Showing posts with label Shakespeare for schools. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shakespeare for schools. Show all posts

Sunday 26 May 2024

William Shakespeare, Part 1: A Classroom Activity

Much has been written about Shakespeare's Stratford-upon-Avon.

This week's Time Tunnellers post will instead offer an interactive and fun classroom activity: A Jumping Quiz.

Use masking take to mark out a long line on the floor. Invite as many volunteers to participate as you can fit on the line. They should stand on it. 

Explain: A jumping quiz works in the following way.

There are ten statements which you (as the teacher) will read out. The statements will either be true or false.

Pupils should think about their answer (which may well be a guess), but not give anything away.

Then you say 'Ready, steady, JUMP!' On the command, pupils should jump forwards for 'true', and backwards for 'false'. You can then reveal the answer.

As there are ten statements, pupils can keep track of their own scores on their fingers.

Apart from being fun and interactive, jumping quizzes are great for engagement: even those watching can participate by deciding on an answer and awarding themselves points if they were right.

In addition, cheating is all but impossible: you can't turn yourself around in mid-air, can you!

So without further ado, here are ten questions based on our video!

1. William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon. (TRUE)

2. William Shakespeare married a lady called Mary Arden. (FALSE, Mary was his mother!)

3. The Shakespeare home was on Hamley Street. (FALSE, Henley Street)

4. William Shakespeare's Dad was a glovemaker. (TRUE)

5. William Shakespeare became a player and playwright in London. (TRUE)

6. William was the youngest surviving son of the Shakespeare family. (FALSE, eldest)

7. Shakespeare's son Hamnet tragically died at the age of five. (FALSE, eleven)

8. The bedrooms in the Shakespeare house were upstairs. (TRUE)

9. The Shakespeare coat of arms above the door shows a quill. (FALSE, an arrow)

10. The schoolmaster in Shakespeare's school taught Latin and French. (FALSE, Latin and Greek)

TIE BREAKER QUESTIONS (in case of a draw between top scorers):

A. Shakespeare attended the Grammar School from the age of five. (FALSE, seven)

B. Shakespeare's portrait hangs in the National Gallery in London. (FALSE, Portrait Gallery)

Barbara Henderson is one of the regular Time Tunnellers and an award-winning author of eleven books, eight of them historical adventures for children.

Find out more on her website.

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