Integrated Learning - Year 8 ENSS - Shakespeare

Happy Birthday Shakespeare!

How can we provide our students with the opportunity to bring more technology into our programmes?

It was a pleasure to work with Aimie Sibson and her year 8ENSS class on an inquiry question: "Why is Shakespeare still relevant 400 years on…?"

The students had studied "Twelfth Night" this term and as part of their celebration of learning, they were asked to bring Shakespeare alive and make it relevant for the modern audience.

Below are some of the wonderful ways in which the girls presented aspects of the Twelfth Night.

3D designed and printed Shakespeare merchandise - Bobblehead of Shakespeare

3D printed QuoteHanger - "If music be the food of love play on"

Trailer for a recreated film of the Twelfth Night using the coding programme of Scratch

Papertronic gift cards using Shakespeare language and themes that flash and light up supported by Sarah Coursey

Music Video using iMovie and Garage Band

Recreating a setting from the Twelfth Nigh using Minecraft

Gamifying the plot using an app called "Sploder"

Using the classroom window to show the "Love Triangle"

Many students were challenged to learn a new skill and to learn alongside their peers.  The students sought support and guidance when they needed it.  They produced some absolutely amazing pieces of work and this class now understands the process of learning better.  When students were asked for some feedback on how we presented this unit, they understood why there were some 'dull' lessons in getting to grips with the Twelfth Night  - the language, structure, characters and story.  Looking back, the students have a deeper understanding of Shakespeare, his writing and the Twelfth Night.  We emphasized the fun, in doing, creating and making something related to this unit which elevated the hunger to learn and know more.