Teach Secondary - Issue 13.2

R E V I E W 81 teachwire.net/secondary Who can deny the majesty of Shakespeare’s writing? No one – it’s not allowed. But whether you love him or only grudgingly respect him, he’s got to be taught. As a KS3 teacher, however, a significant hurdle remains. How to bring Shakespeare into the classroom in a way that will fire your students’ imaginations while meeting the demands of the curriculum? You could always study the plays yourself, of course; poring over scripts and spending hours filleting them in ways you hope will inspire your youngsters and do justice to his genius. Or you could do yourself a huge favour by drawing on the expertise and passion of people who have done most of the legwork for you – in this case, Jo Heathcote and Hannah Appleton. I know which option I’d choose. Reimagine Key Stage 3 Shakespeare provides all you need to deliver a carefully plotted-lesson sequence for a whole play in each year of KS3. Y7 get to enjoy the magic of A Midsummer Night’s Dream . For Y8, there’s the drama of The Merchant of Venice , while Y9 get to unpick the passion and tragedy of Romeo and Juliet . Each work is addressed as a six-week project. As you’d hope and expect, the detailed lesson plans draw on carefully chosen extracts as a vehicle for developing key skills such as comprehension, inference and character analysis. Themes are explored, and the beauty and craft of the Bard’s language is highlighted and examined with all due reverence, but in a way that students should be able to relate to. All this is further enriched by the inclusion of many suggestions for thought-provoking class discussions. I particularly like how each project builds towards tasks that challenge students to apply what they have learnt in stimulating and imaginative ways. I know that long ago, when I was experiencing Shakespeare for the first time myself, I would have thoroughly enjoyed relating his themes to contemporary issues of the day – which in 2023 can include climate change. If that also meant writing my own speeches, drafting scripts for documentaries or creating my own podcast, then so much the better (not that anyone would have known what a ‘podcast’ was back then...) Also worth noting is the impressive quantity of lesson essentials that are provided for you in the form of downloadable extracts, PowerPoint presentations and worksheets – all further accessible via editable formats, should you so desire. Any teacher of literature will surely see this resource as both a pleasure and a mercy. Because indeed, as Portia so rightly tells us, ‘ The quality of mercy is not strain’d.. .’ A comprehensive set of lesson plans for teaching classic Shakespeare plays – one for each year of KS3 A T A G L ANCE ENG L I SH • Written by experienced classroom practitioners • Covers three separate plays in detail • Provides thoughtfully mapped-out lesson sequences • Includes full lesson plans alongside other teaching resources • Relates these classic works to present-day issues REVI EW BY MI KE DAVI ES You want to teach Shakespeare’s works in detail, in a way that’s both inspiring and relatable for KS3 students. P I CK UP I F . . . Reimagine Key Stage 3 Shakespeare Brings Shakespeare’s works to life Students will enjoy the imaginative and engaging suggested activities Accessible and approachable, while at the same time being respectful of the source material Can help to reduce elements of teacher workload V E RD I C T Priced at £100; find out more at collins.co.uk/ReimagineKS3English