William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
Lesson plans and other teaching ideas

17th Century Rules of Marriage
Students compare the attitudes of Shakespeare's day with those of Lord Capulet and Friar Laurence. This project is designed for use after reading the play.

60-Second Romeo and Juliet
On this page, a tabloid-style summary of the play from the BBC. Follow links to learn how your students can produce something similar.

Alternative Endings
Students compare Shakespeare's Act V with the Claire Danes/Leonardo DeCaprio film version. They brainstorm alternative endings, then choose one to write in dialogue form.

"Any Man That Can Write May Answer a Letter"
In this technology-integrated lesson, students write letters in character and respond to one another's writing.

A Close Reading of Shakespeare on Your Feet
After introductory discussion and viewing a video (link included), students combine close reading with acting by "physicalizing" the text. This lesson uses the Nurse's speech from Romeo and Juliet and Petruchio's greeting to Kate from The Taming of the Shrew, and it can be adapted for other scenes, as well.

English Class in Performance
If you want your students to get up and perform Shakespeare, here are some abridged scripts: The Merchant of Venice, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and The Tempest.

Experiencing Romeo and Juliet
These 4 activities explore Elizabethan England, compare the text with both a video version and West Side Story, and involve students in project work. Access to this document requires Adobe Reader or compatible application.

Figurative Language Alive: Balcony Scene Charades
Students act out specific lines from the balcony scene as charades. This lesson is designed to help middle school students understand figurative language.

Folded Paper Brainstorming
Students complete a graphic organizer to analyze a character. This lesson is designed for after students have read the entire play and would serve as a good prewriting activity.

Friendship Cards from Romeo and Juliet
Students use quotations from the play to create friendship cards.

Gangs Throughout Literature
This WebQuest asks students to analyze the impact of gangs and to explore conflict resolution strategies. It uses both Romeo and Juliet and the Hatfields and the McCoys as sources.

Green Eggs and Iambs from Mrs. G's Internet Adventures
Dr. Seuss meets the Bard, and students investigate the power of rhythm.

The Interactive Folio: Romeo and Juliet
On the left, hyperlinked text of the play. Click on a link, and multimedia support appears on the right -- definitions, graphics, sometimes a video. Many thanks to the Canadian Adaptations of Shakespeare for this resource!

The (Ir)Responsible Daughter
Students will read an excerpt from a 1603 primary source concerning the duties and instruction of daughters, and use this context to analyze a relationship between two women.

Juliet Trumps Laura: Shakespeare and the Petrarchan Sonnet
A lesson for just after Act I, with emphasis on the idealized woman.

Let's Throw a Wedding for Romeo and Juliet
Students research and plan an Elizabethan wedding.

Literary Explorer presents Romeo and Juliet
Act-by-act study guide questions, links to information about Shakespeare and Elizabethan England.

"O, She is Lame": Juliet and the Nurse
Students explore the relationship between Juliet and the Nurse in Act II, scene v. The lesson calls for a clip from both the Zeffirelli and Luhrmann films and for a handout (scroll down to the link).

"O Wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?": The Art of Wooing in Romeo and Juliet
This strategy asks students to compare "pick up lines" from Shakespeare's time and now. Adobe Reader or compatible application required for access to the 4 handouts.

"A rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear:" original line or familiar find?
Students examine a primary source document from 1684 that includes many of the same lines found in Romeo's speech to Juliet in 1.5. They compare the texts and discuss the different conception of authorship in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Romeo and Juliet
Prereading activity, act-by-act reading guides, paper and project ideas, and related links.

Romeo and Juliet
This site offers several resources: unit plans, links to related sites, a study guide, and a WebQuest.

Romeo and Juliet
Several activities to support different scenes from the play. Access to the MS-Word documents requires a membership fee; access to the PDF documents is free.

Romeo and Juliet
Two approaches to the play, one for "technical" English. Both approaches were designed by a classroom teacher and include an introduction, daily outline, act-by-act study guides, and a writing assignment.

Romeo and Juliet
Plot summary, themes, discussion of imagery and style, essay topics, more.

Romeo and Juliet
A variety of post-reading activities.

Romeo and Juliet
Synopsis, background, character analysis, thematic analysis, and a variety of activities. Access to this 25-page document requires Adobe Reader or compatible application.

Romeo and Juliet Character Hunt
Students collect objects representing characters from the play. Classmates figure out which character the symbols refer to. Worksheets are available at the site.

Romeo and Juliet Digital Booktalk
This short video can serve as a prereading activity.

Romeo and Juliet License Plates
A fun culminating activity.

Romeo and Juliet Text Messages
This parody by cartoonist Roz Chast was first published in the New Yorker.

Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story: Time Stands Still in Literature
In this unit designed for middle school students who are slow learners, students explore family relationships. Includes vocabulary practice, reading questions, guides for researching genealogy, and suggested reading.

Romeo and Juliet Timeline
A review exercise that asks students to present the plot according to which day of the week events take place.

Romeo and Juliet Timeline Activity
In this review activity students reconstruct the plot, looking at cause-and-effect relationships. This activity requires each student to have a digital copy of the file, which is available in both MS-Word and Rich Text formats.

Scatterbrained Soliloquies
Designed for Romeo and Juliet but adaptable to other plays, students analyze soliloquies. From the Folger Library.

Study Guide for Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet
Scene-by-scene background and analysis, with emphasis on the Zefirelli film version.

Studying Romeo and Juliet for GCSE
Careful analysis of several aspects of the play, and some suggestions for comparing it with A Midsummer Night's Dream. This web page is intended for students who are following the AQA/NEAB GCSE syllabi in English Language (1111/1112) and English literature (1121).

A Teacher's Guide to Romeo and Juliet
A nice variety of approaches to the play, including suggestions for avoiding censorship. This 15-page document requires Adobe Reader or compatible application for access.

You Kiss by the Book
Lesson plans for Romeo and Juliet from EdSITEment.