Much Ado About Nothing at KS3

Do you want to teach a play that will demystify the language of love and relationships?

This unit of work is fantastic for stretching high ability KS3 students. 18 lessons covering the whole of the play, focusing on playwright’s use of language, how the playwright uses structure, creative writing and the effect of staging. It comes fully resourced with PowerPoints, contextual information to illuminate understanding of the text, chapter extracts and IWB activities. Page numbers refer to the Cambridge School Shakespeare Edition.

Lesson 1: Elizabethan context quizzes
Lesson 2: Shakespearean language
Lesson 3: the theatre
Lesson 4: act out the play
Lesson 5: the soldiers return in A1S1
Lesson 6: the relationship between Beatrice and Benedick in A1S1
Lesson 7: Don John in A1S3
Lesson 8: the masked ball in A2S1
Lesson 9: deception in A2S1
Lesson 10: focus on the villain in A2S2
Lesson 11: focus on Benedick in A2S3
Lesson 12: appearance and reality in A2S3
Lesson 13: review of Acts 1-2
Lesson 14: Beatrice is tricked in A3S1
Lesson 15: Claudio is tricked in A3S2
Lesson 16: the marriage in A4S1
Lesson 17: Beatrice and Benedick in A4S1
Lesson 18: Leanato and Antonio in A5S1
Lesson 19: the ending