This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
A murderous betrayal. A terrifying visitor from beyond the grave. A kingdom in turmoil. And at the center of it all, a young prince who must set things right -- a tragic cost. Shakespeare's Hamlet may be a literary classic, but it is also as thrilling and entertaining as any Hollywood film.
My students are ambitious, idealistic, dramatic, and extraordinarily creative.
Many of them live in or near my school, in a neighborhood that is mostly poor. The student body is somewhat socioeconomically diverse, but many come from poor, single-parent households, and have limited resources available to them. But the most valuable resource they all have-- their brain and the ideas that come from it-- is thankfully abundant, ,and they use it in ways that often amaze me.
My Project
Almost everybody knows Hamlet in some way or another. Many may know of the play's famous "To be or not be" speech (or, more likely, have heard a parody of it). To others, hearing the play's title stirs up an image of a man talking to a skull and saying something about a guy named Yorick. Yes, these elements of play are so embedded in our pop culture that people-- for example, my students--may even think they know Hamlet. But they don't. Which is why I love witnessing their surprise as they discover how thrilling, suspenseful, and ultimately enjoyable the story of Hamlet is. Their interest in the play's story also makes them more willing to engage with Shakespeare's unfamiliar language, complex literary devices, and lofty ideas about morality and other themes. When we finish the play, the students complete a creative assignment such as a mental evaluation of Hamlet written by his psychiatrist, or a imagining a scene from the play as it might take place today. In order to do this, we need 100 copies of the book.
My students are in Advanced Placement English Literature, a class that aims to prepare them for the rigors of college.
As they read and analyze the play, I will have the opportunity to engage them the kind of higher order of thinking skill that they must master in college and beyond . I am so excited to be able to use this wonderful text! My students deserve to be challenged -- as well as entertained -- with this unparalleled work of literature.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Odetalla and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
