Students explore theme and character in Romeo and Juliet, culminating in an essay and multimedia presentation. The focus is on personalised learning.
Shakespeare, Character, Theme, Collaboration, Academic Controversy, Essay, Multimedia Presentation
Language variation and change
Understand that Standard Australian English is a living language within which the creation and loss of words and the evolution of usage is ongoing (ACELA1550)
Text structure and organisation
Understand that authors innovate with text structures and language for specific purposes and effects (ACELA1553)
Literature
Responding to literature
Explore and reflect on personal understanding of the world and significant human experience gained from interpreting various representations of life matters in texts (ACELT1635)
Examining literature
Analyse texts from familiar and unfamiliar contexts, and discuss and evaluate their content and the appeal of an individual author’s literary style (ACELT1636)
Literacy
Interpreting, analysing, evaluating
Interpret, analyse and evaluate how different perspectives of issue, event, situation, individuals or groups are constructed to serve specific purposes in texts (ACELY1742)
Apply an expanding vocabulary to read increasingly complex texts with fluency and comprehension (ACELY1743)
Use comprehension strategies to interpret and analyse texts, comparing and evaluating representations of an event, issue, situation or character in different texts (ACELY1744)
Explore and explain the combinations of language and visual choices that authors make to present information, opinions and perspectives in different texts (ACELY1745)
Creating texts
Create imaginative, informative and persuasive texts that present a point of viewand advance or illustrate arguments, including texts that integrate visual, print and/or audio features (ACELY1746)
Review and edit students’ own and others’ texts to improve clarity and control over content, organisation, paragraphing, sentence structure, vocabulary and audio/visual features(ACELY1747)
Use a range of software, including word processing programs, flexibly and imaginatively to publish texts (ACELY1748)
Learning Intention: To understand the role of choice and what we'd do if choice was taken away.
Complete the activity below.
Resource 2.1 Cross the Line
Do you agree or disagree with the following:
Journal Reflection: What would happen if your choice was taken away? Do you feel strongly about any of the issues?
Cross the line
Teaching tips
Remove the furniture so that students are able to move around the room freely. Using tape put a physical line to divide the classroom. On one side put Agree, the other side Disagree.
Read the statements aloud. Students move to the part of the line that represents their beliefs. Discourage students from standing on the line, allow them to only be undecided once.
Crossing the line
Reflections
1/2 - 1 lesson
Learning Intention: To get a base understanding of the story.
Read the story summary and watch the video.
Resource 3.1 Story Summary
Conflict - Romeo and Juliet is based on a long conflict between two families, the Capulets and the Montagues.
Protagonists - Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet are the protagonists of the play (the main characters).
Resource 3.2 Romeo and Juliet - Cliff Notes Video
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Purpose
This activity helps supports students' understanding of the play.
Learning Intention: Watch the film. Recording questions or thoughts as you watch.
Resource 4.1 The Film
Resource 4.2 The written play
Resource 4.3 First Impressions
As you watch the film, write down dot points of your first impression for the following characters:
Learning intention: Discuss, express personal opinion about the film.
What happened?
What did you agree with?
What do you disagree with?
What did you like?
What did you dislike?
Journal Reflection: Reflect on the discussion. What are your feelings and thoughts?
Refer back to Resource 4.3 First Impressions, add to your impressions now that you've finished the film.
Learning Intention: Investigate the characters in the play.
Resource 6.1 Images
Resource 6.2 Character traits
Pick 3 characters to focus on. It is recommended that you look at Romeo, Juliet and one of your own choice. Using the character traits list (plus you can add your own) write down all the words that describe your character.
Resource 6.3 Action and reaction
Using the same 3 characters from above, list the actions the characters are a part of. What was the reaction or affect?
Who is who?
Teaching tips
This activity will help support students to complete the sociogram assessment.
Learning Intention: To analyse love and hate.
Resource 7.1 Y Chart
The two major themes in Romeo and Juliet are love and hate. Complete two Y charts one for love and one for hate. Work in pairs to decide what love/hate looks like, feels like and sounds like in Romeo and Juliet.
Resource 7.2: Mode, Examples and Effects
Using a selection of quotes. Label whether it represents love or hate. In the effects explain what the quote is saying about love or hate. You can add any quotes to the list that you find.
Use Resource 4.2 The play to help you. Clicking the control and f button you can search for key words.
Mode refers to the mode of communication and includes the linguistic, visual, audio, gestural and spatial features of a text.
Evidence includes examples from the text that support your point of view.
Effects refer to an evaluation of the mode and how it impacts on an audience, especially how it might position an audience to think or make them respond with feelings such as empathy, suspense, fear, judgment and humor.
Learning Intention: Investigate and analyse who gains and who loses in Romeo and Juliet.
Resource 8.1 Who wins/loses?
Resource 8.2 Journal Reflection
How can love affect so many people? How can hate affect so many people? How can love and hate be so closely intertwined?
Resource 8.3 Who and what is to blame?
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Learning Intention: Compile all the information you have gathered. Using the resources provided create a sociogram.
You will be assessed on your sociogram. Use the information and resources available to help support you.
Resource 9.1 Sociogram
Resource 9.2 Love quotes
Resource 9.3 Hate quotes
A sociogram is a graphic organiser that represents the relationships among the characters. You can choose to do this on the computer or cardboard/large piece of paper.
In the middle of the page place the central characters. Place the other characters around them. Let the physical distance between the characters reflect their relationship. eg enemies would be far away. Friends/lovers would be close.
Use arrows to show the description of the relationship, add information, evidence and quotes.
You can use different colours to represent different relationships.
Learning Intention: To debate, discuss and analyse which was to blame 'love' or 'hate'.
Resource 10.1 Academic Controversy
In pairs read through the information in your book. Discuss what you read, share with your table. Each table needs to report back what they discussed.
In groups of 4, pick a letter A, B, C or D.
A and B you will be arguing that love is to blame.
C and D you will be arguing that hate is to blame.
In your pairs research and discuss your arguments.
Identify your main arguments. Make sure both of you know as your teacher is going to ask a letter to begin the discussion.
Person B please present your argument. As person B is presenting the argument pair C and D should be recording some counter points. Go!
Person C please present your argument. As person C is presenting their argument pair A and B need to be recording their final counter points. Go!
Person A please present your closing argument. As person A is presenting their argument, C and D need to be recording some counter points. Go.
Person D please present your closing argument.
Who won? Who had the most compelling argument?
Teaching tips
Structured Academic Controversy
Structured academic controversy is a small-group discussion model, developed by David W. Johnson and Roger T. Johnson, to support students to gain a deeper understanding of an issue, to find common ground, and to make a decision based on evidence and logic.
In Experiencing the New students read/view and respond to appropriate background material on the selected issue; the background material should provide facts about the issue, as well as arguments favouring opposing views on the issue.
1. Pre-reading and reflection on the issue: Students are organised into groups of four, and each group is split into two pairs. One pair in a foursome studies one side of the controversy, while the second pair studies an opposing view. Partners read the background material and identify facts and arguments that support their assigned position. They prepare to advocate the position.
2. The presentations on the issue: Pairs take turns advocating their positions. Students on the other side make notes and ask questions about information they don’t understand. Next, pairs reverse positions. Each pair uses their notes and what they learned from the other side to make a short presentation demonstrating their understanding of the opposing view.
4. Responses to the presentations: Students leave their assigned positions and discuss the issue in their foursomes, trying to find points of agreement and disagreement among group members. Teams try to reach consensus on something; if they cannot reach consensus on any substantive aspect of the issue, they should try to reach consensus on a process they could use to resolve disagreements.
5. Responses by other teams: The class debriefs the activity as a large group, focusing on how the group worked as a team and how use of the process contributed to their understanding of the issue.
Learning Intention: To plan, draft and write a literary essay
Resource 11.1 'Essay'
'...Here's much to do with hate, but more with love.
Why the, O brawling love, O loving hate! ...'
Act 1, Scene 1, (Lines 167 - 168)
Love and hate are predominate themes throughout Romeo and Juliet, they contribute to the deaths in the play.
Discuss how love and hate are used throughout the play.
Literary Criticism Essay Rubric
Learning Intention: Prepare a multimodal presentation.
Resource 12.1 Multimodal Presentation
Prepare and deliver a multimodal presentation of 3 - 5 minutes.
Explore the journey of one character from the play.
Discuss the growth and development of your characters.
Include music, images and 5 quotes from the text.
The rubric will guide students as they plan and present.
