The Globe Theatre

Introduction

You are a time traveling literary historian! 

You have travelled back in time to 1611 in Southwark, London, England. William Shakespeare is working with his company on performing a new play. You find the setting, the people, and the attire are remarkably different than that of the theatres and people you are accustomed to in the 21st century. 

This WebQuest will allow you to explore those differences and create questions as to why the culture of the 17th century England is so different from 21st century Canada.

Task

On your journey through London in 1611 you will accomplish the following:

 

1. By researching the internet sites provided, you will fill in the relevant information about The Globe Theatre on your accompanying worksheet.

 

2. Using your prior knowledge of theatres today and some of the resources provided, compare and contrast The Globe Theatre with modern theatres in a Venn Diagram.

3. Using the information you have gathered so far, write a letter home to a friend about your experiences seeing a play at The Globe. Start your story before you even enter the theatre. Describe what it was like outside the theatre, who was around, and how you knew what kind of play was being performed. Identify 3 or 4 different types of people you met at the theatre, who they were, what they did, what they were wearing, and how they acted. Explain how the performance differed from a theatrical performance today and how it was similar. 

Process
Evaluation

Evaluation Rubric
  4 3 2 1 Score
Completed Worksheets Completed all worksheets thoroughly and for the most part answered questions accurately. Completed worksheets with minimal information. Only a few errors Did not complete all of the worksheets. Did not complete worksheets. Many sections missing. Many errors. 4
Level of Thought Answers and letter indicated a high level of critical thinking. Critical thinking was employed sometimes and some answers were straightforward facts Answers were fact driven, little thought went into creating answers. No critical thinking was used when creating answers. 4
Research Utilized resources given and even went beyond just the webpage given. Used resources given but did not go any further. Some of the resources given were used, but not all and not in depth. Only a few of the resources were used and not in depth. 4
Quality of Work Answers clearly stated, letter was well written and creative, research showed critical and careful thinking. A few errors were noted but work was still acceptable. Many errors were noted in writing and in the answers given. No creative process was used. Work was unacceptable with many errors, no creative thinking and/or illegible. 4
Conclusion

Now that you have explored Shakespeare's Globe Theatre and compared the atmosphere around it with modern theaters you should have a greater appreciation of how entertainment has changed over the years.

 

After completing this activity, identify 3 things you thought went well or were good about this WebQuest, 2 things you would change, and 1 thing you found interesting. We will share your thoughts with the class before moving forward.

Credits

This WebQuest was adapted from Katie Gall's, at http://zunal.com/conclusion.php?w=19392

Teacher Page

Accompanying handout:

The Globe Theatre – WebQuest Handout

Where was The Globe located?

 

 

 

 

 

What was the layout of the theatre?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What nearby attractions were there? How did they interact with The Globe?

 

 

 

How did The Globe advertise its features?

 

 

 

What sorts of people attended the performances? What did they wear? Who viewed the play from where?

 

 

 

 

Who performed at The Globe? What other role(s) did they take?

 

 

 

How popular was theatre in 17th century London?

 

 

 

How quickly did were new plays written and produced?

 

 

 

How many times was The Globe built? Why?