Biography

[Adriana]

Resources:
https://www.biography.com/people/will... https://www.folger.edu/shakespeares-life
Summary:
“Who Was William Shakespeare?” by, Celeste Davidson Mannis, was a great overview of the famous English poet. The author began with explaining who William Shakespeare was, also known as Will. She wrote about his childhood, early life, and personal life. She also did it in chronological order and made the biography flow. The author stressed how in William Shakespeare’s career he made audiences think about what power does to people, and why wars start. She wrote about how his plays made people feel and how most plays he wrote were related to the world, and his life. She explained all major accomplishments, from his first play, to his last. The book contained black and white illustrations and short history passages. This helped give an idea of what it may have looked like in the late 1500’s- 1600’s. Also, the history/information that was provided in the book, gives the reader that background information to help with understanding what was going on during that time. The chapters were short and although there were words that could be challenging for a third grader, overall it is an easy read.
Activity:
This book can be used in many ways in the classroom. Before beginning my lesson, I will create an KWL chart with the class. We will all participate and answer what we know about William Shakespeare, and what we want to know. I would want the students to work in groups when reading this book. Even though it is an easy read, I would still prefer the students to work together. When we begin to read the students are going to be asked to write down any interesting facts or important information after each chapter. All information will be written down on post it sticky notes. When finished reading the book, the students will then be asked to go on one of the two websites provided and research more about William Shakespeare. They will then write on another color of sticky notes what they believe is interesting, or anything that was different from the book. As a group, they will then create a compare and contrast Venn Diagram, with the title of the book on one side, and the website they chose on the other. They will complete this on chart paper, and students will then use their sticky notes to post the similar facts in the middle, and the different information on the appropriate sides. When the students are finished, I would want the students to share their findings. Afterwards, I would then have the students tell me how they felt about the book, and the website. We will have class discussions and compare and contrast those the online resources with the book. When we have finished the discussion, I will then complete the KWL chart with the students to conclude the class.