Exploring Shakespearean theatre as a sensory experience
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can understand how the theatre used special effects to create a sensory experience.
Key learning points
- The theatre was a full sensory experience.
- The theatre used special effects to simulate battles, injuries and storms.
- These special effects added to the mood of the play and made it more realistic for the audience.
Keywords
Sensory - Sensory is relating to sensations or the physical senses.
Simulate - To simulate something is to imitate the appearance or character or something.
Mimic - To mimic means to copy.
Mood - The mood of a text is the emotional undertone to it.
Chaotic - Something chaotic means something in a state of complete confusion or disorder.
Common misconception
That Shakespearean theatre didn't have special effects.
Although they didn't have access to modern technology, the theatre used many special effects to help make the production more realistic.
Teacher tip
If you wanted, you could extend the final activity to allow the students to think about how they might stage the storm or how they could create the special effects using objects in the classroom.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.The five senses are: taste, touch, sight, hear, and .
Q2.The word 'improper' means .
Q3.A theatre is a place where people go to...
Q4.What does being a Puritan mean?
Q5.The purpose of special effects in film, theatre and TV is...
Q6.Match the emotion with the description.
A calm sea
A storm
Rain
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.To mimic means to...
Q2.What did Shakespearean theatres use to mimic human blood?
Q3.Something chaotic is something...
Q4.Match the special effect with the act.
A dead body
A dramatic entrance
Cannon fire
Q5.'The Tempest' begins with a...
Q6.Which two of the following might they have used to create the effect of a storm in Shakespearean theatre?
To help you plan your 7 English lesson on: Exploring Shakespearean theatre as a sensory experience, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 7 English lesson on: Exploring Shakespearean theatre as a sensory experience, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 English lessons from the 'The Tempest' unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.