October 2002
Amy Becker, Fort Calhoun Junior High School, Fort Calhoun, Nebraska.
Plays/Scenes Covered
Twelfth Night. This lesson can be adapted for use with any Shakespeare play.
What’s On for Today and Why
Students design and create photo albums that tell the story of the play. This involves some extra work, resources, and lots of class time, but the end result is worth it!
This lesson will take two to three class periods.
What To Do
1. Finish reading the play.
2. Divide students into groups of 4–6.
3. Distribute the handout of directions for the activity.
4. Distribute cameras and arrange for students to share them between groups.
5. Allow students time to choose ten scenes they want to use to illustrate the story of the play. Have them pose their scenes and take photos.
6. Give students time to assemble their books and write captions for the photos.
7. If you like, make copies for each group member and post the originals in your classroom. You can also have your students bring these books to show to younger students.
What You Need
One disposable camera for every two or three groups; digital cameras work well too.
Handout with student directions.
Butcher block paper or other paper for book construction.
Glue, markers, and crayons, or computers and printers.
Documents:
Picture directions
How Did It Go?
Were the students able to choose and arrange poses to represent each act? Did students take ownership of their work? Did they gain a better understanding of the play? Did they have fun?
