We appreciate the timeless value of putting pen to paper and holding a well-loved book in your hands, but we also know that technology has expanded educational possibilities beyond what we could have imagined just a couple decades ago. Technologies sometimes considered a distraction in the classroom–such as smartphones, social media, and even AI–can help create engaging new activities. When used in tandem with myShakespeare's multimedia resources, these tools can enrich and modernize the Shakespeare experience. Below are four dynamic activities that leverage modern tech to enhance the analysis of Shakespearean texts.
Memes
Memes have been around for a while, but they haven’t become any less fun! By skillfully pairing an image with a bit of text, meme-makers can illustrate a unique perspective, tell a joke, and contribute to meaningful cultural commentary all at the same time.
Activity: “Shakespeare in Memes”
- Start by showing students a few examples of literary memes. You can pull memes from Google, or visit the IG account
@literarymemes for inspiration. - Students will pick a quote or a key moment from the play they are studying. You can provide them with a list of key lines and scenes or prompt them to find their own as they read through the play, using the myShakespeare annotation tool to highlight and tag their options.
- Students then translate their chosen quote or scene into a modern meme format. They can use meme templates found online or create their memes from scratch. Encourage creativity and humor, but remind students to stay true to the original text's meaning and tone.
- Students will then share their memes with the class and provide peer reviews by commenting online or having in-class discussions that address the following questions:
- What aspects of the original text are highlighted in this meme?
- How does the meme capture the essence of the scene or quote?
- What modern elements or references are incorporated into the meme?
- Did the meme change your understanding of the original text?
Blog
Blogs might be considered old tech to high school students now, but they still offer a versatile platform that can be used in conjunction with myShakespeare’s notebook feature to explore the characters and themes of a play.
Activity: “Shakespeare’s Digital Diary”
- Students start by choosing a character from the play they are studying to create a blog which they will write as if they are that character. Students should move through the play with this final project in mind, using the myShakespeare notebook feature to annotate and tag important moments of character development, evidence of their character’s motivation, and key relationship dynamics.
- Using a free blogging platform like WordPress or Blogger, students will create a final project by writing a three-paragraph blog post per act for their character. (If their character doesn’t survive until the last act, they can write from the afterlife!)
- Written as a digital diary, blog posts should mention what is happening to the character in that act, what they are feeling, how relationships are growing or shifting, and how they are connecting with the larger themes in the play. (For example, Romeo is likely to mention his thoughts on fate!)
- If your chosen platform allows, encourage students to customize their blog with pictures, art, or anything else they feel is suited to their character.
*Bonus: If students are all signed up to one blogging platform where they are able to comment on each other’s work, encourage them to comment and reply as their characters!
TikTok
TikTok is likely to be the tech platform your students are most familiar with on this list. Teenagers use TikTok for everything from learning the latest dance craze to organizing for social change, so why not use it to study Shakespeare?
Activity: “If Shakespeare Had TikTok”
- In groups of four or five, students will pick a scene or key moment from the play you are studying to modernize and reproduce in the form of a 30-second to 1-minute TikTok. At least one student in each group will need to have access to a TikTok account, so you may want to organize groups accordingly.
- Students will close-read and analyze their chosen scene as a group, taking note of key themes and characters, and discussing how best to modernize the moment captured in the scene.
- Students will then make plans for where to film, what props and costumes they need, and what TikTok editing tools can help them achieve their intended effect. (This can work as an in-class or homework assignment, just make sure your students have time and opportunity to explore filming options, either around town or around campus.)
- Give your students time to edit their videos using TikTok’s tools which may include adding music, creative captions, and visual effects. Offer students suggestions and support throughout the editing process if needed.
- Organize a “Shakespearean TikTok Festival” where students will screen their creations for the rest of the class. After each viewing, engage the class in a discussion about how the adaptation modernized and interpreted the scene it portrayed, and encourage the audience and creators to share any additional thoughts or questions.
Optional: Expand this project with a writing assignment that reflects on the process of creating a Shakespearean TikTok and the challenges of turning dense and archaic material into one minute of social media content.
AI
AI is a bit of a hot-button topic in the classroom these days. It can create challenges when it comes to students producing creative and authentic work, but it can also be used as a discussion partner that encourages meaningful analysis. By combining myShakespeare’s character interviews with an AI language model like ChatGPT, students can develop a deeper understanding of literary devices like characterization and theme while working through a play.
Activity: “myShakespeare Chats with ChatGPT”
1. Students start by choosing a character from the play they are studying and watching the relevant character interviews on myShakespeare, located at the bottom of each scene
2. Using the digital notebook feature, students describe how the character is portrayed in myShakespeare’s modernized interview setting, answering the following questions:
- How would you describe the character if you just met them in real life?
- What motivates them?
- What relationship dynamics do you notice between your character and the other characters in the interview?
- How does the way your character interacts with the host help you understand what kind of person they might be?
3. Next, students use ChatGPT to start a conversation about their character. They should share what they observed and ask ChatGPT to provide additional insights. Example conversation starters for ChatGPT might include,
- Mercutio seemed arrogant to me. Is he always portrayed this way, or does he show up differently in other productions?
- I feel like Lady Macbeth is manipulating Macbeth into something he doesn’t truly want. Can you help me understand why Macbeth decided to go through with killing King Duncan?
- Hamlet seems depressed. How might he be described from a modern mental health perspective?
4. Ask students to pose at least ten questions in their discussion with ChatGPT. To submit their assignments, students can copy and paste their ChatGPT conversation into their myShakespeare notebooks along with their interview notes. If you have created a myShakespeare classroom, you can view their work on the site. If you prefer hard copies, students can export and print their work from their notebook.
However you choose to use technology in your classroom, focusing on higher levels of engagement with the original text and making space for student creativity is key. We are confident that the multimedia resources available through myShakespeare can work in concert with your students’ technological savvy to create new and enriching learning experiences during your Shakespeare unit.
