A Practical Guide to Shakespeare for the Primary School: 50 Lesson Plans using Drama

Shakespeare is one of our key historical figures but so often he remains locked behind glass and hard to reach. The purpose of this book is to unlock Shakespeare, to remove the tag of 'high art' that has surrounded his work and return him to the heart of popular culture where his plays began in the first place. In his foreword, playwright says of , 'It is written with knowledge and experience of its subject - but also with the knowledge of the young people with whom that experience was shared'. John Doona will inspire and motivate pupils and teachers alike to engage with Shakespeare in a fresh and accessible manner and provide clear, tried and tested schemes of work which demonstrate how engagement with the plays and their language can have a dramatic impact on children's literacy and writing. As well as providing practical guidance to classroom delivery and performance, techniques, approaches and attitudes, this handbook also promotes learning outcomes linked to literacy targets and cross-curricular units of learning. The central chapters of the book form a comprehensive cross-curricular unit of work on four specific plays - and - providing background notes and historical facts linked to the plays, along with comprehensive schemes of work for immediate implementation and ideas for generating performance. Features unique to this resource include: - is an essential resource for all primary teachers, trainee teachers and drama practitioners, offering guidance, insight and compelling schemes of work for the study of Shakespeare through drama in the primary classroom.