Shakespeare's Life and Times
Group Research Assignment
This assignment can be used before starting any Shakespearean play.
I divide the class into five groups and either take them to the library or
use the computer lab. Each group has a different topic to research and
present to the class. The topics are:
King James I
Queen Elizabeth I
Shakespeare's Life
Shakespeare's Time-period
The Globe Theatre
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Name__________________
Date____________
Group One – King James I
Directions: Your group will be researching different facts about King James I of England.
You will have to present your facts to the class on ______________. You should have
about 5-10 minutes worth of material to present to the class. Please include the answers
to the questions below in your presentation. Don’t answer each question with just one
word. Make sure the questions are answered in complete sentences. You will have two
class periods to research your assignment and work together with your group organizing
your presentation. How you decide to present your research is up to your group. Some
options include making a poster, making a PowerPoint, creating a song about your topic,
etc. No matter which option you select you should have some sort of visual.
1.
2.
3.
4.
What years was King James the King of England?
What was Shakespeare’s acting company called after King James became King?
Why did King James become the King of England?
What country was King James originally from? How old was he when he became
King of that country? Why did he become King so young?
5. What did King James write?
6. Explain the connection between this King and the Christian Bible.
7. Who was King James’ mother?
8. What was his mother famous for?
9. What did King James do for England?
10. What was this time-period called?
Name__________________
Date____________
Group Two – Queen Elizabeth I
Directions: Your group will be researching different facts about Queen Elizabeth I of
England. You will have to present your facts to the class on __________. You should
have about 5-10 minutes worth of material to present to the class. Please include the
answers to the questions below in your presentation. Don’t answer each question with
just one word. Make sure the questions are answered in complete sentences. You will
have two class periods to research your assignment and work together with your group
organizing your presentation. How you decide to present your research is up to your
group. Some options include making a poster, making a PowerPoint, creating a song
about your topic, etc. No matter which option you select you should have some sort of
visual.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
What years was Queen Elizabeth the Queen of England?
What was Shakespeare’s acting company called during Queen Elizabeth’s reign?
Why didn’t Queen Elizabeth ever get married?
Who was Queen Elizabeth’s famous father?
Who was on the throne before Queen Elizabeth?
Why was there a conspiracy to kill Queen Elizabeth?
Why were there problems with religion in England during this time-period?
The reign of Queen Elizabeth I is often referred to as __________________of
English history.
Name__________________
Date____________
Group Three – Shakespeare’s Life
Directions: Your group will be researching different facts about Shakespeare’s Life. You
will have to present your facts to the class on ____________. You should have about 510 minutes worth of material to present to the class. Please include the answers to the
questions below in your presentation. Don’t answer each question with just one word.
Make sure the questions are answered in complete sentences. You will have two class
periods to research your assignment and work together with your group organizing your
presentation. How you decide to present your research is up to your group. Some options
include making a poster, making a PowerPoint, creating a song about your topic, etc. No
matter which option you select you should have some sort of visual.
1. When was Shakespeare’s birthday? When did he die?
2. What was his wife’s name?
3. How old were they when they got married? What unusual circumstance were they
in?
4. How many children did Shakespeare have? What were their names?
5. Shakespeare wrote plays and____________________.
6. Three types of plays that Shakespeare wrote were:
____________________________, _______________________________, and
____________________________________.
7. Shakespeare’s theatre was
called___________________________________________.
8. What was unique about Shakepeare’s theatre?
9. How many plays did Shakespeare write?
10. Describe Shakespeare’s education.
11. Was Shakespeare famous in his own lifetime?
12. Why is he still famous today?
13. What was unique about his writing?
Name__________________
Date____________
Group 4 – Shakespeare’s Time-Period
Directions: Your group will be researching different facts about the time-period that
Shakespeare lived in. You will have to present your facts to the class on ____________.
You should have about 5-10 minutes worth of material to present to the class. Please
include the answers to the questions below in your presentation. Don’t answer each
question with just one word. Make sure the questions are answered in complete
sentences. You will have two class periods to research your assignment and work
together with your group organizing your presentation. How you decide to present your
research is up to your group. Some options include making a poster, making a
PowerPoint, creating a song about your topic, etc. No matter which option you select you
should have some sort of visual.
1. Shakespeare wrote in a time-period called__________________________________.
Another name for this time-period was______________________________________.
2. Name some of the customs during this time-period.
3. Who were the two rulers of England during Shakespeare’s life?
4. In Shakespeare’s time-period the parts of women were played by________________
because_____________________________________.
5. Describe the clothing during Shakespeare’s time-period.
6. What was the education system like in this time-period?
7. How did the average person live in this time-period?
8. Name at least two differences between the people in Shakespeare’s time-period and
people today. Which time-period would you prefer to live in? Why? Explain.
Name__________________
Date____________
Group 5 – The Globe Theatre
Directions: Your group will be researching different facts about The Globe Theatre. You
will have to present your facts to the class on ______________. You should have about
5-10 minutes worth of material to present to the class. Please include the answers to the
questions below in your presentation. Don’t answer each question with just one word.
Make sure the questions are answered in complete sentences. You will have two class
periods to research your assignment and work together with your group organizing your
presentation. How you decide to present your research is up to your group. Some options
include making a poster, making a PowerPoint, creating a song about your topic, etc. No
matter which option you select you should have some sort of visual.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Who owned the theatre?
What did the theatre look like? How does it compare to theatres today?
What was unique about this theatre?
What were some of the other famous theatres in that time-period?
What was the purpose of the flag on the theatre? What did the color of the flag
represent?
6. In Shakespeare’s time-period the parts of women were played by _____________
because_________________________.
7. What kind of props and costumes were used?
8. How many people did the theatre hold?
9. What types of people attended the performances?
10. Who were the groundlings? What did they often do during performances?
11. How did the theatre get destroyed?
Name: _______________________
Date: _______________
Peer Evaluation of Presentation
Please complete a section for each of your classmates who are presenting his/her projects.
Name of presenter(s): ______________________________________________________
Something I learned from this presentation:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Additional comments:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Name of presenter(s): ______________________________________________________
Something I learned from this presentation:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Additional comments:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Name of presenter(s): ______________________________________________________
Something I learned from this presentation:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Additional comments:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Name of presenter(s): ______________________________________________________
Something I learned from this presentation:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Additional comments:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Name of presenter(s): ______________________________________________________
Something I learned from this presentation:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Additional comments:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Rubric for Oral Presentation
Grade
A (90-100)
Presentation
accurate and
well organized.
B (80-89)
Presentation
accurate.
C (70-79)
Presentation
confusing.
Manner is
casual.
D/F (55-69)
Incomplete
and/or
incorrect.
Eye contact
with audience.
Well prepared.
Easy to hear
and understand.
Some eye
contact. Able to
be heard and
understood.
Poorly
prepared.
Disorganized.
Inaudible or
hard to hear.
Not prepared.
Inaudible
Appropriate.
Well prepared.
Referred to and
explained
during
presentation.
Small visuals
that are
appropriate.
No visuals
No visuals
All members
speak in an
organized
manner
All members
speak.
Some members
do no speak.
Only one
member speaks.
Content
Technique
Visuals (if
appropriate)
Cooperative
Learning
Overall Grade_________________
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