This unit revolves around two musicals—”West Side Story” and “Fiddler on the Roof.” The eighth-grade students in this class will read original source materials (scenes from “Romeo and Juliet” and three short stories of Aholem Aleichem), and then study the adaptation of these sources to musical theater. The students will also listen to tapes and records and will watch videotapes of the movie versions of the musicals. After reading “Nobody’s Family Is Going to Change,” the source for “The Tap Dance Kid,” the students will try to outline and write a few scenes.
(Recommended for Humanities classes, grade 8)
Key Words
Musical Theater History Drama Literary Sources Music Skills
