What would be the best Shakepseare play to teach my honors 8th grade class?

Question

I just found out I will be teaching an honors reading class, so I am approaching it as though they are 9th graders. I have always thought Shakespeare should be introduced in 9th grade, but since I have never taught 9th grade, I am unsure which would be the best one. Of the following 3 which Shakespeare play would have the highest interest level for 8th graders in a poor, hispanic community who love to read and are good at reading? Taming of the Shrew, Comedy of Errors, or Midsummer Nights Dream.

Answer 1

Wow! Good question.  There is so much innuendo in the works of Shakespeare, it is really difficult for me to choose.  However, the list you have chosen from which I must choose beckons me to choose Comedy of Errors.  My personal preferance is  "As you Like It" in which Lilly Langtree starred for many repeat performances.  Let us know how it goes.

Answer 2

I read Romeo and Juliet in an Honors 9th grade class.

Answer 3

This is my suggestion:  These resources will aid your teaching, if you are not happy then you can use the resources to find a play you prefer, Good Luck:

Teacher Resources:

http://www.cln.org/themes/shakespeare.ht...

http://webtech.kennesaw.edu/jcheek3/shak...

Twelfth Night Navigator

http://www.twelfthnightsite.co.uk/

http://clicknotes.com/TN_Navigator/index...

Twelfth Night study guides contain scene-by-scene analysis, major themes, character analysis and full summary of the play.

http://www.bookrags.com/notes/tn/

http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/tw...

http://www.pinkmonkey.com/booknotes/barr...

http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/xTwel...

Answer 4

20+ years ago... cough cough... i remember dogin the Dream at that age and lovedit!!! it has severakl themes that u can talk about jealosy , love , fantasy that are all middle school themes.

the shrew was a little tough to fathom.

macbeth is kind of cool... the kids really get into that blood and guts and weird eeriness.

Answer 5

I have done shakespeare every year with gifted sixth graders. I agree with the previous respondent about Macbeth. Tragedies were easier than comedies. We even did Henry VI in performance, as well as Pericles and Richard III. But given your choices, I would go for Midsummer Nights Dream. It can be a lot of fun. It actually is the only play that doesn't have to have any previous source material. There is a cartoon version available.

Answer 6

I vote taming of the shrew....interesting plot, even though it makes women seem feeble at the end. But you can tie in the movie 10 things I hate about you, (which does not make Katerina seem feeble), and the kids will be interested b/c heath ledger is in the movie.  

Answer 7

Check out this teacher and how he does plays with 5th graders.  

www.hobarthshakespeareans.com  Raif Esquith is the teacher's name.

Answer 8

I am currently a senior, and when i was in 8th or 9th grade we read A Midsummer Nights Dream. We had a lot of fun with it and the whole class enjoyed reading it.

Answer 9

A Midsummer Night's Dream. Most freshman read Romeo and Juliet, and if it is their first experience with Shakespeare, it can be terrible. If they know that Shakespeare can be so fun with AMSD, they will be more apt to do well in high school.