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 About
the Magic Tree House...
and the World of William Shakespeare
One summer day in Frog Creek, Pennsylvania, a mysterious tree
house appeared in the woods. Eight-year-old Jack and his seven-year-old
sister, Annie, climbed into the tree house and found it was
filled with books!
They soon discovered that the tree house was magic and could
take them to the places in the books. All they had to do was
to point to the picture and wish to go there.
The Books
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Pre-Reading Activities
Begin by listing on the board the following words: London,
London Bridge, Thames River, Globe Theater, and William Shakespeare.
Brainstorm as a group what the students already know about the
given places or people.
As a class, use a map to locate London, England, and ask them
to imagine what life might have been like in the 1600s. Spend
a little time discussing the concept of the monarchy in England.
Address the fact that England still has a queen as it did during
the time period that will be introduced within the text.
Classroom
Connections
Reading Between the Lines
- Language Arts/Using Context Clues
Throughout the text, several very famous Shakespearean quotes
appear: from As You Like It, "All the world's a stage," and
from Romeo and Juliet, "Good night, good night. Parting
is such sweet sorrow."
Read each quote in the context of the story and ask the children
to ponder these two phrases and infer as best as they can
what Shakespeare meant in those words. Let the class know
that students of all ages study the works of William Shakespeare
and they, too, are learning about one of the most beloved
writers of all time. Ask them to record their thoughts on
what his two famous quotations mean. Come together as a group
and share individual writing.
I Am William Shakespeare
- Language Arts/Biography
- Drama
- History
- Research Skills
Begin by discussing biographies
with your students. Make a web diagram of the information
the students would find significant when researching a person.
Then ask students what they want to learn about William
Shakespeare. When the class has formulated a list of queries,
have them break up into small groups to study closely one
specific area of his life. For example, one group might
research his childhood, another group might research his
education, and a third his family. Have students use the
library, software, books, and the Internet to help research
their topic. When all the information has been gathered,
each group can make a presentation addressing the given
facet of Shakespeare's life. Be as creative as you can;
have the children dress up as he would have and encourage
them to become William Shakespeare!
Printable
Activities
Have your students create their own plays!
 Click
here for Playtime! Activity
Certificate
of Achievement
* All activities require Adobe
Acrobat
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