Content Objectives
Teaching Shakespeare to 2nd Graders is not a common practice. Using Shakespeare’s dialogue in tandem with the Bullying Prevention Program (BPP), however, can provide a vibrant and dynamic atmosphere in the classroom and a vehicle for teaching the Common Core Standards in English Language Arts, Reading, and Writing.
Children get great pleasure from being rude. It is with the thrill of speaking “bad words” that they will come to enjoy short excerpts of dialogue and isolated words from Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice, and The Tempest. Each excerpt will focus on a different form of bullying. By reading these short scenes aloud students will examine the word choices of the characters and also examine the Shakespeare’s vocabulary. During class meetings students will ask and answer questions based on these readings. They will be able to describe how the characters in the play/scene respond to the events and challenges presented. They will then draw comparisons between the situations that occur in the classroom and on the playground and those experienced by the characters in the plays. By making these comparisons they will be able to insert themselves into the consciousness of the characters and write opinion pieces based on a variety to perspectives. A large component of the unit will entail collaborative conversations about the text with peers in small and large groups. Students will be required to ask and answer questions during these discussions about what the speaker has said.
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