Journal #27

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose

by any other word would smell as sweet...."

What should Mr. Anderson name his son?

1. The name

2. The reasons for the name

3. The potential pitfalls

4. What this says about our culture, you, or Mr. Anderson

Romeo and Juliet creative project

9^th English Romeo and Juliet Performance Project, Spring 2012

Your task: creatively appropriate Romeo and Juliet, and perform and/or present your work in the coming weeks.

You might…

·       Write and recite a long poem (or series of shorter poems) based on the story

·       Write a sequel / change the ending / add a character (“fan fiction”)

·       Modernize / adapt the play

·       Change it from verse to a prose narrative

·       Make a movie or skit (5-10 minutes in length)

·       Something else approved by Mr. Anderson

Your work, obviously, won’t be entirely original—but it must be entirely yours.

You must include a 1-page written explanation of your performance (i.e., 200-300 words explaining your thought process, your creative choices, and how your work ties to a theme or themes in the play.)  If you’re part of a group, you still have to write an individual explanation.

The kind of project you choose will determine the materials you’ll need.  

Journal #25

a. How important is it to be original?  If it is, why?  If not, why not?

b. Notes / thoughts on the Baz Luhrmann adaptation, Romeo + Juliet

interrogating the text

Using questions as a means of understanding

1. Read the text out loud
2. Along the way, develop three columns on your poster paper:

1. Tricky vocab

2. Factual questions ("What is this saying?  Who is this?  What's happening here?").

3. Thinking questions
* Opinions / evaluations
* WHY
* Insight-based
* Would require a short-answer or essay response

5 items per column is the minimum

Romeo and Juliet essay checklist

Name:                                                                                                                              Period:

My Romeo and Juliet essay…

_________                  Is written in the “literary present” tense

When writing about literature, make it seem as though the story is taking place right now. For example [present tense verbs bolded]:

Romeo and Juliet wish to be secretly married. Friar Laurence, despite his advice to go slowly, agrees to marry them. He hopes that the marriage will bring the feuding families together.

_________                  Uses formal words rather than slang / conversational style

“Romeo is strongly attracted to Juliet,” is better than “Romeo wants to get with Juliet.”  “Love makes him act foolishly,” is better than “Love makes him go bonkers.”

_________                  Does not use “you”

_________                  Eliminates unnecessary “I think” or “I feel” statements (they’re usually redundant)

                                   

_________                  Smoothly integrates quotes

“Fate is a powerful force; as Romeo puts it, he is ‘Fortune’s fool,’” is better than, “Romeo says, ‘O, I am Fortune’s fool!’  This quote is saying that…”

_________                  Has no noticeable errors in conventions (spelling, grammar, etc.)

_________                  Is shared with jvahomework@gmail.com

Author’s Note (explaining revisions, improvements, etc.)

Romeo and Juliet in-class write (Acts I and II)

Instructions are here.

You'll use Google Docs.

Journal #19

You're one of the characters from Romeo and Juliet. Rap about your situation.


* At least 10 lines
* Rhyming
* Demonstrates your understanding of one of the conflicts in Act I
* Shakespearean language is OPTIONAL
* Partner up if you want to

Samson vs. Gregory
Prince vs. Feuding Families
Tybalt vs. Benvolio
Benvolio vs. Romeo
Paris vs. Capulet
Nurse and Lady Capulet vs. Juliet
Mercutio vs. Romeo
Tybalt vs. Capulet
Romeo vs. Juliet

Journal #17

Concerning today's group work using Rich Picture Graphic Organizers...

How well did your group work together?

How well did your drawing show the events of Act 1 scene 1?

How might this activity help you in other areas of study?