Curriculum / ELA / 9th Grade / Alternate Unit 5: Star-Crossed Love in Romeo and Juliet / Lesson 23

Star-Crossed Love in Romeo and Juliet

Lesson 23: Day 4 - Debate

ELA

Alternate Unit 5

9th Grade

Lesson 23 of 23

Lesson Overview

Objective

Engage in a class debate on who or what is to blame for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.

Lesson Map

Lesson

Explore the universal themes of William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet.

Standards

SL.9-10.1SL.9-10.1.cSL.9-10.1.d

Lesson

Create an infographic about William Shakespeare.

Standards

RI.9-10.2SL.9-10.2

Lesson

Decode the language of Shakespeare, and write in the language of Shakespeare.

Standards

L.9-10.3RI.9-10.4

Lesson

Analyze how Shakespeare develops the mood of the prologue for Romeo and Juliet.

Materials

Romeo and Juliet — Prologue, lines 1–14

Standards

L.9-10.5RL.9-10.2RL.9-10.4

Lesson

Compare and contrast how the house of Montague and the house of Capulet are characterized in the opening scene of Romeo and Juliet in the original text as compared to a graphic novel.

Materials

Romeo and Juliet — Act 1, Scene 1, lines 32 (from "Draw thy tool")–105
Romeo and Juliet — pages 3 (panel 4)–12

Standards

RL.9-10.2RL.9-10.7

Lesson

Analyze how Shakespeare characterizes Romeo in the opening scene.

Materials

Romeo and Juliet — Act 1, Scene 1, lines 106–end

Standards

L.9-10.5RL.9-10.3RL.9-10.4

Lesson

Analyze how Shakespeare characterizes Juliet in her introduction to the play.

Materials

Romeo and Juliet — Act 1, Scene 2, lines 1–46; Act 1, Scene 3, lines 1–end

Standards

RL.9-10.3RL.9-10.4

Lesson

Examine the diction and structure in the dialogue between Romeo and Juliet and analyze what it reveals about their feelings towards one another and the fate of their love.

Materials

Romeo and Juliet — Act 1, Scene 5, lines 18–end

Standards

RL.9-10.3RL.9-10.4

Lesson

Analyze two film adaptations of Act 1, Scene 5, evaluating how each version interprets Shakespeare's text.

Materials

“Romeo and Juliet (1968) | Act 1, Scene 5 | Clip 1” — (01:35–08:13)
“Romeo and Juliet (1968) | Act 1, Scene 5 | Clip 2” — (01:20–4:40)
“Romeo + Juliet (1996) | Act 1, Scene 5” — (01:33–08:20)

Standards

RL.9-10.7

Lesson

Writing

Overview

Write a one-paragraph response that compares depictions of teenage love in Taylor Swift's "Enchanted" and William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

Day 1 - Brainstorming

Brainstorm by comparing ideas about depictions of teenage love in Taylor Swift's "Enchanted" and William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

Materials

"Enchanted" and Romeo and Juliet Brainstorm (G9, Alt U5, L10)

Standards

RL.9-10.1RL.9-10.2W.9-10.5

Day 2 - Drafting

Draft a paragraph using a Point-by-Point structure to compare two texts.

Materials

Point-by-Point Paragraph Outline (G9, Alt U5, L10)
Point-by-Point Structure Comparison Paragraph Mentor Text (G9, Alt U5, L10)
Self/Peer Feedback Form (G9, Alt U5, L10)

Standards

W.9-10.1.aW.9-10.1.bW.9-10.1.e

Day 3 - Language Lesson

Revise a paragraph by using a dependent clause that begins with a subordinating conjunction to show cause or comparison.

Materials

Dependent Clauses and Subordinating Conjunctions Practice (G9, Alt U5, L10)

Standards

L.9-10.1.bW.9-10.5

Lesson

Analyze how Shakespeare uses figurative language and characterization to portray Romeo and Juliet's relationship.

Materials

Romeo and Juliet — Act 2, Scene 2, lines 1–end

Standards

RL.9-10.3RL.9-10.4

Lesson

Analyze various film and stage productions of Act 2, Scene 2, evaluating how each version interprets staging, characterization, and language.

Materials

“Romeo and Juliet (1968) | Act 2, Scene 2” — (00:00–04:10)
“Romeo + Juliet (1996) | Act 2, Scene 2” — (00:00–04:18)
“Romeo & Juliet (2009) | Act 2, Scene 2” — (00:00–02:56)
“Romeo and Juliet (2018) | Act 2, Scene 2” — (00:00–03:49)
“Pizza My Heart (2005) | Act 2, Scene 2” — (13:16–14:40)
“Gnomeo & Juliet (2011) | Act 2, Scene 2” — (00:00–01:10)

Standards

RL.9-10.7

Lesson

Analyze how Shakespeare characterizes Friar Lawrence and the Nurse in Act 2.

Materials

Romeo and Juliet — Act 2, Scene 3; Act 2, Scene 5; Act 2, Scene 6

Standards

RL.9-10.3RL.9-10.4

Lesson

Analyze Romeo's tragic flaw.

Materials

Romeo and Juliet — Act 3, Scene 1

Standards

RL.9-10.3RL.9-10.4

Lesson

Explore modern adaptations of Romeo and Juliet and analyze the impact of directorial and authorial choices on inclusivity.

Materials

“West Side Story (1961) | The gangs fight scene” — (00:00–04:26)
“West Side Story (2021) | La Borinqueña (Sharks Version)” — (00:00–01:03)
“Steven Spielberg Refused to Subtitle the Spanish in West Side Story For This Important Reason”
“Rosaline (2022) | Official Trailer” — (00:00–01:33)
“Steve McQueen, Erica Whyman on Romeo and Juliet, Gender-swapped theatre” — (14:15–17:50)
“Romeo and Juliet—importance of a female Mercutio” — (00:00–00:52)
“& Juliet (2022) | Official Trailer” — (00:00–01:03)
Teach the Torches to Burn: A Romeo & Juliet Remix
“Redefining Juliet (2016): Retelling Shakespeare like never before” — (00:00–00:55)
Romeo and Juliet pp. 78–80

Standards

RI.9-10.7

Lesson

Compare and contrast how the original text and the graphic novel develop the mood of Act 3, Scene 2 and Act 3, Scene 3, lines 1–118.

Materials

Romeo and Juliet — Act 3, Scene 2 and Act 3, Scene 3, lines 1–118
Romeo and Juliet pp. 81–87

Standards

RL.9-10.2RL.9-10.7

Lesson

Analyze Juliet's conflict between familial loyalty and romantic love in Act 3, Scene 5.

Materials

Romeo and Juliet — Act 3, Scene 5

Standards

RL.9-10.3RL.9-10.4

Lesson

Analyze Juliet's character development since the beginning of the play.

Materials

Romeo and Juliet — Act 4, Scene 1 and Act 4, Scene 3

Standards

RL.9-10.3RL.9-10.4

Lesson

Analyze the impact of dramatic irony on the audience's reaction to the events in Act 4, Scene 5 and Act 5, Scene 1.

Materials

Romeo and Juliet — Act 4, Scene 5, lines 1–101 and Act 5, Scene 1

Standards

RL.9-10.2RL.9-10.4

Lesson

Assessment

Socratic Seminar

Engage in a Fishbowl-style Socratic Seminar with classmates, drawing evidence from nonfiction texts and the unit text and carefully explaining reasoning.

Materials

Romeo and Juliet
“What Is Fatalism?”
“What is Free Will?”

Standards

SL.9-10.1SL.9-10.1.aSL.9-10.1.bSL.9-10.1.cSL.9-10.1.dSL.9-10.4

Lesson

Analyze how Shakespeare develops the connection between fate and the deaths of Romeo and Juliet in Act 5, Scenes 2–3.

Materials

Romeo and Juliet — Act 5, Scene 2 and Act 5, Scene 3, lines 1–175

Standards

RL.9-10.2

Lesson

Analyze the mood, themes, and characterization at the end of the play.

Materials

Romeo and Juliet — Act 5, Scene 3, lines 176–end

Standards

RL.9-10.3RL.9-10.4

Lesson

Writing

Overview

Engage in a class debate on who or what is to blame for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.

Day 1 - Planning

Prepare for a class debate on who or what is to blame for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet by collaboratively planning position statements supported by strong evidence.

Materials

Debate Planning Sheet for the Alternate Prompt (G9, Alt U5, L23)
Debate Planning Sheet (G9, Alt U5, L23)

Standards

RL.9-10.1SL.9-10.1W.9-10.1.aW.9-10.1.bW.9-10.5

Day 2 - Planning

Prepare for a class debate on who or what is to blame for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet by collaboratively planning rebuttals.

Standards

Day 3 - Drafting

Prepare for a class debate on who or what is to blame for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet by drafting a script for the opening statement, arguments, rebuttals, and closing statement.

Standards

Day 4 - Debate

Engage in a class debate on who or what is to blame for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.

Standards

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