romeo and juliet acting activities

Schools and Teachers
Teacher Resources

Activity Toolkits

Here you can access and download our Activity Toolkits for independent and home learning, offering creative and exploratory activities for students.

The Activity Toolkits each contain a number of short 15 minute activities on each play. These are ideal for remote learning tasks, as a an extension to classroom or online work or for use as part of a blended curriculum.

Each activity also contains some extension suggestions that will take longer than 15 minutes but provide lots of different ideas for exploring the texts creatively. You can watch RSC actors completing some of the tasks in their own homes as inspiration, and uncover a host of supporting materials from Adobe that will help students to complete some of the activities using their freely available Adobe Spark platform.

Macbeth Activity Toolkit

Complete toolkit.

Download the complete Macbeth Activity Toolkit for all 20 activities.

If you choose to work through in order, we recommend you watch the Macbeth Live Lesson after activity 10, before completing the remaining activities.

Several activities also contain Primary versions with slight adjustments that may help younger learners.

Activity List

Below are links to simple instructions for each of the 20 individual activities on Macbeth. You can work through these in order or select the ones that feel most useful for you. Several also contain Primary versions of the activities with slight adjustments that may help younger learners.

At this point we recommend you watch the Macbeth Live Lesson , exploring Lady Macbeth's character, before completing the remaining activities.

Romeo and Juliet Activity Toolkit

Download the complete Romeo and Juliet Activity Toolkit for all 20 activities.

If you choose to work through in order, we recommend you watch the Romeo and Juliet Live Lesson from 2019 after activity 10, before completing the remaining activities.

Below are links to simple instructions for each of the 20 individual activities on Romeo and Juliet. You can work through these in order or select the ones that feel most useful for you.

At this point we recommend you watch the Romeo and Juliet Live Lesson from 2019, with the actors who play Juliet and Friar Lawrence, before completing the remaining activities.

Watch RSC actors demonstrating the Toolkit activities

Hamlet activity toolkit.

Download the complete Hamlet Toolkit for all 20 activities.

Please note this Toolkit is aimed at students working at KS4. Work may be suitable for both younger and older students.

Below are links to simple instructions for each of the 20 individual activities on Hamlet. You can work through these in order or select the ones that feel most useful for you.

The Merchant of Venice Activity Toolkit

Download the complete The Merchant of Venice Toolkit for all 20 activities.

Please note this Toolkit is aimed at students working at KS3-4. Work may be suitable for both younger and older students.

Below are links to simple instructions for each of the 20 individual activities on The Merchant of Venice . You can work through these in order or select the ones that feel most useful for you.

R&J_CreativeDigitalActivities_Adobe_538px_x_600px

Adobe Digital Activities

Discover the basics of creating digital images, graphics and video with Adobe Spark. These creative activities complement the RSC Activity Toolkits and are perfect for independent and online learning.

Othello Activity Toolkit

Download the complete Othello Toolkit for all 20 activities.

Please note this Toolkit is aimed at students working at KS5 .

Below are links to simple instructions for each of the 20 individual activities on Othello . You can work through these in order or select the ones that feel most useful for you.

Please note this Toolkit is aimed at students working at KS5 . Work may be suitable for KS4 students who enjoy a challenge.

Much Ado about Nothing Activity Toolkit

Download the complete Much Ado about Nothing Toolkit for all 20 activities.

Regional-Schools-Celebration_-Rehearsal-workshop_-Ark-Rose-Primary-School_2015_Photo-by-Rob-Freeman-_c_-RSC_156426-538x600

Keep Your RSC educating

The RSC is a charity and our mission is to transform lives through amazing experiences of Shakespeare and great theatre. If you can, please consider supporting us by making a donation and Keep Your RSC.

Live Lessons

At home with Shakespeare

13 easy, engaging lessons for Romeo and Juliet

by mindroar | Aug 22, 2021 | blog | 0 comments

Looking for lessons for Romeo and Juliet ? Are you teaching Romeo and Juliet in high school and desperately looking for activities and resources for the Shakespearean tragedy? Check out these 12 Romeo and Juliet teaching resources.

Pre-reading lessons

1. shakespearean insult lesson.

If your students are unfamiliar with English from the Elizabethan era, it can be a steep learning curve. And it can make it difficult to teach Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet .

Students often feel intimidated by the language and find it hard to get into. And if you’re teaching one of Shakespeare’s plays for the first time, you can feel intimidated yourself. I know I was when I first started!

A great way to overcome this fear factor is to have some fun activities for teaching Shakespearean language and the specific play you will be teaching.

One of my favorite ways to start any unit about Shakespeare is by having a Shakespearean Insult Lesson (see h ere for my blog post about it and here for my digital and in-class lesson ).

Not only is the Shakespearean insult lesson lots of fun, but it also helps reduce the fear factor of Shakespearean language.

2. Watch a video about Shakespeare and his plays

Another great way to introduce students to Shakespeare and his plays is to watch a short video about Shakespeare’s life and his tragedies.

There are heaps of videos around, but some of my favorites are the Crash Course videos: this one , which is all about Shakespeare’s life, and this one , which is about Shakespeare’s tragedies.

Both videos are short and sweet, less than fifteen minutes. The video about Shakespeare’s tragedies covers King Lear in more depth, so you can also stop the video at about eight minutes and fifteen seconds if you’re short on time.

These are also great activities to set as homework because they are short and easy to get into. Plus, if you had to choose between a video and solving algebraic equations, which would you choose?

The videos are funny and engaging, and they use illustration, a presenter, and quotes to delve deeper into Shakespeare’s life and plays. That series also has a video about Shakespeare’s comedies, just in case you teach any of those too.

If you’re looking for a worksheet to go with the videos, check out our Shakespeare life and plays bundle on TPT.

While reading lessons

Now, once you’ve introduced Shakespeare, gotten your student more comfortable with his language, and begun reading Romeo and Juliet , you’ll probably be wondering what other lessons for Romeo and Juliet you can use in class.

1. Romeo and Juliet Crash Course Literature videos

The Crash Course Literature series also has two videos specifically about Romeo and Juliet . Again, I rate these highly as they’re short, entertaining, and cover important content such as plot, characters, and themes.

If you’re looking for worksheets for these, we have some too. Check out the Romeo and Juliet mini bundle , which has worksheets for both of the videos.

Be warned that the videos do have plot spoilers though, so if your students don’t already realize that R+J die, you may want to hold off until you’ve read the whole play.

2. Romeo and Juliet Text Messaging Activity

This great lesson by The English Teacher’s Pet asks students to choose a scene from the play and recreate the scene through text messages on Romeo’s phone. And the best part? This lesson plan for Romeo and Juliet is free.

This Romeo and Juliet activity includes an explanation of the activity and a model answer, an evaluation sheet, and a text-message printable worksheet for students to write on.

3. Read some comics

These comics by David Rickert give an introduction to the main events of each act and have activities that explain an important concept or literary device.

Using comics is a great way to take away that fear that students often have of not understanding Shakespearean language. As an added bonus, the visuals in comics help with comprehension.

4. Learn about the characters using body biographies

These body biographies by Danielle Knight of Study All Knight are another great lesson for Romeo and Juliet . In the activity, students analyze characters from the play in an engaging way. In completing the projects, students have to:

5. Using Romeo and Juliet to learn how to integrate quotes and paraphrasing in literary analysis

This lesson helps students understand how to quote and paraphrase in literary analysis using Romeo and Juliet quotes. Included in the lesson, useable in both print and digital, are:

6. Romeo and Juliet photo booth printable props

This Romeo and Juliet activity would be a great way to get students to revise the play as they go. At the end of each scene, students could do a fun comic-book style photo-booth scene summary that they act out, write dialogue for, and then print and put in a comic-book template .

It would not only be fun, but it would also help students identify the important elements of each scene and remember what happened in the plot of the play.

After reading lessons

So you’ve finished reading or watching Romeo and Juliet , and now you come to the pointy end where you need to review before an assessment task. These great Romeo and Juliet review activities are sure to be a hit with your students.

1. Digital escape room review

This digital escape room review by Gamewise is a great no-prep escape room that is paperless and completely online. You just buy the game, give students the link and password, and set them loose.

Even better, for students to get to the completion page, they need to answer all of the questions correctly.

The game covers topics such as:

2. Escape room review for Romeo and Juliet

If you prefer your students to do a paper-based escape room, this one by Nouvelle ELA can be used as an escape room with clues hidden around the room. Or it can be used as a breakout box, with students remaining in their desks to complete the tasks. It covers elements such as:

Romeo and Juliet movie lesson plans

If your students are going to watch a video version of the play, this lesson for Romeo and Juliet helps students compare the Baz Luhrman movie adaptation to the play.

This film to play comparison by Visual Thinking Classroom is a great Romeo and Juliet movie lesson plan because it includes a no-prep instructional slide deck, as well as scaffolding to help students compare the original play to the Baz Luhrman adaptation.

The Romeo and Juliet movie lesson plan also helps students focus on important elements such as characters, story elements, and important moments in the play.

Romeo and Juliet entire unit lesson plans

Now, maybe you’ve read through all of the Romeo and Juliet lesson plans so far, but what you’re really after are Romeo and Juliet unit lesson plans for a whole unit instead of individual lessons. If so, keep reading.

1. Laura Randazzo’s Romeo and Juliet unit lesson plans

This five-week Romeo and Juliet unit of lesson plans contains the following:

2. The Daring English Teacher’s Romeo and Juliet Teaching Bundle

This final resource with lessons for Romeo and Juliet is this differentiated teaching bundle by The Daring English Teacher. This bundle includes writing prompts, cloze activities, character analysis, and vocabulary.

But one of the best things about this product is that it is easy to differentiate – the one unit of work enables you to run Romeo and Juliet ESL lessons but can also be adapted to suit other learners too.

Want more English lesson and resource ideas?

Hopefully, the resources listed above have been helpful for your lesson plans for Romeo and Juliet. If you are an English teacher, you may be interested in my other blog posts with lesson ideas and resources for other texts, including:

10 Activities for Teaching Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is one of those classic pieces of literature I think everyone has read. Even students who haven’t read the Shakespeare play have probably heard of the story or will relate to the plot as it has been retold in various films and literature. If you need some fresh ideas before you start this unit, read on.

1. Relatable Bell Ringers

If you’re going to focus on a Shakespeare play, you must go all in. Immersing students into a unit from start to finish is such a perfect way to help students understand a topic in-depth. Start off each class with these Shakespeare Bell Ringers . Each one includes a famous Shakespearean quote and a quick writing prompt. Students will explore various writing styles based on the quote.

2. Character Focus

Help your students identify and organize characters with these graphic organizers . This resource has two sets for almost every character in the play. Students will identify characters as round or flat, static or dynamic, and other basic qualities. This will also require them to provide textual evidence. The second organizer focuses on tracing emotions and motivations throughout the play. It’s a creative way for students to organize the play’s characters and is also a great resource for ESL students and struggling readers.

3. Get Interactive

I can remember interactive notebooks becoming all the rage. And while the paper notebooks are creative, a motivator for some students, and it’s generally pretty easy to put an interactive spin on old ideas already at hand. Having a digital version is just one more layer to add something unique to the interactive notebook. My digital notebook resource can work as its own unit and includes analysis activities covering characters, symbols, major events, writing tasks, and response questions. Digital notebooks are great for classrooms trying to limit paper use, use more technology, prepare students for tech demands, and for any classes that need to work with mobile options.

4. Engaging Writing Tasks

Help students understand and analyze the play by giving them unique writing assignments. Have students explore different writing styles, analyze universal themes, and study character development. My Writing Tasks resource does all this and more. Each act has its own unique writing assignment, and I’ve included brainstorming organizers for each. You’ll be able to use this with differentiated instruction, and there are several additional resources and organizers included.

5. Read “Cloze”ly

Prep passages for students to summarize to help them understand events from the play. This is an ideal activity for review, comprehension, or even assessment. Cloze reading is an ideal way to help students understand what is happening. Cut your prep time down by using this resource, with 6 passages ready to use AND written in modern-day English. Use as an individual assignment or collaborative activity.

6. Use Office Supplies

Increase student engagement with hands-on activities using sticky notes. You can use various colors to coordinate different aspects of study (literary elements, major events, character development, etc). It’s an easy and quick way for students to organize thoughts and notes, and the bits of information can be manipulated and moved around for different assignments. Students can gather relevant information for various essays, or can organize their sticky notes in a way that makes sense to them (by topic, or chronologically, as an example). Check out my Sticky Note Literary Analysis activity that includes 12 sticky note organizers.

7. Make Use of Bookmarks

There are many creative avenues when it comes to bookmarks. Have an activity where students pick a favorite quote, draw a scene, or draw what they know about the play prior to reading (they can use the back to draw after reading the play). Consider a foldable version like this one where you can jam-pack a variety of questions, vocabulary, literary analysis and more. These are foldable, interactive, fun, engaging - and it saves you time passing out one activity to be used throughout the play.

8. Plan an Escape

Escape rooms live up to the hype. Challenge your students with a fun and engaging review escape challenge. Have students work together in groups to complete collaboratively and spark authentic discussion. This escape room activity includes 40 timeline events to sort from the play correctly.

9. Don’t Forget Vocabulary

Vocabulary is an important aspect of understanding any work, but Shakespeare is on a whole other level. In addition to reading an older version of English in poetic form, students must grasp key vocabulary to understand the play more deeply. Engage your students with hands-on activities to learn vocabulary, whether that be through graphic organizers, visual dictionaries, or word puzzles. Check out my ready-to-print vocabulary packet that includes word lists, puzzles, organizers and quizzes for the entire play.

10. Practice Annotations

Start at the very beginning with an engaging activity for the prologue. This will allow students to explore the Shakespearean language and the set-up to the drama that is Romeo and Juliet’s tragedy. Using this resource , students will read and annotate the prologue, be introduced to Elizabethan English, and have context and background information before reading the play. Students then will rewrite the prologue in modern-day English following the same sonnet form. I love having students explore language, and this activity fits perfectly into the unit.

If you’re starting fresh with activities to fill a unit, or you’re looking to refresh your tried-and-true activities, check out my 5-week unit plan for Romeo and Juliet here . It’s full of goodies including a pacing guide, pre-reading activities, bookmarks, vocabulary, passages, writing tasks, essays, review activities, and more.

Put a new spin on the classic tragedy by refreshing your activities and finding new ways to present to students. Just a few simple updates and changes can keep students engaged and help them relate to the material. I love seeing what others do in their classrooms, so please share your favorite ideas in the comments below.

Tragic Love: Introducing Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

Tragic Love: Introducing Shakespeare's <em>Romeo and Juliet</em>

This pre-reading lesson helps students expand their knowledge of Shakespeare and build an understanding of Romeo and Juliet by connecting the summary of the play to their everyday lives as teenagers. Students also explore the definition of tragedy and how "tragic love" is ingrained in the lives of teenagers from all cultures. The lesson helps students build background knowledge of the play, the genre of tragedy, and related terms and concepts, creating a context in which students can better understand and relate to the Shakespearean text.

Featured Resources

Story Map : This interactive is designed to assist students in prewriting and postreading activities by focusing on the key elements of character, setting, conflict, and resolution.

From Theory to Practice

In her English Journal column "Taking Time: Beyond Memorization: Using Drama to Promote Thinking," Tonya Perry notes that "students in the classroom can participate in the performance of a dramatic text . . . with little understanding of the literature" (121). Because reading and performing drama is inherently interactive, teachers can mistakenly observe that students understand a play, feeling that "the dramatic text [seems] to explain itself" (121). Perry advocates for building prior knowledge and establishing ground for personal connections in drama through drama, as presented in this lesson. Students engage in "explanatory drama" as they use a skit to deepen their understanding of the central concept of tragic love. Further Reading

Common Core Standards

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts

Materials and Technology

Preparation

Student Objectives

Students will

Session One

Session Two

Sessions Three and Four

Student Assessment / Reflections

The Story Map interactive is designed to assist students in prewriting and postreading activities by focusing on the key elements of character, setting, conflict, and resolution.

Based on grade level, students learn about rhyming structure, experiment with the Shakespearean Insult Kit, or study scenes from Othello and watch an adaptation of that scene from the movie O .

Print this resource

Explore Resources by Grade

Kindergarten K

Romeo and Juliet

Resources for KS4 and upper secondary

Explore the great works of Shakespeare and his star-crossed lovers, with this selection of resources gathered to help your students understand key themes in Romeo and Juliet . From full lessons to activity worksheets and exam revision questions, the Tes community have designed a selection of creative tasks for this play.

Lessons and activities

Whether you’re focusing on the play entirely, reading it alongside live performances or showing Baz Luhrmann’s film adaptation at the same time, take your students back to fair Verona where Shakespeare lays his scene of Romeo and Juliet with this selection of lessons and activities you can use in the classroom.

Romeo & Juliet: Lesson Resources on The Prologue

Romeo and Juliet: Friar Laurence and The Nurse!

Romeo & Juliet RSC Themes Reference

Power and Control in Romeo and Juliet

RSC Teaching Ideas: Romeo & Juliet by Shakespeare

Romeo and Juliet: Summary and Timeline

Low ability / SEN Romeo and Juliet 40+ lessons

Act 1 Scene 5 analysis of the shared sonnet - 'Romeo and Juliet'

Romeo and Juliet Act 5 scene 3

Key learning and revision.

From Romeo and Juliet revision packs and knowledge organisers to exam walk throughs and practice questions, explore this selection of resources that you can use with your GCSE English literature classes.

Romeo and Juliet Knowledge Organiser/ Revision Mat!

Romeo and Juliet: 20 key extracts to revise for GCSE 9-1 (with answers)

Romeo and Juliet Knowledge Organiser

Romeo and Juliet: 11 exams written in the style of AQA Literature Paper 1 exam.

AQA Romeo & Juliet 15 more extracts & questions

Romeo and Juliet Revision Pack (AQA GCSE)

AQA Romeo and Juliet revision guide

Romeo and Juliet Revision Cards!

Romeo and Juliet Quotation Table

Romeo and Juliet Revision

Romeo and Juliet Final Revision Lesson: Revise 6 Big Ideas using 3 knowledge organisers

English collection

From schemes of work, lessons and worksheets to revision guides, exam questions and knowledge organisers, our secondary English resources collection has you covered.

GCSE/iGCSE revision resources

Support your students in the run-up to May with this bumper collection of GCSE revision and iGCSE revision resources.

Teacher essentials

Explore this collection of essential resources including starter and plenary activities, templates, marking and feedback tools and much more.

Interactive resources you can assign in your digital classroom from TPT.

Easel Activities

Easel Assessments

Unlock access to 4 million resources — at no cost to you — with a school-funded subscription..

romeo and juliet act 3 activity

All Formats

Resource types, all resource types, results for romeo and juliet act 3 activity.

Romeo and Juliet Act 3 Meme Activity

Romeo and Juliet Act 3 Scene 1 Close Reading Activity

Word Document File

Romeo and Juliet: Act 3 Activities Bundle

"Romeo and Juliet"- Act 3, Scenes 2-5 Character Walk Activity

Also included in: Romeo and Juliet: Act 3 Activities Bundle

Romeo & Juliet: Act Three Activities, Close Reading, Discussion

Also included in: Romeo & Juliet: Complete Bundle {Grades 9-12}

Romeo and Juliet: Act 3 Musical Chairs Activity

VIRTUAL or IN-PERSON Romeo and Juliet Acts 1 -3 Review Activity: Question Trail

Romeo & Juliet: Act 3 Activity Packet

Also included in: Romeo & Juliet COMPLETE UNIT BUNDLE!

Romeo & Juliet: Act 3 Letter to Juliet Writing Activity and Student Example

Romeo and Juliet Act Three Activities Worksheets

Also included in: Romeo and Juliet Activities ENTIRE PLAY

Romeo and Juliet Act 3 Guided Reading and Activity Packet

Also included in: Romeo and Juliet GROWING BUNDLE!!!

Angel/Devil Activity for Romeo and Juliet Act 3 Scene 1

Romeo & Juliet Act 3 Close Reading Questions, Bellringers, Activities, & Quiz

Romeo and Juliet Act 3 Vocabulary Notes, Activity, Game, and Quiz

Also included in: The Ultimate Engaging Romeo and Juliet Vocabulary Bundle for Acts 1-5

Romeo and Juliet: Act 3, Scene 5 RAFT- Creative Role Writing Activity

Romeo and Juliet PLOT cloze activity - Act Three

Easel Activity

Also included in: Romeo and Juliet BIG BUNDLE

Romeo and Juliet Act 2 Scene 3 Close Read Activity

Romeo and Juliet Act 3 Scene 1 Quiz Reading Comprehension Activities Test Prep

Kristin Menke - Integrated ELA Test Prep

Also included in: Romeo and Juliet Quiz Reading Comprehension Questions BUNDLE Acts 1-5 Test Prep

Romeo and Juliet: Sequence activity for acts 1-3

Romeo and Juliet Act 3, Scenes 2-3 Activity

4 x Romeo and Juliet Act 3 English Literature Starter Activities Wordsearch etc

Romeo and Juliet Act 4, Scenes 1-3 Check for Understanding Activity Worksheet

Romeo and Juliet Act 3 Scene 1 low ability Analytical Activity

Romeo and Juliet Act 1 Scene 3 Activities

TPT empowers educators to teach at their best.

Keep in Touch!

Are you getting the free resources, updates, and special offers we send out every week in our teacher newsletter?

Romeo and Juliet Lesson Plans: Free Teaching Ideas

Do you need Romeo and Juliet activities for teaching ninth grade? Included are Romeo and Juliet lessons and introduction activities. Also, possible fun introduction activities are in a free download.

Looking for Romeo and Juliet lesson plans? Typically, teaching Romeo and Juliet in ninth grade is part of teaching freshmen. If you need Romeo and Juliet assignments, I wrote several out for you and provided a free planning sheet for you. So many ideas exist, you can organize yours with the free download .

My feelings are mixed about teaching this love story. Is this a love story? My students typically comment that Romeo and Juliet is a bad rom-com, and I find that approach hilarious. It also reminds me why I love teaching teenagers.

I have taught Romeo and Juliet … dozens of times? I’ve created lessons that have bombed and directed less than enthusiastic students through lines; I’ve met standards and realized that I should have done way better.

And! I’ve scored too! Since I’ve taught Shakespeare’s famous play so many times, I can report to you what has worked and not worked. You can take this information and make it your own. So… here is where I’ve found success when creating Romeo and Juliet lesson plans.

Provide background.

Brain-based learning research tells teachers to provide background before starting a unit. I created a concept map where students have the flexibility to choose their research area. Typically, students study about Shakespeare’s life, his writings, the English Renaissance, and Shakespeare’s enduring fame.

Some students become enthralled with the Elizabethan time period. People had strange outfits and wore lead makeup . I like using concept maps because students can choose an area to study as they find interesting topics. Great Romeo and Juliet introduction activities can set your unit for a positive tone.

Students who might not love reading the play often find the historical aspects interesting. I try to grab their attention that way.

Is Romeo and Juliet a comedy or a romance? Ask students to decide.

Acknowledge the romance.

I’m jaded and internally roll my eyes when I read Romeo and Juliet . (They. Just. Met.) Young students enjoy the romance, and I capitalize on that.

Since high school students date and watch shows with romantic storylines, I poke at Romeo and Juliet’s relationships. Debate the existence of love at first sight. Discuss parental involvement in dating. How do friends treat each other with the onset of a new relationship? Students connect to the conflicts Romeo and Juliet face, and they see that Shakespeare’s plays still have a purpose .

Students often tell me about characters from graphic novels, movies, and shows who fall in love quickly. We discuss the repetitive themes humans explore.

The movie version of Romeo and Juliet is a great classroom activity

Show the movie first.

A teacher mentioned this trick at a conference, and I tried it last year. I’ve always utilized the movie as we studied the play, but my students and I never completed the movie first.

This order makes sense: Shakespeare wanted the material viewed, not simply read. As we study it, we’ll of course read it. Now, we watch the movie and then reference the actors and setting from the movie.

The students are often nervous to study Shakespeare, but having a visual in their heads help. The clothes, the gestures, the setting… it is so strange to modern teenagers. Seeing the play first, and then studying and reading it makes a huge difference in interest levels and comprehension.

Plus, students are more confident as we proceed in reading the play. Watching some version, the play or a movie version, is an important part of Romeo and Juliet lesson plans.

Romeo and Juliet activities and lesson plans included.

Write and write.

I keep a handful of writing prompts on hand, but often, class discussions dictate what students will write. We choose from interesting characters, complex conflicts, or foreshadowing. We analyze quotes and literary devices. Through writing, students discover deeper meanings and ask questions.

Shakespeare’s plays are dense. When students write about the information, they process it. They work through complications and are more likely to ask me clarifying questions.

Many Romeo and Juliet assignments can branch from short writing assignments. Look what students develop and find interesting.

Watch modern interpretations.

What would Romeo say in an interview? Is the Friar confused by the basic facts? For extension activities, My Shakespeare is a wonderful resource that will put Romeo and Juliet in a fresh light. (I want to gush about it. That website is golden.)

Plus, My Shakespeare provides great Romeo and Juliet introduction activities. The videos clarify the setting, plot, and author.

As a fun alternative, students can translate portions of the play into graphic novel pages or short videos.

Romeo and Juliet has beautiful language and exploring it is the perfect activity.

Highlight the language.

Romeo and Juliet is not my favorite Shakespearean play, but that final line is stunning: “For never was a story of more woe Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.” All of the language is purposeful, specifically, the iambic pentameter. Use this video to explain the concept.

The language and the beauty of the devices deserves study. Students and I frequently make a word wall with the literary devices and their definitions. We can reference them as we continue reading the play.

Make posters.

The numerous characters have odd names, and students need to keep them organized. I ask students to create a “Capulet” wall and a “Montague” wall. As we study the play, we reference the walls, especially as the families interact and people start to die. These simple posters keep the characters organized.

I also use digital designs to analyze characters. Those can be printed as well.

Show the comedy.

Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy, but parts are hysterical. My favorite line? “Saucy boy. “ Dependent upon your students, highlight highlight lines from Nurse and Mercutio where appropriate. Doing so shows the depth of Shakespeare.

You can easily find Shakespeare insult generators online too.

Note the fame.

In my introduction to Romeo and Juliet , I ask students what they know about the play. Students know the lines, “Oh Romeo, Romeo wherefore art thou Romeo?” and “ What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Students know these lines because the play is famous. They are studying a famous piece of literature! That fact is powerful.

Connect to present life.

Shakespeare endures because humans today see themselves in his literature. Do some families argue and not get along? Has a parent ever told a child not to marry or date someone? Do teenagers become upset about lost love? Is miscommunication a problem? Do adults mess up situations? When students relate the ideas to their lives, they will appreciate the play on a new level.

There you have it: ten ideas to implement in your Romeo and Juliet lesson plans. I hope these ideas inspire you to personalize your Romeo and Juliet unit for your students.

Are you interested in more specific ideas for other common stories? I have free ideas for Animal Farm , The Hunger Games , and Julius Caesar .

Subscribe to our mailing list to receive updates about new blog posts, freebies, and teaching resources!

Marketing Permissions We will send you emails, but we will never sell your address.

You can change your mind at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of any email you receive from us, or by contacting us at [email protected] We will treat your information with respect. For more information about our privacy practices please visit our website. By clicking below, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with these terms.

We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By clicking below to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp’s privacy practices here.

Would you like to discuss more Romeo and Juliet activities? My Facebook page connects thousands of educators.

freebies literature lessons romeo and juliet shakespeare

March 3, 2017

How to teach shakespeare's romeo and juliet: act iv.

Whether you are a teacher tackling William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet for the first time or you are a veteran looking to change how you’ve taught it in the past, it is always helpful to find out how another teacher plans it all out. Read on to find out what scenes I focus on in Act IV and why, how my students read and act out those scenes, and what activities I use to extend learning and make connections.

Find It Fast

Get support, shop my tpt store, top categories.

my bookshelf

Post Topics

Blog archive.

IMAGES

ROMEO and JULIET STUDENT ACTIVITIES by Ruth S.
Romeo and Juliet Interactive Introductory Activity
Romeo and Juliet Comprehension Activities Booklet!
Romeo and Juliet for Kids
Activities and Handouts for Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Romeo and Juliet Character Analysis Activities by Room 213

VIDEO

Romeo and Juliet Project TBK
The Acting Company's Romeo and Juliet 2009/10 CLIP 6
Amrish Puri ke Jaise dikhne wale hamare mitr Javed sheikh Sahab ke Saath Kuch acting activities* ###
Funny Romeo & Juliet Spoof
R.I.P We are Reporting Tragic Death of 64-Year-Old Gary Oldman's Mother

COMMENTS

Romeo and Juliet: Bringing the Text to Life
5 Act 2 i-iii No activity; class reading and discussion 6 Act 2 iv-vi Letter to Young Lovers Activity 7 Act 3 i-ii Queen Mab speech; discussion Read Act iii-v for homework 8 Act 3 iii-v Tableau of Act 3, i Soliloquy Activities 9 Act 4 Plot handout/worksheet 10 Act 5 No silent reading Small activity—class discussion. 11 Newspaper Article
Activity Toolkits | Royal Shakespeare Company
Activity List. Below are links to simple instructions for each of the 20 individual activities on Romeo and Juliet. You can work through these in order or select the ones that feel most useful for you. 1 - The Prologue. 2 - The opening fight. 3 - The Story. 4 - The Characters. 5 - The world of the play.
13 easy, engaging lessons for Romeo and Juliet
Check out these 12 Romeo and Juliet teaching resources. Pre-reading lessons 1. Shakespearean insult lesson If your students are unfamiliar with English from the Elizabethan era, it can be a steep learning curve. And it can make it difficult to teach Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
10 Activities for Teaching Romeo and Juliet | The Daring ...
Engage your students with hands-on activities to learn vocabulary, whether that be through graphic organizers, visual dictionaries, or word puzzles. Check out my ready-to-print vocabulary packet that includes word lists, puzzles, organizers and quizzes for the entire play. 10. Practice Annotations
Tragic Love: Introducing Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
Overview. This pre-reading lesson helps students expand their knowledge of Shakespeare and build an understanding of Romeo and Juliet by connecting the summary of the play to their everyday lives as teenagers. Students also explore the definition of tragedy and how "tragic love" is ingrained in the lives of teenagers from all cultures.
Romeo and Juliet resources | Tes
Explore the great works of Shakespeare and his star-crossed lovers, with this selection of resources gathered to help your students understand key themes in Romeo and Juliet. From full lessons to activity worksheets and exam revision questions, the Tes community have designed a selection of creative tasks for this play. Lessons and activities
Romeo And Juliet Act 3 Activity ... - Teachers Pay Teachers
Romeo & Juliet: Act Three Activities, Close Reading, Discussion by Mud and Ink Teaching 5.0 (1) $8.00 Google Drive™ folder If you're overwhelmed with ideas or intimidated to jump into Shakespeare's play Romeo & Juliet, this set of lessons for Act 3 will ensure the critical thinking that they need to tackle the play with confidence.
Romeo and Juliet Lesson Plans: Free Teaching Ideas
Great Romeo and Juliet introduction activities can set your unit for a positive tone. Students who might not love reading the play often find the historical aspects interesting. I try to grab their attention that way. Acknowledge the romance. I’m jaded and internally roll my eyes when I read Romeo and Juliet. (They. Just. Met.)
How to Teach Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet: Act IV
The assessment includes a section of Act IV, ten multiple-choice questions, and two choices for a written response. Questions ask students to analyze characters words and actions and paraphrase important lines. You can find all of my resources for teaching Romeo and Juliet, including the materials described above that I use to teach Act IV, here.