pbs.org

I absolutely love pbs.org because it has a vast archive of videos, documentaries, and television shows to supplement almost any topic you could ever want to teach. Just type a topic into the search bar at the top right side of the page and prepare to be amazed. I was exploring the home page, and I happened across a section specifically for educators that had some pretty awesome resources for teaching Shakespeare in the classroom. The link to the Shakespeare page is: http://www.pbs.org/shakespeare/educators/lessonplans.html. On this page, a team of educators has shared some lesson plans and activities that can be used alone in the classroom, or that can be supplemented with the PBS series, “In Search of Shakespeare.” The page also contains a link to this series, which is broken up into segments that could be useful for showing in the classroom.

There are several categories of lesson plans offered—several directions a teacher could go. One is called “Teaching Shakespeare with Technology,” which has several ideas for teaching Shakespeare using online resources, including a WebQuest for Othello. Another examines the different film adaptations of Shakespeare, while others emphasize performance or Shakespeare’s language. There are also several resources for teaching Shakespeare with primary sources.

One good thing about the lesson plans is that they include an estimate for how much time they will take, links to the resources you will need, as well as which standards they meet. Most of them also include links to additional online resources you could use to supplement the lesson. They are practical, thorough and very easy to follow.

I was very impressed at the breadth and depth the website offers for a multitude of subjects, as well as how easy it was to find something practical, useful, and engaging. It is a great starting place for finding lessons that incorporate technology into the classroom. I recommend this site for any educator.