A Midsummer Night's Dream: Shakespeare Book Club
In this 4-week book club, students will read and discuss Shakespeare's comedic love story, A Midsummer Night's Dream
Janelle Fila
Average rating:
4.6
Number of reviews:(903)
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What's included
4 pre-recorded lessons
4 weeks
of teacher support1 year access
to the contentHomework
1-2 hours per week. Students will read one act a week on their own time. Each act contains 1-2 scenes. Each week, students will have access to 2-3 new videos and a corresponding worksheet with vocabulary definitions, discussion questions and places for fill-in-the blank answers. Each week, I assign a short writing assignment focused around that week's discussion questions and ask the students to share their responses in the classroom. There is a weekly Kahoot! and optional supplemental activities.Assessment
The more questions, comments, and posts that students share in the classroom, the more I can understand their knowledge and comprehension of the topics we are discussing. I respond to every post in the class room and every submitted worksheet or writing assignment.Grading
Please let me know if a grade is required.Class Experience
US Grade 9 - 12
A Midsummer Night's Dream is Shakespeare's comedy about another group of star-crossed lovers, this time offered a happier ending by a couple of stubborn, magical fairies. Shakespeare's plays are required reading for a lot of high school students. It is the perfect story for group discussion and analysis because Shakespeare's language and word choices can be hard to appreciate and understand when reading alone. Students will read one act a week on their own time. Each act contains 1-2 scenes. A separate video will discuss each scene the student reads. I will also post a summary of each scene and a worksheet with vocabulary definitions to important words and phrases within the scene. I use the worksheets to address/remind the students of some of the important topics from each scene. The worksheets may also have space for short discussion questions and fill-in-the blank answers. Weekly Schedule Breakdown: Students will receive access to new videos that discuss a different assigned scene. Students will receive a scene summary paragraph and a corresponding worksheet with vocabulary definitions, discussion questions and places for fill-in-the blank answers for each day. Once we have finished all of the scenes in the Act, students will have access to a Shakespeare related joke, pun, or optional activity. Finally, students are assigned a one-two page writing assignment focused around that week's act. I also post a link an optional online Kahoot! trivia game for the students to further immerse themselves in this week's reading before we move onto a new act the following week.
Learning Goals
Week One: Act 1 (Scenes 1-2)
Week Two: Act 2 (Scenes 1-2)
Week Three: Act 3 (Scenes 1-2) Scene 2 is long so we will split it into two videos over two days, stopping at line 365 after both Helena and Hermia exit.
Week Four: Act 4 (Scenes 1-2) and Act 5 (Scene 1)
Syllabus
4 Lessons
over 4 WeeksLesson 1:
Act 1
Scenes 1-2 Lesson 2:
Act 2
Scenes 1-2 Lesson 3:
Act 3
Scenes 1-2 Lesson 4:
Acts 4 and 5
Scenes 1-2 and Scene 1 Other Details
Parental Guidance
Like most Shakespeare plays, there is some mild language and rude humor. This is a love story where magic forces people to fall in love with the first person they see (although this is remedied by the end of the play). There is much less violence than a typical Shakespeare tragedy, although there are many more references to love, fidelity, and sexual innuendos.
Supply List
The students will need their own copy of A Midsummer Night's Dream to read on their own. It can be borrowed from the library or even listened to as an audio book. The students will not need a physical copy of the story in class, although they may find it helpful to have when completing the writing assignments. I use a well-annotated edition that explains difficult words and constructions in class, but students may want an annotated edition for their own reading as well.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Joined June, 2019
4.6
903reviews
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Teacher expertise and credentials
Master's Degree in Music or Theatre or Arts from Spalding University
I have a Master's degree in Writing for Children and Young Adults. I was a substitute teacher for three years before teaching full-time on Outschool for multiple years. I also currently teach English Composition for universities in my home state. I have been blessed to discuss Shakespeare in the classroom multiple times, including my own high school reading experience! My high school English teacher was obsessed with Shakespeare and taught me the importance of understanding these often tragic plays. I learned a lot from her enthusiasm and hope to pass that passion on to my own students. I have read this play multiple times, but I learn something new every time I am exposed to this story. It is an excellent book to dissect and discuss love, passion, freedom, and choice. I am excited to read it alongside your student to see what emotions and feelings Shakespeare's writings stir up for them.Reviews
Self-Paced Course
$12
weekly or $45 for all content4 pre-recorded lessons
4 weeks of teacher support
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1 year of access to the content
Completed by 11 learners
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Ages: 14-18
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