Introducing Shakespeare at KS2

Last updated: 15/11/2023
Contributor: Gabbie Chant
Introducing Shakespeare at KS2 cover
Main Subject
Key stage
Resource type
Teaching pack

Immerse your class in murder, mayhem, monsters and magic with our exciting Shakespeare pack for years 5 and 6.

Comprising five units on Macbeth and five on The Tempest, the pack is crammed with a range of teaching ideas and activities to introduce your upper KS2 classes to the Bard and bring two of his most famous plays to life.

What's included?

  • 49 supporting resources
  • includes reading comprehensions, GPS challenges, writing tasks, role-play and cross-curricular extension activities for each session
  • links to the curriculum.

What's inside?

Finding your way around the curriculum pack (page 4)

Curriculum coverage and mapping (pages 5-8)

Session 1: Macbeth – Witches (pages 9-17)

  • Resource - Macbeth: The witches’ opening speech
  • Resource - Exploring character through simile
  • Resource - If I met the witches…
  • Resource - Witch research

Session 2: Macbeth – The murder of King Duncan (pages 18-32)

  • Resource - Pin the comma on the sentence
  • Resource - Macbeth – Relative clauses
  • Resource - Relative clause dice game
  • Resource - Conversation scenario cards
  • Resource - Conversation scenario cards: Extension version

Session 3: Macbeth – CSI Banquo (pages 33-47)

  • Resource - Murderous modal verbs
  • Resource - Macbeth’s dagger
  • Resource - Crime scene investigation
  • Resource - Crime scene report
  • Resource - Tragic strip: Macbeth Act IV, Scene IV
  • Resource - Character list
  • Resource - Dinner party places

Session 4: Macbeth – Double, double, toil and trouble (pages 48-61)

  • Resource - Fun with fronted adverbials: Dice game
  • Resource - Something wicked this way comes
  • Resource - Double, double, toil and trouble
  • Resource - Recipe for a witch’s charm
  • Resource - Predictive text
  • Resource - Medieval medicine
  • Resource - Medieval medicine: Suggested websites and answers

Session 5: Macbeth – The battle (pages 62-70)

  • Resource - Five senses character sheet
  • Resource - The king’s speech – plan
  • Resource - The king’s speech – speech scaffold
  • Resource - Medieval weaponry research

Session 6: The Tempest – The storm (pages 71-69)

  • Resource - The Tempest: Act I, Scene I (extract)
  • Resource - Dictionary corner: The Tempest
  • Resource - Castaway comprehension

Session 7: The Tempest – Full fathom five (pages 80-89)

  • Resource - Ariel’s entrance
  • Resource - Noun phrase hunters
  • Resource - Full fathom five
  • Resource - Famous Quotes from Shakespeare

Session 8: The Tempest – Comedy and confusion (pages 90-99)

  • Resource - Island rules: Comprehension
  • Resource - ‘If I were king of this isle…’
  • Resource - Stephano, Trinculo and Caliban: Act II, Scene II
  • Resource - Seafaring research

Session 9: The Tempest – Magic and monsters (pages 100-106)

  • Resource - Alonso’s guilt

Session 10: The Tempest – Magical Island

  • Resource - Blurb template
  • Resource - Magical island story: Planning sheet>/li>
  • Resource - Designing a mask – The Tempest
Introducing Shakespeare at KS2 pack
£15.00
Free for Premium Subscribers.

All reviews

Have you used this resource?

I've taught A Level Literature for many years and found many of my students didn't understand/enjoy Shakespeare!!! I'm determined to show younger children (a couple of my great nephews and nieces; here and in America) the wonder of Shakespeare. Your resource is entertaining, bursting with ideas, and, more importantly, simple to use. Thank you.

Sue de Gruyther

08/04/2020

I used this resources in my guided reading and writing lessons last year with a more able streamed English class. They loved it! I am sharing the planning document and some of the pdf files in a network PD sessions later this term with colleagues from several primary schools in the Goldfields region of WA Australia. Thanks for the effort to put something like this together.

22/03/2017

we have used this resource with our Y6 class as small activities between end of year performance practice. They are interesting and of a length that can be completed without spending a whole lesson on them. They have been brilliant and the children have loved them. In their books it looks like we have spent ages working on Shakespeare which we have but in small slots of time. Thank you

03/07/2016

5

I've taught A Level Literature for many years and found many of my students didn't understand/enjoy Shakespeare!!! I'm determined to show younger children (a couple of my great nephews and nieces; here and in America) the wonder of Shakespeare. Your resource is entertaining, bursting with ideas, and, more importantly, simple to use. Thank you.

Sue de Gruyther

08/04/2020

I used this resources in my guided reading and writing lessons last year with a more able streamed English class. They loved it! I am sharing the planning document and some of the pdf files in a network PD sessions later this term with colleagues from several primary schools in the Goldfields region of WA Australia. Thanks for the effort to put something like this together.

22/03/2017

we have used this resource with our Y6 class as small activities between end of year performance practice. They are interesting and of a length that can be completed without spending a whole lesson on them. They have been brilliant and the children have loved them. In their books it looks like we have spent ages working on Shakespeare which we have but in small slots of time. Thank you

03/07/2016

5

5

5

5