Next week is the "Merchant of Venice" week at Smiley Middle School as students study the Shakespeare play and work with the Mizel Museum (350 S. Dahlia St.) and the University of Colorado at Boulder Center for Humanities and the Arts Outreach program to study the Jewish culture and ways to encourage tolerance of other heritages.

The Mizel Museum will install its Bridges of Understanding: Ceremonies and Festival Exhibition at Smiley. Beginning Tuesday, Feb. 24 and running through Friday, Feb. 27, museum educators will lead students on a one-hour thematic interactive tour at the school during which students play musical instruments, try on traditional dress and discover through hands-on exploration of artifacts.

Working with the University of Colorado at Boulder Center for Humanities and the Arts Outreach program, students received the Shakespeare play "The Merchant of Venice" to study. They will get a backstage tour before attending a special matinee performance of "The Merchant of Venice" at the Denver Center for Performing Arts on Thursday, April 22.

Next week, students will work with Melinda Scott, Education Director of the Shakespeare Festival at the University of Colorado, in an interactive workshop to better understand what Shakespeare's theater was like in his time.

Students also will get a better understanding of stereotypes through studying one of the main characters in the play, Shylock, who is often considered a stereotypical character. This aspect of the play gives students the opportunity to explore stereotypes and create an appreciation of cultural differences.

Smiley Middle School is located at 2540 Holly St. For more information, contact Connie Wint, director of academies at Smiley Middle School, at 303-399-0740.