Melanie Werner

1
English/ Social StudiesInterdisciplinary
UnitRomeo and Juliet

• Melanie Werner Marie La Pollo (English)
• Dominique Monaco (Social Studies)
• Molloy College
• EDU 537
• Professors. Blair and Sheehan

2
Understanding By Design

• Backwards design
• Six facets of understanding
• Explain
• Interpret
• Apply
• Have Perspective
• Empathize
• Have Self-Knowledge

http//www.ers.org/ERSBulletins/0399f.htm
3
Backwards Design

• 3 Stages
• Stage 1 Identify desired outcomes and results.
• Stage 2 Determine what constitutes acceptable
  evidence of competency in the outcomes and
  results (assessment).
• Stage 3 Plan instructional strategies and
  learning experiences that bring students to these
  competency levels.

"Understanding by Design," Wiggins and McTighe
(1998)
4
Essential Question

• Is Romeo and Juliet a story of its time or just
  another love story?
• Purpose to compare and contrast the major
  literary themes of Romeo and Juliet to historical
  perspectives of the Renaissance era.

5
English Unit

• Love and Hate in a Conflict
• Characterization
• Oxymoron
• Metaphor
• Imagery
• Foreshadow
• Shakespearean Sonnet
• Text to Film Comparison
• Tragedy
• Gender Role Expectations
• Fortune vs. Fate
• Fate vs. Free Will

6
Social Studies Unit

• Essential Question
• Why was the Renaissance considered an era of
  rebirth?
• The Social Studies unit is designed to give
  students a historical perspective of the time
  period in which Romeo and Juliet lived.
• Some of the main ideas that will be discussed can
  be summarized by the following terms
• Humanism, Secularism, Politique, Geography,
  Literacy, Feudalism, and Art and Architecture.
• Students will be assessed through a unit test,
  and group collaboration of a mock town hall
  meeting where citizens will discuss their
  displeasure and problems with society during the
  Renaissance period.

7
Differentiating Instruction

• Students will be working collaboratively in a
  group for a final project
• Funeral
• Town Hall Meeting
• Other strategies and techniques used
• Journal Writing Prompts, Think Pair Share,
  Anticipation Guides, Graphic Organizers, Role
  Play, Reciprocal Teaching, Debate, Class
  Discussion, Group Activities, Predictions, Letter
  Writing, Film Comparison, Essay Writing,
  Alternate Endings, etc.

8
Student Projects

• Funeral for Romeo and Juliet
• Eulogies
• Music Lyrics, Poetry, etc
• Town Hall Meeting
• Social Classes vs. Catholic Church
• Assessment based on creativity, knowledge of the
  text, and knowledge of the time period,

9
Newsletter to Students' Parents

• Newsletters sent to parents to introduce the new
  unit plan.
• Parents are made aware of projects, important
  vocabulary, texts that are being read in the
  classroom, as well as teacher contact
  information.

10
Flyer for Romeo and Juliets funeral

• Invites students to take part in the Funeral of
  Romeo and Juliet.

11
Case Study

• Glenn

• Julie

• Spina Bifida-Paralyzed in both legs, confined to
  a wheelchair.
• Unable to grasp abstract concepts.
• Indecipherable Handwriting.
• Poor fine motor coordination.
• Disorganized
• Difficulties in lecture style settings.
• Popular with classmates, faculty, and staff
• Verbal abilities stronger than performance

• Struggles Fluency, Vocabulary Recognition, and
  Comprehension.
• Anxious in testing situations.
• Incomplete assignments.
• At risk of failing English and Social Studies.
• Accomplished communicator.
• Normal physical development.
• Accomplished artist.
• Strong auditory and visual learner.
• Good in small cooperative group settings.

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Adaptations

• Glenn

• Julie

• Access to technology
• Role of Speaker
• Pre-designed folders for organization.
• Provide copies of lectures, presentations, power
  points, notes, etc

• Extra test time.
• Tests in the resource room.
• Vocabulary lists
• Pictures for words
• Role of Speaker
• Artistic Expression for assessments.

13
Resources

• Classroom Strategies Anticipation Guide. (2008).
  Retrieved November 6, 2009, from Reading Rockets
  http//www.readingrockets.org/strategies/anticipat
  ion_guide
• Fischer, B. (2009). Feisty town hall meetings are
  part of our history. Retrieved November 15, 2009,
  from Penn Live http//www.pennlive.com/letters/in
  dex.ssf/2009/08/feisty_town_hall_meetings_are.html
  
• Guisepi, R. A. (n.d.). The Renaissance Beginning
  and Progress of the Renaissance. Retrieved
  November 5, 2009, from History of the
  Renaissance http//history-world.org/renaissance.
  htm
• History of the Renaissance. (2001). Retrieved
  November 22, 2009, from History World
  http//www.historyworld.net/about/sources.asp?gtra
  ckpthc
•  Shakespeare, W. (2009). Romeo and Juliet. New
  York Penguin.
• Wiggins, G., McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding
  By Design 2nd ed. New York Prentice Hall.