Guides and Resources

Teacher Resources and Study Guides

Within this section, you will find study guides created by our staff for use in the classroom. They are all in downloadable PDF files. Unless otherwise noted, the following information is copyrighted by Orlando Shakespeare Theater, Inc. and must contain the following quote on all pages if used in any hard copy, web-based, soft copy or other use by other individuals or companies:

© 2021, Orlando Shakespeare Theater, Inc.

Teacher Resources

Field Trip and School Day Matinees

Inspire your students with the magic of live performance. We offer student matinee performances for Pre-K through Grade 12!

School Field Trips

In-School and On-Stage Workshops

Our Education Department offers dynamic workshops for your class. Let us ignite your students’ imaginations as we make your curriculum exciting and accessible to learners at every level.

Book an In-School or On-Stage Workshop for your class:

School Workshops

Study Guides, Scripts and Handouts

Teachers are encouraged to use our corresponding study guides in the classroom. All guides are available in a convenient and downloadable PDF format.

2024-2025 Season Resources

2023-2024 Season Resources

All Resources

Activities

Status Walk

This 10-20 minute activity may be used to explore status in the school environment or in a novel being studied. Click Here to view a video example.

Download Guide

Page to Stage

This 10-20 minute activity may be used to compare drama to fiction by turning narrative into dialogue.

Download Guide

Character Motivation

This 10-20 minute activity may be used to explore what motivates characters to act the way they do using active verbs.

Download Guide

Iamb Game

Introduce basic Shakespearean scansion with this active game. Click Here to view a video example.

Download Guide

 

Discovery Zone

Discovery Zone is a collection of free resources designed to support individual and classroom explorations of Shakespeare’s texts. Suitable for students of a broad range of ages, experience levels, and learning styles, Discovery Zone invites individuals to bring their own unique identities and perspectives to their understanding of Shakespeare.

Use this handy curriculum planner to see how these resources will serve your classroom needs. Detailed curriculum alignment documents and rubrics are on their way!

The Discovery Zone resources are provided under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International license. You may copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format, on condition that you credit Mary Hartman and Bard on the Beach Theatre Society, your use is non-commercial, and that you do not distribute any derivative works. Learn more about this creative commons license.

Making Shakespeare Your Own

These resources provide entry points to explorations of Shakespeare’s plays that are inquiry-based and student-centred. These activities focus on the language and the myriad ways it can resonate, and each corresponds to a section of A Shakesperience, Bard’s free video introduction to Shakespeare’s plays.

What do you mean by that saying? Unpacking famous quotes

The Shakespeare Shuffle: Playing with Syntax

Insults & Exalts: Big, playful, expressive words

We shall remain in friendship: Short scenes to bring to life

Know you the character? A mini-character explorer

Speak what we feel: The emotions behind the lines

Speak freely what you think: Being silenced and speaking out

Not an easy matter: Contrasting attitudes towards warfare

To truths translated: Shakespeare in other languages

A Bard Among Many: Learning about other great storytellers

Shakespeare’s Weird Words

This collection focuses on the language in Shakespeare’s plays that might be unfamiliar or unexpected. Four handouts break it all down, or use this fun, flash-card approach to the complete Weird Words collection.

Language/Vocabulary | Text analysis | Critical thinking | Creative writing

 

Exploring Shakespeare’s Imagery

This collection invites students to explore image-rich lines of text and discover how these lines resonate with them.

Imagery | Language/Vocabulary | Drama-based activity | Creative writing | Text analysis

 

Exploring Shakespeare’s Characters

This collection invites students to explore specific characters and create their own ideas about who these characters might be. We embrace a broad understanding of the characters in Shakespeare’s plays so that anyone can identify with them and see themselves reflected, if they so choose.

Character | Language/Vocabulary | Drama-based activity | Critical thinking | Creative writing | Text analysis

Exploring Shakespeare’s Characters

A Closer Look At… Speeches!

These resources take a deep dive into selected speeches from a variety of plays. They break down the thoughts, illuminate the images, inspire text analysis, and invite personal connections.

A Closer Look At… Speeches!

Basic Background: Who’s Who and What Happens

This collection provides brief descriptions of the characters and plots in a range of plays. We hope our neutral approach to these descriptions allows for a wide range of access, connection, and interpretation.

Character | Story/Plot

Who’s Who and What Happens

 

Acknowledgements
The resources in Discovery Zone were created by Mary Hartman, with the support of the wonderful Bard Education Administrative Team: Katie Johnstone, Santana Berryman, and Samantha Levy. Special acknowledgement goes to former team member Melanie Hiepler, for fantastic graphic design, insightful feedback, and masterful wrangling of the myriad elements of this complex project. We’re grateful for the input of schoolteachers from across BC, especially Cheryl Angst, Robert Manery, Sharlene Prasad, and Katrina Thomson. Big thanks also to our awesome volunteer proofreader Gillian Walker. The project was supported by the extraordinary professionals from Project Management Volunteers, Tolu Oloruntoba, Bernadette Andrade, Harla Sidhu, and David Nimmo. We are grateful for the community spirit and collaborative efforts with which Discovery Zone is built.

Discovery Zone was primarily created in Metro Vancouver on the ancestral lands of the Musqueam, Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh, and other Coast Salish First Nations. We acknowledge, too, that many of our collaborators made their contributions from the ancestral lands of other First Nations.