If you’ve followed me here on the blog or social media, you might know I started in 8th grade ELA. There, I taught Romeo and Juliet – at the same time as statewide testing. In the spring. Yeah, let’s just say we made the most of the opportunities we had.
But since moving to the high school, I now have the chance to teach Julius Caesar. I don’t mean to knock the ill-fated teenage lovers, but Caesar is so much more conniving, strategic, and, well – fun
Here are some of my favorite Julius Caesar activities from introducing the play to killing the protagonist.
Julius Caesar Activities to Introduce the Play
This year, I tried a crime scene investigation to pique my students’ interest in the play. And it was epic.
I teamed up with one of our art teachers to make a “chalk” outline of Caesar. Then, after school the day before the first of many Julius Caesar activities, I staged the whole crime, cordoning off the “body” with authentic-looking crime scene tape and planting two murder weapons.
I even went all-out and placed fingerprints on the weapons and a seizure medication prescription next to the dead body.
The day of the activity, I told students there had been a crime next door over the long weekend. Fortunately, my room adjoins one of our copier rooms – the perfect location.
Working in teams, I first gave everyone the chance to investigate the scene. I encouraged them to take notes and to take pictures.
(It was super rewarding when I saw kids posting the pictures to their SnapChat stories.)
Then, they had to work through a series of tasks I set up using Google Forms. Think of it as an escape-room or digital-breakout activity.
Here’s where I was able to incorporate informational nonfiction and close reading tasks into one of my favorite Julius Caesar activities. They had to work together to first read a piece of material and then answer questions.
Some of the tasks were set up so they couldn’t move on without the correct answer. Other tasks were more subject but also required more critical thinking. For example, using the evidence provided, they had to evaluate the likelihood of each suspect.
I also prepared fingerprint analysis materials. In the latter stages of the murder investigation, they’d have to check in with their Chief (i.e. me) to acquire new evidence. In addition to the suspects’ fingerprints, students also obtained the letter from Artemidorus (in Act Two, Scene Three) with a smudged fingerprint in the corner.
To help boost engagement, I told students it wasn’t necessarily a race but rather more about the quality of the case they prepared. I also let them know that a) our crime scene was a prelude to our next text and b) even though you might recognize the protagonist as a historical figure, the text was a piece of historical fiction.
Trust me: that’ll help cut down on the number of kids who think they can “figure it out” by searching on Google.
In all, this was one of the best Julius Caesar activities to introduce the text. It was so awesome to see all the clever ways students referred back to our crime scene even as we were deep into the play itself.
If this sounds like it’s up your alley, check out this resource I put together for you.
Julius Caesar Activities for Act One
It’s important to lay a strong foundation for the rest of the play. Here are some tried-and-true Julius Caesar activities for the first act of the historical tragedy.
If you’re really invested – and you enjoy saving money – you can check out the Act 1 Bundle I have. It has all of the activities you’re about to read PLUS quizzes and ELL accommodations.
Act One, Scene One
I think a great way to start reading a Shakespearean play is to tackle the first scene as original written – almost like it’s a foreign language.
To a lot of students, Shakespeare can certainly feel like a different language!
So I put together a handout for students that not only features the original text but a side-by-side modern “translation” of the text. Basically, I rewrite the original so that it sounds more like someone from the last decade wrote it.
But there are some key portions missing …
That’s where our “translating” work comes in. Using context clues, students work to fill in those gaps by thinking critically.
It’s arduous work and some kids are glad when it’s finished. But it’s funny because some kids really love that in-depth reading of the text. Either way, it’s a nice prelude to the rest of the play in that it gets students accustomed to the language. But moving forward, I don’t take quite that much time to look at the text so intricately.
Act One, Scene Two
The next scene of the play is a crucial one. It takes place at the races on the Feast of Lupercal. And it’s the first opportunity we have to get to know Cassius and Brutus.
Once again, I provide students with a handout that – this time – features only the original text. Strategically placed throughout are comprehension questions. In my class, we take the time to pause in our reading to answer those questions. But I can also see major benefits to reading the entire scene play through before answering the questions.
This all culminates to a characterization chart. Students work together to very carefully analyze each character’s traits. I challenge students to find traits that a) other characters reveal about one another b) traits the character reveals about himself in what he says or does and c) textual evidence to support their findings.
We then share out our ideas on the board, which ends up being one of the best introductory Julius Caesar activities as it lays the groundwork for so much to come.
Act One, Scene Three
Though I don’t spend as much time on this brief scene, I do want to share that for a handful of my Julius Caesar activities and scenes, we read the “translated” version. This is one of those scenes. It helps speed up the scene and can help boost the confidence of some of my more reluctant learners.
Plus, all learners enjoy the framework I pose for them: pretend you’re taking these men to court. Build a case for premeditation.
Act Two Ideas
I love Act Two because things really start to take shape. Plus, with the Julius Caesar activities I’ve created, I sprinkle in rhetorical analysis practice we’ll use in future scenes and tasks.
Again, if you’re hooked, check out the Act Two Bundle, which has a ton of great Julius Caesar activities plus quizzes and ELL accommodations.
Act Two, Scene One
The next scene is another crucial one. Like Act One, Scene Two, my students and I read the original, stopping periodically to answer the comprehension questions embedded throughout.
We first establish the subtle but powerful allusions to the Garden of Eden in this scene.
Then we spend a lot of time digesting a handful of quotes from the scene. Namely, we talk about Brutus’s unhatched serpent’s egg metaphor and later, his “sacrificers not butchers” quote.
The culminating activity with this scene is for students to interact powerfully with these important quotes – albeit in a creative, artistic way.
One of my newer Julius Caesar activities is for students to choose one of the featured quotes in this scene and use my Canva tutorial video to design a sticker featuring that quote and an interesting graphic. When finished, I printed (on cardstock) and laminated the six or so best stickers from the class. I made two copies: one for my bulletin board and one for my students.
Act Two, Scene Two
I feel like a broken record but here’s another one of my favorite Julius Caesar activities.
We introduce this scene with a video and discussion on what our dreams can tell us. I have students first free write about the most recent dream they can recall. Then we watch a video that shares some of the more common dreams and their meanings.
That all makes for a nice transition into this scene, which, of course, features Calpuria’s nightmares.
We read the original, taking time to answer our comprehension questions. But the real money maker with this scene is to really investigate how Decius persuades Caesar. This sets us up for rhetoric in the third act.
I have students work in pairs to evaluate how each character tries to persuade Caesar to either stay home from the Capitol or go to the Capitol.
Obviously, Decius wins out. I challenge students to really dig into how he accomplishes that. It makes for really insightful conversations about Caesar’s insecurities and character flaws.
Act Two, Scenes Three and Four
The next two scenes are brief and we don’t spend too much time on them. We read Artemidorus’s letter (the kids LOVE the connection back to our crime scene and I love seeing the “lightbulbs” appear when they recognize it).
Then we read a modern translation of the final scene.
Julius Caesar Activities for Act Three
It’s all been building to this. We’ve known for so long that Caesar will die. But we’ve stuck around as Shakespeare brilliantly built up the suspense.
If you’re all-in, check out the discounted Act Three Bundle.
Act Three, Scene One
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Julius-Caesar-Act-3-Scene-1-Murder-at-the-Capitol-11491975Once again, we read the original script, stopping along the way to answer and unpack the comprehension questions.
One of many creative Julius Caesar activities is to have students write a eulogy for our newly-deceased protagonist.
I challenge students to take either Brutus or Antony’s perspective and write a eulogy about Caesar, his life’s accomplishments, and why he died.
Check out the whole scene and activity here.
Act Three, Scene Two
Maybe my favorite of the Julius Caesar activities comes in this scene.
I first start the lesson with direct instruction on rhetoric. We talk about what it is and the three main types. But – bonus – we also talk about a less-often-discussed technique: kairos. Kairos is the art of seizing an opportunity. Marc Antony certainly seems to know how to maximize a chance by withholding the reading of Caesar’s will.
I have a notes sheet to accompany my presentation. Along the way, we check out various commercials. Then we play a Kahoot or similar game to review the concept.
I have all of this ready to go (including a creative project!); you can see it here.
That all sets us up to read the scene. As before, we carefully read the original. But thrown into the mix this time is an evaluation of Brutus’s rhetoric at the conclusion of his speech.
I throw this into the middle of the scene because I want students, like the plebeians, to view Brutus’s speech as pretty decent.
Then we continue with Antony and, well, he just blows Brutus out of the water.
The final task for this scene is one of the more rigorous Julius Caesar activities for me. It requires students to independently write an analytical piece about who had the more convincing speech and what rhetorical devices he used.
Act Three, Scene Three
We once again read a modern translation for this scene (check it out). And, time-permitting, my students and I open up a healthy debate about the dangers of mob mentality.
Finishing the Play
I’ve had several conversations with colleagues about the final two acts of Julius Caesar.
On the one hand, they seem anticlimactic and, well, boring, compared to the first three. I can totally understand why some teachers can’t find the time to include them or outright exclude them.
But on the other hand, part of me would lose sleep at night if we didn’t finish the play.
So for these final two acts, I have my students complete them independently. For me, these acts fall right around standardized testing. I personally don’t like to spend much time on test preparation, but a little bit of practice is certainly worthwhile in my classroom.
So for Act Four, students read the original text on their own, answering comprehension questions along the way. Check out this ready-to-go resource.
By Act Five, my Julius Caesar activities ease up a bit: students read the modern translation of all five scenes either by themselves or with a friend. You can see what I use by clicking here.
ELL Accommodations with my Julius Caesar Activities
If you’ve followed other blog posts, you know I have a growing number of Spanish-speaking students. And I strive to be as inclusive as I can.
To help my Spanish speakers better understand the play, I have two Julius Caesar activities recommendations.
Summary and Translation Booklet
I curate a collection of summaries for each scene of the play. These summaries are written at a more appropriate grade level but also with non-native English speakers in mind (i.e. elementary students who have spoken English their whole lives might understand idioms but a non-native speaker might not). These summaries also feature the Spanish translation. Here’s the link to my Julius Caesar booklet.
I also create a colorful cartoon for each of the scenes in the play. Using context clues and what they pick up from our reading aloud in class, my ELL students complete fill-in-the-blank tasks to demonstrate their understanding. You can check out all the cartoons I’ve made for Julius Caesar here.
Cartoon Summaries
I also create a colorful cartoon for each of the scenes in the play. Using context clues and what they pick up from our reading aloud in class, my ELL students complete fill-in-the-blank tasks to demonstrate their understanding. You can check out all the cartoons I’ve made for Julius Caesar here.
Concluding Thoughts
Before I wrap things up, I have to say again how awesome this play is and how much I enjoy all the Julius Caesar activities I’ve put together over the years. I hope at least one of those covered in this post inspire you in your classroom.
If you’re feeling extra-inspired, you can also check out these products and bundles on my Teachers Pay Teachers page.
- Julius Caesar Complete Unit: This is a unit I’ve used in the past; be sure to check out the preview to see what’s included
- Before Reading Package: An alternate approach for introducing the play
- Project Ideas: New and reduced price
- Student Summary Booklet: A great way for students to keep track of what happens in the play while practicing basic writing skills
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