Leah Anderson: A Midsummer Night’s Dream: A Teacher’s Solution to Disinterest and Society’s Solution to Anti-Literacy

A Midsummer Night’s Dream:

A Teacher’s Solution to Disinterest and Society’s Solution to Anti-Literacy

Shakespeare has made his way from the heart of commonplace Globe attendants, through the minds of scholarly experts and into the adolescent classroom. As an icon in the history of written English literature, Shakespeare has influenced writers for centuries. Now, thousands of ninth grade students study Romeo and Juliet and other plays each year. The universal themes promoted by Shakespeare’s myriad of publications as well as his stylistic prowess in make his work a popular part of high school English syllabi. However, arguments about the psychological and academic impact of these plays on today’s youth present a contrary argument. This paper will show how teachers can be wise in selecting a Shakespeare text for their classroom and the best methods to teach this material in a way that will engage, motivate, and educate their students.

Websites for Teaching Shakespeare

I don't know if this is helpful to anyone but me, but these are all links that my Eng 378 teacher Dawan Coombs recommended today for teaching Shakespeare. Not a bad resource!

Class, 

There's no reason why you can't make teaching Shakespeare meaningful and engaging if you borrow and customize great teaching ideas from people who have already done it. The following links offer a myriad of lesson plan ideas for every Shakespeare play.

Shakespeare Lesson Idea Resources:

http://www.teachit.co.uk/?CurrMenu=searchresults&keyword=shakespeare 

http://www.folger.edu/

http://www.readwritethink.org 

http://www.uen.org/core/languagearts/shakespeare/ 

http://www.rsc.org.uk/education/resources/bank/ 

http://www.shakespeareinamericancommunities.org/education/for-teachers 

http://englishcompanion.ning.com 

http://www.teachersfirst.com/spectopics/shakespeare.cfm 

http://webtech.kennesaw.edu/jcheek3/shakespeare.htm 

http://www.shakespeare4kidz.com/teachers 

http://www.webenglishteacher.com/shakespeare.html 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/famouspeople/william_shakespeare/teachers_resources.shtml 

http://www.coloradoshakes.org/education-outreach/shakespeare-resources 

http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/02/teaching-shakespeare-with-the-new-york-times/

Music! Video Games!

Paul! Miraculously for me and possibly-helpfully-for-you, the assignment I have for my other English class is to read an article about Shakespeare in the classroom, and guess what! They mention a kid who designed a video game of Shakespeare characters!

This article is also about the MUSIC Shakespeare used and how students now can create or find their own music to represent the scenes of Shakespearean plays. Mikaela, you should look at it too!

Shakespeare through the Lens of a New Age

Linda Tabers-Kwak and Timothy U. Kaufman

A Bit Confused: My Response to Leah

Leah, I just read your draft on teaching Shakespeare in high schools, and I left it a bit confused. It didn't sound like the paper I had been reading about or talking with you about. I felt like you were making too many claims, and I didn't know where to focus my attention. Here are some things that threw me for a loop and some ways to help things feel more cohesive.

A Midnight Draft

mostly there. lacking a developed conclusion and some quotes. what else am I missing?

and do you have any ideas for a better title??

Leah Anderson

Dr. Burton

English 382

4 April 4, 2013

A Midsummer Night’s Solution to the Shakespeare Question on High School Teachers’ Minds

Shakespeare is taught in HS.

      Shakespeare has made his way from the heart of commonplace Globe attendants, through the minds of scholarly experts and into the adolescent classroom. (Quote from this article (Thanks Bailey!) “Dude, Where’s My Bard?” Reducing, Translating, and Referencing Shakespeare for Youth: An Introduction). As an icon in the history of written English literature, Shakespeare has influenced writers for centuries. Now, thousands of ninth grade students study Romeo and Juliet and other plays each year. The universal themes promoted by Shakespeare’s myriad of publications as well as his stylistic prowess in literary elements make him a popular selection in high school English syllabi. However, arguments about the psychological and motivational impact of these plays present a contrary argument. Should Shakespeare be taught to such a young audience at all? If so, which works are appropriate for young high school audiences, and what pedagogical techniques can be used to make the most of a high school student’s Shakespeare experience?

Maybe it shouldn't be.

      Literacy has decreased dramatically over the last few decades. Students are reading less and less, partially because of the changing focus from traditional text to fast paced, short-attention span inducing video, audio and internet –based texts. With so much working against literacy, students should be allowed to read texts that interest them and appeal to their intellectual capabilities and social pulls. An abundance of culturally relevant, easily relatable literature is available and should be used in the classroom, as opposed to socially distant and thematically turning-off-ant Shakespeare plays. When teachers force students to read boring or too-difficult texts, students get turned off from reading and from language arts in general.

      Today’s youth are bombarded by images and media that promote unhealthy relationships, premature sexual activity, addiction to harmful substances and practices, rebellion, violence, and even suicide. School bombings, increased gang involvement, drug warfare and broken families are tragic evidence of the impact this media has in society. Adolescents should be taught to critically analyze the negative and follow the positive. The overall message should be one of hope and encouragement, not tragedy and despair. When texts such as Romeo and Juliet are read, re-written, acted out, emphasized and inadvertently glorified, students are confused and misled. This kind of Shakespeare studying does much more harm than good.

2.2.115-116 Lysander

The will of man is by his reason swayed, 

And reason says you are the worthier maid. 

      According to the textual notes of Jonathan Bate and Eric Rasmussen, in this case "Will" refers to "Inclination (plays on sense of “sexual desire/penis”)" (p 30). Shakespeare's work has too many sexual references and it's not appropriate for young people.

     

      Unhealthy obsession about love and suicide are glorified in Romeo and Juliet.

Ah, dear Juliet,
Why art thou yet so fair? shall I believe
That unsubstantial death is amorous,
And that the lean abhorred monster keeps
Thee here in dark to be his paramour?
For fear of that, I still will stay with thee;
And never from this palace of dim night
Depart again:

…

O true apothecary!
Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die.

      Incest is presented in Hamlet.

Hamlet, 1.2.160-164

O, most wicked speed, to post

With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!

It is not, nor it cannot come to good.

But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue.

      In spite of all these negative undertones, there is a way to avoid focusing on the evil in Shakespeare. As one experienced high school teacher said, specifically talking about A Midsummer Night’s Dream,

When teaching Shakespeare, it is utterly impossible to teach every detail and subtext. Shakespeare is too rich, and you could literally spend a vast amount of time on one play, disproportionate to the time allotted or suggested by your curriculum. It is necessary to choose the themes, motifs, etc. that you feel are most important to the be play. In doing so, you will be excluding other equally valid themes, etc. The same can be said for subtext. Although it is true that sensitive readers will detect the sexual subtext, it is unlikely that ninth grade readers will do so unless you specifically point it out, which you won't do, of course. It is a comedy and a love story, after all! So if you want to teach it, go ahead!  - Kim Carnahan

Maybe it should be.

            In light of these obvious disadvantages, teachers should select with great care the Shakespeare texts that are most appropriate for their teenage students.

“Although dated around the mid 1590s, the issues presented in Romeo and Juliet transcend

time and place. Research completed by Erikson and Piaget shows that when learning is tied to

personal or cultural interests, students are more likely to pay attention to the material because

they can relate to the subject matter (Shaffer, 1994). While some people would argue that

something written so long ago is outdated, issues of love, rebellion, death, and acceptance are

prevalent in the lives of most students as well as the play.” (http://smago.coe.uga.edu/VirtualLibrary/Berry_Donovan_Hummel.pdf)

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is appealing to adolescents thanks to the conflict between illusion and reality - very appealing, according to Hazel K. Davis in her article on TeacherVision:

5.1.222-228 SNUG (lion)

You, ladies, you, whose gentle hearts do fear
The smallest monstrous mouse that creeps on floor,
May now perchance both quake and tremble here,
When lion rough in wildest rage doth roar.
Then know that I, one Snug the joiner, am
A lion-fell, nor else no lion's dam;
For, if I should as lion come in strife
Into this place, 'twere pity on my life.

            Common Core State Standards for reading literature incorporate Shakespeare explicitly as well as implicitly. Teachers who effectively teach Shakespeare are fulfilling federal education requirements. Although not all teachers agree with the government’s imposition on their curriculum, it is nice to see traditional texts such as Shakespeare provided for as part of the standards.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.9 Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work (e.g., how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play by Shakespeare).

            Studying the allusions in and to Shakespeare works can guide students to create connections in their brains as well as on paper between diverse sources. Making connections is a critical thinking skill that prepares teenagers for higher thinking in the work place, in pursuit of a college degree, as democratic voters, while traveling in foreign countries, as consumers in a capitalist society and in other real-world situations.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.6 Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature.

            Being one of the earliest English publishers and yet coming from another continent, Shakespeare is an easy choice for world literature selections. Even though his writing at times seems like a different language, it is much more relatable to high school kids than text translated from German or Korean. Understanding the similarities and differences between 17th century British English and 21st century American English will give students insight into the formation and meaning of their own tongue.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other authors.)

            The words and phrases used in these plays are rich and inspiring to young minds. Consider this example from (1.1.130-136) A Midsummer Night’s Dream:

Lysander: How now, my love! Why is your cheek so pale? / How chance the roses there fade so fast?

Hermia: Belike for want of rain, which I could well / Beteem them from the tempest of mine eyes.

Lysander: Ay me, for aught that I could ever read / Could ever hear by tale or history, / The course of true love never did run smooth.

            Simple metaphor, sweet imagery, characteristic iambic pentameter. Such is just a taste of the skill of the bard. Students who are given such classic examples and provided with appropriate scaffolding will be able to mirror the master in his employment of these expert elements of writing and therefore develop their own literary interest and ability.

What should be taught, and how? R&J is popular but lame. MND is better because....

Here is how you could teach it.

Kim Carnahan says that the kids love performing it and that has been successful for her.

What are the pedagogical tools for teaching A Midsummer Night’s Dream to high school students? Watch this movie: BBC’s version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/shakespeare/midsummernightsdream/).    Let them act it out, adapted to today’s culture:  (http://www.jstor.org/stable/40503324)   Encourage them to make new representations of the play: make fun Youtube movies! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=_l0IdGni1Dg&feature=endscreen).

Success stories of teaching MND.

1.      Solves the sex/violence problem (no one dies!) (textual example)

2.      Connects with students and other cultures – fairies! Won’t turn them off from English class. (textual example)

3.      Beautiful language! (Textual example)

       Works Cited 

       A Midsummer Night's Dream

       Hamlet

       Romeo and Juliet

       Kim Carnahan

       Lynn Berry, Sarah Donovan, Meghann Hummel and their Conceptual Unit at http://smago.coe.uga.edu/VirtualLibrary/Berry_Donovan_Hummel.pdf

      

      Common Core State Standards

       Hazel K. Davis in her article "A Midsummer Night's Dream"  on TeacherVision

“      Dude, Where’s My Bard?” Reducing, Translating, and Referencing Shakespeare for Youth: An Introduction

      Jonathan Bate and Eric Rasmussen and the book A Midsummer Night's Dream 2008 RSC 

      (and then some)

Midsummer Venues

Teaching Global Shakespeares -- SAMLA 2013 Special Session

But is this only for College Educators and not high school educators?

http://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/node/50665

CFP: [Theatre] Renderings: Shakespeare across Continents

This would be okay because I will include performance in the plans, although their focus might be on cross-continental study of Shakespeare. I don’t care, though, my paper applies to all teachers of high school Shakespeare classes!

http://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/node/25267

[Reminder] Teaching Medieval and Renaissance Literature

I could publish here because I am advocating teaching MND and that is a less-taught high school text. (The advertisement calls for “short essays that encourage faculty to try overlooked, non-traditional texts inside the classroom and book reviews.” Is our paper considered a “short essay” ?

http://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/node/50981

I found an article on the website for this journal about teaching King Lear. It recognizes that King Lear maybe isn’t a non-traditional text but the way the author plans to teach it is non-traditional. Sounds like my approach! Again, this article is about teaching at a college level. Do you think they would accept an essay about teaching high school?

Stage Mom Musings

art is everything & everything is art

http://stagemommusings.com/tag/teaching-shakespeare

Blog posts from high school teachers and high school teachers about Shakespeare. This would be a cool place to post because maybe I could get feedback from high school students on my ideas!

Conclusion: I'm thinking the Mom Musings and the 

Teaching Medieval and Renaissance Literature. Do you agree?

Sso Many Ssources

Diverse Methods of Finding (at least four of these)

• a source found by way of a library research guide (Shakespeare, Literature, but consider subject or research guides from other institutions)
• A JSTOR ARTICLE ABOUT A HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER WHO TAUGHT MDS AND OTHER PLAYS FOR 20 YEARS. SHAKESPEARE TROUPE: AN ADVENTURE IN WORDS, FLUID TEXT, AND COMEDY (BY SUSAN C. BIONDO-HENCH) HTTP://WWW.JSTOR.ORG.ERL.LIB.BYU.EDU/STABLE/40503324 
• a source found by browsing physical library shelves (with help of the Library of Congress cataloging system)

• A Midsummer Night’s Dream Edited by Jonathan Bate and Eric Rasmussen. Copyright 2008 Royal Shakespeare Company. Pretty recent. Within the last 5-10 years.
• a source recommended by a person with whom you've discussed your project (the instructor, a scholar, an enthusiast).
• Google Scholar – my friend (he’s a BYU student, so, a scholar, right?) showed me how to use this to search for scholarly articles and I found a book called ShakespeareanMetadrama: The Argument of the Play in Titus Andronicus, Love's Labour'sLost, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Richard II by James L. Calderwood. 
• a source that comes by way of a social network you've identified as an audience or group of stakeholders. This could be a conference, a publication, teaching media, etc.
• This is from a Google community of English teachers who have been giving me advice on teaching Shakespeare. Here is part of our conversation. You can click here to see the rest of it.

Kim Carnahan6:17 AM

Leah, here's my take on the question about the sexual subtext. When teaching Shakespeare, it is utterly impossible to teach every detail and subtext. Shakespeare is too rich, and you could literally spend a vast amount of time on one play, disproportionate to the time allotted or suggested by your curriculum. It is necessary to choose the themes, motifs, etc. that you feel are most important to the play. In doing so, you will be excluding other equally valid themes, etc. The same can be said for subtext. Although it is true that sensitive readers will detect the sexual subtext, it is unlikely that ninth grade readers will do so unless you specifically point it out, which you won't do, of course. It is a comedy and a love story, after all! So if you want to teach it, go ahead! And if you decide to do so, I have a recommendation for you for an incredible, wonderful text that I leaned on very heavily for the teaching of MSND. Let me know.

Leah Anderson8:06 PMEdit

Oh tell me about his wonderful text?

Kim Carnahan8:27 PM

It's the Folger Shakespeare Library's Shakespeare Set Free. Here is the Amazon link:
I used it very successfully for several years. It is a performance-based unit that you can simply pick and choose from - you don't have to follow it exactly. Loads of great ideas and fun activities! The bonus is that the book is a "three-fer" - it also contains units for R&J and Macbeth!

Leah Anderson8:52 PMEdit

thank you!

(I would have taken a screen shot of that but I couldn't figure out how because it was too long and didn't fit on my screen??)

Diverse types of Sources (at least 3 of these)

• a scholarly article (from a peer-reviewed journal)
• TAKEN BY THE FAIRIES: FAIRY PRACTICES AND THE PRODUCTION OF POPULAR CULTURE IN A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM (BY MARY ELLEN LAMB) HTTP://WWW.JSTOR.ORG.ERL.LIB.BYU.EDU/STABLE/2902152 
• an academic blog (one hosted by an educational institution, kept by an educator, or otherwise showing a disciplined focus on topics or texts) 

• http://theshakespeareblog.com/tag/a-midsummer-nights-dream/ The most recent MND post was March 4, 2013! Very recent.
• an eBook (see this list from the HBLL). (I looked at said list.)
• Teaching With Shakespeare: Critics in the Classroom edited by Bruce McIver, Ruth Stevenson http://books.google.com/books?id=1boA2hUZl8kC&printsec=frontcover&dq=ebook+about+teaching+shakespeare&hl=en&sa=X&ei=TgxVUeP9NePliALt0IGoCQ&ved=0CEUQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=false Published in 1994 so it falls under the category of 10-50 yrs old

back to the basics - again. PRIMARY TEXT

Another couple of quotes that will be useful in some of my arguments.

1. Why people dispute teaching Shakespeare:

2.2.115-116 Lysander
The will of man is by his reason swayed, 
And reason says you are the worthier maid. 

According to the version I am reading, edited by Jonathan Bate and Eric Rasmussen, in this case "Will" refers to "Inclination (plays on sense of “sexual desire/penis”)" (p 30). This play (and most of Shakespeare's work) has too many sexual references and it's not appropriate for young people.

2. A quote to combat that:

5.1.415-430 Puck
If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumber'd here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend:
if you pardon, we will mend:
And, as I am an honest Puck,
If we have unearned luck
Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue,
We will make amends ere long;
Else the Puck a liar call;
So, good night unto you all.
Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends.

3. A way MND is interesting to HS kids - the conflict between illusion and reality (very appealing, according to an article from TeacherVision): 
5.1.222-228 SNUG (lion)

You, ladies, you, whose gentle hearts do fear
The smallest monstrous mouse that creeps on floor,
May now perchance both quake and tremble here,
When lion rough in wildest rage doth roar.
Then know that I, one Snug the joiner, am
A lion-fell, nor else no lion's dam;
For, if I should as lion come in strife
Into this place, 'twere pity on my life.

A Midspring Morning's Revision

New ideas for this paper: Why is Shakespeare taught in High Schools at all? These are the bad things about Shakespeare (and Romeo and Juliet in particular): (violence,)_________  (suicide)_______  ___________.  Why is it taught? Because (he's an icon in the history of English literature)_________ (There's a variety of genres - drama, sonnets, etc)____________ __________.

Shakespeare turns kids off from English because (difficult language)____ ____ _____,and that's just counterproductive, so teachers MUST choose appropriate texts that will HOOK their students. MSD is more appropriate and interesting for youth. These are good teaching methods and techniques for that specific play: _(act it out)______  __(make a movie)__________  __(write your own ending?)_________

And that’s why teachers SHOULD teach Shakespeare, and why they should choose A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM!

(These are some of the thoughts/suggestions from Dr. Burton and classmates. What do you think?)

A Midspring Afternoon's Draft

Romeo and Juliet or Midsummer Night’s Dream?

            Shakespeare has made his way from the heart of commonplace Globe attendants, through the minds of scholarly experts and into the adolescent classroom. (Quote from this article (Thanks Bailey!) “Dude, Where’s My Bard?” Reducing, Translating, and Referencing Shakespeare for Youth: An Introduction) Thousands of ninth grade students study Romeo and Juliet every year, delving into the drama of family feuds, young love and premature death. The universal themes promoted by Shakespeare’s myriad of publications are represented well in this tragedy. But why is Romeo and Juliet the chosen text for so many high school English syllabi, when there is a better alternative? A Midsummer Night’s Dream, stocked with romance, rebellion, heartbreak, magic and laughter is a more valuable text to teach in the Shakespeare classroom.

what to teach...

annography bibliotated. yep.

Working Thesis Statement: How to Teach A Midsummer Night’s Dream to Teenagers

Social Graph

• My mom: She graduated from BYU in English and she was my homeschool teacher for several years – she is always my first person to bounce ideas off, and she gives great feedback, and she is a good editor.

• My Aunt Suzanne: She was my high school AP English teacher – also a great resource for teaching methods
• My Uncle Jack: Was an editor at Deseret Book for like a hundred years. He knows tons about literature and writing.
• My roommates. J

New Media

• BBC’s version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I will watch it with my teacher eyes and see what students could get out of it and how it could be used in lesson planning. http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/shakespeare/midsummernightsdream/
• A Shakespeare teaching blog or two!
• http://shakesmith.blogspot.com/search?q=midsummer
• http://theshakespeareblog.com/tag/a-midsummer-nights-dream 
• 
  
  A great Youtube version of MND. This is an example of activities I will try to do with my class…make fun movies! http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=_l0IdGni1Dg&feature=endscreen 

Social Networks

• A wonderful website for teachers of Shakespeare, with lesson plans and ideas of how to teach any and all Shakespeare material – I could use this in comparison of R&J to MND or just to explore ways of teaching the themes that I’ve been trying to squeeze out of this play. What a great resource! http://www.folger.edu/eduPrimSrcArch.cfm?CFID=10450826&CFTOKEN=444ef60a8865b763-78F62897-3473-0E4E-CC6E2ECA695CC169#1

Traditional Sources

• A JSTOR article about a high school teacher who taught MDS and other plays for 20 years. Shakespeare Troupe: An Adventure in Words, Fluid Text, and Comedy (by Susan C. Biondo-Hench) http://www.jstor.org.erl.lib.byu.edu/stable/40503324 

• A JSTOR article about one of the themes in MND – fairies!! Taken by the Fairies: Fairy Practices and the Production of Popular Culture in A Midsummer Night's Dream (by Mary Ellen Lamb) http://www.jstor.org.erl.lib.byu.edu/stable/2902152 

Mixing

I'm glad to hear that some of you studied MND in high school. Why DO we always learn R&J? I'm wondering if I could incorporate teaching method ideas into the R&J essay or maybe also the 5 Life Lessons essay...What if I entitled it as 5 Life Lessons to grab attention, and then make it only one of many points that explain how to teach it? Or why it's better that R&J? I think that's what got me on this topic in the first place, just that this Romance/Comedy covers some of the same adolescent themes (friendship, obedience to parents, love) but is more uplifting and inspiring that the R&J tragedy.

Life lessons from A Midsummer Night's Dream....?

YES I anticipate using all that free time in class to discuss PLACES I have found good info, get FEEDBACK on my argument ideas, and find ways to HELP my classmates.

What can I research for YOU? Please THINK about it and you can either POST HERE or let me know in our next lovely FREE TIME in class. J

Thanks to discussion with my group today, I have boiled my thesis plan down from three to two to ONE great idea. WHY TEACH SHAKESPEARE TO TEENAGERS: FIVE LIFE LESSONS TO BE LEARNED FROM A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM. I have been trying to think of good life lessons to fill in these five slots. Any suggestions? Here are some ideas I’ve already got. Let me know if you support/disapprove/can add to them/think I should alter them. Thanks!

1. Don’t do drugs.
2. Get married.
3. Watch out for obsession about romance.
4. Law of chastity  (good job for not cuddling up in the forest)
5. Be loyal to your friends.
6. Be careful about rebelling against your father (they were running away from him when all this crazy stuff happened)
7. Be careful about listening to your crazy father’s advice (he wanted Hermia to marry Demetrius! No bueno!)
8.   ?
9.   ?
10.   ?

Wow, let me tell you, Wow.

oh dang I typed this up and thought I'd posted it hours ago. Lame. Sorry!

Reading through Dr. Burton's posts and articles about social proof are helping me come to terms with the validity of social networking for professional and academic purposes. I think my "social graph" would consist of Google Plus and Facebook, plus my roommate circle and family members who are, fortunately, mostly English majors (sweet!). They give me good feedback and I am becoming more and more dependent on them.

I proposed these three paper topic ideas on Facebook and Google+ and talked to my roommate about them, and thanks to comments from my family, old high school teachers, friends and an almost ex boyfriend, I've been able to narrow down my ideas. Before I tell you the direction in which I am narrowing, though, what do YOU think?

Ideas for my Shakespeare paper: 

Most effective ways to teach A Midsummer Night's Dream to a high school class. 

OR Why A Midsummer Night's Dream is a better choice for a high school class than Romeo and Juliet. 

OR Why teach Shakespeare to teenagers: Five life lessons to be learned through A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Puberty, Pain, and Pranking

So I've been looking over my primary text A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM and am falling more and more in love with it. Discussions in the classroom with Amelia, Bailey and Mikaela have helped me realize that this play IS successfully taught in high schools, so why not find out the best and worst ways and write an essay on it? Some of the topics that might interest high school youth are reflected in these quotes: becoming a man, unrequited love (hey hey, Bailey!), mischievousness.

(I.ii.40) Flute says: Nay, faith, let not me play a woman: I have a beard coming. 

(III.ii.233-235) Helena says: What though I be not so in grace as you, / But miserable most, to love unloved? / This you should pity rather than despise. 

(II.i.33-35) Fairy says: Either I mistake your shape and making quite, / Or else you are that shrewd and knavish sprite / Called Robin Goodfellow. 

Reading through Janelle's process of writing her paper has been helpful because hers also had an educational emphasis, and it's encouraging to find a person who is like minded. Through her comments I am seeing that I am going to need to focus my broad theme down to a couple specific ideas so my paper doesn't end up being twenty pages long. We'll see how that goes.