Elizabeth A. Johnson
This unit uses
Romeo and Juliet
to develop social and emotional skills as well as literary skills and improvisation techniques in high school students. Students will examine characters in the play based on their goals, motivations, obstacles, and actions. Then, students will perform scenes from
Romeo and Juliet
and critique their role as audience members. Finally, students will keep a week-long journal of their own goals, motivations, obstacles, and actions. From this they will evaluate their own decisions and see how their actions affect themselves and others. Students will get concrete ways to express themselves physically and emotionally while learning literary and life skills that translate into life outside our classrooms.
(Developed for Freshman English, grade 9; recommended for Standard English course, grade 9, and Theatre course, grades 9-12)
