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Their Eyes Were Watching God
Teaching Resource Collection

Their Eyes Were Watching God

Performing a novel just might be the best way to read it.

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Hamlet
Teaching Resource Collection

Hamlet

Let’s challenge all those assumptions about this “biggie” of a play!

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A Midsummer Night's Dream
Teaching Resource Collection

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Myth, mirth, and magic? Enter the Dream world!

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American Moor
Teaching Resource Collection

American Moor

What happens at “the corner of Me Street and Shakespeare”?

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Folger lesson plan

Lesson Plans

Explore lesson plans that get students grappling on their own with a wide range of complex texts.

Become an expert on teaching anything the Folger way: Hamlet, Lucille Clifton’s poems, In the Time of the Butterflies, primary sources from the Folger vault, A Modest Proposal, Their Eyes Were Watching God, American Moor, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Twelfth Night, The Declaration of Independence, and lots more.

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Professional Development

Teacher Members of the Folger enjoy exclusive access to live-streamed workshops and a video library of on-demand professional development.

Watch master classes on teaching Shakespeare plays and webinars on engaging all learners in attentive, thoughtful reading. Meet Folger experts and fellow teachers from across the country and around the world. Join a community working to help all students fall in love with literature and the power of their own minds.

Explore all professional development

Most popular resources

What to Do–and What Not to Do–in Week One of a Successful Shakespeare Unit

Teaching Resource

What to Do–and What Not to Do–in Week One of a Successful Shakespeare Unit

What are the best, and worst, things you can do in the first week of a Shakespeare unit?
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2-Line Scenes - General Shakespeare
Teaching Resource

2-Line Scenes - General Shakespeare

Introduce any Shakespeare play this way. Trust us--it works!

Free resource

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Teach Their Eyes Were Watching God with Rigor and Joy

Teaching Resource

Teach Their Eyes Were Watching God with Rigor and Joy

How does the Folger Method help students discover and interpret Their Eyes Were Watching God?
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Pre-reading: A Snapshot of Othello

Teaching Resource

Pre-reading: A Snapshot of Othello

Introduce the language and story of Othello and prepare your students for courageous conversations about race and power. A twist on 20-minute plays.
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Essential Everyday Bravery
Teaching Resource

Essential Everyday Bravery

Use literature as a tool for anti-racism. Even if you don't teach Merchant, this curriculum will help your students think and act with courage.
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Choral Reading Dr. King’s I Have a Dream Speech

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Choral Reading Dr. King’s I Have a Dream Speech

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Juicy Hamlet Lessons from the Creators of The Folger Guide to Teaching Hamlet 5-Week Unit

Teaching Resource

Juicy Hamlet Lessons from the Creators of The Folger Guide to Teaching Hamlet 5-Week Unit

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So, You Have to Read Shakespeare... How the Folger Method Can Reach Reluctant Readers...and Teachers of Shakespeare
Teaching Resource

So, You Have to Read Shakespeare... How the Folger Method Can Reach Reluctant Readers...and Teachers of Shakespeare

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Fill Your Cauldron: Spooky Treats from Macbeth
Teaching Resource

Fill Your Cauldron: Spooky Treats from Macbeth

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Ditch Your Syllabus For One Period!
Instead:
Your Students Put Down Their Phones As You Preview Your Year of Literature Together!

Teaching Resource

Ditch Your Syllabus For One Period!
Instead:
Your Students Put Down Their Phones As You Preview Your Year of Literature Together!

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Explore Shakespeare’s World: One more diverse, compelling, and surprising than we thought!

Teaching Resource

Explore Shakespeare’s World: One more diverse, compelling, and surprising than we thought!

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Cutting and Performing Scenes – Put Students in the Driver’s Seat!

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Cutting and Performing Scenes – Put Students in the Driver’s Seat!

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Pairing Texts Across Time, Place, and Experience

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Pairing Texts Across Time, Place, and Experience

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Exploring Race & Whiteness in Shakespeare

Teaching Resource

Exploring Race & Whiteness in Shakespeare

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Exploring Gender: Shakespeare’s Take on Chaste, Silent, and Obedient

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Exploring Gender: Shakespeare’s Take on Chaste, Silent, and Obedient

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Shakespeare and the Immigrant Experience

Teaching Resource

Shakespeare and the Immigrant Experience

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Two Juicy, Interactive Lessons for Your Next Class!

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Two Juicy, Interactive Lessons for Your Next Class!

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Sonnets & Social Justice

Teaching Resource

Sonnets & Social Justice

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Sonnet Performances: Shakespeare’s Sonnets as Scripts

Teaching Resource

Sonnet Performances: Shakespeare’s Sonnets as Scripts

Free resource

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Shakespeare’s Sisters and Modern Sonnets

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Shakespeare’s Sisters and Modern Sonnets

Free resource

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Spenser, Shakespeare, and the Blazon

Teaching Resource

Spenser, Shakespeare, and the Blazon

Free resource

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Easing into Shakespeare with Edna St. Vincent Millay’s, “What My Lips Have Kissed, And Where And Why”

Teaching Resource

Easing into Shakespeare with Edna St. Vincent Millay’s, “What My Lips Have Kissed, And Where And Why”

Free resource

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Shakespeare’s Sonnet 138: A Close Reading Module

Teaching Resource

Shakespeare’s Sonnet 138: A Close Reading Module

Free resource

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The English Sonnet: Michael Drayton

Teaching Resource

The English Sonnet: Michael Drayton

Free resource

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Petrarch, Father of the Sonnet

Teaching Resource

Petrarch, Father of the Sonnet

Free resource

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Gift form
Teaching Resource

Gift form

Free resource

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A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 3 Ways: Through Scholarship, On Stage, and In Your Classroom

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A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 3 Ways: Through Scholarship, On Stage, and In Your Classroom

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THE FOLGER METHOD IN ONE FELL SWOOP: Teach Shakespeare and Any Complex Text Using These Principles and Practices Effective for All Students

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THE FOLGER METHOD IN ONE FELL SWOOP: Teach Shakespeare and Any Complex Text Using These Principles and Practices Effective for All Students

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Navigating Race and Difference: In Shakespeare, In Class, and Elsewhere

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Navigating Race and Difference: In Shakespeare, In Class, and Elsewhere

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William Shakespeare and Gwendolyn Brooks: Processing Death

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William Shakespeare and Gwendolyn Brooks: Processing Death

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March Lesson of the Month: Pairing Clint Smith’s “My Hopes, Dreams, Fears for My Future Son” with Hamlet

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March Lesson of the Month: Pairing Clint Smith’s “My Hopes, Dreams, Fears for My Future Son” with Hamlet

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“Officers and Torches: Race and the Editing of Othello” with Patricia Akhimie

Teaching Resource

“Officers and Torches: Race and the Editing of Othello” with Patricia Akhimie

What’s the connection between race and the power and uncertainty of editing? Get the inside scoop of Patricia Akhimie’s findings and process as she discusses her experience while editing a scholarly edition of Shakespeare’s Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice. This lecture was recorded on March 9, 2022.
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Race and U.S. Education: Historical Perspectives

Teaching Resource

Race and U.S. Education: Historical Perspectives

Free resource

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The Two New Paths: Censorship, Reclamation–What is Our Argument? with Jocelyn Chadwick

Teaching Resource

The Two New Paths: Censorship, Reclamation–What is Our Argument? with Jocelyn Chadwick

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Sneak Peek! Lessons from the Forthcoming Folger Guide to Teaching Hamlet.

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Sneak Peek! Lessons from the Forthcoming Folger Guide to Teaching Hamlet.

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“Jamestown: A Shakesperien Tragedy” with Mark Summers

Teaching Resource

“Jamestown: A Shakesperien Tragedy” with Mark Summers

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Reading Fred Wilson’s Art Alongside Shakespeare’s Words: Folger + Smithsonian American Art Museum

Teaching Resource

Reading Fred Wilson’s Art Alongside Shakespeare’s Words: Folger + Smithsonian American Art Museum

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Unapologetically Black Shakespeare: Core Lessons from Folger & Reconstruction.us

Teaching Resource

Unapologetically Black Shakespeare: Core Lessons from Folger & Reconstruction.us

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This Illness is No Metaphor: Romeo and Juliet and the Plague

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This Illness is No Metaphor: Romeo and Juliet and the Plague

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Teaching Shakespeare Is Teaching Race 2021: A Virtual Folger Workshop for Teachers – The Online Archive of Program Videos, Slides, and Materials

Teaching Resource

Teaching Shakespeare Is Teaching Race 2021: A Virtual Folger Workshop for Teachers – The Online Archive of Program Videos, Slides, and Materials

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Teaching Shakespeare Is Teaching Race. It is?

Teaching Resource

Teaching Shakespeare Is Teaching Race. It is?

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Teaching Shakespeare Is Teaching Race

Teaching Resource

Teaching Shakespeare Is Teaching Race

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Teaching Shakespeare Institute 2021: Shakespeare and the Making of America

Teaching Resource

Teaching Shakespeare Institute 2021: Shakespeare and the Making of America

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ALL Students Deserve the Real Thing: Teaching Shakespeare to English-Language Learners

Teaching Resource

ALL Students Deserve the Real Thing: Teaching Shakespeare to English-Language Learners

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Text Set: AMERICAN MOOR Talks Back to OTHELLO

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Text Set: AMERICAN MOOR Talks Back to OTHELLO

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Text Set: Maya Angelou Talks Back to Romeo

Teaching Resource

Text Set: Maya Angelou Talks Back to Romeo

Free resource

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Macbeth Without Ambition with Dr. Adam Zucker

Teaching Resource

Macbeth Without Ambition with Dr. Adam Zucker

Free resource

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Speaking and Writing with Shakespeare at the Heart, a Smithsonian American Art Museum + Folger Library Workshop

Teaching Resource

Speaking and Writing with Shakespeare at the Heart, a Smithsonian American Art Museum + Folger Library Workshop

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Shakespeare to Malcolm X: Helping ALL Students Grapple with Race and Complex Texts

Teaching Resource

Shakespeare to Malcolm X: Helping ALL Students Grapple with Race and Complex Texts

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The Tempest, Colonialism, and Early America

Teaching Resource

The Tempest, Colonialism, and Early America

Teaching The Tempest means creating a space for classroom conversations about race, power, indigeneity, slavery, and the painful making of America.
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Juicy Lesson! Creating a Promptbook for Poet X (or ANY novel!)

Teaching Resource

Juicy Lesson! Creating a Promptbook for Poet X (or ANY novel!)

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Here’s to Black Women Poets, Part II. May We Know Them. May We Read Them. May We Teach Them.

Teaching Resource

Here’s to Black Women Poets, Part II. May We Know Them. May We Read Them. May We Teach Them.

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“Race, Racism, and the Shaping of Shakespeare” with Dr. Ruben Espinosa

Teaching Resource

“Race, Racism, and the Shaping of Shakespeare” with Dr. Ruben Espinosa

Free resource

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What Says She? Listening to Women’s Voices in Shakespeare with Dr. Kathryn Vomero Santos

Teaching Resource

What Says She? Listening to Women’s Voices in Shakespeare with Dr. Kathryn Vomero Santos

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Here’s to Black Women Poets. May We Know Them. May We Read Them. May We Teach Them.

Teaching Resource

Here’s to Black Women Poets. May We Know Them. May We Read Them. May We Teach Them.

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Juicy Lesson! Pre-reading: A 20-minute Hamlet

Teaching Resource

Juicy Lesson! Pre-reading: A 20-minute Hamlet

Free resource

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Juicy Lesson! Words as Images with Twelfth Night

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Juicy Lesson! Words as Images with Twelfth Night

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The Key to Getting ALL Students Understanding and Interpreting Complex Texts

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The Key to Getting ALL Students Understanding and Interpreting Complex Texts

Free resource

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Film Expert Groups: The Closet Scene

Teaching Resource

Film Expert Groups: The Closet Scene

There’s a wrong way to use film in class. This lesson shows you how to avoid it—and teach thoughtful analysis!
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Juicy Lesson! Choral Reading Dr. King’s I Have A Dream speech

Teaching Resource

Juicy Lesson! Choral Reading Dr. King’s I Have A Dream speech

Free resource

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The Folger Method Online: How to Teach ANY Play Fast and with Rigor!

Teaching Resource

The Folger Method Online: How to Teach ANY Play Fast and with Rigor!

Free resource

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Taking the Folger Method Online to Teach ANY Text and Get Students to Turn On Their Cameras!

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Taking the Folger Method Online to Teach ANY Text and Get Students to Turn On Their Cameras!

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Trailblazing Women Poets You’re Probably Not Teaching—And Practical Strategies for Teaching Them Now

Teaching Resource

Trailblazing Women Poets You’re Probably Not Teaching—And Practical Strategies for Teaching Them Now

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Folger Community Conversation: Teaching Literature During COVID-19

Teaching Resource

Folger Community Conversation: Teaching Literature During COVID-19

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Introducing Twelfth Night with 2-Line Scenes

Teaching Resource

Introducing Twelfth Night with 2-Line Scenes

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Cutting a Scene: Twelfth Night 2.4

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Cutting a Scene: Twelfth Night 2.4

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Choral Reading: Sonnet 18

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Choral Reading: Sonnet 18

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Choral Reading: A Midsummer Night’s Dream 2.1

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Choral Reading: A Midsummer Night’s Dream 2.1

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Cutting a Scene: King Lear 4.6

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Cutting a Scene: King Lear 4.6

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3-D Shakespeare: Twelfth Night 1.2

Teaching Resource

3-D Shakespeare: Twelfth Night 1.2

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3-D Literature with Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun 1.1

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3-D Literature with Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun 1.1

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Pre-reading: Tossing Lines from To Kill a Mockingbird

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Pre-reading: Tossing Lines from To Kill a Mockingbird

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Choral Reading with Images from A Midsummer Night’s Dream 3.1

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Choral Reading with Images from A Midsummer Night’s Dream 3.1

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Cutting a Scene: Julius Caesar 3.1

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Cutting a Scene: Julius Caesar 3.1

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Reading Macbeth 1.3 with Art

Teaching Resource

Reading Macbeth 1.3 with Art

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Creating a Promptbook: Julius Caesar 3.1

Teaching Resource

Creating a Promptbook: Julius Caesar 3.1

Students bring to life Julius Caesar's death scene through close, imaginative reading.
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Creating a Promptbook: Twelfth Night 2.5

Teaching Resource

Creating a Promptbook: Twelfth Night 2.5

Give students a real purpose for reading closely and creatively, and be amazed at what happens.
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Writing a Group Sonnet: Shakespeare’s Sonnets

Teaching Resource

Writing a Group Sonnet: Shakespeare’s Sonnets

Writing a group sonnet is a collaborative learning exercise--and is also noisy and fun!
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Choral Reading: Much Ado About Nothing 1.1

Teaching Resource

Choral Reading: Much Ado About Nothing 1.1

Let the comedic insults of this play get your students excited about reading Much Ado About Nothing!
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Cutting a Scene: The Merchant of Venice 3.1

Teaching Resource

Cutting a Scene: The Merchant of Venice 3.1

Get students evaluating Shakespeare's writing all on their own with this low-prep, high-impact way of teaching close reading.
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Cutting a Scene: A Tale of Two Cities, Chapter Two

Teaching Resource

Cutting a Scene: A Tale of Two Cities, Chapter Two

Watch as students experiment with and own the language of Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities in this low-prep, high impact way of teaching close reading.
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Promptbook: Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

Teaching Resource

Promptbook: Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

An irresistible and effective way to introduce students to Elizabeth Acevedo's novel-in-verse Poet X.
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3-D Shakespeare: Julius Caesar 3.3

Teaching Resource

3-D Shakespeare: Julius Caesar 3.3

Let your students discover for themselves the power of Shakespeare's language and the power of their own brains with 3-D Shakespeare.
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Creating a Promptbook: Hamlet 1.1

Teaching Resource

Creating a Promptbook: Hamlet 1.1

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Creating a Promptbook: “Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros

Teaching Resource

Creating a Promptbook: “Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros

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Creating a Promptbook: Chapter Five of 1984

Teaching Resource

Creating a Promptbook: Chapter Five of 1984

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Historical Characterization of Othello

Teaching Resource

Historical Characterization of Othello

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Tossing Lines: Fences by August Wilson

Teaching Resource

Tossing Lines: Fences by August Wilson

Starting with a single line is the least intimidating way to get students grappling with the language of a complex text. These juicy lines from Fences will have students owning Wilson's language in no time at all.
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Cutting A Scene: Toni Morrison’s Beloved Part I

Teaching Resource

Cutting A Scene: Toni Morrison’s Beloved Part I

No need for a lecture or a lengthy explanation. Get students examining the opening pages of Beloved all on their own.
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Paired Texts: Ma Rainey from Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Beatrice of Much Ado About Nothing

Teaching Resource

Paired Texts: Ma Rainey from Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Beatrice of Much Ado About Nothing

What new understandings about race, gender (and so much more) will be unearthed when students pair soliloquies from Beatrice and Ma Rainey?
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Paired Texts: Boy Willie from The Piano Lesson and Othello 1.3

Teaching Resource

Paired Texts: Boy Willie from The Piano Lesson and Othello 1.3

What interesting ideas might students unearth when they have two characters speak across time and region?
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3-D Shakespeare: Othello 1.1

Teaching Resource

3-D Shakespeare: Othello 1.1

Get the whole class working together to put a scene on its feet as they question the text and cite evidence--sneaky close reading!

Free resource

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Introducing Much Ado About Nothing with 2-Line Scenes

Teaching Resource

Introducing Much Ado About Nothing with 2-Line Scenes

A favorite and essential way of introducing a play!
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Promptbook: The Wedding Scene of Much Ado About Nothing 4.1

Teaching Resource

Promptbook: The Wedding Scene of Much Ado About Nothing 4.1

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Historical Characterization of Shylock from The Merchant of Venice

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Historical Characterization of Shylock from The Merchant of Venice

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Introducing The Bluest Eye with 2-Line Scenes

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Introducing The Bluest Eye with 2-Line Scenes

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Choral Reading: Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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Choral Reading: Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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Choral Reading: The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

Teaching Resource

Choral Reading: The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

Allow choral reading to bring to life the lyrical power of Toni Morrison's writing.
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Paired Texts: Portia from The Merchant of Venice and Nessa from District Merchants

Teaching Resource

Paired Texts: Portia from The Merchant of Venice and Nessa from District Merchants

The power of asides, in plays separated by centuries and united by common questions...
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Introducing Julius Caesar with 2-Line Scenes

Teaching Resource

Introducing Julius Caesar with 2-Line Scenes

A favorite and essential way of introducing a play!
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Choral Reading: Juliet’s Soliloquy in Romeo and Juliet 4.3

Teaching Resource

Choral Reading: Juliet’s Soliloquy in Romeo and Juliet 4.3

A longtime Folger favorite lesson!
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Choral Reading: Othello 3.4 Handkerchief Scene

Teaching Resource

Choral Reading: Othello 3.4 Handkerchief Scene

Let your students discover for themselves the drama and tension of this moment from Othello.
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Cutting a Scene: Hamlet 2.2

Teaching Resource

Cutting a Scene: Hamlet 2.2

What happens when your students edit Shakespeare's Hamlet?
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Cutting a Scene: Queen Mab in Romeo and Juliet 1.4

Teaching Resource

Cutting a Scene: Queen Mab in Romeo and Juliet 1.4

Students do the work of directors and teachers everywhere: cut the strange, long, and imagery-rich "Queen Mab" speech!
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Choral Reading: Twelfth Night 1.1

Teaching Resource

Choral Reading: Twelfth Night 1.1

Let the topsy-turvy poetry of this play work on your students!
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Pre-reading: Tossing Lines from Romeo and Juliet

Teaching Resource

Pre-reading: Tossing Lines from Romeo and Juliet

Students never forget this first day of their Romeo and Juliet unit!
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Pre-reading: Tossing Words from The Color Purple

Teaching Resource

Pre-reading: Tossing Words from The Color Purple

Starting The Color Purple? Instead of a teacher-led presentation, try this student-centered way in.
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Introducing The Great Gatsby with 2-Line Scenes

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Introducing The Great Gatsby with 2-Line Scenes

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Choral Reading: Shylock’s Revenge Speech in The Merchant of Venice 3.1

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Choral Reading: Shylock’s Revenge Speech in The Merchant of Venice 3.1

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Choral Reading: Portia’s “Quality of Mercy” Speech in 4.1

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Choral Reading: Portia’s “Quality of Mercy” Speech in 4.1

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Choral Reading: Romeo and Juliet 1.4 Queen Mab Speech

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Choral Reading: Romeo and Juliet 1.4 Queen Mab Speech

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Cutting a Scene: The Merchant of Venice 4.1

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Cutting a Scene: The Merchant of Venice 4.1

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Cutting a Scene: Richard III 1.1

Teaching Resource

Cutting a Scene: Richard III 1.1

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Creating a Promptbook: The Tempest 5.1

Teaching Resource

Creating a Promptbook: The Tempest 5.1

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Creating a Promptbook: A Midsummer Night’s Dream 3.2

Teaching Resource

Creating a Promptbook: A Midsummer Night’s Dream 3.2

Free resource

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Cutting a Scene: In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez

Teaching Resource

Cutting a Scene: In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez

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Juicy Lesson! Paired Texts: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Beatrice from Much Ado About Nothing 2.1

Teaching Resource

Juicy Lesson! Paired Texts: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Beatrice from Much Ado About Nothing 2.1

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The Ultimate Resource: The Folger Shakespeare

Teaching Resource

The Ultimate Resource: The Folger Shakespeare

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Juicy Lesson! The Monologue Project

Teaching Resource

Juicy Lesson! The Monologue Project

Find out how and why this project works with any text, every student.
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Juicy Lesson! Choral Reading Imtiaz Dharker’s “The Trick” and Shakespeare’s Sonnet 43

Teaching Resource

Juicy Lesson! Choral Reading Imtiaz Dharker’s “The Trick” and Shakespeare’s Sonnet 43

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Group Scenes: Shakespeare’s Sonnets

Teaching Resource

Group Scenes: Shakespeare’s Sonnets

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Richard III: Introducing Language with 2-Line Scenes

Teaching Resource

Richard III: Introducing Language with 2-Line Scenes

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Two-Line Scenes: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

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Two-Line Scenes: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

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Pre-reading: Tossing Words and Lines from A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Teaching Resource

Pre-reading: Tossing Words and Lines from A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Free resource

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Cutting the Opening Scene of A Midsummer Night’s Dream

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Cutting the Opening Scene of A Midsummer Night’s Dream

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Comparing Shakespeare to His Source, Holinshed: The Witches in Macbeth 3.1

Teaching Resource

Comparing Shakespeare to His Source, Holinshed: The Witches in Macbeth 3.1

Free resource

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Choral Reading: King Lear 1.2

Teaching Resource

Choral Reading: King Lear 1.2

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Choral Reading: Rena from August Wilson’s Jitney and Lady Macbeth from Macbeth

Teaching Resource

Choral Reading: Rena from August Wilson’s Jitney and Lady Macbeth from Macbeth

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Choral Reading and Cutting a Text: Pairing Clint Smith’s “My Hopes, Dreams, Fears for My Future Son” with Hamlet

Teaching Resource

Choral Reading and Cutting a Text: Pairing Clint Smith’s “My Hopes, Dreams, Fears for My Future Son” with Hamlet

Free resource

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Cutting a Scene: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

Teaching Resource

Cutting a Scene: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

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Choral Reading: Fences and King Lear

Teaching Resource

Choral Reading: Fences and King Lear

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An American Marriage by Tayari Jones: Introducing Language with 2-Line Scenes

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An American Marriage by Tayari Jones: Introducing Language with 2-Line Scenes

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Choral Reading: “Seven Ages of Man” from As You Like It

Teaching Resource

Choral Reading: “Seven Ages of Man” from As You Like It

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Choral Reading with Shakespeare’s Sonnet 43 and Imtiaz Dharker’s “The Trick”

Teaching Resource

Choral Reading with Shakespeare’s Sonnet 43 and Imtiaz Dharker’s “The Trick”

Choral Reading with Shakespeare’s Sonnet 43 and Imtiaz Dharker’s “The Trick”
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Choral Reading: Hamlet and August Wilson’s King Hedley II

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Choral Reading: Hamlet and August Wilson’s King Hedley II

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Choral Reading Dr. King’s I Have a Dream Speech

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Choral Reading Dr. King’s I Have a Dream Speech

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Words as Images: Twelfth Night 1.5

Teaching Resource

Words as Images: Twelfth Night 1.5

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3-D Literature: Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club

Teaching Resource

3-D Literature: Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club

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Julius Caesar Promptbooks: Marking Up Antony’s Speeches for Performance

Teaching Resource

Julius Caesar Promptbooks: Marking Up Antony’s Speeches for Performance

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Pre-reading Othello: Tossing Words and Lines

Teaching Resource

Pre-reading Othello: Tossing Words and Lines

Set the tone for a language-focused, student-driven study of Othello.
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Equitable, Engaging and Subversive Teaching with the Folger Method

Teaching Resource

Equitable, Engaging and Subversive Teaching with the Folger Method

The future of the humanities depends on the insights of ALL our students. How do we get students not only understanding but also speaking back to a vast and rich range of texts? Gain practical ideas in this virtual workshop.
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Understanding Race and Religion through Othello

Teaching Resource

Understanding Race and Religion through Othello

What can this tragedy teach us about race and religion?

Free resource

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Cutting a Text: Their Eyes Were Watching God

Teaching Resource

Cutting a Text: Their Eyes Were Watching God

Who or what has the power in this scene from Chapter 6? Whose story is it, and how can cutting the text affect that?
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Cutting a Scene: Twelfth Night 2.3

Teaching Resource

Cutting a Scene: Twelfth Night 2.3

Ask students to cut this rowdy Twelfth Night scene in half, and be amazed at what happens.
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Pre-reading: Tossing Words from Romeo and Juliet

Teaching Resource

Pre-reading: Tossing Words from Romeo and Juliet

Forget a slide deck on Shakespeare's life and times. Start Romeo and Juliet with the words in your students' mouths-- actively and joyfully!
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Pre-reading: A Snapshot of Othello

Teaching Resource

Pre-reading: A Snapshot of Othello

Introduce the language and story of Othello and prepare your students for courageous conversations about race and power. A twist on 20-minute plays.
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Macbeth in the First Folio: Sisters or Witches?

Teaching Resource

Macbeth in the First Folio: Sisters or Witches?

Students get up close with the 1623 First Folio to solve a textual mystery about the witches in Macbeth.
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“To Be” in Translation: Hamlet in World Languages

Teaching Resource

“To Be” in Translation: Hamlet in World Languages

Hamlet's "to be" soliloquy in 12 languages!

Free resource

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Editing Macbeth: Issues an Editor Faces

Teaching Resource

Editing Macbeth: Issues an Editor Faces

What does it mean to edit Macbeth, and what are some of the issues at stake in this work?

Free resource

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Pre-reading: Tossing Words from Their Eyes Were Watching God

Teaching Resource

Pre-reading: Tossing Words from Their Eyes Were Watching God

Instead of starting your Hurston unit with a slide deck or tons of historical context, let your students connect with the rich language of the novel right from the start.
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3-D Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet 1.1

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3-D Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet 1.1

Get out of the way and let your students create the opening scene of Romeo and Juliet. Here's how.
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Is Othello Shakespeare’s American Play?

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Is Othello Shakespeare’s American Play?

Might Othello be the best Shakespeare play for discussing race, sexuality, and status in America?

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Editing Shakespeare: Word Choice in Othello

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Editing Shakespeare: Word Choice in Othello

A world of "sighs" or "kisses"? How does word choice affect what a line--maybe even a play--means?

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3-D Literature: The Opening Scene of Their Eyes Were Watching God

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3-D Literature: The Opening Scene of Their Eyes Were Watching God

The opening scene of Their Eyes Were Watching God can be challenging for students, but when they get on their feet and perform it, the scene comes alive with amazing clarity.
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Choral Reading: The Declaration of Independence

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Choral Reading: The Declaration of Independence

An immersive and unforgettable way to understand The Declaration of Independence.
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Pre-reading: 20-minute 1 Henry IV

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Pre-reading: 20-minute 1 Henry IV

Introduce the language and story of 1 Henry IV with this lively 20-minute play.
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Pre-reading: 20-minute Romeo and Juliet

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Pre-reading: 20-minute Romeo and Juliet

Introduce the language and story of Romeo and Juliet with this lively 20-minute play.
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Cutting a Scene: Othello 1.1

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Cutting a Scene: Othello 1.1

Ask students to cut the opening scene of Othello in half, and be amazed at what happens.

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Close Reading on Your Feet: Performing Macbeth’s Soliloquy in 5.5
Teaching Resource

Close Reading on Your Feet: Performing Macbeth’s Soliloquy in 5.5

Students work in groups to read and perform Macbeth's famous soliloquy in Macbeth 5.5.

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Pre-reading: 20-minute Hamlet

Teaching Resource

Pre-reading: 20-minute Hamlet

Introduce the language and story of Hamlet with this lively 20-minute play.
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2-Line Scenes - General Shakespeare
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2-Line Scenes - General Shakespeare

Introduce any Shakespeare play this way. Trust us--it works!

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Who is the Moor? Choral Reading American Moor and Othello

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Who is the Moor? Choral Reading American Moor and Othello

What does a black actor at an audition in today's world have to say to Shakespeare's Othello? This choral reading mashup will ignite bold discussion.
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Essential Everyday Bravery
Teaching Resource

Essential Everyday Bravery

Use literature as a tool for anti-racism. Even if you don't teach Merchant, this curriculum will help your students think and act with courage.
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LUNA: The Folger Digital Image Collection

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LUNA: The Folger Digital Image Collection

Online access to over 100,000 images from the Folger Shakespeare Library collection!

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Yorick 2 Ways: Comparing Quarto and Folio Versions of Hamlet

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Yorick 2 Ways: Comparing Quarto and Folio Versions of Hamlet

Which version of Hamlet's speech is better? Let students analyze, evaluate, and decide for themselves.
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3-D Shakespeare: Hamlet 1.1

Teaching Resource

3-D Shakespeare: Hamlet 1.1

Students discover the opening scene of Hamlet for themselves, together. Close reading on your feet!
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Choral Reading: Macbeth’s Soliloquy in Macbeth 1.7

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Choral Reading: Macbeth’s Soliloquy in Macbeth 1.7

A riveting speech and the most riveting (and sneakily rigorous) way to teach it: be astounded by Macbeth's words in the mouths of your students!
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The First Week of School: Literature Line Toss

Teaching Resource

The First Week of School: Literature Line Toss

On the first day of school, make your students want to come back to class.
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The Folger Shakespeare API Tools

Teaching Resource

The Folger Shakespeare API Tools

Powerful digital tools that enable readers everywhere to analyze Shakespeare's plays in new ways and make fresh discoveries.

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Why Study Shakespeare Today? Dr. Kim Hall, Barnard College

Teaching Resource

Why Study Shakespeare Today? Dr. Kim Hall, Barnard College

How does Shakespeare help us think through war, religion, race, and other issues from our own time?

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The Wonder of Will: 400th Anniversary of William Shakespeare’s Death

Teaching Resource

The Wonder of Will: 400th Anniversary of William Shakespeare’s Death

A 2-hour extravaganza of Shakespeare stories from actors, community leaders, teachers, students, and scholars!

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Invitation from a Black Shakespearean

Teaching Resource

Invitation from a Black Shakespearean

"You see, I am a black woman who teaches and writes about William Shakespeare, and I am also someone who teaches and writes about issues of race."

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Shakespeare Sonnets in the Classroom

Teaching Resource

Shakespeare Sonnets in the Classroom

Why--and how--should students read Shakespeare's sonnets in class?

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Master Class: Teaching Romeo and Juliet

Teaching Resource

Master Class: Teaching Romeo and Juliet

What are the most essential, and eye-opening, things any teacher must know about Romeo and Juliet? What are wildly effective approaches to teaching it?
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Directing Julius Caesar: An Interview with Michael Tolaydo

Teaching Resource

Directing Julius Caesar: An Interview with Michael Tolaydo

What can readers of Shakespeare learn from performing the text? What wisdom can we gain from a longtime actor and director?
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Building Empathy in the Literature Classroom

Teaching Resource

Building Empathy in the Literature Classroom

How do we help students grapple with race, power, and poetic language? What do student gain by putting Shakespeare in conversation with Poe, Clifton, and today's social issues?
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Dr. Kim Hall’s lecture “Othello Was My Grandfather: Shakespeare in the African Diaspora”

Teaching Resource

Dr. Kim Hall’s lecture “Othello Was My Grandfather: Shakespeare in the African Diaspora”

Find out what's wrong with calling Shakespeare "universal."

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Whiteness: A Primer for Understanding Shakespeare, with Dr. Ian Smith

Teaching Resource

Whiteness: A Primer for Understanding Shakespeare, with Dr. Ian Smith

"Whiteness is everywhere implied but nowhere acknowledged."

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Teach Their Eyes Were Watching God with Rigor and Joy

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Teach Their Eyes Were Watching God with Rigor and Joy

How does the Folger Method help students discover and interpret Their Eyes Were Watching God?
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Getting All Students Inside Tough Speeches

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Getting All Students Inside Tough Speeches

How can any student encounter a speech for the first time and make meaning from it on their own, without any teacher explanation?
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Abraham Lincoln, Macbeth, and Julius Caesar, 1865

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Abraham Lincoln, Macbeth, and Julius Caesar, 1865

What does Shakespeare have to do with President Lincoln's assassination? What is gained by examining the continuities between English literature and American history?
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Master Class: Teaching Hamlet

Teaching Resource

Master Class: Teaching Hamlet

What does it mean to teach Hamlet the Folger way? Do you have to teach the whole play? What do scholars, teachers, and artists have to say about Hamlet?
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Folger Revealed

Teaching Resource

Folger Revealed

What is Folger Education, and what's this community of teachers all about?
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Cutting a Scene: Hamlet 1.3

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Cutting a Scene: Hamlet 1.3

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The Monologue Project

Teaching Resource

The Monologue Project

A much more exciting, authentic, and rigorous final assessment than an essay or test. Try the monologue project with virtually any text.

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Directing Shakespeare: An Interview with Rosa Joshi

Teaching Resource

Directing Shakespeare: An Interview with Rosa Joshi

What drives Rosa Joshi to direct Shakespeare today? What does Shakespeare have for diverse casts and audiences?
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Master Class: Teaching Othello

Teaching Resource

Master Class: Teaching Othello

What matters most when we teach Othello? How can all students grapple with the language of race, religion, gender, and power?
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Master Class: Teaching Julius Caesar

Teaching Resource

Master Class: Teaching Julius Caesar

What does it mean to teach Julius Caesar the Folger way? What insights from performance, scholarship, and expert classroom practice can grow your knowledge and your students' understanding?
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What to Do–and What Not to Do–in Week One of a Successful Shakespeare Unit

Teaching Resource

What to Do–and What Not to Do–in Week One of a Successful Shakespeare Unit

What are the best, and worst, things you can do in the first week of a Shakespeare unit?
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Richard II stage footage | Act IV, scene 1 – the deposition scene

Teaching Resource

Richard II stage footage | Act IV, scene 1 – the deposition scene

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