you learned according to a hook of tragic or scandalous information that would captivate viewers 3. develop a script and plan for storyboard for shots needed to film the three-minute segment preview 4. film and edit the segment 5. present the segment to class during the final review and thoughtfully comment on other segments

5. introduction task process Resources evaluation conclusion credits Below are listings of selected sites that will provide you with information about Shakespeare’s life, work, relationships, and the political and social environment during his life. 1. The Folger - Shakespeare Library is a site that provides information from the institute based in Washington, D.C. It provides accurate and thorough background on all of Shakespeare’s dramas and history; as well as, it is well organized and provides great photos and graphics to accompany the content. 2. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust is the charity that takes care of all of Shakespeare’s homes and provides maps and other educational materials about the Bard and his work. It is a great site because it includes detailed maps of his birthplace, photos of The Globe and other significant landmarks, and it also provides information about the social, political, and economic conditions occurring during his life. 3. Who 2? provides a brief biography of Shakespeare and includes links to sites of other notable people who he is associated with. 4. William Shakespeare - info is surprising for its content and simplistic design. The site is divided into his life, world, and works sections. Each section supplies many identified links to specific areas of that section. Easy to navigate and reliable, this is an unsung hero for information on Shakespeare. 5. This MSN Encarta listing for Shakespeare is brilliant in its no frills approach. His life, works, and Elizabethan history are clearly divided and explained with numerous links to other areas of interest. This is a great site for detailed information relating to his dramas and what tendencies occur in his comedies, histories, and tragedies.

6. introduction task process Evaluation resources conclusion credits 1. your crew’s answers to the provided questions. 2. the script and sample storyboard that you submit. 3. the three-minute segment preview that you present during class. You and your production crew will be evaluated based on: Rubrics: research, preproduction, final segment

7. introduction task process Conclusion resources evaluation credits Congratulations on creating a successful three minute segment preview! Hopefully VH1 will be impressed by your creativity and authenticity and will hire your crew to shoot additional segments. Shakespeare’s life and works are not unlike celebrities, writers, and artists of today. Some people say that great art is born of great suffering. Do you agree? Was Shakespeare so influential because he spoke to problems of his lifetime or timeless issues that affect every lifetime?

8. introduction task process Credits resources evaluation conclusion Othello, by William Shakespeare, is the drama that is the basis for this WebQuest. I used artwork of Shakespeare and his Globe Theater from: The Martin Droeshout Engraving - William Shakespeare First Folio, Joseph Taylor’s - The Chandos Portrait, enotes.com photos of The Globe Theater.

9. introduction task process resources Questions evaluation conclusion credits 1. Who were Queen Elizabeth’s famous father and mother? 2. What were the years of Queen Elizabeth’s reign, and how long did she rule England? 3. What are three accomplishments during Queen Elizabeth’s reign? 4. Why is Shakespeare known as “the Bard of Avon”? 5. Why is April 23 special to Shakespeare? 6. Give one reason why Edward deVere is believed to have written sonnets and plays attributed to William Shakespeare? 7. What is the purpose of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust? 8. Shakespeare’s home address growing up is __________ Street, __________(city). 9. What did Shakespeare’s father do for a living? 10. Shakespeare at age 5 attended a “petty” or junior school, and then he went on to a __________ school. 11. What language is used in school? Also, what subjects are taught? 12. Read the plot of Othello, and then explain why it is a tragedy? 13. How old was Shakespeare when he married, whom did he marry, and why was it scandalous? 14. How many children did Shakespeare have, and what are their names? 15. When did the “lost years” occur, and why did he disappear? 16. Find proof that Shakespeare did write poems and plays. 17. Describe the floor plan of the Globe Theater. 18. Why did Shakespeare fear the plague? 19. Does Shakespeare's lineage continue today? 20. Locate one piece of information on Shakespeare that your classmates will not locate.