All the World's a Stage
Personal feelings and emotions are expressed in many different forms, but none are as heartfelt as poetry or as heart-wrenching as a live performance on stage. MarcoPolo is featuring lessons and resources on two forms of personal expression -- poetry and drama -- in conjunction with National Poetry Month and the 439th anniversary of William Shakespeare's birthday. Use the warm-up activities below to help students explore, organize and communicate their thoughts through expressive poems or dramatic skits. Then scroll down for links to additional lessons and resources.

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© Microsoft Design Gallery Live		1. William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, and died exactly 52 years later. Though he is most famous for his 37 plays and 154 sonnets, he also was a respected actor during his life, having performed on stage in some of his plays. What types of plays did Shakespeare write? (tragedies, comedies and histories) Did the public enjoy attending his plays? Why do you think Shakespeare's writings remain popular today? Provide students with a timeline of the dates when Shakespeare completed each of his plays and sonnets. Ask students to research important events in Shakespeare's personal life, as well as events that happened during his lifetime, and to compare these events to his written works. What events may have influenced the themes or characters of Shakespeare's writings? Examine the life and times of William Shakespeare in: "Mental Health 2: Bedlam" (9-12) from Science NetLinks, American Association for the Advancement of Science
		"Romeo and Juliet" (9-12) from ARTSEDGE, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
		"Shakespeare Stealer" (4-8) from ARTSEDGE, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
		"Shakespeare's Othello and the Power of Language" (9-12) from EDSITEment, National Endowment for the Humanities
© MCI Foundation		2. Poetry is a common form of creative expression that can be presented in different formats, from the simple three-line haiku to the complicated sestina, a poem with six six-line stanzas and a concluding three-line envoy. Many writers, including William Shakespeare, have used poetry as an outlet to creatively express feelings, thoughts and experiences. Name a popular or favorite poem. Who is the author? What is the theme or topic of the poem? Does it have a rhyming pattern, or is it free verse (a format with no rhyme or meter)? Why do you think this poem is a favorite of yours and others? Gather examples of different poetry styles -- including haiku, cinquain, sonnet, villanelle, sestina and free verse -- available through the lesson plans and resources featured in this MarcoGram. Share the poems with your students, and work together to create a graphic organizer that charts each poetry style along with its rhyming pattern, meter and number of stanzas. Allow students to use library or Internet resources to locate poems that represent each style, noting the title and author of each work. Explore the form and meaning of poetry in: "Composing Cinquain Poems: A Quick-Writing Activity" (K-2) from ReadWriteThink, International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English
		"In the Poet's Shoes: Performing Poetry and Building Meaning" (6-8) from ReadWriteThink, International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English
		"Listening to Poetry: Sounds of the Sonnet" (9-12) from EDSITEment, National Endowment for the Humanities
		"Play with Words: Rhyme and Verse" (K-2) from EDSITEment, National Endowment for the Humanities
		3. The original Globe Theatre opened in 1599, and its first recorded performance was William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. Designed as an open-air amphitheater, the Globe Theatre could seat spectators both in tiered levels and on the ground. In 1613, the Globe Theatre burned down but was immediately rebuilt, and then was completely destroyed in 1644. After years of meticulous research, a newly reconstructed Globe Theatre opened in 1997 with a performance of Shakespeare's Henry V. What was the shape of the original Globe Theatre? (Modern scientists believe the Globe Theatre was a 20-sided polygon, or "isocagon.") How many spectators could fit in the original Globe Theatre? (about 3,000) Ask students to employ geometry skills to determine the crowd capacity for the floor level of the Globe Theatre. The ground floor was 70 feet in diameter, and the stage that jutted into this field was 49.5 feet by 25 feet. Allowing two square feet for each person, how many people could fit into this space? (about 700) Use masking tape to mark out this dimension on the floor for each student. Is the spacing comfortable? Would students be willing to give up some of their personal space to allow more people to enter the theatre? Ask students to determine possible revenues from ticket sales. Use mathematical equations from these lessons to determine the crowd capacity of the Globe Theatre: "Five's a Crowd" (6-8) from Illuminations, The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
		"Linking Length, Perimeter, Area and Volume" (6-8) from Illuminations, The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
		4. The production of a successful play requires coordination and collaboration among many people who maintain certain roles and responsibilities. While the audience may see only the actors and musicians during a performance, the people behind the scenes -- such as writers, directors, stagehands, lighting technicians, carpenters and costumers -- also play an integral role. After all, "the show must go on!" What are the resources required to put on a live performance? What responsibilities does each crew member have? What role would you like to have in a stage production? Using a topic recently discussed in class, have students develop a story line for a one-act skit, or supply them with a complete script to use instead. Ask students to write a list of needed props, costumes, scenery, lighting and music. Have the students work together to produce their skit for another class or for parents. Explore the components of producing a play or skit in: "Music, Maestro, Please: Show Business and the Factors of Production" (3-5) from EconEdLink, National Council on Economic Education
		"Perception of Place" (9-12) from Xpeditions, National Geographic Society

Partner-Reviewed Web Sites Use these Partner-reviewed and approved resources to increase comprehension about this month's topic. Creative Drama & Theatre Education Resource Site Reviewed by ARTSEDGE http://www.marcopolo-education.org/mg/website23.aspx Favorite Poem Project Reviewed by ReadWriteThink http://www.marcopolo-education.org/mg/website18.aspx Fermat's Last Theorem Poetry Challenge Reviewed by Science NetLinks http://www.marcopolo-education.org/mg/website20.aspx Grimm's Fairy Tales Reviewed by Xpeditions http://www.marcopolo-education.org/mg/website24.aspx Shakespeare's Globe Research Database Reviewed by EDSITEment http://www.marcopolo-education.org/mg/website19.aspx U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Kids Pages Reviewed by EconEdLink http://www.marcopolo-education.org/mg/website22.aspx World's Largest Math Event: Playing Around Reviewed by Illuminations http://www.marcopolo-education.org/mg/website25.aspx Search for more lessons and resources MarcoPolo Resources Use this resource from the MarcoPolo Partnership to improve teaching and learning skills.   Encourage students to discover their inner artistic talents through ARTSEDGE's spotlight series. Each month, ARTSEDGE explores a different art form, providing insightful advice and observations from both artists and teachers. Each spotlight contains real-life perspectives, stories from those working in the field, trade tips and a peek behind the scenes. A link to current and archived spotlights is located in the Professional Resources area of the ARTSEDGE Web site.     Spotlight: The Pleasure and Practice of Playwriting http://www.marcopolo-education.org/mg/resource5.aspx This is your newsletter. What topics or resources would you like to see highlighted in a future MarcoGram? How do you use the MarcoGram in your classroom? Let us know! Contact the MarcoPolo Staff.		Catch up with the MarcoGram March 2003: The Great Outdoors: Learning in Nature's Classroom February 2003: American Politics: Then and Now January 2003: Understanding Patterns Read more back issues Find more MarcoPolo lessons Explore the current list of new Partner lessons by visiting the Teacher Resources section of the MarcoPolo Web site. Find New Partner Lessons Use the MarcoPolo Search Engine to search for lessons by topic, keyword, grade level or Partner. Search MarcoPolo Get trained to use MarcoPolo The MarcoPolo Program has provided professional development to more than 175,000 educators to date. Find out how to bring MarcoPolo training to your school or district by visiting the Professional Development section of the MarcoPolo Web site. Sign up for MarcoPolo Professional Development The MarcoGram is produced by MarcoPolo: Internet Content for the Classroom SUBSCRIBE If you're not already a subscriber and would like to receive the next issue of the MarcoGram by e-mail, subscribe at http://www.marcopolo-education.org/marcograms/mg_subscribe.aspx. UNSUBSCRIBE Do you no longer want to receive the MarcoGram? If so, unsubscribe at http://www.marcopolo-education.org/marcograms/mg_unsubscribe.aspx. SHARE THE WEALTH The MarcoPolo Partnership grants permission to reprint and distribute this MarcoGram for use in a training session or classroom, or on Web sites devoted to the field of education or professional development. All Web addresses and links must be maintained in their original form as used in the published MarcoGram.
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