Experiential Education and Shakespeare
Teaching William Shakespeare
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King Lear and Classical Music
There is much music written to accompany many of Shakepeare's great plays, especially for King Lear. One way to help students experience Shakespeare is by allowing them to participate in music criticism. This is an idea that I received from the International Reading Association Conference held in Atlanta, GA. If you'd like more information from the teacher that I received this idea from, please email me (jaime@experiencethis.itgo.com). While reading King Lear with your students, you will obviously be discussing different themes that appear throughout the play. One of those themes, which relates well to high school students, is the theme of family issues, and the idea within the high school students that we teach that their family does not love them. This is a great topic to help students speak, and reflect from their own experience. After discussing the prevailing themes, and after having read the play, it is then time to introduce students to the different songs that composers have written to help capture different characters, and different moments within the play. One of these is Le Roi Lear Overture, op. 4 by Hector Berlioz (click here). Claude Debussy wrote "Le Sommeil du Roi Lear," and "Fanfare du Roi Lear." And Dmitri Shostakovich wrote "The Ballad of Cordelia," along with many other incidental music. While you're listening to this music with your students, it is a good exercise to have students list adjectives that describe the music. For example, while listening to Shostakovich's "Storm," I listed the following adjectives to help describe the music that I was hearing: powerful, shrill, anxious, terrifying, unpredictable, and intense. After listing these adjectives, I realized that I'd made a list that also described King Lear himself, which was exactly what Shostakovich was after. (Check out "The Storm" on youtube:here.)
Shakespeare Scavenger Hunt
I believe that it is too often the case that while teaching Shakespeare our students say to themselves, "Why are we reading this?" So, why not encourage them to ask that question before beginning to read one of Shakespeare's great plays?
What I've devised in order to help students become acquainted with Shakespeare is a Shakespeare Scavenger Hunt, which is reminiscent of the hunts that we all used to do at slumber parties as children. This process allows students to practice brainstorming, interviewing, researching and citing in MLA, journaling, reflection, critical thinking, and public speaking, all while answering the question: Why do we study Shakespeare?
A good way to introduce students to this independent research project might be through a KWL (Know, Want to Know, Learned) chart. This will help students to reflect on what they already know about Shakespeare, and then to brainstorm about what they'd still like to know so as to further their research. You might also want to introduce students to Shakespeare through a PowerPoint that you've designed, so that they'll have the knowledge that you know they'll need in order to read the play that you'll be reading together with enough content knowledge.
I believe there are two things about this project that will make it truly engaging for students. The first is the extra credit portion when students are asked to find a pop culture reference to Shakespeare. I think that students will be surprised to find how often Shakespeare is referenced in today's society. The second aspect is Step Four: Perspective, in which students are asked to get into Shakespeare's shoes and figure out what he'd buy from a local grocery, thrift, or department store. I can't wait to see the creative examples that students bring to class!
Romeo and Juliet and Contemporary Music
Romeo and Juliet was turned into a movie in 1996, which was directed by Baz Luhrman, and starred Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. From it is a soundtrack (check out: Talk Show Host by Radiohead, Kissing You by Des'ree, Lovefool by The Cardigans, and Young Hearts Run Free by Kym Mazelle. These songs/videos can be introduced to help get students thinking about how plays from the past can be adapted to themes that are always relevant, and can be found in music. It would also be applicable to have students compare and contrast the different themes that are presented by each of these songs. Many artists have been inspired by the story of Romeo and Juliet, and have created their own ballads. Check out the following links: This is a video of Dire Straits, performing their version live. It would be good to show students the lyrics as they listen/view this version. You might also allow students to listen to this non-contemporary version, which is Tchaikovsky's "Romeo and Juliet Overture: Love Theme. (Use similar methods as discussed in the King Lear lesson.)
Students can then be given the assignment of creating their own soundtrack for the play. Students can use songs that they already know, which they believe capture the themes of the play, or they can create their own songs. Students are also asked to create an original song for the play, which should include poetic elements. This assignment was inspired by Mr. Joel Mark, from McClure Middle School. See my RESOURCES page.
