Teaching Shakespeare in the inner-city fifth-grade classroom using drama-in-education, theatrical production, and technology integration: An action research-based case study (William Shakespeare, England)

William Shakespeare is arguably the most recognized, beloved, and studied writer who ever lived. Unfortunately, the enthusiasm that Shakespeare often generates among teachers does not always translate into the same enthusiasm from their students. Teachers are in need of practical models for providing their students with engaging and meaningful experiences that will begin a process of understanding and even appreciation for Shakespeare. With this in mind, I devised and implemented a unit designed to teach Macbeth to one fifth-grade class, in order to document the process and provide a case study model for teachers which can be emulated as a whole, drawn from partially, or simply used as an inspiration for creating original curriculum to introduce Shakespeare to students.; Each phase of the unit adheres to three basic guiding principles: it is collaborative, it is age-appropriate, and it is grounded in sound educational practice. Using these three guiding principles, I devised a three-phase unit to teach Shakespeare's Macbeth to a fifth-grade class using process drama, theatrical production, and technology integration.; The study questions those who would use standardized testing as the final measure of student achievement. It demonstrates how Lev Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development exposes the limitations of measuring only what students can demonstrate under testing conditions, and how Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences offers a variety of avenues for reaching students more effectively. The study also describes how qualitative research can provide the accountability for teachers that testing proponents insist upon.; Ultimately, the intent of this study is to describe through a qualitative case study the process of teaching Shakespeare to an inner-city fifth-grade class using process drama, theatrical production, and technology integration as cooperative strategies. It is approached from the point of view of a reflective practitioner, and is designed to assist teachers who are looking for practical models for teaching Shakespeare to their own students. The underlying motive is to help bring Shakespeare to a wider audience. Currently, Shakespeare is widely considered high culture, only to be enjoyed by the elite few. But Shakespeare was written for a much broader audience, and should be made accessible to everyone.