Lesson Plan: Romeo and Juliet Benchmark Planning/Writing

Lesson Objective(s) SWBAT express and discuss their thoughts/feelings on the

themes/events of Romeo and Juliet and get started on their
Benchmark essay
Standards CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2

Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey

complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and
accurately through the effective selection, organization, and
analysis of content.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.A

Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and

information to make important connections and
distinctions; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics
(e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding
comprehension.

Materials Needed Digital writer’s notebooks, PDF of R&J text, planning

(Physical and/or worksheet, and introduction notes (on Google Classroom)
Digital)

Time Learning Task Methods or Procedures

20 Daily bell work prompt ● Attendance
● Check in, share stories or
feelings, give time for students to
get their class materials ready
● Ask students to pull out their
writer’s notebooks and a writing
utensil to journal their answer to
the prompt (written on
PowerPoint): If you could change
any major event from Romeo and
Juliet, which would it be and how
would you make that change?
What would the initial outcome
of your change be and how
would it affect the rest of the
story? Use specific details from
the story to make your changes
as believable as possible.
5 Run through learning targets Teacher will read through the learning
targets and make any class
announcements

● I can prepare notes and create an

outline for my bench mark essay.
● I can work on my slides for my
Renaissance magazine.

10 Discussion on essay prompt ● Teachers will lead a discussion

on the essay prompt: Who or
what do you blame for the
deaths in Romeo and Juliet?
● Teachers will ask students to do
the “waterfall chat” activity by
writing their answer and
explanation in the chat but
waiting to hit ENTER until told to
do so. There will then be a
discussion on who/what
students blame the least, who
they kind of blame, and who they
blame the most.
30 Planning sheet ● Teachers will introduce the
planning sheet
● Students will then go into
breakout rooms either on their
own, in pairs, or in groups of
three and work on the sheet
● The goal is for students to figure
out who/what they are blaming
based off of the events of the play

40 Introduction explanation and ● Teachers will explain the

work time introduction sheet and have
students read off each
component and tell teacher
where to highlight that part of
the sample paragraph
● Students will then go back into
their breakout rooms to work on
their introduction paragraphs,
with teachers popping in and out
to check in/answer questions