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IN SCHOOL PROGRAMS: Shakespeare and the Common Core
ABOUT THE SHAKESPEARE
THEATRE OF NEW JERSEY
The acclaimed Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey is one of the
leading Shakespeare theatres in the nation. Serving nearly 100,000
adults and children annually, it is New Jersey’s largest professional
theatre company dedicated to Shakespeare’s canon and other
classic masterworks. Through its distinguished productions and
education programs, the company strives to illuminate the universal
and lasting relevance of the classics for contemporary audiences.
The longest-running Shakespeare theatre on the east coast, The
Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey marked its 50th season in 2012.
In addition to producing and presenting classic theatre, the
Theatre’s mission places an equal focus on education— both for
young artists and audiences of all ages. The Theatre nurtures
emerging new talent for the American stage and cultivates future
audiences by providing extensive student outreach opportunities.
Through our work, we endeavor to promote literacy, civilization,
community, cultural awareness, the theatrical tradition, and a more
enlightened view of the world in which we live and the people with
whom we share it.
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey is one of 32 professional
theatres in the state of New Jersey. The company’s dedication to
the classics and commitment to excellence sets critical standards
for the field. Nationwide, the Theatre has emerged as one of the
most exciting “new” theatres under the leadership of Artistic
Director Bonnie J. Monte since 1990. It is one of only a handful
of Shakespeare Theatres on the east coast, and in recent years
has drawn larger and larger audiences and unprecedented critical
acclaim. The opening of the intimate, 308-seat F.M. Kirby
Shakespeare Theatre in 1998, provided the Theatre with a state
of-the-art venue with excellent sightlines, and increased access for
patrons and artists with disabilities.
ABOUT THE COMMON CORE
In 1996, the New Jersey State Board of Education adopted Core
Curriculum Content Standards that set out to clearly define what
every New Jersey student should know and be able to do at the end
of his/her schooling. The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey is
committed to supporting teachers by ensuring that our educational
programs are relevant to standards-based teaching and learning.
A Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey residency program can serve
as a powerful springboard for discussion, writing, and other outlets
for higher-order thinking. On this page we will outline just some
of the ways our residency programs are aligned with the Common
Core.
“I NEVER KNEW I
HAD THE SKILLS IN
ME THAT WE [USED]
IN SHAKESPEARE
CLASS.”
—JULIA, 5TH GRADE STUDENT
GLENWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
SHORT HILLS, NJ
LANGUAGE ARTS LITERACY
STANDARDS
As a theatre dedicated to the classics, we are continually engaged
in exploring some of the world’s greatest literature, and the
relationship between the written text and performance. Our
philosophy and practice follow the four underlying assumptions
of the Language Arts Literacy CCCS: that “language is an active
process for constructing meaning,” that “language develops in a social
context,” that language ability increases as learners “engage in texts
that are rich in ideas and increasingly complex in language,” and that
learners achieve mastery not by practicing isolated skills but by
“using and exploring language in its many dimensions.” In the practice
of theatre, we merge all areas of the language arts, as the standards
suggest, “in an integrated act of rehearsal, reflection, and learning.”
Below, you will find just a few of the possibilities for aligning our
in-class programs to each of these standards.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.1
Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to
make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence
when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from
the text.
Each in-class program features some form of guided reading. The
students are asked to identify unusual words or unknown vocabulary
and then encouraged by our teaching artists to attempt to understand
the new words through the use of context clues. Through our
workshops and guided reading exercises, students also engage in
predictive reading, casual analysis of the text and various character
analyses.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.5 Analyze
the structure of texts, including how specific sentences,
paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section,
chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.
We analyze portions of the text, isolating specific imagery, meanings,
references, and then compare those instances to other passages in the
play.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.6
Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and
publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.
When possible, we encourage our students to maintain a reading
journal/active blog, that classmates can comment on using specific
prompts about the play.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.1
Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of
conversations and collaborations with diverse partners,
building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and
persuasively.
Theatre, for us, is about the ensemble experience. We encourage
our students to work together to achieve the goals of the residency/
workshop. We work together as a group through discussion,
experimentation and practice to create the world in which the play
takes place.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.2
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard
English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when
writing.
Our students are always encouraged to write about their experiences
and understanding of the play through specific prompts given to
them by the teaching artists.
VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS
STANDARDS
According to both No Child Left Behind and the New Jersey
CCCS, the arts (including theatre) are a core subject and
“experience with and knowledge of the arts is a vital part of a
complete education.” In the area of performing arts our in-class
programs exercises developed address all five state standards.
STANDARD 1.1:
All students will demonstrate an understanding of the
elements and principles of dance, music, theatre and visual
art.
Our Students participate in a discussion of elements such as
physicality and creating motivated action; they often discuss
the relationship between the play text, character creation, actor
motivation and production design.
STANDARD 1.2:
All students will understand the role, development, and
influence of the arts throughout history and across cultures.
Discuss the representation of social issues (class, political
leadership, etc.) in the play; research how the historical period
affected the writer’s work; compare the play to work from other
historical periods.
STANDARD 1.3:
All students will synthesize those skills, media, methods and
technologies appropriate to creating, performing and/or
presenting works of art in dance, music, theatre and visual
art. During our shorter residencies, our students will often perform
scenes or monologues. During the longer residencies, students
generally take part in an abridged production of one of
Shakespeare’s plays. We also encorporate workshops designed to
help develop the physical skills (movement, dance, combat, etc...)
requred to create and present theatre.
STANDARD 1.4:
All students will demonstrate and apply an understanding of
arts philosophies, judgement, and analysis to works of art in
dance, music, theatre, and visual art.
After our residency has ended, students can write a reflection of
the Residency experience using domain-appropriate terminology;
develop a class rubric for effective theatrical presentations; compare
and contrast their production of the play with other versions.
For more information about any of our residencies,
workshops or other in-school programs, please call our
Education Department at
(973)845-6746
or visit us on the web at
www.ShakespeareNJ.org
and click on the “Education” tab.