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Review by Amanda Bindel, Common Sense Education | Updated March 2013

Shakespeare's The Tempest for iPad

Explore Shakespeare's wild island in excellent, well-rounded reading app

Subjects & skills
Subjects
  • Arts
  • English Language Arts
Skills
  • Communication & Collaboration
  • Critical Thinking
Grades This grade range is based on learning appropriateness and doesn't take into account privacy. It's determined by Common Sense Education, not the product's publisher.
11–12
Common Sense says (See details)
Teachers say (1 Review)
Privacy rating (How we rate)
Not yet rated
Platforms:  iPad

Take a look inside

4 images
The start page and hub of Shakespeare's The Tempest for iPad is the honeycomb.
When annotating within the text of the play, students add sticky notes to the sections they’re referencing.
Students can view commentary from more than 20 experts alongside the text of the play.
Students can set up their sharing and group preferences by creating or joining a private network for discussion or joining a Facebook discussion group.

Pros: Commentaries are insightful, easy to read and really can help students better understand Shakespeare.

Cons: It would be nice to have an in-text glossary available for some of those tricky Shakespearean words.

Bottom Line: Shakespeare's The Tempest for iPad packs a college-level course into an affordable iPad app.

How Can I Teach with This Tool?

Video resources could be used for whole-class viewing and discussion, as could much of the commentary. Under Resources, kids can access audio for specific scenes performed on the London stage and other locations. Podcasts from the Folger Shakespeare Library, as well as a visual presentation on Watching Shakespeare, can supplement the text.

Shakespeare's The Tempest for iPad could be used for one student's independent study, as it is a full resource, but it could work just as well for small groups or whole-class study.

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Standards:

Editor's Note: Shakespeare's The Tempest for iPad is no longer available for download.

Shakespeare's The Tempest for iPad includes the full text of the play, audio performed by actors on the London stage, and tools and resources to promote social reading and discussion of the play. Teens can annotate the play within the app and share their notes with a study or Facebook group if they want to. They can also read commentary from Shakespeare experts. The app includes links to even more resources to help students better understand and appreciate “The Tempest.” Students can also create a customized MyPath selecting specific parts (or roles or themes) within the play to view for essay writing, test preparation, or part rehearsal. Other resources include video clips and presentations to give students context to further their understanding and appreciation of the play.

Students can find many uses for the MyPath feature. The theatre mask icon lets students view one role highlighted, or they can create a custom path that can aid with literary analysis –- perhaps highlighting a certain theme or symbol or literary device throughout the play in preparation for an essay.

This well-developed resource brings a college-course discussion and lecture to the iPad. The commentary, offered by more than 20 professors from institutions such as Bryn Mar, University of Notre Dame, Harvard, and more, actually exceeds what students would encounter in an undergrad course discussion facilitated by one instructor. There’s also commentary from actors who have brought the characters to life onstage. Students can take notes while reading the commentaries or reading the play, or annotate directly within the text.

Overall Rating
Engagement Would it motivate students and hold their interest? Is it visually appealing? Would it inspire teachers to try something new or change their instruction?

Shakespeare fans will be enthralled with the clear commentaries and awesome audio. Others will at least find the exploration somewhat interesting.

Pedagogy Does the tool help teachers promote a more student-centered experience? Will students gain conceptual understanding or think critically? Does it deepen teachers’ pedagogical thinking?

The depth and breadth of resources offered here is truly impressive. Teens will explore others' ideas and get inspired to generate their own through social discussion.

Support Can students and teachers get assistance when they need it? Is it created with people of different abilities and backgrounds in mind? Is learning reinforced and extended beyond the digital experience?

Tutorials available in the About section are thorough and can also be accessed by clicking the "?" on any screen.

Common Sense Reviewer
Amanda Bindel Classroom teacher
About our ratings and privacy evaluation.

Key Standards Supported

Reading Literature

  • RL.11-12.4

    Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other authors.)

  • RL.11-12.5

    Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text (e.g., the choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.

  • RL.11-12.6

    Analyze a case in which grasping a point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or understatement).

  • RL.11-12.7

    Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g., recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how each version interprets the source text. (Include at least one play by Shakespeare and one play by an American dramatist.)

  • RL.11-12.2

    Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text.

  • RL.11-12.3

    Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).

  • RL.11-12.10

    By the end of grade 11, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 11–CCR text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

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Teacher Reviews

Featured review by
Aran L. , Technology coordinator
Technology coordinator
The Tempest is a dynamic app that accelerates comprehension in less time than solitary reading.
The play is at the heart of a social network that fosters rich social interactions and perspectives. By giving students the role of author or collaborator they develop deeper understanding and appreciation of The Tempest.
Read full review

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