"Shakespeare dumbed down in comic strips for bored pupils"

Although the online article by Laura Clark presents points from both sides, her perspective is seen in two participial adjectives in the title: "Shakespeare dumbed down in comic strips for bored pupils." See if you can find synonyms and antonyms for these key words in the list below.

Here are all the word lists to support the reading of Grade 6 Unit 4's texts from SpringBoard's Common Core ELA series: Shakespeare dumbed down, Shakespeare's Life, Reading Shakespeare's Language, The Southpaw, A Book of Nonsense, The Millionaire Miser, Oranges; Jabberwocky; Fireflies, The Taming of the Shrew
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. reduce
    make less complex
    Thousands of teenagers are to study cartoon versions of famous plays such as Macbeth, which reduce finely-crafted passages to snappy phrases.
  2. disaffected
    discontented as toward authority
    The publishers hope the comics--illustrated by artists who have worked on the Spiderman series--will inspire disaffected readers with a love of the Bard's plays.
  3. backfire
    return with an undesired effect
    But the Queen's English Society warned that "dumbed down" versions could backfire by allowing pupils to avoid tackling the language and themes of the originals.
  4. initiative
    readiness to embark on bold new ventures
    The firm behind the initiative, Classical Comics, will launch its first comic book plays next term.
  5. literacy
    the ability to read and write
    Three versions of each play will be produced to help teachers cater to children of differing literacy abilities.
  6. translate
    express, as in simple and less technical language
    The first uses Shakespeare's own words, the second translates them into plain English, and the third is a "quick text" version and uses as few words as possible.
  7. eventually
    after an unspecified period of time or a long delay
    The firm hopes eventually to publish comic strip versions of all Shakespeare's plays.
  8. contribution
    the part played by a person in bringing about a result
    Pupils may just enjoy the cartoons and not connect it with Shakespeare and they won't be much of a contribution to education.
  9. versed
    thoroughly acquainted through study or experience
    I am sure they are already well-versed in cartoon characters and comic strips, so it would be good for them to get away from that and study something a bit more serious.
  10. unaware
    not having or showing knowledge or understanding
    Students are unaware of what language is appropriate in different circumstances.
  11. insist
    be emphatic or resolute and refuse to budge
    But Clive Bryant, chairman of Classical Comics, insisted the shortened versions of his plays would give youngsters a "leg up" to enjoying the originals.
  12. energetic
    possessing or displaying forceful exertion
    We want to make Shakespeare as energetic and colourful as Spiderman
  13. desperate
    hopelessly determined
    Teachers tell us they are desperate for something exciting to use in the classroom, but if you ask kids about Shakespeare the word they usually come back with is 'boring.'
  14. barrier
    any condition that makes it difficult to make progress
    "We're trying to break down the barriers so they can get interested."
  15. genius
    exceptional creative ability
    The genius of Shakespeare is in the language, but for some students understanding it can be a struggle.
Created on Fri Aug 15 12:33:10 EDT 2014 (updated Fri Aug 15 22:55:10 EDT 2014)

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