Free Resources for Julius Caesar

Teaching Julius Caesar was part of the 10th grade curriculum. I liked teaching the first three acts, and because we were always pressed for time, eventually I ONLY taught the first three acts (and then summarized the rest).

Whenever I teach a play, I always do Reader's Theater. There are 100 ways to do Reader's Theater correctly, but essential the kids are acting out lines/scenes they have been assigned. Some teachers ask kids to rewrite the scenes in modern day or in another setting, but since I was working with honors kids and I wanted them to engage the language, I always let them revise their scenes (cut out lines, etc.) but not change the language itself. All of the handouts and directions that I would give the kids for this activity are below.

I always started the unit by activating background knowledge and introducing students to the "big ideas." For Julius Caesar, that big idea was always "power". Who has it? How do you get it? How do you keep it? And I also used it as a chance to introduce my 10 advanced kids to AP/IB skills.

The materials below are in the general order that I used them. Although since I taught Julius Caesar a few times, I did not use every handout every year.

Pre-Reading Materials

• Power Journal

• Power Definition Sorting Activity

• Julius Caesar Background (History.com)

• Julius Caesar Cinquain

• Rate Your Caesaryness

• Julius Caesar Character PowerPoint

• Julius Caesar Character Chart

• Julius Caesar Character Quiz

• How to Read Shakespeare Lesson

• How to Read Shakespeare Note Taking Guide

• Acting/Presentation Tips PowerPoint

• House Party Acting Activity

Act 1 Materials

• Etymology & Archaic Words for Act 1; Scene 1

• Ethos, Pathos, Logos Preassessment

• Ethos, Pathos, Logos PowerPoint

• Ethos, Pathos, Logos Note-Taking Guide (goes with above PowerPoint)

• Marullus Soliloquy Analysis (AP Practice Prompt)

• Marullus Annotations

• Marullus Model Analysis Paragraph

• Act 1, Scene 2 Cassius Close Reading

• Cassius Close Reading Graphic Organizer

• Improving Your Commentary

• Ethos Commentary Feedback

• Ethos/Pathos/Logos Analysis Rubric

• Analyze a Speech for Ethos/Pathos/Logos

• Act 1, Scene 3 Questions

• Julius Caesar Cinquain

• Julius Caesar Act I Quiz (no answer key)

Act 2 Materials

• Friendship Prompt

• Brutus Close Reading Act 2, Scene 1

• Brutus Close Reading Act 2, Scene 1-Excerpt 2

• Brutus Close Reading Act 2, Scene 1-Excerpt 3

• Decius/Calphurnia Compare Contrast Essay

• Compare/Contrast Graphic Organizer

• Julius Caesar Act 2 Quiz-Multiple Choice (no answer key)

Act 3 Materials

• Antony Funeral Oration Analysis Essay Assignment

• Julius Caesar Act III Quiz-Multiple Choice (no answer key)

Readers Theater Materials

• Readers Theater Directions (for students)

• Example Script

• Stage Blocking Chart

• Script & Stage Directions Rubric

• Readers Theater Assignment for Acts 1-3 (These are the notes I would use to figure out how many kids to assign to each scene.)

• How to Mark Stage Directions on Your Script

• Blank Summary Chart for Acts 1, 2, & 3 of Julius Caesar

• Blank Summary Charts for Acts 4 & 5 of Julius Caesar

• Readers Theater Make Up Assignment

• Readers Theater Presentation Rubric

• Scene Analysis Assignment

Vocabulary Handouts for Julius Caesar

• Julius Caesar Vocabulary List

• Connect 2 Vocabulary Activity

• Practice Word Part & Vocabulary Quiz

• Julius Caesar Word Part & Vocabulary Quiz

After Reading Julius Caesar

• Julius Caesar Scene Analysis Paper

• Power Small Group Discussion

• Julius Caesar, Power, and Today's World

Choice Book Activities forJulius Caesar

• "Power" Choice Reading Assignment

• Reading Log