Romeo+Juliet

DEAR EDUCATOR: What could be better than teaching Romeo and Juliet, perhaps the greatest love story of + all time? And this year, to enrich ROMEO JULIET your students’ engagement, THE MOST DANGEROUS LOVE STORY EVER TOLD. you can include the newest film adaptation of Shakespeare’s TARGET AUDIENCE For Part 2, Have students do some research to find adaptations or classic in your class plans. High school and college courses in English references to Romeo and Juliet in popular culture. These can be Literature, Shakespeare, and Creative Writing. either contemporary or historic examples. Ask them to prepare Revitalized for a whole new short presentations on what they find, generation by Academy Award®- PROGRAM OBJECTIVES encouraging them to think about historical winning screenwriter Julian • To identify major themes in Romeo and Juliet and geographical context (when was my Fellowes and acclaimed director and explore their continued relevance today. example created? where was it created?) as Carlo Carlei, this telling of • To analyze various examples of how Romeo well as audience (who was it created for? ROMEO & JULIET takes viewers and Juliet has been adapted or updated in what types of people would best understand popular culture. and appreciate it?) to draw conclusions about back to the enchanting world why this particular popular twist on Romeo of the story’s original setting in • To enhance students’ skills for moving easily between Shakespeare’s English and the way and Juliet was effective—or not! Verona, Italy. Douglas Booth and ® we speak today. Academy Award Nominee Hailee • To engage students’ creativity, using music to enrich their ACTIVITY TWO Steinfeld lead an extraordinary understanding of tone, emotion, and meaning across key scenes SHAKESPEARE IN OUR TIMES ensemble cast who bring in Romeo and Juliet. Use this activity to develop students’ Shakespeare’s legendary tale of understanding and appreciation of romance vividly to life, giving PROGRAM COMPONENTS Shakespearean language as they match modernized lines from Romeo and us a ROMEO & JULIET that is • This one-page teacher’s guide Juliet with the play’s original text. You may choose to do this activity before timeless. transcendent...and as • Three reproducible student activity sheets your class begins reading the play as a way to familiarize students with powerful as ever. • An online feedback form for your important comments at Elizabethan vocabulary, sentence structure, and meter; or you may decide ymiclassroom.com/r&j to use it as a way to reinforce what students have already read. This would This important film is available be a good exercise for students to tackle in pairs or small groups. If your STANDARDS on Blu-ray™ and DVD on students have already read the play, challenge them to identify the speaker This program aligns with Common Core State Standards for English and/or scene for each line from the text. February 4, 2014, just in Language Arts for grades 8-12. For a detail standards correlation, visit time for Valentine’s Day, when ymiclassroom.com/r&j. Answers: 1. A (spoken by Juliet, II.2); 2. B (spoken by Romeo, II.2); many teachers introduce Romeo 3. A (spoken by Juliet , I.5); 4. A (spoken by Mercutio, I.4); 5. C (spoken and Juliet. And to help you HOW TO USE THIS PROGRAM by Mercutio, III.1) make use of the film in class, Photocopy this teacher’s guide and the three student activity sheets before You may wish to introduce Part 2 of this activity before students view the we are delighted to bring you displaying the poster in your classroom. Make additional copies of these new film, ROMEO & JULIET, so they can listen for instances of updated this free teaching kit, which reproducible components to share with other teachers in your school. language in the film and note one or two examples on their worksheet, includes learning activities that Schedule the activities to coordinate with your plans for teaching the reflecting afterwards on what is gained (or lost) in these revisions. Why guide students in analyzing play and distribute copies of each activity sheet to your students on the was the language updated in each case? What types of audiences might Shakespeare’s language and the appropriate class day. While the activities will enhance your students’ viewing most appreciate this change? Did the passage’s meaning or dramatic experience when they see the new film, ROMEO & JULIET, students can effect change along with the words? play’s themes, encouraging them complete the main activities before viewing the film. to think critically and creatively about Romeo and Juliet’s ACTIVITY THREE MUSIC WITH HER SILVER SOUND ABOUT ROMEO & JULIET Use this activity to explore how factors beyond the text of Romeo and Juliet, enduring relevance and popularity. William Shakespeare’s epic and searing love story has been revitalized ® such as music (or costumes and staging) can complement or even enhance for a whole new generation by Academy Award -winning screenwriter the play’s meaning. Have students first choose a scene from the worksheet We encourage you to share this Julian Fellowes and acclaimed director Carlo Carlei. Douglas Booth ® and then return to their texts, rereading the scene to imagine what type of teaching kit with other educators and Academy Award Nominee Hailee Steinfeld lead an extraordinary music might serve as a meaningful soundtrack for it. As students revisit their at your school. Although the ensemble cast as Romeo and Juliet, the star-crossed youths who fall for scenes, questions on the worksheet will steer them to think about the scene’s materials are protected by each other in spite of their feuding families. Filled with lush, enchanting tone, its dramatic action, the characters’ emotions, and, of course, what type copyright, you may make as imagery amid its original setting in Verona, Italy, this legendary tale of of music would best capture all of these attributes. Have students propose an many copies as you need for romance remains timeless and transcendent...and as powerful as ever. actual piece of music or example of what they ‘hear,’ and play a recording for educational purposes. the class. To take this activity even further, give students a chance to vote on ACTIVITY ONE A TIMELESS TALE their favorite musical option for each scene, and then have groups perform Please share your thoughts on Use this activity to focus on Romeo and Juliet’s main themes—especially the scenes aloud with the winning soundtracks playing in the background. this teaching kit by responding those that resonate with your students’ personal experiences. First, review a through our feedback form at few example themes such as “wanting something you can’t have” or “family Use Part 2 to revisit the listed scenes in the new film, ROMEO & conflicts,” then have students work individually to come up with three themes JULIET, so that students can tune-in on the film’s musical choices, www.ymiclassroom.com/r&j. of their own. Themes may be expressed as single words (“youth”), as human especially the soundtrack for the scene they chose to “score.” How We value your feedback and emotions (“feeling angry at your parents”), or even as questions (“how far did their musical selection compare to the soundtrack in the film? If it depend on your comments should we go for love?”). In reflecting on these themes, students should was very different, how was it different? And what can we make of the to continue providing free identify specific passages from the play to support each proposed theme, differences? What does the soundtrack suggest about the filmmakers’ educational programs that make a and then write down one or more examples of how they have personally understanding of that particular scene? real difference in students’ lives. experienced or observed each theme in their own lives. Schedule time to share and compare responses in small groups or a full class discussion. Created for Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Sincerely, Dr. Dominic Kinsley Editor in Chief Young Minds Inspired is the only company developing innovative free classroom materials that is owned and directed by © 2014 YMI, Inc. award-winning former teachers. Visit our website at www.ymiclassroom.com to send feedback and download more free programs. For questions, contact us toll-free at 1-800-859-8005 or by email at [email protected]. ACTIVITY ONE A TIMELESS TALE The story of Romeo and Juliet has been adapted and alluded to in countless ways over hundreds of years. In fact, even Shakespeare himself borrowed the plot from an Italian tale. Why does this story endure? What human experiences or questions does it deal with that make it timeless? In the chart below, list three themes that have made Romeo and Juliet so relevant and popular for Part 1audiences throughout history. You can make up your own name for the themes. Then, for each one, cite a passage from the play where Shakespeare seems to be exploring this theme, and give an example from your own life—your school, your family, your friends, etc.—to show how this theme still has relevance today. Theme Passage from the Play Example from My Life Find at least one example of where Romeo and Juliet has been adapted or alluded to in Part 2 popular culture. This could be a film adaptation, of course, but it could also be a song, a cartoon or comic, an advertisement or commercial, an internet meme—almost anything. Be prepared to present your example in class, explaining why this particular popular twist on Romeo and Juliet makes sense, and why certain choices or changes may have been made. What kind of audience is your example meant to reach? How do you know? Created for Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

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