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Romeo and JulietWeek One Lesson Plans

20 September 2011Danielle Bechtold, Leah Bennett, Sarah Powers,

Arielle Wegbreit, and Haley Zimmerman

The following document contains a series of lesson plans that aim to introduce the tragic play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare to high school level English students. The main focal point of the week and the thread that links each day together will be the theme of characterization. We will begin each day with a discussion question that relates main themes from the play and characterization to either the students’ own lives and experiences or specific points in the text. Through activities such as a reader’s theater and creating a family tree for the characters in the play, the students will, through these scaffolding activities, gradually build up their knowledge of the characters in the play so that by the time the teacher introduces the term characterization on Friday, the students will be able to understand the activity by using their prior knowledge. Our overall goal with this series of lesson plans is to get students interested in Romeo and Juliet by showing them that it really is a timeless piece that applies to their own lives.

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Romeo and Juliet Lesson Plan: Day One

Introduction

Materials/Resources: Pencil and paper for all students, handouts of the Discussion Question, a Discussion Question Folder (they should have it), video/DVD of Romeo + Juliet, assigned books of Romeo and Juliet for every student.

Overview/Purpose: To help students understand the concept of activating prior knowledge and applying life lessons to a text.

Learning Objectives: Students will be able to comprehend the meaning of “prior knowledge” in relation to

literature Students will be able to contemplate about their own life experiences related to the text Students will be able to demonstrate their knowledge on foreshadowing. Students will be able to recognize how to read Shakespearean verse.

Academic Standards Addressed:

LIT.2.2 o Analyze the way in which clarity of meaning is affected by the patterns of

organization, repetition of the main ideas, organization of language, and word choice in the text. [11.2.2/12.2.2]

LIT.3.2 o Evaluate the way in which the theme or meaning of a selection represents a view

or comment on life, using textual evidence to support the claim. [11.3.2/12.3.2]

Overview of Student Activity: (Individual Activity – 10 min.) Students will read the board for their Discussion Question

on the board, as well as pick up the handout on their way in the room – “What is something that you or a friend have been passionate about that your family or friends did not agree with?”

(Group Discussion – 5 min.) Discuss the responses: Did you or your friend feel betrayed/angry/hurt/etc; students will be asked to explain their responses.

(Group Activity – 5 min.)Teacher will read the prologue out loud so the students get a sense of how to read the Shakespearean verse. Ask students to foreshadow and gather from the clues given in the text as to what will happen.

(Group Discussion and Activity – 15 min.) Show the last scene of the film Romeo + Juliet (this is approximately five minutes) [this will give them a taste of what the prologue reveals-the end of the play and the double suicide]. Students will facilitate a discussion on the foreshadowing seen in the scene. They may also put in input on the

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connection between their journal writing, and what they have seen on the video clip. This should be about a fifteen minute discussion.

(Hand out books – 5 min.) While handing out books, students are able to ask questions on what they want to learn, and wrap up previous question. Allow about ten minutes to wrap up the conversation.

(If time left over) If time left, have students start to read the assignment, Act I, Scene I.

Assessments: Students will be assessed in class on their participation in the discussion. They will receive credit for the journal entry formally (5 pts.)

Modifications/Accommodations: Closed Captioning will be on for the clip of Romeo + Juliet. Both oral and written directions (journal entry written on the board) will be given to the students. Students with difficulties in fine motor skills or who have other writing issues will be encouraged to use pencil grips to improve their ability to write. This is a low-tech form of assistive technology that is easy to incorporate without singling students out.

Trouble Shooting: If we need more time in class, teacher will ask the students to start to read the assignment for the next day quietly. If the video clip does not work, we will read and potentially act out the end of the play. If discussion does not flow well, ask them to turn to a partner to talk about their Discussion Question, and then ask each group to say recap with the class about what they talked about with their partner.

Technology Used: DVD player or YouTube.com to show the last clip of Romeo + Juliet

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Name: _____________________________________________Date: ___________________Class: ___________________

Discussion Question Day One: Family Conflicts

Directions: Please write at least three to five sentences about the Discussion Question posted below. Think critically and thoughtfully about what you are writing. This is to help you begin thinking about the themes that will be present in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.

Discussion Question:

What is something that you or a friend have been passionate about that your family or friends did not agree with?

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Romeo and Juliet Lesson Plan: Day Two

Character Identification

Materials/Resources: Family tree handouts, large construction paper and markers for collective family tree

Overview/Purpose: To introduce students to the characters in Act 1 and to have them understand the relationships.

Learning Outcomes:

Students will be able to identify the key characters and explain their relationships to each other.

Students will collaborate and understand the importance of using the text. Students will be able to apply this knowledge when reading the other scenes in the play.

Standards:

9.3.3 Analyze interactions between characters in a literary text and explain the way those interactions affect the plot.

9.3.4 Determine characters' traits by what the characters say about themselves in narration, dialogue, and soliloquy

Overview of Student Activity:

(Individual Activity—10 minutes)o Students will have ten minutes to do a quick write to the question on the board in

their Discussion Question folder.o In Act 1, Scene 1, Shakespeare grabs the reader’s attention immediately with a

rousing action scene. If you could write a story about your life, what would be your opening scene? Explain the scene and be creative!

(Class Discussion—5-10 minutes)o Have students discuss and introduce the plot and setting of the play.o Give students the family tree handout (consisting of two family trees: one for the

Montagues and one for the Capulets)o Explain directions

(Large Group Activity—20 minutes)o Students will collaborate in 4 groups on completing one of the family trees. Half

of the class will do the Montagues and the other half will do the Capulets.o Students should use their books to complete their task.

(Class Discussion—15 minutes)o Come back as a class to discuss their findings.o Use large versions of the family tree to complete as a class. Explain relationships

between characters as discussion commences.

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(If Time Leftover)o Students may begin to read Act I, Scene 2 and whatever they do not finish is

assigned as homework.

Assessments: Informal assessment with class discussion and participation within groups. Collect the quick write activity.

Modifications/Accommodations: Both oral and written directions of the family tree activity will be given. If students are uncomfortable or not contributing in the large groups, they can work individually or in pairs. Once again, students with writing difficulties will be encouraged to use pencil grips as an assistive technology.

Trouble Shooting: Some students may not get to participate as much due to the larger groups. If this is the case, the class should be split up into smaller groups so that everyone gets to be involved in creating the family tree.

Technology Used: N/A

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Name: ___________________________________Date: ___________________Class: ___________________

Discussion Question Day Two: Opening Scene

In Act 1, Scene 1, Shakespeare grabs the reader’s attention immediately with a rousing action scene. If you could write a story about your life, what would be your opening scene? Explain the scene and be creative!

Quickwrite Instructions: Please use the space below to respond in a minimum of five sentences to the question above.

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Romeo and Juliet Lesson Plan: Day Three

Family Conflict

Materials/Resources: Romeo and Juliet, Discussion Question Folder, Discussion Question Handout, Pen/Pencil, magnifying glasses

Overview/Purpose: To help students feel comfortable reading aloud and to help them understand the author’s intention and writing style.

Learning Objectives: Students will be able to apply personal knowledge to understanding of the play. Students will be able to discuss themes, characters, plot, setting, and form of the play. Students will be able to practice reading aloud and translate the play through acting out

the roles.

Academic Standards: LIT.2.2: Analyze the way in which clarity of meaning is affected by the patterns of

organization, repetition of the main ideas, organization of language, and word choice in the text.

SPC.1.12: Critique a speaker’s use of words and language in relation to the purpose of an oral communication and the impact the words may have on the audience.

Overview of Activity:

(Individual Activity: 10 minutes) Students will begin by sitting in a half-circle, facing the front of the room. There will be a discussion question handout on their desk when they walk in the room. The discussion question for the day will be: “Have you ever done something just to please your parents? How did it make you feel? How did it turn out?” They will -write an answer, and discuss and share their answers as a class.

(Class Discussion: 5 minutes) We will also discuss Act 1: Scene 2. As a class, we will discuss the form of the play, and Shakespeare’s intentions of writing it to be acted out.

(Large Group Activity/Readers Theater: 35 minutes) Students will then volunteer for parts from Act 1: Scene 3 to read aloud. Students that do not choose a role will follow along as their peers read their parts in front of the room. As a class, we will summarize and answer questions from Act 1: Scene 3.

(If time left over) Read Act 1: Scene 4 in class, or will be assigned for homework.

Assessments: Students will be assessed based on their participation in group discussions. Students that volunteer to read aloud will also be given bonus points.

Modifications/Accommodations: Students that have trouble reading small print in the play’s text will be allowed to use a magnifying glass to help enlarge the print. Even though it might seem

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low-tech, the magnifying class can be an excellent form of assistive technology for students with vision impairments. Once again, students with writing difficulties will be encouraged to use pencil grips as an assistive technology.

Trouble Shooting: Students may not want to volunteer to read aloud or share with the class. For this reason, bonus points will be allotted as an incentive to volunteer. Some students may come in without having read the material, thus, discussing the material will give them a chance to catch up on what they may have missed.

Technology Used: N/A

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Name: _____________________________________________Date: ___________________Class: ___________________

Discussion Question Day Three: Family Conflict

Have you ever done something just to please your parents? How did it make you feel? How did it turn out?

Quick Write Instructions: Please use the space below to respond in a minimum of three complete sentences that address the discussion question?

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Romeo and Juliet Lesson Plan: Day Four

Structure

Materials/Resources: Individual copy of Romeo and Juliet and pen or pencil.

Overview/Purpose: To familiarize students with Shakespeare’s writing style and review key information from the first four Acts in Scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet.

Learning Objectives:

Students will develop their own poem in either rhyming couplet or iambic pentameter. Students will assess specific details from the play and analyze their importance. Students will demonstrate their knowledge of Act 1 Scene 1-4 by answering multiple

choice questions.

Academic Standards Addressed:

9.1.2: Distinguish between what words mean literally and what they imply and interpret what the words imply.

9.2.8: Make reasonable statements and draw conclusions about a text, supporting them with accurate examples.

9.3.3: Analyze interactions between characters in a literary text and explain the way those interactions affect the plot.

9.3.11: Evaluate the aesthetic qualities of style, including the impact of diction and figurative language on tone, mood, and theme.

Overview of Student Activity: (Individual Activity – 10 min.) As students walk into the classroom they will grab a copy

of the Quick Write Couplet worksheet, which we will begin after the bell rings. We will discuss poems comprised of rhyming couplets and iambic pentameter, and students will write their own poem on the back of the worksheet.

(Group Discussion – 10 min.) Students can volunteer to read their poem aloud after approximately ten minutes of writing. When the activity is complete, the students will insert their worksheets into their discussion question folders. One student will synthesize the events of Act 1 Scene 4.

(Group Activity and Discussion – 20 min.) We will re-read Mercutio’s Queen Mab speech in both the original and modern text. This speech can be shown on the projector.Discussion Questions for students:

o What is your opinion of Mercutio after this scene? What do we learn about his character?

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o Can anyone give me an example of a pun? Where do we see a pun in the text? Define pun.

o Does this scene seem necessary? We already know that Romeo and his friends are going to a feast. We already know that Romeo is sad. Why do you think Shakespeare includes this scene?

(Class Activity – 10 Min.) Move Around Multiple Choice Questions: Each wall of the room has a letter A, B, C, or D taped to the wall. The teacher will ask the class multiple choice questions over Act 1 Scenes 1-4, and students will stand in front of the wall with the letter that corresponds to their answer.

(If time left over) Students will begin reading their assignment Act 1 Scene 5 for the next class.

Assessments: Students are informally assessed on their participation in class discussion and the Move Around Multiple Choice activity. They also receive points for their Quick Write Couplet worksheet.

Modifications/Accommodations: Students with ELLs receive the necessary assistance when writing their Quick Write poem, and they can write the poem in their native language before translating it to English. Students with limited mobility are permitted to write the answers to the Move Around Multiple Choice activity if they so choose. Once again, students with writing difficulties will be encouraged to use pencil grips as an assistive technology.

Trouble Shooting: If the projector is not working, a hard copy of Mercutio’s Queen Mab speech should be administered to all students.

Technology Used: Computer projector

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Name: _____________________________________________Date: ___________________Class: ___________________

Discussion Question Day Four: CoupletA couplet is___________________________________________________________________, and they usually rhyme (a,a).

Example of a rhyming couplet from Nature Shows:

Nature puts on little showsEvery time it rains or snows

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Shakespeare writes in ___________________________________, which is a particular rhythm of sounds that words establish in a line of poetry. Rhythm is measured in small group of syllables called “feet.”

“Iambic” describes the type of feet: (stressed, unstressed)

da DUM

“Pentameter” means there are five feet in a line.

da DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM

Example from Romeo and Juliet (Act 1, Scene 4, line 11):

Give me a torch. I am not for this ambling.Being but heavy, I will bear the light.

Quick Write Instructions: On the back of this paper, please write a poem using either couplets or iambic pentameter. If you’d like, your poem can rhyme, and it must be at least four lines long.

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Original Text (Mercutio’s Queen Mab Speech)

MERCUTIO She is the fairies' midwife, and she comesIn shape no bigger than an agate stoneOn the forefinger of an alderman,Drawn with a team of little atomiOver men’s noses as they lie asleep.Her wagon spokes made of long spinners' legs,The cover of the wings of grasshoppers,Her traces of the smallest spider’s web,Her collars of the moonshine’s watery beams,Her whip of cricket’s bone, the lash of film,Her wagoner a small gray-coated gnat,Not half so big as a round little wormPricked from the lazy finger of a maid.Her chariot is an empty hazelnutMade by the joiner squirrel or old grub,Time out o' mind the fairies' coachmakers.And in this state she gallops night by nightThrough lovers' brains, and then they dream of love;On courtiers' knees, that dream on curtsies straight;O'er lawyers' fingers, who straight dream on fees;O'er ladies' lips, who straight on kisses dream,Which oft the angry Mab with blisters plagues,Because their breaths with sweetmeats tainted are.Sometime she gallops o'er a courtier’s nose,And then dreams he of smelling out a suit.And sometime comes she with a tithe-pig’s tailTickling a parson’s nose as he lies asleep,Then he dreams of another benefice.Sometime she driveth o'er a soldier’s neck,And then dreams he of cutting foreign throats,Of breaches, ambuscadoes, Spanish blades,Of healths five fathom deep, and then anonDrums in his ear, at which he starts and wakes,And being thus frighted swears a prayer or twoAnd sleeps again. This is that very MabThat plaits the manes of horses in the nightAnd bakes the elflocks in foul sluttish hairs,Which once untangled, much misfortune bodes.This is the hag, when maids lie on their backs,That presses them and learns them first to bear,Making them women of good carriage.This is she—

Modern Text

MERCUTIO She’s the fairies' midwife. She’s no bigger than the stone on a city councilman’s ring. She rides around in a wagon drawn by tiny little atoms, and she rides over men’s noses as they lie sleeping. The spokes of her wagon are made of spiders' legs. The cover of her wagon is made of grasshoppers' wings. The harnesses are made of the smallest spiderwebs. The collars are made out of moonbeams. Her whip is a thread attached to a cricket’s bone. Her wagon driver is a tiny bug in a gray coat; he’s not half the size of a little round worm that comes from the finger of a lazy young girl.Her chariot is a hazelnut shell. It was made by a carpenter squirrel or an old grubworm; they’ve made wagons for the fairies as long as anyone can remember. In this royal wagon, she rides every night through the brains of lovers and makes them dream about love. She rides over courtiers' knees, and they dream about curtsying. She rides over lawyers' fingers, and right away, they dream about their fees. She rides over ladies' lips, and they immediately dream of kisses. Queen Mab often puts blisters on their lips because their breath smells like candy, which makes her mad. Sometimes she rides over a courtier’s lips, and he dreams of making money off of someone. Sometimes she tickles a priest’s nose with a tithe-pigs tail, and he dreams of a large donation. Sometimes she rides over a soldier’s neck, and he dreams of cutting the throats of foreign enemies, of breaking down walls, of ambushes, of Spanish swords, and of enormous cups of liquor. And then, drums beat in his ear and he wakes up. He’s frightened, so he says a couple of prayers and goes back to sleep. She is the same Mab who tangles the hair in horses' manes at night and makes the tangles hard in the dirty hairs, which bring bad luck if they’re untangled. Mab is the old hag who gives false sex dreams to virgins and teaches them how to hold a lover and bear a child. She’s the one—

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Move Around Multiple Choice Questions

1. The "Prologue" isa)an aside heard by some actors but not by the audience. b) the same as a soliloquy. c) an opening speech which introduces the play or an act. d) the final or closing speech in the play.

2. In the Prologue, Romeo and Juliet are described asa) "star-struck lovers". b) "star-crossed lovers". c) "star-crazed lovers". d) "star-bright lovers".

3. In the opening scene, Prince Escalus addresses "rebellious subjects, enemies to peace, profaners of this neighbour-stained steel". He is referring toa) Romeo and Juliet. b) Tybalt and Mercutio. c) the citizens of Verona and Mantua. d) Lord Capulet and Lord Montague.

4. In the opening scene, Prince Escalus decrees a severe penalty for fighting. This latest fighting was started bya) Sampson and Gregory. b) Tybalt and Mercutio. c) Romeo and Tybalt. d) Lord Capulet and Lord Montague.

5. Early in the play, Benvolio and Montague are discussing how Romeo appears sad. Benvolio tells Montague "So please you step aside, I'll know his grievance, or be much denied." In this speech, Benvolio is

a) telling Montague to get out of the way so he can fight Romeo. b) warning Montague to not say anything against Romeo. c) saying that he cannot figure out what is wrong with Romeo. d) asking Montague to leave so he can talk with Romeo.

6. How do Romeo and Benvolio learn about the Capulet's "masque"?a) Romeo is hiding in the orchard and overhears Juliet on the balcony. b) The servant cannot read and asks Romeo to read the message. c) The Nurse tells them. d) Montague is planning a surprise raid and wants them to come.

7. In the beginning of the play, Juliet is

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a) 12 years old. b) not yet 14 years old. c) almost 15 years old. d) only 16 years old.

8. In Act I, Lord and Lady Capulet want Juliet to marrya) Romeo. b) Paris. c) Tybalt. d) no one until she is older.

9. In Act I, when asked if she could love Paris, Juliet replies "I'll look to like, if looking liking move." In this speech, she isa) promising to follow her mother's wishes. b) deceiving her mother and secretly loving Romeo. c) saying that she has not thought seriously about marriage. d) expressing her attraction to Paris.

10. The Nurse is coarse and sometimes bawdy, but the Capulets accept her becausea) she knows about Juliet's meeting with Romeo. b) she is Juliet's godmother. c) she is a trusted servant. d) she is Lady Capulet's mother.

11. In Act I scene 4, Romeo, Benvolio, Mercutio and others are on their way to a masque. A "masque" refers toa) a disguise worn for certain festivals such as Hallowe'en. b) a party where people wear costumes. c) a street fight between the Montagues and Capulets. d) a wedding celebration.

12. Romeo is pining for Rosaline, and Mercutio delivers his "Queen Mab" speech. Queen Mab is:a) the wife of Prince Escalus. b) Queen of the Fairies. c) an allusion to the Nurse. d) an allusion to Lord Capulet.

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Romeo and Juliet Lesson Plan: Day Five

Characterization

Materials/Resources: Facebook page template (digital copy), discussion question handout, individual copies of Romeo and Juliet, projector, and pencils.

Overview/Purpose: The purpose of this lesson will be to further the students’ understandings of the concept of characterization in both literature and as it applies to their own lives.

Learning Outcomes: Students will be able to comprehend the term characterization. Students will be able to apply their knowledge of characterization to their own lives and

to the characters in Romeo and Juliet. Students will be able to demonstrate what they have learned about the characters in

Romeo and Juliet.

Indiana Academic or Common Core Standards Addressed: 9.3.4 Determine characters’ traits by what the characters say about themselves in

narration, dialogue, and soliloquy (when they speak out loud to themselves). 9.5.2 Write responses to literature that:

• demonstrate a comprehensive grasp of the significant ideas of literary works. • support statements with evidence from the text. • demonstrate an awareness of the author’s style and an appreciation of the effects created. • identify and assess the impact of ambiguities, nuances, and complexities within the text

Overview of Student Activity: (Individual Activity – 10 min.) The class will begin with a quick write in response to the

day’s discussion question:o Characterization is defined as “the process by which the personality of a

(fictitious) character is revealed through the character's speech, actions, appearance, etc.” (dictionary.com).

o With this definition, how would you characterize yourself? Please respond in a minimum of four complete sentences that address your own speech, actions, appearance, or any other defining features. (The teacher will note the Jack Sparrow example answers to guide the students’ responses).

o When the students have finished, they will place their response sheets in their discussion question folders.

(Class Discussion – 10 min.) We will briefly discuss the students’ answers to the discussion questions to gauge understanding of characterization. After discussing their responses, we will briefly overview the assigned reading (Act I, Scene V) with the following questions:

o What is the setting for this scene? (if they need nudged to respond, follow up with: which family is throwing a party?)

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o Which characters meet? What happens?o Have you ever been to a school dance? Do you speak to guys/girls that you are

interested in like Romeo and Juliet talk to each other?o What do you think will happen next?

(Small Group Activity – 30 min.) o We will begin by creating an example Facebook page as a class continuing with

the Jack Sparrow character from the discussion question. This will be done on a projector so the entire class can see. The teacher will open the Facebook template image in Microsoft Paint and demonstrate to students how to insert images and text into the document to complete the assignment.

o Then, the students will receive handouts for the Facebook characterization activity and the students will be split up into groups based on their choice of characters (Romeo, Juliet, The Nurse, or Mercutio). The students will be sure to include their character’s appearance, relationships, where they live, and quotes. There will likely be two groups to each character with 2-4 students per group.

o With the remaining time, the students will share responses and Facebook pages on the projector. The students will also print out their final products to be graded and to be displayed in the classroom.

(If time leftover): Read Act II, Scene I aloud as a class. This will be the weekend assignment if we do not get to it.

Assessments: Students will be formally assessed based on their participation and answers to the discussion question in addition to their responses in the Facebook activity. The students will be informally assessed based on their participation in discussion focusing on their responses.

Modifications/Accommodations: In order to make the instructions as clear as possible, the teacher will explain the task orally and give written instructions on the handouts. In addition, the teacher will go over examples of how to do the work properly before the students begin their activities. Another high-tech assistive technology accommodation is that by showing the students the example of the Facebook page on the projector, the teacher will be able to zoom in on the document so that students with vision impairments can see it well. Once again, students with writing difficulties will be encouraged to use pencil grips as an assistive technology.

Trouble Shooting: The biggest problem might arise if students have not read and are not familiar with the characters. If this is the case, then we will spend the time creating the Facebook pages as a class and reading back over key passages that highlight examples of characterization so that the students still grasp the main ideas of the lesson.

Technology Used: The teacher will use either a projector or a word processing document on a computer to show the students an example of how to create a character’s Facebook page. In addition, the students will use the Microsoft program Paint to import the template for the Facebook page and insert text boxes and images to complete the assignment.

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Name: _____________________________________________Date: ___________________Class: ___________________

Characterization: Facebook Activity

For this activity, you will create a mock Facebook page for one of the following characters in William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet (please place an “x” in the box of your choice):

Romeo Montague Juliet Capulet

Mercutio The Nurse

Use the space below to write down information about your character. Please cite the page numbers where you found the information, as well as citing websites where you found images. and do keep it “Rated G.” Make sure to include the following:

Profile Picture (What does he or she look like?)

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Relationship Status (is it complicated?)

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Birthday (estimate the age)

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Current City (please specify)

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Friends (Montague or Capulet?)

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Status updates (include quotes with page numbers!)

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Courtesy: http://multimedialearning.com/ 1

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Name: _____________________________________________Date: ___________________Class: ___________________

Discussion Question Day Five: Characterization

Characterization is defined as “the process by which the personality of a (fictitious) character is revealed through the character's speech, actions, appearance, etc.” (Dictionary.com).

With this definition, how would you characterize yourself? Use the space below to brainstorm and list your ideas. Use the example to the left as a guideline.

Example

Name: Captain Jack SparrowSpeech:

British accent (a la Keith Richards) Talks a lot (likes the sound of his

voice)Actions:

Likes to fight Good at sailing ships

Appearance: Black hair Tattoos Lots of eye make-up

Your Turn!

Speech: ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________

Actions: ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________

Appearance: ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________

Quick Write Instructions: Please use the space below to respond in a minimum of three complete sentences that address your own characterization, including speech, actions, appearance, or any other defining features. Feel free to use the back of the paper if need be.

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