Shakespeare Amazes in the Classroom: Exploring the Bard with Gifted Students, Grades 4–8

Shakespeare Amazes in the Classroom supports the instruction of learners needing to be challenged with content that is complex, rich, and of high interest to students, whether they are gifted, high achieving, or just curious about Shakespeare. Also a model of instructional design, Shakespeare Amazes is an exemplar of how comprehensive, standards-based instruction can be developed to meet the needs of gifted and talented learners. Chapters consist of a collection of lessons that address specific learning goals related to point of view, character development, theme, comparing and contrasting, as well as multimedia interpretations, and other topics relevant to students studying fiction within grades four through eight. Chapters offer assessment suggestions, as well as strategies to support the social and emotional needs of students, the needs of multilingual learners, and tips for supporting twice exceptional students as they work through the lessons. The final chapter outlines, in detail, how the planning and implementation of a Shakespeare festival might be directed by students to maintain motivation, develop student agency, and allow for real world learning experiences to occur naturally alongside students’ study of the Bard’s words. Online resources including editable critical thinking exercises, printable student texts, synopsis of the stories, comprehensive teaching notes, and example student–teacher conversations, as well as other bits of wisdom delivered with humor and supported by experience, are provided. Developed, taught, and revised over the past ten years using the Understanding by Design framework, this practical resource is sure to be a dog-eared teacher favorite for new and veteran educators.