Main Source Material:Romeo and Juliet original text (by William Shakespeare) graphic novel adaptation by John McDonald
Goals & Outcomes
Students will explore the theme of discrimination in the text.
Students will draw parallels between societal norms illustrated in the main text and in their own lives.
Students will identify and analyze purpose, audience and bias in different forms of multimedia.
Learning Targets/Performance Objectives:
Students will explore how Shakespeare uses language to demonstrate power dynamics between characters, and the overall theme of discrimination
Students will analyze Shakespearean language closely to determine the figurative, connotative, and technical meanings.
Students will practice gathering textual evidence to support their analysis of the play.
Students will compare the discrimination in Elizabethan society and in their own lives.
Students will think critically about how the characters either conform to or deviate from socially embedded norms.
Students will analyze different adaptations of the text, to gain a deeper understanding of the story.
Students will practice participating in collaborative discussions and projects, building on the ideas of others as well as articulating their own thoughts clearly.
California Common Core Standards Addressed:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI 9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language of a court opinion differs from that of a newspaper).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.6 Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.7 Analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., a person's life story in both print and multimedia), determining which details are emphasized in each account.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL 9-10.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
Literature/Readings for Unit:
Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare
Romeo and Juliet original text graphic novel adaptation by John McDonald
Reading comprehension questions and prompts - as students are reading the play and corresponding articles and/or watching the movies, there will be corresponding activities asking them to deeply analyze and/or compare the literature.
Opinion paragraphs - occasionally they will be asked to write opinion paragraphs about larger themes such as arranged marriage, gender roles, or events in the text.
Headlines Activity - at the end of some of the acts, students will be asked to write headlines for the events of each of the scenes as a way to recap the main ideas.
Summative writing assessment - an essay, comparing the discrimination in Elizabethan society, illustrated through Shakspeare’s language, and in their own lives.
Group Performance Project - as part of the group performance project, students will be asked to write a modernized version of a scene in Romeo and Juliet using playwriting conventions, as well as perform it.
Oral Language
Class discussions and group discussions - these will be frequent, and participation monitored, throughout the unit
Group Performance Project - students gather in groups of 2-5, where they will pick a scene of Romeo and Juliet, and create a modern-day adaptation. They will be given class time to prepare the set, costumes, and props as creatively as possible. They will then perform their scenes to the class.
Story Whoosh Globe Activity - after students have read many of the acts (as well as at the beginning of the play), they will use the story whoosh activity to read and act out the events of each act.
Inner/Outer Status Globe Activity - students will use this activity to analyze how implicit power dynamics are created with the idea of status, and connect it to their own lives.
Power Battle Globe Activity - students will use this activity to connect the Inner/Outer Status activity to Romeo and Juliet by using it to analyze how class and social
Student Achievement Targets and Assessment Tools
Handouts and activities will be collected and graded for comprehension
Group Performance Activity
Summative Essay Assignment
Participation
Group Evaluation
Self Evaluations (both for essay and group project)
Planning Considerations
Emergent bilinguals - Care will have to be taken to ensure that there are adaptations for emergent bilinguals, since the language demands of the unit are high.
Language Demands - For all students, the language of Shakespeare is particularly demanding, and will require frequent engagement with vocabulary, syntax, grammar, and comprehension strategies. Having the graphic novel version will help with interpretations, and using varied activities, representations, and skill assessments throughout the unit will be helpful in ensuring comprehension and allowing varied student strengths to be represented.
Access to materials and space - The activities in the unit require having access to large spaces for the Globe Activities and materials for the group performance activity.