Shakespeare

For the next 4 weeks we will be studying the Life and Works of Shakespeare.
Some of the wonderful things we plan to cover are the plays : Romeo and Juliet, Anthony and Cleopatra, and Henry VIII.
We have set the stage in our Egypt studies up to the time of Julius Caesar and Cleopatra. Reading a biography on Cleopatra then watching the movie Julius Caesar. And had a brief overview of Greek and Roman Period which we will come back to more in depth later in the year.

So now we can fully explore the idea of Anthony and Cleopatra. The material is a difficult read so we will explore only passages and the overall story. We will move our interests to the Author himself, analyzing his life, biography and world view, as well as comparing and contrasting his world view with one of today. As we explore the world around Shakespeare we will study the Elizabethan Age, The Bubonic Plague, and the reign of Henry VIII and the story of the Boleyn sisters,Mary,Queen Anne, daughter Elizabeth.


Week 2
The next 2 weeks we will be reading the complete play of Romeo and Juliet. I have found some study guides to make it less intimidating for a fifth grader :) We will also watch two different movie versions for more complete understanding. Along with the reading. We will explore and observe the Oxymoron, the art of Allusion
,writing Couplets, and Iambic Pentameter.

The last week, is reserved for a research report which will be led by the student's interests. Some ideas include; discovering The Story Behind "Bloody Mary"
Report on The Black Death
Making an Elizabethan Poetry Book
Construct a Model of the Old Globe and it's history