Technology Rich Romeo and Juliet Lesson Plan

Romeo and Juliet Technology Rich Lesson Plan
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Subject:English Grade Level: 9th grade Time Estimate: One week (Five 50 minutes class periods)

Unit: Romeo and Juliet Topic: Storyboarding and Plot Analysis

Goal(s): The students will understand Romeo and Juliet and as a result will produce and present a Storyboard that demonstrates a scene’s importance.

TEKS: 110.31.
(2) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Theme and Genre. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about theme and genre in different cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students are expected to: (B) analyze the influence of mythic, classical and traditional literature on 20th and 21st century literature;
(4) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Drama. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of drama and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to explain how dramatic conventions (e.g., monologues, soliloquies, dramatic irony) enhance dramatic text.
(23) Research/Organizing and Presenting Ideas. Students organize and present their ideas and information according to the purpose of the research and their audience. Students are expected to synthesize the research into a written or an oral presentation that: (B) provides an analysis for the audience that reflects a logical progression of ideas and a clearly stated point of view; (C) uses graphics and illustrations to help explain concepts where appropriate.

Objective(s):
The students will understand the plot of Romeo and Juliet by taking online assessments (quizzes).
The students will analyze the play by storyboarding a pivotal scene and then “directing” that scene to convey its purpose and importance.
The students will apply their knowledge of the scene they choose by presenting their storyboard to the class either individually or in groups.

Materials/Resources/Technology needs: abridged versions of Romeo and Juliet, computers, Promethean Board, Internet access
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InstructionalProcedures:

Focusing Event: In small groups, students will brainstorm a list of famous love stories and famous lovers from history and literature. They will create a Flipchart on the Promethean Board with a web of these couples and stories. The teacher will lead the class in a discussion of themes, ideas, and motifs common in these stories.

Teaching/ Learning Procedures:

Students will read aloud the full or abridged version of the play Romeo and Juliet.

After students finish reading the play, students will take a plot-based reading check quiz on QuizStar. Completion of the quiz provides instant feedback for the teacher and students. Feedback shows the students areas of the plot that they might want to review.
The teacher will pose a question: If this play were adapted to another setting—another time or place, where would it be set and why? Students respond on Wallwisher. The teacher will use the Promethean Board to display and categorize student responses. The teacher will lead a discussion based upon these responses. Since a Promethean Board is being used, students will be able to interact with the wall.

The teacher will give a lesson on storyboarding (See “Storyboard Info” below). Students brainstorm and sketch out ideas to create a storyboard of one pivotal scene from the play. They will ultimately create a digital storyboard using Little Bird Tales, as part of a project (See “Lights, Camera, Action!” below) in which they “direct” a scene from the play. This scene can be

Formative Check (ongoing or specific): Students will take an online quiz.

Re-teach: (alternative used as needed): The teacher will re-teach the material based on the online quiz. The teacher will also reteach as he or she observes students creating their directing/storyboarding project during class.

Closure: Students present their projects via the Promethean Board.

Assessment/Summative Evaluation: The directing/storyboarding project is an alternative to the traditional test; it assesses knowledge and understanding in a creative way. The teacher would use a rubric, such as one created on RubiStar, to evaluate students’ work. An effort rubric created on Google Docs would also be used to assess how well the student stayed on task, how focused they were on the project and if working in groups, how much they participated with their peers and contributed to the project.

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Modifications/Notes:Depending upon the level of the class, the teacher could use the original text of the play or an abridged version. The teacher could modify the project to make it a group, rather than an individual project; the teacher could also modify it to include only the storyboarding element, not the “director” elements.