Kendra Gardner Ms. Moore Pre-AP English II 6 March 2024 Summative Constructed Response Ameila and Kaitlynn have been best friends since fifth grade and are now sophomores in high school. So naturally, math classes get harder over time. Ameila believes that Algebra II should not be taught in high school classrooms, but Kaitlynn disagrees. Not only does Kaitlynn disagree, but she thinks Algebra II is beneficial to all students in high school. Although this may be true, Ameila argues that Algebra II is useless, confusing, and a waste of time. Not to mention the other skills that could be taught in place of a complex math class such as Algebra. Furthermore, the same is true of Cindy Tumiel and Mark Powell. Tumiel strongly believes that Shakespeare …show more content…
Although Tumiel believes Shakespeare’s work belongs in high school because it relates to modern day, his work does not belong in classes because his words were meant to be acted, not stripped away from its performance. However, Tumiel thinks that Shakespeare relates to the modern day and provides opportunities for new learning. Tumiel writes, “Teachers find that Shakespeare offers contemporary connections that open pathways to learning for some of society’s most marginalized” (Tumiel 1). Not only is Shakespeare’s work known as complex and confusing, but it also leaves room for speculation as to what it means. Therefore, high school students could take one of his plays, for instance, and analyze it until it makes enough sense. Equally as important, digging deeper into a body of work from hundreds of years ago is both fascinating and beneficial to young high school students. However, Mark Powell, a Shakespearean scholar, disagrees with Tumiel’s statement, and believes Shakespeare should not be taught in high school …show more content…
Powell essentially wanted to remove it from the classrooms and journey back to what it was meant for: the stage. Furthermore, William Shakespeare’s unnecessary and utterly confusing work indicates that it does not belong in high school classrooms. As people know, Shakespeare is a well-known playwright and his works are widely recognized as puzzling. With this in mind, high schoolers already have so much on their plate as it is, they shouldn’t dig deeper into a useless body of work when it is meant for the stage. Powell says, “A well-meaning English teacher can take a student through the meaning of every word in a sentence, and it soon becomes a drawn out confusing process” (Powell 4). Powell’s statement is completely fair. Understanding Shakespeare is hard enough, especially when a teacher is dragging it out for no apparent reason. Not to mention the energy that also goes into analyzing one of William Shakespeare’s body of work. Another quote from Powell reads, “...most of the kids have no concept of the passionate nature of his writing” (Powell
Shakespeare’s language is so different from the slang teens use today so by reading his plays, it can improve teens’ speaking abilities. If teens were to read Shakespeare’s plays, it could expand their vocabulary and they would use more academic
In countries all over the globe the name William Shakespeare brings to mind literary genius, a character so famed in eloquence and creativity that none other comes close to him in prestige. Yet for centuries scholars, students and readers have argued a very fundamental question: whether or not the plays and poems attribute to William...
For as long as people today can remember there has always been Shakespeare in the classroom. Shakespeare is considered one of the greatest playwrights of all time and deserves to be presented as so, however his work is very old and as times have changed so has English. Teens don’t understand his work and struggle through these units in school. The least that should be done is changing a few allusions for an easier and deeper understanding for young minds. Teachers always talk about giving their students the tools that they need to succeed and this update is one of those necessary tools. In the words of Sir Winston Churchill, “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change
Dominic, C. Catherine. Shakespeare's Characters for Students. Detroit - New York -Toronto - London: Gale Research, 1997.
Shakespeare is Important William Shakespeare’s plays are being made into box office film hits at an incredible rate. Films such as Much Ado About Nothing with Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson, Hamlet with Mel Gibson and Glenn Close, Othello with Laurence Fishbourne and Henry V with Kenneth Branagh have been seen by a surprising number of teenagers. Often they have not understood it all, or even half of it, but they have been affected by the powerful characters and by the Shakespearean magic which has affected audiences around the world for centuries. They want to know more, they want to understand, and what better motivation can any teacher ask for than that students WANT? That alone is sufficient reason for any English teacher to start a course in Shakespeare.
Across the Universe of Time: Shakespeare’s influence on 21st century society. It is harder to imagine a more universal writer than William Shakespeare. Rarely, if ever, is one of his many plays not being performed anywhere in the world and similarly rare is the tertiary English student who has not examined his work at length. His plays, sonnets and poems are common fodder for high school English departments across the globe.
In today’s world the quality of the art form called writing is said to be somewhat diminishing, it is important for English literature to keep some studies of classic literature, such as Shakespeare. I think well rounded education must have a strong foundation in both modern and classical literature, for the foundation in classical literature, an in-depth study of Shakespeare’s works would be more than sufficient. Not only was Shakespeare so skilled in his writing that he has become a significant point in the history of literature, but a majority of his works were written on such basic human themes that they will last for all time and must not be forgotten.
Shakespeare works go back to approximately five hundred years ago and represent a true challenge for today's reader. However, today he is still available because his works represent life and lend themselves to various interpretations. Moreover, his characters are archetypes who show their humanity when they face difficult situations, and exploring these stories can help this generation of readers to make meaning of the real world. In addition, Shakespeare’s expressive language and powerful verse structure would seem difficult for a poor reader, but when he reads on, these tools can empower his reading skills more than any other type of literature.
If one were to examine any two different high schools in the United States, there will surely be innumerable differences between them. Everything from the core curriculum, to the diversity of the student body, even to the food served during lunch will surely be distinctive to the individual school. However, there is one similarity that one can be sure exists between the two schools: the study of Shakespeare. It is nearly impossible to find a school that does have its students read and analyze a myriad of texts written by the prophetic author: from his thoughtful sonnets to his lively comedies to his renowned tragedies. Shakespeare is so widely studied in schools because he is a literary genius - coining much of the modern English language and
Teaching Shakespeare in school People have mixed opinions about the plays and poems of Shakespeare being taught to children in schools. Some people think that Shakespeare is no longer relevant or the language is too hard for young people to understand. On the other hand there are also lots of people that feel that despite the difficulty we should continue to teach Shakespeare. Personally I agree with the second group as I find their arguments much more compelling.
Imagine one day walking into your English classroom and hearing that you will not be allowed to read Shakespeare in the English class anymore. Imagine hearing that “you are too young” or hearing that “the text is too hard for you to understand.” What it would feel like to lose the experience of reading Shakespeare and how much Shakespeare can really teach you? Well, what if you had a say? Shakespeare should be kept in the schools curriculum since Shakespeare’s dramas portray real world situations, adaptability/relatability and relevance.
William Shakespeare was 28 when he embarked on a magnificent literary journey, a journey that leads him into writing poetry, plays, and also acting. As a result of his acclaimed writing skills, Shakespeare is now recognized as the greatest writer in the English language, as well as the title as a pre-eminent dramatist. It is advantageous for students to studying Shakespeare's literature because they will become verbally expressive people; Ultimately, teaching them to become more expressive citizens. Although some people feel his literature should not be taught in the classroom “Shakespeare shows us ourselves and our neighbours in the multifarious characters he presents to us” (Joseph Pearce). Students will ultimately learn that there are
The intricate language, involved plots, and settings of the plays create new ways of thinking for students. By giving students the chance to study the plays by performing them, they can take creative risks, this gives the students confidence and a greater understanding of the text (Kitchen, 2017). When a student first starts studying Shakespeare’s work, they have to put effort into it in order to understand it. Mark Bayer, an educator that teaches Shakespeare explained, “The language is so dense, so rich, the first couple plays they read are difficult. Not because the language is archaic, but because it is semantically dense.
It is for this reason that I think reading Shakespeare in school is important, but it is overshadowed by more important and relevant literary works.
he use of texts should help students gain pleasure and power from the exploration of real and imaginary worlds (well at least, that’s what Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) wants). If relevance is the cry, then who else does it better than Shakespeare? This privileged position Shakespeare has earned in the English literature, cannot be overlooked. And that’s