Shakespeare+Page

=__Shakespeare Wiki Page Project__=

Objective: To learn about Shakespeare, his life and times, in order to study //Romeo and Juliet// in context.

Assignment: In groups of four, research information about your assigned topic. Then build a Wiki page (Ms. Harris will get you started) with your group. This can be added to and/or amended as your research progresses.

Task: Answer your essential question by thoroughly researching any relevant supporting questions. Synthesize the information you find and organize it on the Wiki page in a reader-friendly manner.

Requirements for each group’s Wiki page: • It must clearly answer the essential question. • Everyone in the small group must contribute. (It is up to you to determine roles.) • It must include at least five illustrations/pictures. • The information should be clearly organized and presented (paragraphs/charts/bullets/outline…).

• You must supply a works cited page at the bottom of your wiki page.
//Finally, each student must visit the other Wiki pages and respond/comment in the “Discussion” tab of the page. Part of your grade will be based on how thoughtful and complete your response is.//

1. Most authors are influenced by events in their lives. Research William Shakespeare of Stratford-on-Avon—what parts of his life may have influenced his writing?
 * Essential questions:**
 * Find out about William Shakespeare's family and early life in Stratford-on-Avon.
 * Who was Ann Hathaway? Find out about Shakespeare's marriage to her.
 * What can you find out about the lives of Shakespeare's children?
 * How did Shakespeare make his living in London? What sort of life did he lead?

2. How did Elizabethan times influence writers and artists of that time?
 * What sort of monarch was Queen Elizabeth? What is she most famous for?
 * Find out what you can about Elizabethan views on young love and parental obedience.
 * Discover what you can about Elizabethan views on suicide.
 * What did people believe about the influence of the stars on people's lives during Elizabethan times?

3. Shakespeare wrote many plays based on issues of the time. How did key historical events in England and around the world influence his writing?
 * What are some important historical events from that time (political/social…)?
 * What examples are there in his plays that reflect his interest in history?
 * What was the role of religion at the time?

4. How did theater evolve and change from Elizabethan times to now?
 * What did people do for entertainment in Elizabethan London? Who would you expect to find at the theater?
 * Find out about the original Globe Theatre - what happened to it? What other theaters were operating in London?
 * What was The Lord Chamberlain's Company (later The Kings Men)? What was Shakespeare's association with it?
 * What technical aspects of theater were different? How did those elements affect the written text of the play?

5. Why do people still read Shakespeare today?
 * Find out about Quartos. Why have different versions of Shakespeare's plays existed over time?
 * How many plays did Shakespeare write? Name some of the most famous ones. What else did he write?
 * Where did Shakespeare get the idea for //Romeo and Juliet//? What books and films have been based on his //Romeo and Juliet//?
 * What are some familiar allusions to Shakespeare's language?

2. Each student must respond to/comment on all others' Wiki pages by the end of Act III (TBD).
Check out this list of Shakespeare sites to begin your research. []

Additionally, you can find lots of great information from the HR databases--Facts on File (Modern World History). [|Click here to search them.] Period 2 use these links:
 * Ess. Question 1: Life and Literary Work Connection || Ess Question 2: Elizabethan Times and its Influence ||
 * Ess. Question 3: Historical Events and their Influence || Ess Question 4: Evolution of the Theater ||
 * Ess. Question 5: Why Shakespeare? ||  ||

Period 5 use these links:
 * Ess. Question 1: LIfe and Literary Work Connection || Ess. Question 2: Elizabethan Times and Its Influences || Ess. Question 3: Historical Events and their Influence ||
 * Ess. Question 4: Evolution of the Theater || Ess. Question 5: Why Shakespeare? ||  ||