Emily ZL Posted February 28, 2020 Share Posted February 28, 2020 I want to start Shakespeare with my 5th grade son next year, starting with one play and seeing how it goes. We will be trying the Mystie Winkler approach of: 1. Introducing the Bard using picture book biographies 2. Memorizing an excerpt from the play 3. Reading a picture book version of the play 4. Watching a good movie version of the play 5. Listening to an audiobook version while following along in the text. So I am hoping people know which plays speak to boys (no Romeo and Juliet!), preferably with good picture book versions and movie options to go with. Bonus if there's a good audio version too!! Any suggestions? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted February 28, 2020 Share Posted February 28, 2020 We love Comedy of Errors. My 10 yr old and I watched some kids' Lego version the other day and it was pretty cute. My boys would have been inspired to do something similar. 😉 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted February 28, 2020 Share Posted February 28, 2020 (edited) JMO: not sure you really NEED to read/listen to the full text at the grade 5 level -- watching a full play (live production if possible!) is going to be much more interesting. And you get all the language from the text in watching a production. And it's easier to understand (than trying to read/listen to audio), when performed by good actors. You could save the actual reading of the text for high school, when also digging deeper into the themes and language. Just a thought! Macbeth is my thought for a great "boys" play (and it's the play I love doing with my high school classes), BUT... probably not the best for 5th grade. Most of the film/video productions of that play are rather gruesome and disturbing in some way or another. Perhaps:A Midsummer Night's Dream - picture book retelling = Bruce Coville - younger reader retelling = Mairi Mackinnon - "comic strip" version = Tales from Shakespeare (Williams) - retelling, slightly older/harder language = Leon Garfield; E. Nesbit; or Charles Lamb - watch the 25-min abridged Animated Shakespeare version -- all original text/language, but in a shortened version The Tempest - very simple/short picture book retelling = Georghia Ellinas - picture book retelling = Bruce Coville - younger reader retelling = Rosie Dickens - "comic strip" version = Tales from Shakespeare (Williams) - retelling, slightly older/harder language = Leon Garfield; E. Nesbit; or Charles Lamb - watch the 25-min abridged Animated Shakespeare version -- all original text/language, but in a shortened version and, some general resources for Shakespeare: - Who Was William Shakespeare (Mannis) -- biography - William Shakespeare's & The Globe (Aliki) - Kids Discover magazine back issue: Shakespeare -- or, the online unit - The Shakespeare Book: Big Ideas Fully Explained (DK publishers) - Shakespeare for Kids: His Life and Times (Aagesen) -- with 21 activities - Folger Shakespeare Library: Shakespeare for Kids -- free online lessons, resources, activities - How to Teach Shakespeare to Your Children (Ludwig) Edited February 28, 2020 by Lori D. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emily ZL Posted February 29, 2020 Author Share Posted February 29, 2020 Thanks!! I've noticed that the modern(ized) versions of Macbeth are pretty gruesome. Would that be true of older versions as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted March 1, 2020 Share Posted March 1, 2020 22 hours ago, Emily ZL said: I've noticed that the modern(ized) versions of Macbeth are pretty gruesome. Would that be true of older versions as well? You mean true of tv/film versions? Well, you definitely do NOT want the older (1971) Roman Polanski film, which was made right after his pregnant wife, Sharon Tate, and several friends were very bloodily slain (multiple stabbings) in Polanski's home by Charles Manson and crew. Polanski was definitely working out some of his trauma in that film. I watched parts of the 1948 Orson Welles version; it's a little odd. And it is abridged. Probably the most straight-forward/least bloody/least weird (lol) version that I know of is the 1983 BBC Television Shakespeare version. (Part of a televised play series in which the BBC did all of Shakespeare's plays over the course of several years.) See it at Amazon Prime Video. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emily ZL Posted March 1, 2020 Author Share Posted March 1, 2020 Thank you! That is super helpful! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted March 2, 2020 Share Posted March 2, 2020 Dont watch the Patrick Stewart version. It's a gruesome version. Excellent, but nightmare worthy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted March 2, 2020 Share Posted March 2, 2020 1 hour ago, 8FillTheHeart said: Dont watch the Patrick Stewart version. It's a gruesome version. Excellent, but nightmare worthy. Agree... But, I do have to say that the choice of a WW1 setting was incredibly fitting, and extremely creative. It really added a whole new dimension to the play. But... gruesome, yes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted March 2, 2020 Share Posted March 2, 2020 1 minute ago, Lori D. said: Agree... But, I do have to say that the choice of a WW1 setting was incredibly fitting, and extremely creative. It really added a whole new dimension to the play. But... gruesome, yes. I agree that the WW1 setting worked incredibly well, but, on my, the witches as nurses.....that did give one of my dd's nightmares. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Green Leaves Posted March 2, 2020 Share Posted March 2, 2020 (edited) My kids (6 and 8 years old) both really liked a Midsummer Night's Dream (retold, not in the original language). It has fairies and magic and someone with a donkey's head, so it was a lot of fun for them. We also recently read a retelling of Comedy of Errors, which is all about mistaken identity. My eight year old found in HILARIOUS and followed the twists and turns way better than I thought he would, so that could be a good one. I hadn't even thought of Julius Caesar. That's such a good idea. Edited March 2, 2020 by Little Green Leaves 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 (edited) Midsummer Night's Dream bc it's funny. Edited March 5, 2020 by ScoutTN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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