Relationships and Rebellion

Teacher Resources

Unit Overview

This unit focuses on how conflict in relationships plays a significant role in adolescent development. Students will explore why people rebel and how that influences themselves and those around them, which will be accomplished through the study of Shakespeare’s classic drama, Romeo and Juliet. This unit will also focus on the various types of love and relationships that are forged throughout the play and one’s life

Unit Vocabulary

Aristotle’s model- drama and tragedy
archetype
types of character
1. foil
literary form
1. sonnets
2. soliloquy
3. monologue
4. aside
connotation/denotation
tone
mood
complex motivation
repetition
types of Irony
conflict

Essential Questions

Who am I as a reader, as a writer, as a speaker, and as a thinker?

Why are reading, writing, and storytelling essential components of the human experience?

How does English Language Arts expand our perspective?

How do relationships shape who we are?

How do universal human experiences connect us to one another?

Unit Standards

All ELA standards can be found listed in the updated 2017 Massachusetts State ELA Grade 9 Frameworks:

Students will learn...

Reading Literature

How to identify elements of indirect and direct characterization and explain their effect on character development
Analyze how the author unfolds ideas, events including the order in which points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the presence/absence of connections among them*
How to analyze contrasting POV through audience and author to determine the dramatic irony and its effect

Speaking and Listening

How to analyze key perspectives and explain how those perspectives and details clarify a topic or text

Language

How to use context clues to determine the meaning of words
How to identify the negative, positive, or neutral impact of a word

Writing

Write arguments (e.g., essays, letters to the editor, advocacy speeches) to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.