Shakespeare Connects Sixth-Graders and Seniors

As the culminating event of the experiential learning project about A Midsummer Night's Dream, English Department Chair Margaret Kenny’s AP English Literature class took Poly's entire sixth-grade class to see the play at the amazing outdoor theater Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum in Topanga Canyon on May 1. 

 

After studying A Midsummer Night's Dream in depth this fall, the AP class worked diligently to edit Shakespeare's original play to a condensed version of the script that they shared with Sixth Grade English Teacher Kendall Hickman’s students, and that includes an AI-generated "translation" of the original language (proofread by 12th-grade Shakespearean scholars) to help the younger students' understanding during this learning experience, which for some of them will be their first introduction to Shakespeare. 

 

“It was challenging at first, but we really had to understand the text because it's different when you’re teaching it to a class of children,” said Becca C. ’24. “I think the unit was beneficial to our understanding to be able to break it down to students in a way that is engaging and understandable.”

 

Working in pairs, the seniors met for two class periods with their assigned sixth-grade sections to teach aspects of the play and then stage a shortened performance in class. Sixth graders read the shortened script, focusing on the lines of their assigned characters, as homework between the two classes. 

 

The result was fun, challenging, and full of giggles. The shortened performance was also beneficial to students who could better understand the material when acted out, versus just reading the play.

 

The field trip proved lots of fun as the seniors and sixth graders all boarded a Poly school bus to journey to Topanga Canyon together for the performance. The beautiful, lush scenery proved to be the perfect backdrop for the event. Students enjoyed getting to know one another, and seniors enjoyed the excited reactions of the middle schoolers.

 

“The theater was outside and surrounded by nature, which only added to the play that takes place in a forest. I also think the way that the actors have used the landscape to tell us more was also really engaging,” shared Lilie H. ’24.

 

We are so pleased with the outcome of this cross-divisional learning experience and hope for many more opportunities like this in the future!