Othello - A Study Commentary (Interactive Edition)

(This Digital Activities edition of the resource combines the Teaching Copy and the Student Edition in a single file pre-edited for device-based use)...

AN INTERACTIVE STUDY COMMENTARY ON ‘OTHELLO’ DESIGNED TO BE USED IN-CLASS OR DISTANTLY – OR IN A COMBINATION OF THE TWO.

Given the changing circumstances schools now find themselves in, we are working to adapt the WordSmith Guides on Shakespeare's major tragedies to help teachers and students meet the challenges of distance learning.

THE COMMENTARY

Our ‘Othello’ Study Commentary supports teachers and students working towards AP, IB and GCE A Level examinations. It is a line-by-line analysis of the play at a level, and in a manner, that all senior students will find accessible and engaging. It asks, of each scene, ‘What’s really happening here?’ and offers detailed answers – while challenging students, by means of brief but penetrating writing tasks, to find answers of their own. It also provides essay questions in the style of AP, IB and A Level written examinations.

Overall, it is designed to open students’ minds to the play so that they can begin to appreciate it not only as a remarkable piece of working theatre but also as great literature.

From an AP Central Teachers’ Resources Review: “The Othello guide includes fine ‘Commentary’, ‘Overview,’ and ‘Student Response’ sections for each scene, as well as essay questions and practice commentaries. The guide…has recently been revised to become more interrogative – less commentary and more questions that call for students to do the discovering.”

DISTANCE LEARNING (DEVICE-BASED INSTRUCTION)

We have modified the original Commentary as follows so that it can be used interactively through TPT’s Digital Activities extension. (You will be able to make further changes to suit your own teaching style and the needs of your students.)

1. We have added expandable Answer Boxes on each page of the Commentary carrying a question or providing a study task. Students can enter their answers in the interactive boxes and submit them to you online you for assessment and feedback as appropriate.

2. We have offered our own suggestions on each page following a ‘question’ page. Your options are to:

o Remove those pages from the resource and not make use of them (except for your own interest)

o Include them in what you give to students, with advice not to consult them until they have completed (and perhaps submitted) their own answers. (That will require some training, and some trust!)

o Give students access to them only after they have submitted their work, perhaps as part of your feedback.

Either of the last two options will allow students to go through an invaluable process of self-assessment and further learning.

The resource contains further advice to both teachers and students, and a ‘QuickStart’ guide on how to prepare individual units of work based on it.

CLASSROOM (NON-INTERACTIVE) USE

Your purchase will allow you to download the whole resource file in .pdf format. We have removed all restrictions from it so that if you wish to use it without engaging the TPT Digital Activities extension and Google Classroom, you will still be able to edit it to suit your own needs (e.g. by printing, copying or removing pages) provided you have access to a suitable .pdf editing tool.