Introduction to William Shakespeare: Full Lesson

Lesson · Grades 8–10 · Google Slides · $3 or included with All-Access

This is the intro lesson I teach before we open any Shakespeare play. It covers who he was, what theater looked like in his day, and why he still shows up everywhere. Built for grades 8-10.

Students start with a bell ringer: tell me what you know about Shakespeare, or argue whether we should still teach him. From there the slides move through his life, the Globe audience, his plays, the everyday words he's credited with, and famous lines students have probably heard without knowing the source.

What's included

• Bell ringer slide with two prompt options
• Biography slides (Stratford-upon-Avon, 1564, 39 plays, 154 sonnets)
• Globe Theatre facts (groundlings, hazelnuts as the popcorn of the day)
• Tragedies, comedies and histories overview
• List of 18 words Shakespeare is credited with (eyeball, swagger, lonely...)
• 10 famous quotes matched to their plays
• Editable Google Slides (Make a copy)

How teachers use it

• Day one of a Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar or Macbeth unit
• One class period with discussion
• Pair with the Shakespeare WebQuest for a two-day launch