Shakespeare Survival Guide: Pre-Reading Strategies

Shakespeare Survival Guide: Pre-Reading Strategies

Decoding the Bard

Before we dive into the streets of Verona, we need to make sure your "reading toolkit" is fully stocked. Reading a play is a very different experience than reading a novel—it was meant to be heard and seen, not just read silently in a chair.

In this assignment, you are going to use AI to help you research reading strategies, and then you will create a series of short "pro-tip" videos to help yourself (and your classmates) find success with difficult texts.

Your Production Steps

Step 1: The Research Phase

Start by chatting with an AI assistant to gather your intel.

  • The Play vs. The Novel: Ask the AI to explain the major differences between a script and a novel. Focus on text features like stage directions, character headings, and acts/scenes.
  • Reading Strategies: Ask for five specific strategies to help a high school student understand difficult Shakespearean English (e.g., "Reading to the punctuation," or "Visualizing the blocking").
  • Practice Your Fluency: Take a short passage from the first scene of Romeo and Juliet. Ask the AI for a pronunciation guide for any tricky words.

Step 2: Create Your Video Survival Guide

Using Canva Video, you will produce six short, punchy videos. Think of these as "TikTok-style" tutorials for a fellow student.

  • Video 1: The Play Layout: Explain the unique features of a script. Show a sample page on screen and point out how stage directions and dialogue work.
  • Videos 2-6: The Strategy Series: Create one short video (about 60 seconds each) for each of your five strategies.
    • Demonstrate the strategy in action using a few lines from the play.
    • Use Canva’s text overlays to highlight key terms or tips.
    • Ensure you are speaking clearly and using non-verbal cues (like hand gestures) to keep your audience engaged.

Submission Checklist

Please upload the following to our Google Classroom:

  1. The Survival Guide: Your 6 videos (either as one combined Canva link or 6 separate files).
  2. The Script & Notes: Your Google Doc containing the AI-generated strategies and your practice passage with your own pronunciation notes.

Shakespeare wrote for the people—the loud, the messy, and the creative! Don't worry about being perfect; just focus on being clear and having fun with the language.

Assessment

Pre-Submission

Before you submit, please complete the Pre-Submission Self-Assessment.

What to Turn In

  • 📤
    Pre-Submission Self-Assessment Google Doc
  • 📤

    6 Videos: One on the layout of plays and five on specific reading strategies

  • 📤

    A Google Doc with your AI-generated research and a practice passage with pronunciation notes

Learning Goals

We are learning to:

  • 🎯

    Review the structural format and unique text features of plays compared to novels

  • 🎯

    Develop and identify effective reading strategies to approach and interpret difficult or archaic texts

  • 🎯

    Practice oral communication and presentation skills by adapting language for a specific audience

Success Criteria

I can:

  • I can identify the purpose and audience for my videos and use a variety of speaking strategies to communicate information clearly

    Expectations Covered: OC1, OC2
  • I can use a variety of reading strategies to help me understand and interpret a range of texts, including the unique features of a play

    Expectations Covered: RLS1, RLS2
  • I can produce engaging media texts by selecting information and using conventions that specifically appeal to my chosen audience

    Expectations Covered: MS3
  • I can identify my strengths as a listener and speaker and explain how these skills help me interpret and produce media

    Expectations Covered: OC3, MS4

Rubric

Category Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1
Knowledge/Understanding Student demonstrates a thorough and insightful understanding of the text features of plays and how they differ from novels Student demonstrates a clear understanding of the text features of plays and how they differ from novels Student demonstrates some understanding of the text features of plays and their purpose Student demonstrates limited understanding of the text features of plays
Thinking/Inquiring Student has investigated an exceptionally wide range of reading strategies and explained their effectiveness with high insight Student has selected and explained appropriate reading strategies with considerable effectiveness Student has identified some relevant reading strategies with basic explanations Student has identified a few reading strategies with limited explanation of how to use them
Application Student reads Shakespearean passages with exceptional fluency and uses non-verbal cues perfectly to aid understanding Student reads Shakespearean passages with considerable fluency and uses appropriate non-verbal cues Student reads Shakespearean passages with some fluency and attempts to use non-verbal cues Student reads Shakespearean passages with limited fluency or accuracy
Communication Student adapts speaking style and language exceptionally well for the audience, making the "pro-tips" highly engaging Student adapts speaking style and language well for the audience and the medium of a short tutorial video Student adapts speaking style for the audience with some success Student occasionally adapts speaking style for the audience but lacks consistency
Knowledge/Understanding
Level 4

Student demonstrates a thorough and insightful understanding of the text features of plays and how they differ from novels

Level 3

Student demonstrates a clear understanding of the text features of plays and how they differ from novels

Level 2

Student demonstrates some understanding of the text features of plays and their purpose

Level 1

Student demonstrates limited understanding of the text features of plays

Thinking/Inquiring
Level 4

Student has investigated an exceptionally wide range of reading strategies and explained their effectiveness with high insight

Level 3

Student has selected and explained appropriate reading strategies with considerable effectiveness

Level 2

Student has identified some relevant reading strategies with basic explanations

Level 1

Student has identified a few reading strategies with limited explanation of how to use them

Application
Level 4

Student reads Shakespearean passages with exceptional fluency and uses non-verbal cues perfectly to aid understanding

Level 3

Student reads Shakespearean passages with considerable fluency and uses appropriate non-verbal cues

Level 2

Student reads Shakespearean passages with some fluency and attempts to use non-verbal cues

Level 1

Student reads Shakespearean passages with limited fluency or accuracy

Communication
Level 4

Student adapts speaking style and language exceptionally well for the audience, making the "pro-tips" highly engaging

Level 3

Student adapts speaking style and language well for the audience and the medium of a short tutorial video

Level 2

Student adapts speaking style for the audience with some success

Level 1

Student occasionally adapts speaking style for the audience but lacks consistency