Name______Date______

Romeo and Juliet: Background on Shakespeare: Webquest Jigsaw Activity: Topics/Instructions

Introduction:
William Shakespeare is the most recognizable name in English literature. Sometimes it is helpful to have an understanding of what was happening in the world when a text was written in order to understand it better. In this unit we will take a closer look at the influences on Shakespeare and his legacy.

Instructions:
The class will be divided into groups. Each group will be assigned a topic on the table below. The group will be responsible for researching the area and preparing a short (3-5 minute) presentation that includes appropriate media and answering any questions the class may have about your assigned area. Your research will be graded for completeness and accuracy.

Topic / Questions for Webquest
1. Biography / Who was William Shakespeare? Childhood? Education? Life-changing events?
2. London c. 1590 / What was typical day like during the time of Shakespeare? What kinds of jobs did people have? What did people do for fun? How did people live? What would you like about living there? What wouldn't you like? Would you even like to visit?
3. His Works / What are the three types of plays Shakespeare wrote? What type of poetry did he write? List and summarize a few major works (at least 2 under each category). Why is Shakespeare famous?
4. His competition / Who else was writing plays for Londoners? Did William get along with the other playwrights of the day? How was Shakespeare different from his writing peers?
5. His Legacy / Why are we still reading Shakespeare's plays today? Where else do Shakespeare's stories show up (movies, tv shows, songs, etc.)
6. Queen Elizabeth I / Who was she? What was her childhood like? When did she come to power? Why is considered the best queen England has ever had? What does she have to do with Shakespeare?
7. Astrology during Shakespeare’s day / What is astrology? What is the zodiac? What are astrology/zodiac supposed to say about people and their lives? Why was it so popular during Shakespeare’s time?
8. The Globe / What was going to the theater like during Shakespeare’s day? What is the Globe? Describe/diagram how it was designed? Who sat where and why? Compare and contrast it to theaters of today.
9. Wedding Customs and Marriage / What were the wedding customs during his time? Compare and contrast them to wedding customs and marriage of America today and to another culture.
10. The Family: Parents & children during Shakespeare’s time. / What was the role of fathers, mothers and children in the family unit? What was expected of children? What was expected of fathers? What was expected of mothers? How did parents and children interact/bond? Compare and contrast the family unit during Shakespeare’s time to today’s American family.
11. Fashion / What did men wear? What did women wear? What did children wear? Was the fashion different for different classes? Compare and contrast the fashion of his day versus the fashions of today.
12. Sports / Games / What types of sports and games were popular during Shakespeare’s time? Describe at least 5 popular sports/games. Compare and contrast your findings with sports/games that are popular today.
13. Iambic Pentameter / What is it? How can apply it to a piece of Shakespeare’s work? Is it found in easier works of literature? Find a children’s book/story that uses iambic pentameter and teach it to the class. Hint: If you are stuck on finding an easier text, think Dr. Seuss.
14. Medicine and Diseases / What were the most deadly diseases during Shakespeare’s time? What was medicine like during that time? Compare and contrast medicine and disease from Shakespeare’s time with our time.
15. Music and Dance / What instruments and musical styles were popular? What were the most popular dances? Who were the most popular musicians/”bands”? Compare and Contrast music and dance of Shakespeare’s time to our music and dance styles of today.

Name______Date______

Romeo and Juliet: Background on Shakespeare: Webquest Jigsaw Activity: Topic Organizer

Directions:Copy and paste your topic and questions into the area below.

Topic / Webquest Questions

Directions:Copy each question into the first column then use the internet to fill in the last two columns with the website address from which you found the information and your information/answer. Once you have answered all questions, you may work with your partner on how you are going to present this information to the class.

Webquest Question / Website Address / Answer/Information

Interesting Information

Website Address / Information

Name______Date______

Romeo and Juliet: Background on Shakespeare: Webquest Jigsaw Activity: Presentation Rubric

You will have to present your topic in an interesting and creative way. How you choose to do this is entirely up to you, however, you must go beyond a powerpoint or prezi presentation. Your presentation will be graded using the rubric below:

Presentation Rubric

Category / 1= D = 65 / 2 = C = 75 / 3 = B = 85 / 4 = A = 95 / Total
Organization / Audience cannot understand presentation because there is no sequence of information. / Audience has difficulty following presentation because student jumps around. / Student presents information in logical sequence which audience can follow. / Student presents information in logical, interesting sequence which audience can follow.
Subject Knowledge / Student does not have grasp of information; student cannot answer questions about subject. / Student is uncomfortable with information and is able to answer only rudimentary questions. / Student is at ease with expected answers to all questions, but fails to elaborate. / Student demonstrates full knowledge (more than required) by answering all class questions with explanations and elaboration.
Graphics / Student uses superfluous graphics or no graphics / Student occasionally uses graphics that rarely support text and presentation. / Student's graphics relate to text and presentation. / Student's graphics explain and reinforce screen text and presentation.
Mechanics / Student's presentation has four or more spelling errors and/or grammatical errors. / Presentation has three misspellings and/or grammatical errors. / Presentation has no more than two misspellings and/or grammatical errors. / Presentation has no misspellings or grammatical errors.
Eye Contact / Student reads all of report with no eye contact. / Student occasionally uses eye contact, but still reads most of report. / Student maintains eye contact most of the time but frequently returns to notes. / Student maintains eye contact with audience, seldom returning to notes.
Voice / Student mumbles, incorrectly pronounces terms, and speaks too quietly for students in the back of class to hear. / Student's voice is low. Student incorrectly pronounces terms. Audience members have difficulty hearing presentation. / Student's voice is clear. Student pronounces most words correctly. Most audience members can hear presentation. / Student uses a clear voice and correct, precise pronunciation of terms so that all audience members can hear presentation.
Total Points:

Name______grade______

*Teacher may give plus (+) or minus (-) grades.