KS: Upper KS2
Year Group: Year 5
Literary Theme: Power vs. Principles
Author(s): William Shakespeare
This is a Vocabulary Vine for The Tempest by William Shakespeare
A Vocabulary Vine is designed to be a sister resource to a Writing Root and Spelling Seed. It sits within our wider Teach Through a Text approach by explicitly identifying vocabulary from the book and providing additional opportunities for paired, small group and whole class experimentation with this vocabulary in context. Vocabulary Vines further complement spelling development too through exploration of the morphology (word structure) and etymology (origins) of words. They also provide oracy opportunities through a focus on talk tasks and on oral sentence construction. They are designed for short burst oral and vocabulary development.
A Writing Root is available for The Tempest.
Setting description, character descriptions /comparisons, diary entry, dialogue
Playscript
17+ sessions, 3+ weeks
This is a 3+ week Writing Root using an abridged version of The Tempest by William Shakespeare. Although you may wish to expose children to a variety of different retellings of the story, it is also important that children have an opportunity to explore a playscript version of the text, and that that have an opportunity to see it being performed, either on film or, ideally, on stage. During this sequence of learning, children have the chance to explore the themes, ideas and characters in the play, as well as writing opportunities, such as character descriptions and comparisons, scene/setting descriptions and diary entries. They also explore the conventions of writing playscripts, including (characterisation through) dialogue, stage directions and how to convey action, as well as some Shakespearean conventions, such as the iambic pentameter. The Writing Root culminates in children having the opportunity to write their own ‘tempest’ story to be read or performed.
A violent storm shipwrecks the King of Naples and his noblemen on what appears to be an uninhabited island. What the king doesn’t know is that they have been brought here by powerful magic.
Prospero, the mysterious ruler of the island, has a plan, but will he use his magic for good or bad against the castaways? His daughter, Miranda, has never seen another man except her father. What will she think of the stranger who stumbles into her life? Prospero’s monstrous servant, Caliban, sees a chance to overthrow his master. Will he succeed?
Enchantment and treachery are everywhere on the island – which will prove the stronger?
This is a playscript version of one of Shakespeare’s most classic stories, including some original language and meter which will inspire children to go on and read further of the bard’s plays on their own. A vibrant and enchanting story with strong themes of betrayal and desire, this will provide a good starting point for children to share their thoughts on power and the right ways to use it.
Shakespeare, playscripts, classic literature, magic, deception, power
Date written: February 2016
View The Tempest Writing Root
