Lesson Plan

Grade/Content 9th Grade Honors

Area English Language Arts
Lesson Title Young Love Across Time
State CCSS: Literacy 3. Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to
develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the
Standards: action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).
GLEs/GSEs
Or Common CCSS: Literacy 7. Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g.,
recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how
Core State each version interprets the source text. (Include at least one play by Shakespeare
Standards: and one play by an American dramatist.)

CCSS Reading 1 1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of
what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including
determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.

CCSS: Writing 3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events

using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and

multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.

d. Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a
vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.

CCSS Writing 4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,
organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

CCSS Research to Build and Present Knowledge 7. Conduct short as well as more
sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated
question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate;
synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the
subject under investigation.
Context of This lesson is a part of a unit plan for teaching Shakespeare’s Romeo
the Lesson and Juliet. This will follow the previous day’s work on discuss and
Where does this analyzing the balcony scene from Act 2.2 in Romeo and Juliet.
lesson fit in the Today, students will be broken into their previously assigned groups.
curriculum and I will assign each group a scenario: a time period and place. The
instructional groups first task is to research this scenario. They must be able to
context? Is it answer these questions:
the opening of a
unit or a series 1. How did people act during this time period?
of lessons? 2. If there were any social norms, what are they?
3. What does the setting look like in this time/place?
4. How did people dress, what did they eat, how did they act?
5. Was there a class system during this time?
6. Were there gender roles during this time? More specifically,
what was stereotypical of males and females?
7. What language did people speak?
8. Given the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet, how did you
create this new scene based on your assigned scenario? Are
there any similarities or differences between your scene and

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 Shakespeare’s scene?

After answering these questions through research using credible

sources, students will create a skit based on the balcony scene. They
must use the balcony scene as a reference to create dialogue and a
scene based on the scenario they have researched.

The following class period will be used to continue research, and

continue to create their dialogue and skit. After two full class periods
of group research and work, students will be asked to present their
skits to the class. The groups must also turn in a typed document
answering the questions above. They must provide a typed copy of
their dialogue. They also must individually submit a reflection on
their contribution to their group, and they must state if everyone in
their group contributed equally.

Opportunitie Plans to differentiate instruction:

s to Learn To differentiate instruction, I have created this project to include many
different assessments. One aspect is researching the assigned time
period/place with credible sources. Another aspect is typing a
Definition:
document to address the research questions. One aspect of the project
Materials,
is creating the adapted balcony scene and also creating dialogue to fit
Learners and
the scene. Another aspect is the presentation of the scene. Each of
Environments
these aspects caters to different learning styles as students usually
respond more to one type of assessment over another. The group
work caters to the interpersonal learning style. The research caters to
visual learners, and also allows students to further explore our world’s
history. The presentation of the scene caters to the kinesthetic
learning style. The adaption of the balcony scene also caters to the
artistic learning style as it requires students to be creative.

Accommodations and modifications:

I grouped students based on personality type for this project. I placed
more outgoing students in groups with those who are more timid in
order to supplement the presentation aspect of the project. I also
separated students who typically distract one another and get each
other off task. I hope that this will allow groups to focus more on the
task at hand. No formal accommodations must be for students with
IEP’s.

Environment factors:
This is a 9th grade honors ELA class with 28 students. The class is
made up of 18 female students and 10 male students. One student has
a 504 plan, and no students have IEP’s. Students sit in five rows with

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 desks facing the front of the room. For this project students are
allowed to move desks into groups so they can work with each other.

Materials:
Copies of Romeo and Juliet
Notebook paper
Pens/pencils
IPhones for researching
Computer for typing document and dialogue
Direction Sheet for Project

Rubric for Presentation:

http://ourenglishclass.net/wp-
content/uploads/sites/6/2008/03/rubric_shakespeare.pdf

Rubric for Research Document and Works Cited:

https://www.rcampus.com/rubricshowc.cfm?
code=A4BW53&sp=yes&

Objectives The student will receive at least a 70% on the completed formative,
formal assessment on their adapted balcony scene project.

The student will submit an exit slip identifying two credible sources
that their group used for research today along with two facts that they
found using their credible sources.
Opening:
“Hello everyone! Today we are going to begin a project based on the
Instructional balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet. Yesterday we watched the Frank
Zeffirelli version of Act 2.2, and we also spent two class periods
Procedures
reading and discussing the scene. Please get into the groups that we
worked in during the Queen Mab activity.”

Engagement:
“Today we are going to begin working on a project that has to do with
the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet. I am going to provide each
group with a scenario that is from a specific place and time period in
our worlds history. I am going to pass out the direction sheet for this
project, please look it over while I review what it says. Your job is to
research your assigned scenario, and answer the questions listed on
the direction sheet on a typed document. You must also create a scene
with dialogue which must be typed, present your scene, and also hand
in an individual reflection that is also typed. I will give you two full

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 class periods to work on this. Friday, we will be presenting our scene.
Before we begin research, I am going to review with you what a
credible source is considered.”

Closure:
“Alright awesome job today everyone. We will continue this group
work tomorrow in class. Remember, presentations will be on Friday
so if you feel as if your group is behind it may be in your best interest
to work on some of the project for homework. Please submit your
exit slip as you leave the class. Remember, I need one credible source
that you used for research today and one fact from those credible
sources. If you have any questions or concerns please let me know.
Have a great day!”
Assessment The assessment for this lesson will be a formal, formative assessment.
The assessment will be the typed word document, dialogue,
presentation, and reflection. Students will earn at least a 70% as an
individual grade on the entire project as a whole to meet the standard.

Informal assessment for the day: students must submit an exit slip
with one credible source that they have used for research today along
with one fact that they found using the credible sources.
Reflections Lesson Implementation:
This section to I think that overall this lesson went pretty well. I allowed students to
be completed choose the scenarios that they wanted for their balcony scene project.
only if lesson I did this to allow them a chance to have their voices heard so they are
plan is able to research a time period that they are at least slightly interested
implemented. in. This ended up being a little chaotic. Many groups wanted the
Cite RIPTS and same scenario, and I did not like having to choose groups on the spot.
national teacher However, if students were unhappy with the scenario they ended up
candidate with, I allowed them to research another scenario and run it by me for
standards here permission. I think that I definitely could have incorporated a little
more direct instruction into this lesson. As my direct instruction, I
reviewed what a credible source was. I also reviewed the difference
between a primary source and a secondary source. The point of this
was to clarify what type of sources students should be using for their
research. As an exit ticket and informal assessment, I had each
student turn in a piece of paper with one credible source they used
during their research for this class period. After looking over the exit
slips, all students used at least one credible source during this lesson
which was great. I also decided to extend the project time frame.
Instead of having groups perform on Friday (2/16/2018), I decided to
allow students to utilize February break. Performances will now take
place on the Monday (2/26/2018), following break. For the next
lesson, I need to incorporate a large group discussion that focuses on
questioning, and I also need to incorporate more direct instruction
within a lesson similar to this. The RIPT standards that I conveyed

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 throughout this lesson were, 1.1, 1.2, 2.2, 3.1, 3.3, 4.2, 5.5, 6.1, 6.2,
6.3, 6.4, 6.5.

Romeo and Juliet Balcony Scene Project Directions

CCSS: Reading 3
CCSS: Reading 7
CCSS: Writing 3. b. d.
CCSS: Writing 4
CCSS: Research to Build and Present Knowledge 7

After reading and watching the balcony scene from William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet,
students will work in groups to produce a scene based off of the one seen in Shakespeare’s play.
Each group will be assigned scenarios from a specific place and time period. Groups must
research their scenario, answer the questions below given their specific scenario, create a
dialogue and skit for their scenario, and perform their skit for the class.

Part 1: Groups must answer these questions on a typed document.

1. How did people act during this time period?
2. If there were any social norms, what are they?
3. What does the setting look like in this time/place?
4. How did people dress, what did they eat, how did they act?
5. Was there a class system during this time?
6. Were there gender roles during this time? More specifically, what was stereotypical of
males and females?
7. What language did people speak?
8. Given the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet, how did you create this new scene based
on your assigned scenario? Are there any similarities or differences between your scene
and Shakespeare’s scene?

Must Turn In: All questions above must be answered on a typed document with 12 point Times
New Roman font, and must be double spaced. A works cited page must also be included on the
back of the document that you hand in. Minimum of three credible sources must be used for
research. One document will be handed in per group, and all names must be on the document.

Part 2: Create a dialogue based on your research and Shakespeare’s balcony scene. Dialogue
must be at least 24 lines of dialogue between the characters in your scene. Decide on
characters and assign them new identities based on your scenario.

Must Turn In: Typed document containing your dialogue (script). 12 point Times New Roman
Font. On the top of the page please indicate who in your group is playing which character.

Part 3: Performance time! Your group will perform your scene for the class. If you bring in props
you will receive extra credit, and if you memorize your lines you will also receive extra credit.
Please make sure you rehearse your scene. If it is clear that your scene has not been rehearsed
then your group will lose points.

Must Turn In: After your performance in class, please turn in a typed document reflecting on your
group work. Please answer the questions below in a typed document:
1. What did I contribute to the group?
2. Did my group work well together?
3. Did everyone in my group contribute equally? Explain.

Students will be graded individually based on their contributions to the group. All students must
be included in the performance in some way. Roles may be assigned accordingly. For example,
if there are more students in a group than actors in the scene, a student may assume the role of

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director or stage hand. In this case, they are responsible for making sure the scene goes
accordingly, rehearsals, stage directions etc. They may also be responsible for researching their
scenario, or helping the group create dialogue for the scene. No student should be completing
a task alone unless it is agreed upon by all members of the group.

Time Periods:
New York City, 1920’s
Paris, France, 1940’s
Pompeii, Italy 27 BC - 395 AD
Plymouth, MA 1620
Persian Achaemenid Empire 550 BC – 330 BC
Ancient Greece, 13 BC – 600 AD
th

Alabama, 1960’s
Vietnam, 1955 – 1975
Caribbean 1650 – 1730 Golden Age of Piracy
South Africa 1977

*Some of these scenarios have clear feuding sides, but some do not. You may create your own
feuding sides through the class systems of that era.

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