1. Woodlawn High School Library Media Center Mrs. Frager
Shakespeare WebQuest
Woodlawn High School
Library Media Center
Mrs. Frager

2. Introduction
To understand the works of William Shakespeare, it is important to understand the times in which he lived.
You will be completing a WebQuest by researching a list of topics related to Shakespeare and his life. When you are finished, you will have the information you need to better appreciate the works of the most famous poet and writer in history.

3. The Task – Part 1
Before reading Romeo and Juliet, you will work independently or in pairs to find information about Shakespeare’s life and times.
You will use the Web to research the following topics:
Shakespeare’s life
Elizabethan Period
Intellectual and Religious life of the 1500s and 1600s
The Elizabethan Theatre and Globe Theatre
Marriage Customs, Family Life, and the Role of Women
Literary Terms and Coined Phrases

4. The Task – Part 2
When your research is complete you will create a Photo Story Presentation using images gathered from the Internet and your own voice narration to “Tell the Story” of your topic.
You will use at least 6 images for your presentation and a minimum of two to three sentences per image to tell the story.
You will NOT describe what we can obviously see in the picture. Rather, you will narrate a story that paints for your audience what they cannot see. In other words – do not use phrases like: “In this picture…” or “This is a picture of…” Do not state the obvious.
Be creative and have fun!

5. Evaluation
You will choose 6 questions from your chosen topic to cover.
Notes will be graded for accuracy and thoroughness. They must be typed 12 font / Times New Roman or neatly handwritten on 4x6 note cards. These will be checked at the end of each class period.
You will Cite each source you use using BibMe.org.
You must use at least one Print Resource and three Web Resources.
Refer to your Research Rubric and Presentation Rubric if you have any questions about what is expected and how your research and presentation will be scored.

6. Topic 1 – Shakespeare’s Life
When and where was Shakespeare born?
Describe his upbringing and education.
What were the four types of plays he wrote?
Where were his plays performed and by whom?
Besides writing plays, what skills made Shakespeare a “jack of all trades?”
When and where did Shakespeare die?
Why do you think we still read Shakespeare’s works today?
What words or phrases did Shakespeare invent or “coin?”

7. Topic 2 – Elizabethan Period
Who was Queen Elizabeth and for how long did she rule?
Who ruled England after she died?
Give the approximate dates of the Elizabethan Period.
Identify the social classes during Shakespeare’s time. What was a peasant? What was a noble?
What were common punishments for crimes?
What is the Bubonic Plague and how did it effect Elizabethan society?
What were the sanitation and health conditions?
What is “primogeniture?”
What kind of education did Queen Elizabeth receive?
What kinds of entertainment did Queen Elizabeth enjoy?

8. Topic 3 – Intellectual and Religious
Describe the four elements thought to compose the universe.
Describe the four humours and their relationship to personality. What was the relationship between the humours and illnesses?
What type of medicines were used and by whom was it dispensed?
Describe the religious climate during this time.
Who were the main religious leaders? Describe their roles.
What was the main religion? What were the basic beliefs?
What changes were taking place?
What was thought to be the center of the universe at this time. Who controlled it?
Describe the “Chain of Beings” believed in by Shakespeare and his contemporaries.

9. Topic 4 – Elizabethan Theatre
Where were most theatres built? (in or out of the city?) Why?
Why is the Globe Theatre so famous?
What time of day did performances take place. How was the public notified about the performances?
Who played the female roles and why?
What type of scenery and props were used?
Describe the costumes the actors used.
What other skills besides acting did the actors need?
What was the cost of standing room at the Globe?
Who was Richard Burbage?
Who were the King’s Men or Chamberlain’s Men?
Define and describe the following theatrical terms: Pit; Groundling; Heavens, Trap door, Tiring house

10. Topic 5 – Marriage Customs and Family Life
Where did marriages take place during the Elizabethan Period?
Why were marriage contracts arranged?
Who performed the marriage ceremony?
What was the common age for marriage?
What is a betrothal?
What was the goal of a Renaissance wedding?
Describe common wedding attire during this period.
Describe what foods might be served at a wedding feast.
What kind of entertainment took place at a wedding celebration?
What was the status of women and what kinds of work did women do?

11. Topic 6 – Literary Terms and Coined Phrases
Elizabethan / Shakespearean Sonnet
Iambic pentameter
Blank verse
Soliloquy
Foreshadowing
Apostrophe
Oxymoron
Hyperbole
Dramatic irony
Verbal irony
Allusion
Motif
Pun
Personification
Couplet
Find five words or phrases that literary scholars believe were “coined” or invented by Shakespeare. (Required)

12. ~Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale
Exit, pursued by a bear!
~Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale