Introduction to Shakespeare - Year 7 - teaching resource

An Introduction to Shakespeare – Year 7: His World, Words and Plays

Introduce Year 7 pupils to William Shakespeare with this six-lesson KS3 English unit. Moving from Shakespeare’s life and Elizabethan England to the Globe Theatre, his plays and his language, the unit gives pupils the knowledge and confidence to begin studying his work.

Pupils explore comedy through A Midsummer Night’s Dream, investigate the witches and supernatural atmosphere in Macbeth, and consider why Shakespeare’s plays are still performed today. Reading, discussion, drama and writing activities help them connect historical context with characters, language and performance.

The unit includes:

A 163-slide PowerPoint covering six sequenced lessons

Activities on Shakespeare’s life, Elizabethan society and the Globe Theatre

Introductions to Shakespearean comedy and Macbeth

Guided analysis of quotations and performance choices

Creative and analytical writing tasks, model responses and opportunities for reflection

Designed as a starting point for Shakespeare at KS3, this resource helps pupils move beyond facts about the playwright and engage with his words and plays.

To preview An Introduction to Shakespeare - Year 7 click on the images.

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