cassidy i peter cassidy education 5409: senior seminar dr

Cassidy I

Peter Cassidy

Education 5409: Senior Seminar

Dr. Joseph E. Haviland

1st May 2020

Unit Plan - Romeo & Juliet (Act 1)

• Unit Title: William Shakespeare’s “Romeo & Juliet” - Act 1

• Grade Levels: 9th Grade

• Class Time: 51 Minutes

• Subject/Topic Areas: William Shakespeare, Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, Tragedy, Theater

• Keywords: Tragedy, Star-Crossed Lovers, Fate, Love, Family, Loyalty, Feud, Young Love,

Duty

• Time Frame: 2 Weeks

• School District: School District of Philadelphia

• School: Northeast Highschool

*Unit Plan format adapted from “Sample 6-Page [Unit Plan] Template” from Understanding by Design 2nd Edition by Grant Wiggins & Jay McTighe

Unit Summary & Overview

Acting as students first point of contact for both William Shakespeare and his classic

tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, with this unit plan, students will come to understand the life and

legacy of the legendary playwright and poet, and begin to critically read and analyze one of his

most famous works and understand the literary genre of tragedy. After two weeks of instruction

and reflection, students will be tasked with a Summative Assignment - a short answer essay quiz

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- to gauge their knowledge and understanding before tackling additional Acts of Shakespeare’s

Romeo and Juliet.

The version of Romeo and Juliet studied by students is not the full text, but an abridged

version, “The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet”, printed within a collection centered around the

literary genre of Drama in their class textbook, Holt’s Elements of Literature (Third Course).

Though abridged, said work is still a lengthy read - 123 pages - thus, chunking the text became a

necessity to provide proper scaffolding and ensure student understanding.

Leading students’ efforts in discerning the text is a week of lessons and activities acting

as scaffolding. First, over the course of two days, students will learn how to complete a “Jigsaw”

activity (Lesson 1: Do Your Homework: Jigsaw Activity) and break out into groups to create

posters synthesizing pre-reading articles detailing the life of William Shakespeare, his

contributions to his craft, the unique literary elements within his work. In addition, one group of

students will complete a family tree of the main cast of “The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet” .

Each of the group’s efforts will culminate in creating tangible points of reference concerning

Shakespeare, “Romeo and Juliet’, and important literary elements to which can be referred back

to during our class’ exploration and discerning of the text. Students will complete said exercise

by presenting their work to the class.

Following the Jigsaw lesson and activity, students will view the first 30 minutes of Baz

Luhrmann’s 1996 film, “William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet”. Inspired by an article

published by Kiera Donaghy published on TheBritishCouncil.org titled “How can film help

you teach or learn English”, said film will act as a scaffolding activity to provide context to the

students for their exploration of the unit’s text. Perfectly synchronized with what the students

http://TheBritishCouncil.org

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will be reading, Luhrmann’s film essentially “spoils” the events of the text for the students. As

“Romeo and Juliet”, however, is a incredibly popular work, both in literary circles and pop-

culture, I feel confident in that the story has already been effectively spoiled to a degree for the

students already. As the film uses virtually 1:1 dialogue from Shakespeare’s original work, but

re-contextualizes it in a modern setting, I’d wager that the benefits of using the film in such a

way far outweighs the risks as both the students and I will have a common point of reference in

making sense of Shakespeare’s somewhat archaic 400+ year old text. To ensure student

engagement, students will be required to take notes while watching the film - taking note of new

characters as they appear and answering the summary questions of “Who, What, When, Where,

Why and How”.

Following Lurhrmann’s film, students will learn how to complete Metacognitive Journals

(Lesson Plan II: Cognizant Reading - Metacognitive Journals). In learning to complete

Metacognitive Journal entries, students will begin to learn how to close-read a text for analysis -

laying the groundwork to independently analyze more of “Romeo & Juliet” in future units. After

learning how to think metacognitively in regards to reading, students will be assigned Acts of

“The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet” to read independently and will be expected and required to

keep a Metacognitive Journal detailing their experience in completing the readings for the rest of

the unit.

Following the introduction of Metacognitive Journals, the next major step within the unit

will be the introduction and practice of instructor facilitated class-discussions (Lesson Plan III:

Establishing Ground-Rules - Instructor facilitated Class Discussions). After establishing

“Classroom Rules” in regards to class discussion, students will be expected going forward to use

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their Metacognitive Journals to participate in class discussions under the framework of the newly

established “Classroom Rules” and the instruction of the class instructor.

In the days proceeding the introduction of Lesson Plan III, now armed with the

background knowledge and skills to succeed, students will be expected to read Acts of “The

Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet” independently, write about the reading in their Metacognitive

Journals and come to class the following day prepared to participate in a class discussion further

dissecting the assigned reading. Although the process will assuredly be far from perfect, the

foundation is laid to revise and course-correct as needed.

Concluding the unit will be a six question Essay Quiz detailing the information learned

about Shakespeare during the Unit’s Jigsaw activity and the ideas discussed during class

discussions. Purposely designed as a low-stress assessment, the unit’s quick turnaround time (the

students would only be studying Shakespeare’s actual work for about a week tops) and role

(acting as an introductory piece of a larger whole) the Summative Assessment was purposefully

designed as more of a “check-in” as opposed to a comprehensive examination. In addition, to

alleviate any student anxieties or concerns, the focus of class the day before the examination is a

“Review Day” in which students will be able to ask open questions regarding the material and

receive full transparency in regards to the next day’s assessment.

Though the unit’s final assessment may appear as low-stakes on paper, there are multiple

opportunities during the course of the unit to check student understanding and encourage student

reflection. As students will be expected to participate in class discussions and complete

Metacognitive Journals - student misunderstandings will be caught and corrected. In addition,

aside from the day of the Summative Assessment, each of the class days are sandwiched between

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a Class Exit-Ticket and Class Quick-Write activity to encourage thoughtful reflection. Inspired

by “Chapter Two: Teaching Challenging Text” of Kelly Gallagher’s Deeper Reading, each

Quick Write promotes effective reading as they “focus the reader” to the ideas and concepts to be

presented ahead.

Desired Results

• By the end of this Unit, it is my sincere hope that SWBAT -

• Understand the popularity and legacy of William Shakespeare.

• Understand and identify the characters and themes within Act 1 of “The Tragedy of Romeo

and Juliet” - specifically the feud between the Montagues and Capulets and the concept of

“Star-Crossed Lovers”.

• Analyze a text using Metacognitive Reading Techniques

Essential Questions

• Can love truly conquer all?

• Are we obligated to follow the wishes of our family?

• How much loyalty does family deserve?

Desired Understandings

• William Shakespeare is still known today due to his ability to create timeless stories that speak

about common human experiences.

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• Romeo and Juliet are “Star-Crossed Lovers” in that they are two people who want to be

together, but whose relationship will be challenged by outside factors. Furthermore, their

families (Montagues and Capulets) are not only rivals, but violent rivals.

• Close reading, as framed by Metacognitive Reading Techniques, are essential to truly

understanding a text beyond its surface level.

Acquired Knowledge and Skills

• Students will know ...

• Details concerning the life of William Shakespeare and his contributions to his craft -

specifically, his contributions to theater.

• Unique common literary elements within William Shakespeare’s work - IE: Couplets, Blank-

Verse etc.

• The main characters, dynamics and themes present within Act 1 of “The Tragedy of Romeo

and Juliet” - setting up further exploration of the work in full.

• Students will be able to ...

• Complete “Jigsaw” Activities to synthesize information and present it as a group.

• Use Metacognitive Reading Strategies to complete a Metacognitive Reading Journal -

learning how to close read a text.

• Utilize their Metacognitive Journals to participate in student-led instructor facilitated class

discussions.

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Plan of Learning Experiences

Week I

• Monday

• Quick Write: “Do you research a book or movie before you watch it, or read it? If not, why

not? If so, how do you look up information and what do you look up? Why do you think

someone would research a book or movie ahead of time?”

• Main Lesson: Lesson 1: Do Your Homework - Jigsaw Activity

• Student Class Activity: Complete & Present Jigsaw based on William Shakespeare Pre-

Reading.

• Homework: N/A

• Class Exit Ticket

• Tuesday

• Quick Write: “Do you think it’s beneficial to research a book before you read it? If not, why

do you think so? If so, what do you think are the benefits of knowing about a book’s author

or background prior to reading?”

• Main Lesson: N/A - Students will finish and present their Jigsaw Assignments

• Student Class Activity: Read and take notes on the “The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet” pre-

reading “Background” within the textbook on Pg. 784 (See Attachment 1).

• Homework: N/A


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• Wednesday

• Quick Write: “William Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is a pretty popular play! Did you

know anything about “Romeo and Juliet” before we started discussing it in class? Explain

what you knew ahead of time. If you’re not familiar with it, what do you think it’s about

from what we’ve learned so far?”

• Main Lesson: Student will view the first 30 minutes of Baz Luhrmann’s “Romeo + Juliet” to

gain context for the upcoming text.

• Student Class Activity: Watch and take notes on the film - noting all the characters by

answering “Who, What, When, Where, Why and How” in their class notebooks.

• Homework: N/A


• Thursday

• Quick Write: “Do you ever have difficulty understanding what you’re reading? If so, how

does it make you feel? Do you know or have any tips or tricks to how to make sense of a

difficult read? What do you do? Explain.”

• Main Lesson: Lesson Plan II - Cognizant Reading

• Student Class Activity: Read the Prologue and Act 1 of “The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet”

and practice reading it metacognitively.

• Homework: N/A


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• Friday

• Quick Write: “Do you think that love truly conquers all? Is love the answer to all problems -

if two people love each other enough, can they overcome any obstacle they face? Explain

why or why not.”

• Main Lesson: Practice reading metacognitively.

• Student Class Activity: Round-Robin Read Scene 1 of “The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet”

and practice reading metacognitively - complete a Metacognitive Journal Entry.

• Homework: Read Scene 2 of “Tragedy” and complete a Metacognitive Journal entry.


Week II

• Monday

• Quick Write: “How loyal should one be to their family? Should a person always follow what

their family says and does, or are there exceptions? Explain your opinion.”

• Main Lesson: Lesson Plan III - Setting the Scene: Class Discussions.

• Student Class Activity: Practice holding an Instructor-led student facilitated discussion based

on students’ Metacognitive Journal entries for Scene 2. Discuss Montague & Capulet feud.



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• Tuesday

• Quick Write: “How far should one follow their family’s wishes? Are children obligated to

take their parents’ advice, or just sometimes? What do you think a parent has a right to

influence with their children?”

• Main Lesson: Discuss Scene 3 - Juliet’s mother’s request of her daughter (How far should

one feel obligated to family member’s desires).

• Student Class Activity: Practice holding an student led instructor facilitated discussion based

on students’ Metacognitive Journal entries for Scene 3.


• Assign Quiz for Friday & Inform students to prepare questions.


• Wednesday

• Quick Write: “What’s your opinion on love? In general, do you believe that love is beautiful

no matter what? Alternatively, do you think love isn’t real - looking for it is just more trouble

than it’s worth! What would you tell someone who thinks love is a joke? Share your

opinion.”

• Main Lesson: Discuss Scene 4 - Romeo’s disillusion with love.

• Student Class Activity: Practice holding a student led instructor facilitated discussion based

on students’ Metacognitive Journal entries for Scene 4.



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• Thursday

• Quick Write: “In preparation for the Quiz tomorrow, think of five questions you have about

William Shakespeare’s Life, Shakespeare’s Influence on Theater, the genre of Tragedy or

“Romeo and Julie”. Be prepared to share your questions.”

• Main Lesson: Discuss Scene 5 - Romeo and Juliet as “Star-Crossed Lovers”.

• Student Class Activity: Practice holding an Instructor-led student facilitated discussion based

on students’ Metacognitive Journal entries for Scene 5. Hold Q&A session for upcoming

Quiz.

• Homework: Prepare for Quiz.


• Friday

• Quick Write: “In preparation for today’s quiz, please use the first five to seven minutes of

class to review your notes and ask any last-minute questions.”

• Student Class Activity: Complete Quiz

• Homework: N/A

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Summative Assessment

First & Last Name:

Date:

Period Number:

“The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet” Act 1 - Quiz

Please answer three of the six questions below. Questions can be answered in either full sentences, or “bullet-points” responses. If writing in sentences, please do not write more than

one paragraph per answer.

*For Extra Credit, you may answer additional questions for 2 Points each*

1. Although he died over 400 Years ago, both William Shakespeare and his work are just as popular today as they were in his time. Think back to the Jigsaw activity where we learned about Shakespeare, his successes and his contributions to theater. In the space below, think back to the Jigsaw activity and list three reasons why Shakespeare is still important, respected or loved today.

(A variety of answers are acceptable - Answers should focus on Shakespeare’s identifiable and timeless stories and his contributions to his craft - such as creating Modern Theaters)

2. During our Class Jigsaw Activity, we learned about the elements of a Tragedy. Explain what a tragedy is below.

(Story with the following elements: Tragic Hero, Good vs. Evil, Arrogant Characters, Outside and Internal Conflict, Strong Emotions, Supernatural Elements, Funny Characters and Good Guys “Loosing”)

3. In “Romeo and Juliet”, we are introduced to the Montague and Capulet families in the beginning of the play. Describe the relationship between the two families. Are they the best of friends, or the worst of enemies - how good, or bad is their relationship? Explain.

(The Montagues and Capulets despise and fight each other to the extent that the Prince will execute members of either side if they are caught fighting)

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4. In Scene 3 of “Romeo and Juliet, Juliet is encouraged by her mother to do something. In the space below, explain what Juliet’s mother wants her daughter to do. Explain why Juliet’s mother wants her to do it. Explain why following her mother’s wishes could be a problem for Juliet.

(Juliet’s Mother wants her to marry Paris and his prestige will elevate her status - this is problematic as she does not want to marry)

5. In Scene 4 of “Romeo and Juliet”, Romeo is uneasy entering into a party with his friends. Explain why Romeo is upset. How is he feeling and why? Explain.

(Romeo is upset walking into the party as he feels as though something bad will happen)

6. In Scene 5 of “Romeo and Juliet”, Romeo and Juliet fall in love at first site. Can Romeo and Juliet live happily after ever? Based on what we’ve read so far in class, give three reasons below why Romeo and Juliet may not be able to be together. What could stop their love?

(As of now, Romeo and Juliet will most likely not end up together as 1) Their families hate each other, 2) Tybalt is after Romeo for crashing the party, 3) Juliet’s is promised to Paris)

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Summative Assessment (Differentiated)

First & Last Name:

Date:

Period Number:

“The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet” Act 1 - Quiz

Please answer three of the six questions below. Questions can be answered in either full sentences, or “bullet-points” responses. If writing in sentences, please do not write more than

one paragraph per answer.

*For Extra Credit, you may answer additional questions for 2 Points each*

1. Although he died over 400 Years ago, both William Shakespeare and his work are just as popular today as they were in his time. Think back to the Jigsaw activity where we learned about Shakespeare, his successes and his contributions to theater. In the space below, think back to the Jigsaw activity and list three reasons why Shakespeare is still important, respected or loved today.

Shakespeare is still known today because ....

1)

2)

3)

2. During our Class Jigsaw Activity, we learned about the elements of a Tragedy. Explain what a tragedy is below.

A tragedy is ....

3. In “Romeo and Juliet”, we are introduced to the Montague and Capulet families in the beginning of the play. Describe the relationship between the two families. Are they the best of friends, or the worst of enemies? Explain.

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The Montagues and the Capulets are .......

4. In Scene 3 of “Romeo and Juliet, Juliet is encouraged by her mother to do something. In the space below, explain what Juliet’s mother wants her daughter to do. Explain why Juliet’s mother wants her to do it. Explain why following her mother’s wishes could be a problem for Juliet.

Juliet’s mother asks Juliet to ...

This is a problem because ...

5. In Scene 4 of “Romeo and Juliet”, Romeo is uneasy entering into a party with his friends. Explain why Romeo is upset. How is he feeling and why? Explain.

Before he goes to the Capulet party, Romeo feels ....

Romeo feels this way because ...

6. In Scene 5 of “Romeo and Juliet”, Romeo and Juliet fall in love at first site. But will Romeo and Juliet live happily after ever? Based on what we’ve read so far in class, give three reasons below why Romeo and Juliet may not be able to be together. What could stop their love?

I think that Romeo and Juliet ....

I think this because ....

1) 2) 3)

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cassidy i peter cassidy education 5409: senior seminar dr

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