Activities and resources to introduce Shakespeare
The key to teaching Shakespeare (as it is to teach any topic) is showing enthusiasm. If you are intimidated by Shakespeare, the children will feel the same way. A great way to get KS2 children on board is to begin with our Shakespearean insults starter. Children choose a word or phrase from each column to form Shakesperean-style insults and take turns in hurling them at one another! They might also like Shakespearean insults - a card sort activity in which children practise their movement and tone.
Texts for teaching Shakespeare is a great starting point for all age groups. It features five engaging ideas and a set of text extracts for teaching Shakespeare from Reception to year 6. From concocting potions from found ingredients to composing music in response to a speech in The Tempest, the activities will show just how much fun reading Shakespeare can be! Your KS1 children will also enjoy A revolting spell, a standalone resource based on the three witches' spell in Macbeth. Children are asked to read the poem and then to write a list poem featuring revolting items for their own cauldrons!
This comprehension resource about Shakespeare's life and works is a useful introduction to the great man and will help KS2 children practise and develop their information retrieval skills. For a creative writing activity, try Writing plays with a Shakespearean twist for years 5 and 6. Children are invited to write a playscript from one of six prescribed scenes - but will they recognise them as scenes from Shakespearean plays?
Comparing and contrasting poems asks children to compare two classic poems on the theme of winter. One is 'Winter' by William Shakespeare and the other is 'Winter' by Robert Louis Stevenson. Children analyse the language and rhyming pattern before deciding which they prefer and why.
We have plenty of resources in our Shakespeare collection that are specific to plays such as Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream, but our KS2 teaching pack, Introducing Shakespeare, explores two of Shakespeare's most famous and exciting plays: Macbeth and The Tempest. Featuring a broad range of engaging activities and resources, it's perfect for years 5 and 6.
Lead on!
This article appeared as Editor's pick on 09 April 2023.
