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Lesson 1

We will engage in a discussion focused on how the film directors’ choices enhance or detract from the development of themes in Romeo and Juliet. We will engage in a philosophical chairs discussion with a peer.

Lesson Goals

  • Can I develop and clearly communicate a meaningful and defensible claim about how the film directors’ choices enhance or detract from the themes introduced in Act 5, Scene 3 of Romeo and Juliet?

Texts

Core

  • Tradebook
    • Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare, Folger Shakespeare Library, Simon and Schuster, 2004

Materials

Tools

Reference Guides

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Listen – Write

We will prepare for a peer discussion by completing Section 1 of the philosophical chairs Discussion Tool.

Listen to the statement provided by your teacher. Write down the statement on the Philosophical Chairs Discussion Tool.

Using your Film-Theme Note-Taking Tool as a reference, jot down relevant details from the film that supports or refutes the given statement.

It is okay if you find evidence to support both sides. If you do, re-examine your evidence and decide which position has the strongest and most sufficient evidence to support it.

Summarize your position in one sentence. Use the following sentence as a model:

Zeffirelli (or Luhrmann) enhances (or detracts from) the theme of _____ by using (or including) _____, which creates a _____ effect on the audience.

Activity 2: Discuss

We will examine the protocol for academic discussions.

Examine the protocol for an academic discussion with a peer.

As a speaker, do the following:

  • Elaborate on and clarify your ideas.

  • Support your ideas with specific textual evidence from the play and details from the films.

As a listener, do the following:

  • Take notes on your peer’s intriguing ideas.

  • Ask your peer clarifying questions.

  • Build on or respectfully challenge your peer’s ideas.

  • Examine the academic discussion stems in the Academic Discussion Reference Guide. Select and commit to using two conversation stems: one listener prompt and one speaker prompt.

Activity 3: Discuss

We will engage in a philosophical chairs discussion with a peer.

Engage in a philosophical chairs discussion with a peer using your Philosophical Chairs Discussion Tool. Be sure to do the following:

  • Elaborate on and clarify your ideas.

  • Support your ideas with specific textual evidence from the play and details from the films.

  • Take notes on your peer’s intriguing ideas.

  • Ask your peer clarifying questions.

  • Build on or respectfully challenge your peer’s ideas.

Activity 4: Write

We will reflect on how the discussion refined our original ideas, and we will self-assess our participation in the discussion.

By engaging in discussion with a peer, you are provided the opportunity to examine other points of view. As a result, you will often refine your own ideas.

Examples of refinement include the following:

  • changing one’s position on the topic

  • maintaining the same position but clarifying an idea

  • incorporating new information

  • disregarding weaker evidence in favor of stronger evidence

  • adequately anticipating and refuting counterclaims

In Section 3 of your Philosophical Chairs Discussion Tool, write a reflection on how your thinking was refined during the discussion. Also, complete the self-assessment of the speaking and listening skills you used in the discussion.