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 TripsIn-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 WorkshopsStudy 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
2024-2025 Children & Holiday Production
2024-2025 Signature Series
2023-2024 Season Resources
2023-2024 Signature Seven Series
2023-2024 Children & Holiday Production
All Resources
Children's Series
Musicals
Shakespeare
Signature Series
By Season
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 GuidePage to Stage
This 10-20 minute activity may be used to compare drama to fiction by turning narrative into dialogue.
Download GuideCharacter Motivation
This 10-20 minute activity may be used to explore what motivates characters to act the way they do using active verbs.
Download GuideIamb 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
Shakespeare’s Weird Words
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 Imagery
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.