Activity 1: The Reading Guide

1. Work through the guide, choosing questions as approprate (I like them all from pages 1 - 32). You may wish to print off the guide, or you can record your answers in your subject journal.
If you choose to do the newspaper or concise play options you could substitute those activities in instead of the 'literature and writing' and 'extending your response' options.

2. The guide provides some background on Shakespeare, including the context the play was written in. Ensure to read this over - it will help you understand where the play is coming from.

3. Discuss with your instructor what needs to be handed in and what is going to be graded. I suggest that the guide from pages 1 - 31 be checked by your teacher and discussed in class. The essay on page 32:
'In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare analyzes the role of imagination in love and in art. He shows the dangers of an overactive imagination and the joy of seeing beyond the everyday world. On a separate sheet of paper, write a brief essay about the benefits and drawbacks of an active human imagination. Draw examples and quotations from the play.'
should be handed in for marking. It will be marked using the scoring rubric found in Appendix 12 of the curriculum guide.

Some other suggestions:

* Investigate these stories that have thematic links to this play in Sightlines 10:
- I'm Not My Brother; I'm Me, p.54 (competitiveness)
- Long Walk to Forever, p. 143 (competing for love)
- Lord, What Fools! p.157 (romantic entanglement)
- The Skating Party, p. 186 (romantic love between young people)
- As You Like It, p. 247 (Shakespearean drama)
----- Note: See the Teacher guide for Sightlines 10 for more ideas -----