1. Student Page
[Teacher Page]
Modern Shakespeare
A WebQuest for 12th Grade English
Title
Introduction Designed by
Troy Standard
Task
troytns@simla.colostate.edu
Process
Evaluation
Conclusion
www.flickr.com ; ClatieK
Credits Based on a template from The WebQuest Page

2. Student Page Introduction
[Teacher Page]
It is no surprise that reading Shakespeare may seem distant and confusing to
Title modern readers. The language is archaic (old-fashioned), the actors dressed in
Introduction extravagant clothes, and kings and queens are a far cry from our modern
government. However, there were many themes present in Shakespeare’s plays
Task that are still relevant today. While regicide (assassinating the king) may not be a
problem in America, there is a wealth of issues and problems that even you and
Process your friends might face: jealousy, revenge, honor, and love.
Evaluation
Conclusion
www.flickr.com; thomas.merton
www.flickr.com; One Lucky Guy
What are some ways that our society
can better understand the important
issues that William Shakespeare wrote about?
Are these themes still present in modern
times, with a different context?
Credits

3. Student Page
[Teacher Page]
The Task
Title In this Webquest, you will learn about the popular culture of
Elizabethan England. You will be researching this time period, the
Introduction stage itself, and what issues people were discussing. Then, you will
Task find a scene from one of Shakespeare’s plays that reflects a theme
common in life today. Your group will ‘translate’ the language of the
Process
play into a modern rendition of the scene.
Evaluation
Conclusion
And now, for the fun part…
After a short presentation on a historical topic relevant to the theatre
or Elizabethan England, you get to put on your own play! Be creative.
You may use slang, conversational language, and props. Have fun!
Credits

4. Student Page
[Teacher Page]
The Process
1. First, your teacher will organize you into groups of four (or he / she might
Title
let you pick your own).
Introduction 2. Once you have your groups established, you will decide on a scene from
one of Shakespeare’s plays. Your teacher will provide examples of some
Task scenes that might work well for this project.
Process 3. Next, you will use the following websites to research both William
Shakespeare and the time period in which he was writing. Some of the
websites provide tips or examples of translations for Shakespeare’s plays
Evaluation into modern language.
4. You will write your own version of the scene. After a brief group
Conclusion presentation discussing the Elizabethan stage, actors, or other relevant
topic, you will perform your scene in front of the class. The rest of the class
will follow along with the original play.
The following websites will be very helpful:
(Simply click the link to go to the website)
The Globe
SparkNotes’ No-Fear Shakespeare Theatre
Shakespeare Online
Shakespeare’s Grammar
The Globe Theatre
High School Guide to Reading Shakespeare
Shakespeare’s Life and Times
Shakespeare in Performance
Peasant Life in Elizabethan England
Shakespeare Dictionary
Credits
Middle English (Shakespeare) vs. Modern English
www.flickr.com; wallyg

5. Student Page
[Teacher Page]
Evaluation
CATEGORY 4 3 2 1
Title Historical Accuracy All historical information Almost all historical Most of the historical Very little of the historical
appeared to be accurate information appeared to be information was accurate information was accurate
Introduction
and in chronological order. accurate and in and in chronological order. and/or in chronological
chronological order. order.
Task Point-of-view, arguments, Point-of-view, arguments, Point-of-view, arguments, Point-of-view, arguments,
Role
Process
and solutions proposed and solutions proposed and solutions proposed and solutions proposed
were consistently in were often in character. were sometimes in were rarely in character.
character. character.
Evaluation
Conclusion Presence of modern Group demonstrates very Group somehwat The theme is kind of hard There are no themes
well a theme common in demonstrates a theme to find from the play. common to modern life in
theme
modern life. common in modern life. the play.
Knowledge Gained Can clearly explain several Can clearly explain several Can clearly explain one Cannot explain one way in
ways in which his character ways in which his character way in which his character which his character quot;sawquot;
quot;sawquot; things differently than quot;sawquot; things differently than quot;sawquot; things differently than things differently than other
other characters and can other characters. other characters. characters.
clearly explain why.
Props/Costume Group uses several props Group uses 1-2 props Group uses props they The group uses no props
(could include costume), which make the found in their lockers five OR the props chosen
show considerable presentation better. minutes before class. detract from the
work/creativity and make presentation.
the presentation better.
Credits

6. Student Page
[Teacher Page]
Conclusion
Title What did you learn about the time period in which Shakespeare lived?
Introduction Were you surprised that many of the issues dealt with in the plays
are still relevant today?
Task
Process Discuss with your teacher and classmates the importance of studying
this literature.
Evaluation
Conclusion
www.flickr.com; Krypto
Credits

7. Student Page
[Teacher Page]
Credits & References
Thanks to the users of Flickr who listed their pictures with a “Creative Commons” license so
Title that I could use them in this project.
Introduction www.flickr.com
Task
Shakespeare Statue - Clatie K http://www.flickr.com/photos/clatiek/462222145/
Process Rose – Thomas Merton http://www.flickr.com/photos/thomas-merton/2123365735/
Swords – One Lucky Guy http://www.flickr.com/photos/8765199@N07/2636798565/
Evaluation The Globe Theatre – Wally G http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/303883503/
Shakespeare Royal Theatres – Krypto http://www.flickr.com/photos/krypto/133571578/
Conclusion
Here’s some links back to The WebQuest Page and The WebQuest Slideshare Group so that
others can acquire the latest version of this template and training materials.
Credits

8. Student Page
Teacher Pages
[Teacher Page]
(Student pages)
Modern Shakespeare
A WebQuest for 12th Grade English
Title
Title
Introduction
Introduction Designed by
Troy Standard
Task
Learners troytns@simla.colostate.edu
Process
Standards
Evaluation
Process
Conclusion
Resources
Evaluation
Teacher Script
Conclusion
www.flickr.com ; ClatieK
Credits Based on a template from The WebQuest Page

9. [Student Page]
Teacher Page Introduction (Teacher)
This lesson was developed for a project in an Education and Technology course at
Title Colorado State University. It was designed to familiarize students to inquiry-based
Introduction learning and also to using PowerPoint.
Learners
This webquest will be used during a unit on Shakespeare, in which students will be
Standards reading two of his plays, one each of a comedy and a tragedy. This webquest
assignment will be between the readings of the two plays, as a way to ‘break up’ an
Process otherwise basic topic. Students (in groups of four) will research Shakespeare, his
culture and England at the time, and then translate one of his scenes into modern
Resources English. They will then perform a creative rendition of the scene using contemporary
language. Students will answer the following questions in this project:
Evaluation
What are some ways that our society
Teacher Script can better understand the important
issues that William Shakespeare wrote about?
Conclusion
Are these themes still present in modern
times, with a different context?
Credits

10. [Student Page]
Teacher Page Learners (Teacher)
This project is designed for an 11th or 12th grade English class, as the subject matter
Title is complex and students need to be mature enough to critically think about
Introduction Shakespeare’s themes and their modern equivalent.
Learners It could be extended to a 9th or 10th grade class, with more help from the teacher, as
far as guiding the students to scenes that would work.
Standards
Process
Resources
Evaluation
Teacher Script
Conclusion
Credits

11. [Student Page]
Teacher Page Curriculum Standards (Teacher)
Title
Introduction
The following standards apply to this lesson:
Learners STANDARD 2:
Students write and speak for a variety of purposes and
Standards audiences.
• write and speak for a variety of purposes such as telling stories, presenting
Process analytical responses to literature, conveying technical information, explaining
concepts and procedures, and persuading;
Resources • write and speak for audiences such as peers, teachers, and the community;
Evaluation STANDARD 6:
Students read and recognize literature as a record of
Teacher Script human experience.
Conclusion • read literature to investigate common issues and interests
Furthermore, students will be engaged in other learning strategies as well. For
example, they will be gathering and filtering research. They will also be thinking
creatively, by constructing a play that mirrors the themes in Shakespeare but that is
also accessible to a modern audience.
Credits

12. [Student Page]
Teacher Page The Process (Teacher)
Title 1. First, your teacher will organize you into groups of four (or he / she might let you pick
Introduction your own).
2. Once you have your groups established, you will decide on a scene from one of
Learners Shakespeare’s plays. Your teacher will provide examples of some scenes that might
work well for this project.
Standards 3. Next, you will use the following websites to research both William Shakespeare and the
time period in which he was writing. Some of the websites provide tips or examples of
Process translations for Shakespeare’s plays into modern language.
4. You will write your own version of the scene. After a brief group presentation discussing
Resources the Elizabethan stage, actors, or other relevant topic, you will perform your scene in
front of the class. The rest of the class will follow along with the original play.
Evaluation
This lesson is organized for one class of around twenty or thirty students. It should be
Teacher Script taught over a minimum of three days, probably a maximum of five. I would introduce the
Conclusion project in the first ten minutes of the first class (most of the instructions are on the
WebQuest itself) and then let the students conduct research and begin planning on the first
day. Maybe let them get some props from home, continue working on the second day, and
then do presentations on the third (and maybe fourth) day. Again, this timeframe will be
determined by class size, the length of the class period, and resources for research. This
lesson is mostly single-disciplinary, focusing primarily on English (literature) but it loosely
includes theatre and drama because students will be performing a play; however, students
will be graded more on analyzing the themes from the scene than by their acting.
Students are divided into groups of four (or five, if necessary). Depending on the work ethic
of your class, you may allow them to choose their own groups; honestly, they might be
more creative and work better together if they are with friends, but they may also be
distracted. There does not need to be roles for each group, such as a researcher, actors,
historical speaker, etc. but rather, they may all be researchers and actors. Groups should
be given fifteen minutes for their entire presentation; five to seven minutes on the historical
presentation … (cont’d) click here to
Credits continue to process page 2

13. [Student Page] The Process 2 (Teacher)
Teacher Page (i.e., the Globe Theatre, Renaissance popular culture, Shakespeare biography).
You may assign a topic to each group, or you may decide to let each group create
their own presentation. Much of the planning for this project will depend on how
Title well your class operates in group settings; if they tend to be distracted easily, you
might want to provide more rigid instruction. If they are productive and stay on task,
Introduction they may be given more liberties.
Learners
No special experience or abilities are required from the teacher, except basic
Standards knowledge of Shakespeare that any and every English teacher should have by
now.
Process
Process 2 ***Note: When I get some more free time, I will add some scenes from some of his
plays that I think would work well for this project. For example, there’s a scene
Resources where Hamlet discovers his King has killed Hamlet’s father and he tries to trap him
and prove he’s guilty; I don’t know exactly what act and scene this is. Like I said,
Evaluation when I get more time I’ll put six or seven scenes as examples. For now, find some
famous and basic scenes, or you can always let the students find their own; but
Teacher Script again, it’s up to you how much freedom you allow for your students.***
Conclusion You don’t necessarily need book copies of Shakespeare’s plays; Sparksnotes
contains full text versions of the plays, and many other websites contain the plays
in their entirety.
I suppose a library or media center would be helpful for this project, as internet
access is absolutely necessary. This project could be homework, if students have
access to the internet at home. However, three to four days in class should be
sufficient to complete the project.
Variations:
You could use a different playwright, but beware of limited information on writers
like Ben Johnson. Shakespeare is safe because there’s so much research out
there.

14. [Student Page]
Teacher Page Resources (Teacher)
You don’t necessarily need book copies of Shakespeare’s plays; Sparksnotes
Title contains full text versions of the plays, and many other websites contain the plays in
Introduction their entirety.
Learners Really, all you need for this project is around twenty or thirty computers with internet
access. The presentations will be basic, not requiring powerpoint or projectors,
Standards though these may be optional.
Process The most helpful website is going to be Sparknotes. Explain to students that this
website is very helpful for summarizing plays, but (of course) nothing can replace
Resources reading the original text. This website actually translates a handful of his plays into
modern English, so these can serve as examples to students. Encourage creativity;
Evaluation have students include slang and body language they use with their friends; the
objective is to take Shakespeare, understand the play, and then make it available
Teacher Script and interesting to the audience, a high school class.
Conclusion
One teacher should be sufficient, but an aide may be helpful to ensure that students
are staying on task.
Credits

15. [Student Page]
Teacher Page Evaluation (Teacher)
CATEGORY 4 3 2 1
Title Historical Accuracy All historical information
appeared to be accurate
Almost all historical Most of the historical
information appeared to be information was accurate
Very little of the historical
information was accurate
and in chronological order. accurate and in and in chronological order. and/or in chronological
Introduction chronological order. order.
Learners Role Point-of-view, arguments, Point-of-view, arguments, Point-of-view, arguments, Point-of-view, arguments,
and solutions proposed and solutions proposed and solutions proposed and solutions proposed
Standards were consistently in
character.
were often in character. were sometimes in
character.
were rarely in character.
Process
Resources Presence of modern
theme
Group demonstrates very
well a theme common in
Group somehwat
demonstrates a theme
The theme is kind of hard
to find from the play.
There are no themes
common to modern life in
modern life. common in modern life. the play.
Evaluation
Teacher Script Knowledge Gained Can clearly explain several Can clearly explain several Can clearly explain one Cannot explain one way in
ways in which his character ways in which his character way in which his character which his character quot;sawquot;
Conclusion quot;sawquot; things differently than
other characters and can
quot;sawquot; things differently than
other characters.
quot;sawquot; things differently than
other characters.
things differently than other
characters.
clearly explain why.
Props/Costume Group uses several props Group uses 1-2 props Group uses props they The group uses no props
(could include costume), which make the found in their lockers five OR the props chosen
show considerable presentation better. minutes before class. detract from the
work/creativity and make presentation.
the presentation better.
Evaluate students mostly on the brief history presentation. Also, emphasis
should be placed on how well the students made the language accessible,
not so much on their acting abilities. A class discussion would be helpful
(after all the presentations are finished) to talk about what everyone learned,
Credits if they had fun, etc.

16. [Student Page]
Teacher Page Teacher Script (Teacher)
For a teacher script that would be used in a younger class or class of English as a
Title Second Language learners, the facilitator (teacher) will do most of the guidance, and
Introduction have a loose discussion about Shakespeare. The focus of this discussion will be on
themes relevant to both Shakespeare’s world and our world.
Learners
•The teacher might ask students to list some of the things they know about
Standards Shakespeare’s plays; love in Romeo and Juliet, revenge in Hamlet, etc.
•The teacher should provide a link to Sparknotes to show how Shakespeare’s
Process language has been translated into modern English.
•The teacher might provide the scripts to students so that they can just perform the
Resources play.
•This webquest can be used by the teacher to get ideas and find links to helpful
Evaluation websites; however, much of an adapted lesson will be primarily on a class
discussion. This entire lesson can take one day, with the teacher asking students if
Teacher Script they can think of any themes that we still struggle with today, such as jealousy and
Conclusion revenge.
•This page is linked to the Process segment off of the Teacher Page
Credits

17. [Student Page]
Teacher Page Conclusion (Teacher)
This lesson would be very helpful to show that Shakespeare’s plays were actually
Title vibrant and extremely important to society, even though the language is archaic and
Introduction difficult to read. After learning to translate this language, students will be better
prepared for future Shakespeare classes and/or lectures. Translation is crucial
Learners because it teaches students to put a piece into their own words, thus making it
accessible to everyone. Furthermore, this lesson encourages research strategies
Standards and group work. Creativity is tapped when the students must adapt the play to
include something that they deal with in their social settings.
Process
Resources
Evaluation
Teacher Script
Conclusion
Credits

18. [Student Page]
Teacher Page Credits & References (Teacher)
Thanks to the users of Flickr who listed their pictures with a “Creative Commons” license so
Title that I could use them in this project.
Introduction www.flickr.com
Learners
Shakespeare Statue - Clatie K http://www.flickr.com/photos/clatiek/462222145/
Standards Rose – Thomas Merton http://www.flickr.com/photos/thomas-merton/2123365735/
Swords – One Lucky Guy http://www.flickr.com/photos/8765199@N07/2636798565/
Process The Globe Theatre – Wally G http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/303883503/
Shakespeare Royal Theatres – Krypto http://www.flickr.com/photos/krypto/133571578/
Resources
Evaluation
Teacher Script
Here’s some links back to The WebQuest Page and The WebQuest Slideshare Group so that
Conclusion
others can acquire the latest version of this template and training materials.
Credits