middle level english language arts (ela) grade 9 a model

Middle Level English Language Arts (ELA) Grade 9

A Model Thematic Unit

Exploring Loyalty, Love, and Relationships

(Semester II)

Saskatchewan Ministry of Education | www.curriculum.gov.sk.ca 1

Unit Overview Context(s): Personal and Philosophical; Social, Cultural, and Historical Timeline: Approximately six weeks As Middle Level students mature, they begin to reflect on themselves and their relationships with others, including their friends and parents. They know what it is to be loyal to a friend and have a family that supports them. They also know the challenges that friends, family, and other relationships can give them. They know what it means to get into disagreements, be betrayed by a friend, hold a grudge, care for someone who does not return that affection, tease and to be teased about a special friendship, and have parents who forbid that they do certain things or spend time with certain people. This unit invites students to think more deeply about the relationships that affect their lives and the role that loyalty and love play in those relationships. The unit is organized around four focus questions with suggested resources included. (Time allocations given are approximations only. Teachers can choose to spend more or less time on each part depending on the needs and interests of their students.) Understanding: Love and loyalty play a role in our relationships with friends, family, and special others. Possible Questions for Deeper Understanding: • Why do people need each other? • What does it mean to be a loyal and true friend? • What does it mean to belong and be loyal to our family? • What does it mean to be in love? • Questions students would like to explore:

2 Saskatchewan Ministry of Education | www.curriculum.gov.sk.ca

English Language Arts Goals and Outcomes Overview [Grade 9] Note: a=first semester; b=second semester Comprehend and Respond (CR). Students will extend their abilities to view, listen to, read, comprehend, and respond to a range of contemporary and traditional grade-level texts from First Nations, Métis, and other cultures in a variety of forms (oral, print, and other texts) for a variety of purposes including for learning, interest, and enjoyment. CR9.1a View, listen to, read, comprehend, and respond to a variety of texts that address identity (e.g., The Search for Self), social responsibility (e.g., Our Shared narratives), and efficacy (e.g., Doing the Right Thing). CR9.1b View, listen to, read, comprehend, and respond to a variety of texts that address identity (e.g., Exploring Loyalty, Love, and Relationships), social responsibility (e.g., Equal Opportunity), and efficacy (e.g., Surviving and Conquering). CR9.2a and CR9.2b Select and use the appropriate strategies to construct meaning before (e.g., formulating focus questions), during (e.g., adjusting rate to the specific purpose and difficulty of the text), and after (e.g., analyzing and evaluating) viewing, listening, and reading. CR9.3a and CR9.3b Use pragmatic (e.g., language suitable for intended audience), textual (e.g., author’s thesis or argument, how author organized text to achieve unity, coherence, and effect), syntactic (e.g., parallel structures), semantic/lexical/morphological (e.g., connotation and denotation), graphophonic (e.g., common spellings and variants for effect or dialect), and other cues (e.g., fonts, colour) to construct and to confirm meaning. CR9.4a View and demonstrate comprehension and evaluation of visual and multimedia texts including illustrations, maps, charts, graphs, pamphlets, photography, art works, video clips, and dramatizations to glean ideas suitable for identified audience and purpose. CR9.4b View and demonstrate comprehension of visual and multimedia texts to synthesize and summarize ideas from multiple visual and multimedia sources. CR9.5a Listen purposefully to understand, analyze, and evaluate oral information and ideas from a range of texts including conversations, discussions, interviews, and speeches. CR9.5b Listen purposefully to understand, analyze, and evaluate oral information and ideas from a range of texts including directions and speeches, recognizing train of thought, main points, and presentation techniques. CR9.6a and CR9.6b Read and demonstrate comprehension and interpretation of grade-level-appropriate texts including traditional and contemporary prose fiction, poetry, and plays from First Nations, Métis, and other cultures to develop an insightful interpretation and response. CR9.7a and CR9.7b Read independently and demonstrate comprehension of a variety of information texts including expository essays, historical accounts, news articles, and scientific writing. CR9.8a and CR9.8b Read grade 9 appropriate texts to increase fluency and expression (150+wcpm orally; 215-260 wpm silently).

Compose and Create (CC). Students will extend their abilities to speak, write, and use other forms of representation to explore and present thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a variety of forms for a variety of purposes and audiences. CC9.1a Create various visual, multimedia, oral, and written texts that explore identity (e.g., The Search for Self), social responsibility (e.g., Our Shared Narratives ), and efficacy (e.g., Doing the Right Thing). CC9.1b Create various visual, multimedia, oral, and written texts that explore identity (e.g., Exploring Loyalty, Love, and Relationships), social responsibility (e.g., Equal Opportunity), and efficacy (e.g., Surviving and Conquering). CC9.2a and CC9.2b Create and present an individual researched inquiry project related to a topic, theme, or issue studied in English language arts.


CC9.3.a and CC9.3b Select and use the appropriate strategies to communicate meaning before (e.g., considering and valuing own observations, experiences, ideas, and opinions as sources for ideas), during (e.g., shaping and reshaping drafts with audience and purpose in mind), and after (e.g., ensuring that all parts support the main idea or thesis) speaking, writing, and other representing activities. CC9.4a and CC9.4b Use pragmatic (e.g., inclusive language that supports people across cultures, genders, ages, and abilities), textual (e.g., strong leads, coherent body, and effective endings), syntactic (e.g., subordination to show more precisely the relationships between ideas), semantic/lexical/ morphological (e.g., both the denotative and connotative meaning of words), graphophonic (e.g., knowledge of spelling patterns and rules to identify analyze, and correct spelling errors), and other cues (e.g., combine print and visuals to enhance presentations) to construct and to communicate meaning. CC9.5a Create and present a variety of visual and multimedia presentations to best represent message for an intended audience and purpose. CC9.5b Create and present a variety of visual and multimedia presentations including addressing various audiences for one proposal. CC9.6a and CC9.6b Use oral language to interact purposeful, confidently, and appropriately in a variety of situations including participating in one-to-one, small group, and large group discussions (e.g., prompting and supporting others, solving problems, resolving conflicts, building consensus, articulating and explaining personal viewpoint, discussing preferences, speaking to extend current understanding, celebrating special events and accomplishments). CC9.7a and CC9.7b Use oral language to intentionally to express a range of information and ideas in formal and informal situations including dramatic readings of poems, monologues, scenes from plays, and stories and presenting reasoned arguments of opposing viewpoints. CC9.8a Write to describe (a profile of a character), to narrate (a narrative essay), to explain and inform (a researched report), and to persuade (a review). CC9.8b Write to describe (a description of a scene), to narrate (a personal essay), to explain and inform (a multi-paragraph letter), and to persuade (a letter to the editor). CC9.9a and CC9.9b Experiment with a variety of text forms (e.g., debates, meetings, presentations to unfamiliar audiences, poetry, précis, short script, advice column, video documentary, comic strip) and techniques (e.g., tone, persona, point of view, imagery, dialogue, figurative language). Assess and Reflect on Language Abilities (AR). Students will extend their abilities to assess and reflect on their own language skills, discuss the skills of effective viewers, representers, listeners, speakers, readers, and writers, and set goals for future improvement. AR9.1a and AR9.1b Assess personal strengths and needs as a viewer, listener, reader, representer, speaker, and writer and contributions to the community of learners, and develop goals based on assessment, and work toward them. AR9.2a and AR9.2b Assess own and others’ work for clarity, correctness, and impact.


Suggested Resources for the Unit

A range of language, prose (fiction and non-fiction), poetry, and plays (scripts), as well as human, video, and other resources are suggested. Language Resources

ResourceLines 9/10 Dictionary Poetry “Two Friends” (David Ignatow) (Some Haystacks Don’t Have Any Needles) “The Art of Friendship” (W. A. Paterson) (The Art of Being) “All” (Leona Gom) (SightLines 9) “Instructions to My Mother” (Marilyn Dumont) (SightLines 9) “The Masks of Love” (Alden Nowlan) (SightLines 9) “Real Love” (Marlisa Tiedemann) (In Touch) Plays/Scripts “The Most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet” (Identities 9) Additional scenes from a full-length copy of Romeo and Juliet (e.g., ITP Nelson or Cambridge School Shakespeare) Prose Non-Fiction Shorter Prose Non-Fiction Students will need access to multiple sources for their research. Prose Fiction Shorter Prose Selections “Acceptance” (short story by Vidhya Sridharan) (Crossroads 9) “The Golden Girl” (short story by Gillian Chan) (SightLines 9) “On the Sidewalk Bleeding” (short story by Evan Hunter) (Crossroads 9) “Gifts of the Magi” (short story by O.Henry) (In Touch) “Sir Gawain and the Loathely Lady” (traditional story retold by Selina Hastings) (SightLines 9) “Savitri and Satyavan” (Hindu myth retold by Madhur Jaffrey) (Crossroads 9) Novels See bibliography and updates for titles. Full-Length Non-Fiction See bibliography and updates for titles.


Media/Magazines/Websites “Messages are Everywhere” (SightLines 9) “Zits” (comic strips by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman) (Crossroads 9) References Emra, B. (1999). Coming of age. Lincolnwood, IL: National Textbook Company. Farrell, E. J., et al. (2001). Literature and language arts: Experiencing literature. St. Paul, MN: EMC/Paradigm. Gibson, R. (2002). Romeo and Juliet. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Niemet, C. (1992). Viewpoints: Non-fiction selections. Chicago, IL: Contemporary Books. Strong, W. (1983). Sentence combining: A composing book. New York: McGraw-Hill.


Outcomes Learning Activities Assessment and

Evaluation CR 9.1b AR 9.1b CR 9.5b CR 9.1b CC 9.2b

Exploring Loyalty, Love, and Relationships “Relationships. That’s all there really is … You have to come to terms … with those people around you, those people who care for you …” (Leslie Marmon Silko) This unit invites you to think more deeply about the relationships that affect your life and the role that loyalty and love play in those relationships. As you mature, you begin to reflect on yourself and your relationships with others, including your friends and parents. You know what it is to be loyal to a friend and have a family that supports you. You also know the challenges that your friends, family, and other relationships give you. You know what it means to get into disagreements, be betrayed by a friend, hold a grudge, care for someone who does not return that affection, tease and be teased about a girlfriend or boyfriend, and have parents forbid you to do certain things or spend time with certain friends. “Relationships are like pressures that push you in 36 directions of the compass.” (Diana Chang) Note: Share with students and caregivers/guardians expectations and overall grading plans for the unit. Highlight the key resources that will be used during the unit. Start a Class Language Profile that includes the language arts skills and strategies as well as the language cueing systems. What are the students’ language strengths? What are their needs? As the students work through the unit, make anecdotal notes on the Class Language Profile in order to set teaching priorities. Use Book Talks to introduce students to full-length non-fiction and novels related to the theme. Consider whether these books should be read individually by students or as a group activity. Also consider what response strategies and/or reading guides students could use to enhance their reading experiences. Novels and full-length non-fiction resources related to this theme are listed in the bibliography and updates for this curriculum. Relationships: Friends Approximately 1 week Focus Question 1: Why do people need each other? “A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of Nature.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Note students’ willingness to participate, to share knowledge and insights, and to reflect. Throughout this unit, students will be asked to take a stand and to support their stand with reasons. Students will need to return to the focus questions throughout the unit. They may wish to begin a reflection page for each question and to make an initial statement of what they are thinking at the beginning of the unit. These initial reflections can be compared to their insights throughout the rest of the unit. An interest survey could be used to determine what students like listening to, reading, and viewing in their spare time. Categories can be created for Non-fiction (e.g., autobiographies, biographies, science, how to, politics, history, geography, health, humour, newspapers, magazines); Fiction (e.g., mystery, adventure, sports, animal, romance, fantasy, realistic fiction, story collections); Poetry; Scripts (stage and movie); and Other (e.g., cartoons and comics). If students choose the collections, an “Independent Reading Tracking Sheet” (Identities 9, Teacher’s Guide) could be used.


CC 9.6b CR 9.6b CR 9.3b CR 9.6b

Although there are times when we like to be alone, there are times when we like to be with others. Having friends that accept and understand us is an important part of life. Being able to count on and, at times, lean on someone who cares about us and is willing to help or support us gives us confidence. Most of us eventually have at least one or two good friends who like us and enjoy being with us. The number of friends we have is not as, important as the kind of friends we have. Using the first opinion statement of the opinionnaire model the form for the reason or supporting statement. Invite students to consider at least one reason they can use to support their opinion. Encourage them to use complete statements and strong verbs and to avoid “just because” and “I don’t know why” or similar avoidance statements. Friendship Opinionnaire Have the students respond by putting an A for agree or a D for disagree next to each statement and by providing a brief reason for their opinion. Remind students that there are not right or wrong answers. Everyone’s opinion is valid if it can be supported. __ It is important to have one or two close friends.

Reason:

__ It is important to help friends with problems rather than to ignore them. Reason:

__ It is important to be loyal to your friends, even if they do something wrong or break the law. Reason:

__ It is important to support or help a friend no matter what the circumstances. Reason:

__ If our parents dislike our friends, it is important to stop seeing them and keep peace in the family. Reason:

__ Sometimes, it is important to point out a friend’s

shortcomings. Reason:

Suggested Resources: “Acceptance” (a short, short story by Vidhya Sridharan) (Crossroads) or a similar story about fitting in and being accepted

A checklist or anecdotal record could be used throughout the unit to assess the students’ listening behaviours and strategies and their participation and strategies during discussion activities. The “Listening: Observation Checklist” and “Listening: Student Self-Assessment” (SightLines 9, Teacher’s Guide) could be used as models. Consider using admit and exit slips during this section of the unit (particularly for the mini-lesson concepts). The number of readings of this short story gives the teacher a chance to check the students’ reading strategies. What strategies do students use when reading fiction? Do they use


CR 9.2b CR 9.2b CR 9.3b CR 9.2b CR 9.4b CR 9.2b CR 9.3b

Before Reading • Is fitting in important? Why? How far do some students go to

fit in? What kinds of things do they do to be accepted by others?

During Reading • To really understand the full meaning and significance of

something, we sometimes have to read texts more than once. Because this is a “short” short story, try reading it four times to see if you can understand its full meaning and message.

• First, read to get the gist of the story: How does Sandy try to fit in? What changes her mind about wanting to fit in with this crowd?

• Next, read it a second time and formulate a response to the story: Did you find Sandy’s actions believable? Why or why not? What is Sandy really like?

• Now, read it a third time to see what is between the lines of the story: To make an inference you have to piece together clues in the text and draw conclusions.

• Project the text and ask students to work with a partner to explain these inferences: o Line 1: Who speaks these words? How did you find out? o Line 2: Who is Sandy? How did you find out? o Lines 1-4: Where is Sandy’s goal? How did you find out? o Lines 1-6: What is Sandy’s goal? How did you find out?

• Finally, read the story a fourth time to consider the elements and techniques of the story: “Acceptance” is a complete story with all the elements of fiction – setting, characters, plot (with a problem and a beginning, middle, and end), point of view, and theme (or message). Identify these elements.

After Reading • Now draw some final conclusions. What is Sandy really like?

What makes you think so? Have you ever felt left out or excluded from things? Explain.

Viewing • Consider the photograph that accompanies the story. “Read”

and analyze the photograph. Apply the same strategies to viewing the photograph as you did to the reading of the text.

• First look at the photograph to get the gist of the photograph: What is the photograph telling?

• Next, formulate your initial response to the photograph: With whom in the photograph do you identify or sympathize?

• Now view the photograph to see what is “between the lines”: To what part of the photograph is your eye drawn? Who are the characters in this story? What might happen next?

thinking strategies at the literal, interpretive, and critical/creative levels? This is an opportunity to note students’ viewing strategies and to reinforce the support of any inferences and conclusions drawn from the photo. Consider the “Viewing Checklist” (Identities 9, Teacher’s Guide).


CC 9.5b CC 9.3b CC 9.4b CC 9.2b CR 9.5b CR 9.2b CR 9.2b CR 9.3b CR 9.2b CR 9.5b

• Finally, consider the elements and techniques found in the photograph. How do the formal elements of the photograph – colour, lighting, composition, focus – help tell the story? How do the elements make you view the photograph in a certain way?

Representing • Have students design a poster emphasizing the importance of

being true to oneself. • Have students think about their audience, the tone (dramatic,

serious, funny), a slogan (short, catchy phrase that attracts the reader’s attention), and a visual.

Possible Mini-Lesson: Designing a Poster Focus Question 2: What does it mean to be a loyal and true friend? Approximately 1 week We all need someone we can count on and lean on. We all need someone who we can call “friend”… someone who is loyal and true. Listening to a Poem Suggested Resources: “Two Friends” (David Ignatow) (Some Haystacks Don’t Have Any Needles) or a similar poem about friendship Before Listening • What does it mean to be a “real” friend? As students listen to

the poem, have them consider what is wrong with the “friendship” presented in this poem.

During Listening • As you read the poem to the students, ask them to imagine the

expressions on the faces of the two friends. After Listening • What picture did you have of the two friends? What do you

imagine is the setting for this poem? What do you suppose is the attitude of each friend towards the meeting?

• Have the students listen a second time to your reading of the poem. Often speakers and writers use irony. Irony is the difference between appearance and reality. What is ironical about the title of the poem? Have students prepare a graphic organizer (chart) like the one below to record their response.

Note students’ strategies before/during/after. With the students, prepare a rubric for self- and teacher evaluation of the poster. Use “Representing: Self- or Peer Evaluation” and “Representing: Holistic Assessment Scale”, SightLines 9, Teacher’s Guide as a model. Have students sketch or make jot notes as they listen. After the second reading, ask students to identify the point of the poem and to support their conclusion with reasons that draw on the text of the poem. Have students use their charts to explain why the title is ironic.


CR 9.7b CR 9.2b CR 9.2b CR 9.3b CR 9.2b CC 9.9b CC 9.5b CC 9.3b CC 9.4b CR 9.6b

Appearance (what is expected)

Reality (what is really happening)

Reading a Poem Suggested Resources: “The Art of Friendship” (W. A. Paterson) (The Art of Being) or a similar poem about being a good and true friend. Before Reading • The author of this poem highlights what many consider the

essential requirements for true friendship. Why do you think this poem might have the title “The Art of Friendship”?

During Reading • Read the poem once through. Note the first step in “the art of

friendship” and then the various things one “should” do in addition to this first step.

• Read the poem a second time making notes of the key words to complete the following stem statement: “To be a friend you should …”

After Reading • What, in your opinion, are the three most important

requirements for a true friend? Why? • If you were to write a poem following a similar pattern and title

“The Art of Friendship”, what would the first eight lines say? Representing Suggested Resources: Messages are Everywhere (SightLines 9, pp. 30-31) or examples of t-shirt messages • Have students consider a design for a t-shirt emphasizing the

importance of true friendship. • Have designers think about their audience, the tone (dramatic,

serious, funny), a slogan (short, catchy phrase that will attract the reader’s attention), and a visual.

Unhealthy Friendships Short Story 1 Suggested Resources: “The Golden Girl” (Gillian Chan) (SightLines 9) or a similar story about an unhealthy friendship.

To reinforce the concept of irony, select a four-panel comic strip and white-out the captions. Have the students rewrite the captions including irony in one or more of the frames. Have each student submit his/her opinion and rationale to support it. Create, with students, a writing rubric for their poem. Use “Writing Rubric” (Crossroads 9, Teacher’s Guide, p. 306), “Writing Poetry: Observation Checklist” (SightLines 9), or “Poetry Checklist” (Identities 9) as models. Use “Representing: Self- or Peer Evaluation” and “Representing: Holistic Assessment Scale”, SightLines 9, Teacher’s Guide as a model to evaluate T-shirt message.


CR 9.2b CR 9.2b CR 9.3b CR 9.2b CR 9.6b CR 9.2b CR 9.2b CR 9.3b

Before Reading • To be a friend, “you should close your eyes to the faults of

others and open them to your own”, but is this always a good idea? Consider Donna’s friendship with Anna.

• Have students list the qualities or characteristics that they look for in their friends. Note that at the end of this story, the narrator will refer to “us cheap imitations”. Ask students to note the actions and words of the narrator that shows she regards herself as a “cheap imitation” of her “friend” Anna Murphy.

During Reading • Have students read the story silently and make a list of the

comments Donna makes to put herself down. After Reading • Have students revisit their original list of qualities that they

look for in friends. How many of these qualities were demonstrated by the narrator or any of the other major characters in the story? Which qualities were not demonstrated? Will Donna and Anna remain friends? Why or why not?

Possible Mini-Lesson: Point of View (First Person) Short Story 2 Suggested Resources: “On the Sidewalk Bleeding” (Evan Hunter) (Crossroads 9) or a similar story about groups, cliques, or gangs Before Reading • To be a friend, “you should remember that we are human

magnets; that like attracts like, and that what we give, we get” but sometimes we seek out friends who can have a negative or bad influence on us. Consider Andy’s choice of “friends” and the consequences of their friendship.

• Have students view the image on page 36. What does the image suggest about the story?

During Reading • Read the opening paragraph with the students. What

information does the writer give in this paragraph and what information does he withhold in his opening three sentences? Why?

Use “Reading a Short Story: Observation Checklist”, “Strategies: Student Self-Assessment”, and “Journal Response: Evaluation” (SightLines 9, Teacher’s Guide) to evaluate students’ reading of this story. Use “Reading a Short Story: Observation Checklist”, “Strategies: Student Self-Assessment”, and “Journal Response: Evaluation” (SightLines 9, Teacher’s Guide) to evaluate students’ reading of this story.


CR 9.2b CR 9.3b

• Have students track the time, action, and thoughts presented in the story using a chart to summarize and organize their ideas and understanding.

Action Narrator Andy’s Thoughts/Feelings

Past Action

Present Action

After Reading • Why did Andy join a gang and why does no one find Andy or

help him? What caused Andy to reject the gang before his death? What conclusion can you draw from the police officer’s comment at the end of the story?

• The writer carefully gave us a particular time sequence in the story. How did this technique make the story believable?

Reflecting on Friendship Language Study: Using Qualifiers to Enhance Kernel Sentences • “Acceptance” could have been written in simple, “kernel”

sentences centred around the backbone of the sentence – the verb and its subject (e.g., Morning arrived. Sandy approached the students. Her body tensed. Her steps faltered. She said hello. They turned. They smiled. She felt ridiculous. She looked again. She knew. She turned. She went to the library.).

• If Sridharan had used nothing but kernel sentences we would lose interest in the story and its impact would be lost. Effective communicators know that they must use a variety of sentences in their spoken and written communication if they are to hold their listener’s or reader’s interest and give impact to their communication.

Caution: Vidhya Sridharan has also used “conversational” sentence fragments (e.g., “Nerd, Geek!” and “Monday morning.”).

• Effective communicators know a number of ways to enhance their basic kernel sentences. Most often, they take the basic sentence units – the verb and the subject – and add qualifiers to provide detail and interest. The basic sentence patterns – SV, SVO, SLVC – are much like skeletons. Sentence patterns provide a working structure but they need flesh, muscle, and individual features to bring them to life and make them effective. Various kinds of qualifiers provide the flesh, muscle, and features in sentences. o The basic Subject-Verb pattern in the sentence “Morning

arrived” can become “The gray Monday morning finally arrived.”

Check students’ understanding of the syntactical cueing system. For example: What is the meaning of the italicized nonsense words in the following contexts: Jan glondered quickly. Jan glabered the troper. Jan was globered. Check students’ ability to identify the qualifiers.


CC 9.4b CR 9.3b

o The details that have been added qualify the kernel words. “The gray”, and “Monday” tell more about the morning (or subject) and are called adjective qualifiers. They make the words that they qualify more vivid and precise by telling how many, which one, or what kind.

o “Finally” tells more about the verb by answering how? when? where? why? and to what extent? This type of qualifier is called an adverb – the word that qualifies or describes a verb. It is a very useful and versatile qualifier and can be used not only with verbs but also with adjectives or other adverbs. It usually tells to what extent (e.g., “It was a very gray Monday morning.”). Add qualifiers (both adjectives and adverbs) to each kernel sentence above to make it more interesting.

o Ensure that each time you add an adjective or an adverb, you are specific enough to convey your exact meaning. For example, Sandy looked slightly doubtful. Sandy looked rather doubtful. Sandy looked extremely doubtful. You can also use adverbs such as “very” and “too” in front of an adjective or adverb to make its meaning more exact. These adverbs intensify the adjective or adverb but should not be overused.

Note: If students have a good background in the syntactical cueing system, you may wish to also point out that sometimes single-word adjective and adverb qualifiers do not let them express meaning as specifically as they want. A preposition phrase conveys specifically where, when, how, or why something happened, or how long it went on. Likewise, adjective and adverb clauses (groups of words containing a subject and a verb and usually introduced by words like who, that, which, whom, [in adjective clauses] and after, as soon as, where, because, so that, although, unless, as if, as though [in adverb clauses]) also help to enhance meaning. Whether a single word, a phrase, or a clause qualifier, these words and groups of words all do the same job and give more detail to answer the same questions. • Students might create a more interesting story using the

following kernel sentences and qualifier prompts. o [When] Sandy fell [how] [where]. o The [which] people laughed at the [which one] girl [how]. o She felt [how] and [how] ran [where]. o Her [which one] face told the story.

• Students could also take sentences pared down to their bare-bones and make them more interesting. Sandy ran. Faster, in the morning, today, than others Wind blew trees. The, yesterday, in Saskatchewan, soft, several, maple, those, down, hurricane-force

Check students’ ability to use the appropriate qualifiers for the context.

Check students’ ability to manipulate qualifiers for effect and clarity.


CC 9.6b CR 9.6b CC 9.9b CC 9.8b CC 9.2b CC 9.6b

• Have students reread “Acceptance” (Crossroads 9) and note some of the qualifiers that Sridharan used for a particular effect (e.g., cool, uncertainly, another, to the library).

Reflecting Activities Have students choose one of the following activities: • Of the characters that you have encountered so far, whom

would you like to have as a friend? Why? Write a paragraph to your parent explaining your choice.

• Read “Crosswords” (Gina Douthwaite) (SightLines 9). Create your own crossword-style poem on friendship.

• Donna (in “Golden Girl”) and Andy (in “On the Sidewalk Bleeding”) worked hard to be friends with Anna and with the members of the gang, respectively. Imagine that you are Donna or Andy and are applying for the job of being a “best friend” of Donna or Andy. Create a convincing letter of application for the position.

Relationships: Family Focus Question 3: What does it mean to belong and to be loyal to our family? Approximately 1½ weeks “Families are like peanut brittle. It takes a lot of sweetness to hold all the nuts together.” (Preview of the movie Used People) Belonging to a family is another important relationship in our lives. We can choose our friends but, like it or not, we are born into families and we must, for the most part, manage with those with whom we find ourselves. However these various relationships work out, our interactions with family members have a profound influence throughout our lives (Emra, 1999, p. 91). What comes to your mind when you think about family? As a child, were you raised in a traditional family, with a mother, father, brothers, and sisters? Or were you raised by a stepmother, grandparent, aunt, or someone not a blood relative? Regardless of how people are related, families come in all shapes and sizes. Each family has it own unique personal, cultural, and religious beliefs and customs (Niemet, 1992, p. 19). The essence of “family” is that people belong to each other and feel that they are responsible for each other. They support and give each other a sense of security, self-worth, and pass on their values, attitudes, and traditions.

Students will need to return to their initial reflections on the first two focus questions. What are their thoughts after having explored these questions? Have students add their insights at this point in the unit to their initial reflections. Create with students a rubric for evaluating their final products for this section. The writing and poetry rubrics already developed could be used. “Writing Business Letters” (SightLines 9, Teacher’s Guide) could be used to create the rubric for the letter. Have students note their initial reflection to the third focus question. Remind them to add to it as they work through this section. Encourage students to think carefully about the meaning of the word “family”. Invite them to create an “inclusive” definition that uses inclusive language.


CR 9.6b CR 9.6b CR 9.2b CR 9.5b CR 9.2b CR 9.3b CR 9.2b

Family Opinionnaire Have the students respond by putting an A for agree or a D for disagree next to each statement and by providing a brief reason for their opinion. Remind students that there are not right or wrong answers. Everyone’s opinion is valid if it can be supported. __ There is one single description that fits all families.

Reason: __ Family members have responsibility to each other and to the

family unit. Reason:

__ A parent should be a teenager’s best friend. Reason:

__ All members of a family are equally responsible for the protection of the family unit. Reason:

__ Families are closer to each other on happy occasions than in crisis. Reason:

__ Conflict is a given in a family. Reason:

__ A family maintains its unity by sharing mutual responsibility. Reason:

__ The family as a whole must agree on how to solve problems. Reason:

__ Above all, individuals must be loyal to the family. Reason:

Suggested Resources: “All” (Leona Gom) (SightLines 9) or a similar poem about family and family relationships Before Reading • As we get older, our family relationships usually change,

especially with our parents. What does the visual that accompanies the poem suggest about the poem’s topic and tone?

• Listen to a reading of the poem. What memories are recalled in the poem?

During Reading • Read the poem and in one column of a two-column chart, list

the memories this family has of each other. After Reading • What is the relationship that exists between the speaker of the

poem and his/her family? Is this a realistic picture of how a

Review expectations for the supporting statement – at least one reason that students can use to support their opinion. Reinforce the use of complete statements (sentences), strong verbs, clear and appropriate qualifiers. Consider “Reading a Poem: Observation Checklist” (SightLines 9, Teacher’s Guide) or a variation of this to assess and evaluate students’ reading and interpretation.


CC 9.6b CC 9.7b CR 9.6b CR 9.2b CR 9.2b CR 9.3b CC 9.7b CR 9.5b CR 9.2b CC 9.9b

family functions? Do you have gaps in your conversations with family members? Why is the poem titled “All”?

• Return to your column chart. In column two, list five memories that you would include if you were writing a poem or recounting your family stories.

Speaking • “Are anybody’s parents typical” (Madelaine L’Engle)? What is

your relationship with your parent(s) or guardian(s)? If we could eavesdrop on a conversation between you and one or your parent(s) or guardian(s), what would we hear?

• Work with a partner to role-play a typical conversation between you and one of your parent(s) or guardian(s) (see “Role Play” p. 179, ResourceLines 9/10 and “Observation Checklist” #31).

Possible Mini-Lessons: Tone of Voice, Writing Dialogue, Role Play Suggested Resources: “Instructions to My Mother” (Marilyn Dumont) (SightLines 9) or a similar poem about relationships between a mother or father and a son or daughter Before Reading • Have you ever felt misunderstood by your parent(s) or

guardian(s)? How do you respond when you feel misunderstood?

During Reading • Read the poem silently twice. • Now read it aloud to a partner using the appropriate tone of

voice. (Note that certain lines or phrases are indented. How does this help you read the poem?)

• Ask your partner to read it aloud to you. • With your partner, make a list of the pros and cons to show the

contrast between what the mother does and what the daughter wants her to do.

After Reading • Did you identify with the speaker or her experiences? • Formulate some advice that you would give to your mother,

father, or other family member about parenting teenagers. • Consider using sentence frames such as: o I do not want my mother/father/guardian to … Instead, I

want her/him to … o My mother/father/guardian does not want me to …

Instead, she/he wants me to …

Note the care students take with their notemaking. Use a simple observation checklist to note each student’s ability to work with another (e.g., listens attentively, contributes actively, supports partner). Create checklist similar to “Role Play: Observation Checklist” #31 (SightLines 9, Teacher’s Guide).

Use rubric created earlier with students to evaluate poem, or use “Writing Rubric” (Crossroads 9, Teacher’s Guide, p. 306);


CC 9.6b CR 9.4b CR 9.6b CR 9.2b CR 9.2b CR 9.3b CR 9.2b CC 9.5b CR 9.3b

• After having made several statements, write a poem from your perspective giving instruction to your parent or guardian.

• Meet in small groups and read the draft of your poem. Possible Mini-Lessons: Writing Process, Poetry Formats. Suggested Resources: “Zits” (Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman) (Crossroads 9) or a similar comic strip about the trials and tribulations in the life and relationships between parents and teenagers Pre-viewing and Before Reading • Newspaper comic strips often deal with serious issues in a

humorous way. • Provide students with a copy of the first comic strip with the

text deleted, except for the word “I” in the first panel and the words “As usual, my parents” in the second panel.

• Have students suggest words to complete the retained text in each of the two panels.

During Viewing and Reading • Which frames in the three comic strips contain the punch lines

(i.e., the line that is intended to make us laugh)? • What is the point being made about parent-teenager

relationships? • Which comic strip is your favourite? Why? After Viewing and Reading • Examine the elements in each of the three comic strips –

panels, speech balloons, drawings, text, stock characters, story/conflict, setting, action, facial expression, visual humour, and verbal humour. How are these elements used in the first strip?

• Now create your own four-frame comic strip about a humorous situation in your family relationships. Create a problem to resolve and then create a humorous solution. Give bits of dialogue among the characters.

• Once you have developed your ideas, divide a piece of paper into four squares, and include your dialogue in the dialogue balloons.

• Share your final draft with your peers and get some feedback on how to improve your comic strip.

Language Study: Combining Kernel Sentences • In “Zits” (Crossroads 9), Jerry Scott and Jim Borgam have

combined four kernel sentences (each with its own verb and subject) into one sentence. “I woke up this morning. I did my stuff. I got dressed. I went downstairs.” These four sentences

“Writing Poetry: Observation Checklist” (SightLines 9, Teacher’s Guide); or “Poetry Checklist” (Identities 9). Note students’ viewing and representing strengths. Create with students a simple rubric to evaluate their products (e.g., content, drawing, dialogue, effectiveness).


CC 9.4b CC 9.4b CC 9.6b CC 9.45b CC 9.6b CC 9.4b CC 9.6b

now read: “I woke up this morning, did my stuff, got dressed, and went downstairs.” Combining kernel sentences can add variety to your speaking and writing.

• Consider, for example, how you might describe one of your morning rituals (“I did my stuff”) such as showering. Combine each of the following clusters of kernel sentences into one sentence and then sequence the sentences into a short paragraph. o Cluster One: I stepped into the shower. I closed the door. I

turned the faucet. o Cluster Two: The water flowed over my head. It flowed

down my body. The water came in sheets. The sheets were warm.

o Cluster Three: I relaxed under the noise of rushing water. I was unable to think about anything.

o Cluster Four: I hummed to myself. I turned slowly. I turned under the showerhead. The showerhead gushed.

o Cluster Five: I closed my eyes. Everything seemed simple. The simplicity was perfect.

o Cluster Six: There was nothing but sensation. The sensation was pure.

o Cluster Seven: I stood that way. The stand was for a long time. I listened to the sound. The sound was of water. The water gurgled down the drain.

(Modelled after “Morning Shower”, Sentence Combining: A Canadian Composing Book by William Strong.) • Encourage students to combine the sentences, listen to them,

say them aloud, and experiment with the structures. Once writers have a paragraph that they like, have them compare their sentences with those of other students. Which sentences sound best? Why?

• Sometimes, when we combine ideas of equal importance that are about the same or similar subject, we can connect them with “and” or “but”. For example, o The water was hot. The soap was foamy. The water was hot

and the soap was foamy. o I like a shower. My sister prefers a bath. I like a shower, but

my sister prefers a bath. • Which of the following sentences would you connect with

“and” or “but” and which pair would you not connect with these words (and why)? o I wanted to use the shower first. My dad said I could not. o I found the soap. I found the towel. o I turned on the tap. The tap used to drip. o I looked in the cabinet. There was my shampoo.

• “And”, “but”, and “or” are connecting words that join ideas of equal importance. Many of us, however, overuse or misuse these words, particularly “and” and “but”.

• Consider the following paragraph. What would you recommend that the writer does to break the “and” habit. I was ready to leave the house today, and I was talking to my dad, and I heard him say that he would be late for

Evaluate the clarity and correctness of each sentence.


CC 9.6b CC 9.8b CC 9.3b CC 9.4b

work. And I said that I would be late for school, and I guess he thought that I was too long in the shower, so he started yelling at me. So I started to say that it was not my problem, and he started to say that I was always too slow getting ready for school, and that made both of us late. And then I remembered that he had spent too long listening to the news on the television, and that he could not find his shoes, and he had to change a sock because it had a hole in the toe, and he had not prepared his lunch bag. And I was about to point this out, and then I noticed that he had a smile on his face. And I stopped, and he stopped, and we laughed.

• During this unit, take a close look at your written work to see if you are overusing “and”, “but”, and “so”.

Reflecting on Family Relationships • With a partner or in a small group, respond to and discuss one

of the following questions. With your partner or group, share your ideas clearly and give reasons for each statement that you make in response to the question. Take turns speaking and add to others’ ideas. Restate points or rephrase points for clarification. When you see the signal, identify the four main points that you have made and how you would support each point.

1. What do we owe our families? What do our families owe us? 2. How well do we really know the members of our family? 3. A general definition of a family is that it is a small group of

people related to one another by birth, adoption, or marriages, sharing a household and caring for one another. Do you agree or disagree with this statement?

4. Are we influenced positively and negatively by our family members?

5. Do we have to be related to someone to consider that person a member of our family? Have you ever had a friend who felt like family?

6. Within a family, members usually find love, sympathy, and companionship more easily than in other groups, yet a Chinese proverb says, “Nobody’s family can hang out the sign, ‘Nothing the matter here’”. Do you agree or disagree with this statement?

• In a humorous essay, “The Care and Training of Parents”,

Margo Mason Barrett suggests that “the average parent is not easy to understand, and it is hard to anticipate his or her next move”, “many parents do not improve with age”, and “it is useless to try to change most parents.” Use one of these statements as your topic sentence and write a narrative essay to illustrate why this may or may not be true.

Evaluate the written product for correction of the “and” and “but” overuse. Look carefully at finished products done in reflection activities for this section.

Evaluate group work considering: focusing on task, following directions or appropriate process, showing respect for each other, and using examples to explain each main point. Establish criteria for essay evaluation with students. Consider the following: • Criterion 1: Message and

Quality • Criterion 2: Organization

and Coherence • Criterion 3: Language

Choices (e.g., Tone) • Criterion 4: Conventions


CC 9.6b CC 9.2b CR 9.7b CR 9.6b CR 9.2b

Possible Mini-Lesson: Writing an Essay Relationships: Someone Special Approximately 1 week “The easiest kind of relationship is with ten thousand people, the hardest is with one.” (Joan Baez) “If you’re in a relationship and you want to make it work, you have to be a little selfless at times.” (Montel Williams) Focus Question 4: What does it mean to be in love? What is “love”? Write a personal definition of “love”. Consider what it looks like, feels like, and how people in love act. What is the difference between infatuation (e.g., in “Golden Girl”) and “real” and “true” love? Love Opinionnaire Have students respond by putting an A for agree or a D for disagree next to each statement and by providing a brief reason for their opinion. Remind respondents that there are not right or wrong answers. Everyone’s opinion is valid if it can be supported.

__ Love at first sight is not possible. Reason: __ “True love” means that you would be willing to die for the

person you love rather than live without him/her. Reason: __ A person should only marry someone if he/she is of the same

skin colour and racial origin. Reason: __ Parents should have a say in choosing a marriage partner. Reason: __ Adolescents are not really capable of having a “true love”. Reason: __ It is important to be loyal to the person you love, even if

he/she breaks the law. Reason: Suggested Resources: “The Masks of Love” (Alden Nowlan) (SightLines 9) or a similar poem about an adolescent in love Before Reading • This lyric poem is about an ordinary event but it expresses a

moment of intense emotion for the speaker. • Although the words “mask” and “love” will not appear in the

poem, they are used in the title. What do masks do? How and why do we use our facial expressions to mask our true feelings?

Have students note their initial reflection to the fourth focus question. Remind students to add to it as they work through this section. Review expectations for the supporting statement – at least one reason to support the opinion.


CR 9.2b CR 9.3b CR 9.2b CC 9.6b CC 9.6b CC 9.6b CR 9.6b CR 9.2b CR 9.2b CC 9.3b CC 9.7b CR 9.2b

During Reading • Read the poem once silently. • Now consider where the speaker is in this poem and the

question he is asked. Who do you think “they” are? Why would “they” think the speaker is crazy? Why would the speaker have to wear a “mask” in front of “them”?

After Reading • With a partner, role play the answer the speaker might give to

“them” and how “they” might respond. • Why did you enjoy or not enjoy this poem? What role should parents play in love? Conduct a two-sided survey. Consider two questions:

(1) What are the specific qualities that describe the perfect lifelong mate for you?

(2) What are specific qualities that you think your parents want for you to find in a lifelong mate?

Now, share these two questions with your parent(s) or guardian(s):

(1) What specific qualifies do you hope your son/daughter finds

in a lifelong mate? (2) What qualities do you think your son/daughter values most

in a lifelong mate? How similar or different are your views? What did you find? Suggested Resources: “Real Love” (Marlisa Tiedemann) (In Touch) or a similar poem about “true” love Before Reading • It has been said that “friendship is the first step towards falling

in love”? Do you agree? During Reading • Read the poem silently and then aloud to a partner. In your

second reading, indicate through your expression the tone of voice that you think the speaker might use.

After Reading • Why did you enjoy or not enjoy this poem? • Did you find it more or less powerful than “The Masks of Love”?

Why or why not?

Check inference making and support of inferences with evidence from the text. Use a simple observation checklist to note each student’s ability to work with another (e.g., listens attentively, contributes actively, supports partner). Use checklist similar to “Role Play: Observation Checklist“#31 (SightLines 9, Teacher’s Guide). Encourage support of all conclusions with direct evidence from survey.


CR 9.7b CR 9.2b CR 9.3b CC 9.6b CR 9.3b CC 9.4b CR 9.6b

Possible Mini-Lessons: Comparing Two Texts, Tone Consider the view of love found in the following three stories: • “Gifts of the Magi” (short story by O. Henry) (In Touch) or similar

story about “true” love • “Sir Gawain and the Loathly Lady” (traditional story retold by

Selina Hastings) (Crossroads 9) or a similar traditional tale of love

• “Savitri and Satyavan” (Hindu myth retold by Madhur Jaffrey) (Crossroads 9) or a similar love story that involves sacrifice or considering parents’ wishes

Which story best illustrates your understanding of “true” love? Explain.

Language Study: Varying Kernel Sentences • Most good speakers and writers vary the length of their

sentences. This helps the sentence flow smoothly and helps communicate the important idea in each sentence. o Short sentences usually show strong feeling or dramatic

action (e.g., “She walked into the room.”) or an important conclusion (e.g., “They are the magi.”)

o Longer sentence are often more useful in showing the relationships among ideas and events (e.g., “I had my hair cut off and sold it because I couldn’t have lived through Christmas without giving you a present.”).

o Too many short sentences make communication seem choppy. Too many long sentences make it hard to follow ideas.

• Rewrite the following paragraph. Strive for a pleasing variety

of sentence lengths. Compare your version with O. Henry’s original.

The magi were wise men. The magi were wonderfully wise. The magi invited the art of giving. The magi gave Christmas gifts. Their gifts were wise gifts. Their gifts could be possibly exchanged in case of duplication. Here I have told to you a story. I have told you about two foolish children. The children lived in a flat. The children made a sacrifice for each other. The children were unwise. The children sacrificed their true love’s greatest possession. A final word should be said. The final word is for us of today. The word is that these two children were the wisest. The word is that these two children are the magi.

Reflecting on Special Relationships • Review each of the poems and stories that you have read in

this section on “someone special”. Make one or two summary statements about each selection.

Establish a comparison chart for the two texts that includes: Subject, Main Idea/Theme, Speaker’s Views, Images, Overall Effectiveness of Poem. Note the role of supporting thinking with evidence from the texts. This is perhaps a good time to use a checklist such as “Reading a Short Story: Observation Checklist” (SightLines 9, Teacher’s Guide). Have students prepare a comparison chart for the three texts using headings such as Subject, Theme, Main Characters, Conflicts, Overall Effectiveness. Evaluate for clarity, variety, and effectiveness.


CC 9.3b CC 9.4b CR 9.6a CR 9.5b CR 9.5b CR 9.3b

• Now create a paragraph that begins with the topic sentence: “There are different views on love.”

• Use your summary sentences to write the rest of the paragraph and then create a concluding sentence that summarizes what you have learned from the different viewpoints.

• Revise your paragraph, paying particular attention to the sentence clarity and variety.

A Hard Lesson in Relationships Approximately 2 weeks Suggested Resources: “The Most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet” (Identities 9) or scenes from A Midsummer Night’s Dream (e.g., the idealized view of love in the Pyramus and Thisbe scene) Shakespeare’s plays help us find out about life and relationships. In Romeo and Juliet, we see friendship and loyalty between men and women, men and men, women and women, and between masters and servants. We also see love between young lovers and between members of one family. In the play, Juliet has married Romeo secretly because her parents and his are enemies. Unfortunately their married happiness has been cut short because Romeo has been banished for killing Juliet’s cousin in a duel. Also, Juliet’s parents, Lord and Lady Capulet, have found a suitable husband for her – the Count Paris. They want to cheer her up for the death of her cousin and so have arranged the marriage to take place in three days’ time, to Juliet’s horror. Romeo and Juliet shows us a lesson that the families and friends of Romeo and Juliet learned the hard way. Can the love of two people mend generations of family conflict? Note: The synopses and scene excerpts presented in “The Most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedy of … Romeo and Juliet” (Identities 9) highlight for students the main action and universal themes of Romeo and Juliet: a family feud, friendship, love, loyalty, revenge, and tragic death. These short texts accompanied by the viewing of a film version of the play provide a short but sufficient introduction to Shakespeare for Grade 9 students. If students are interested in reading the entire play, Romeo and Juliet (Cambridge School Shakespeare) and Romeo and Juliet with Related Readings (ITP) are accessible and useful texts. If students are not familiar with drama and theatre, teachers may wish to review the elements of drama including: Script (the written form of the play containing stage directions and dialogue often divided into acts and scenes), the parts of a stage (C [centre], UR [up right], UC [up centre, UL [up left]), and the elements of spectacle (i.e., the lights, sets, curtains, costumes, makeup, music, sound effects, properties, and movements of the actors including any special movement such as mime or dance).

Establish criteria for the paragraph similar to that used with the essay (i.e., Criterion 1: Message and Quality Criterion 2: Organization and Coherence Criterion 3: Language Choices (e.g., Tone) Criterion 4: Conventions).


CC 9.9b CR 9.6b CC 9.6b CR 9.6b CC 9.6b CR 9.3b

Students may wish to start a Scene Log (highlighting when and where the scene takes place, the characters in it, what happens, any thoughts and comments) and a Character Log (noting key points about the character, reasons for choosing these/any quotations), or they may wish to create a diary for a character of their choice. Throughout this study of Romeo and Juliet, help students consider the relationships and the themes of love and loyalty. Help students understand the events of the play but keep the emphasis on the characters, their motivations, actions, decisions, and the consequences. Prologue (Identities 9, p. 176 or other version of the play) Consider the following situation: • Scene: The school soccer field just prior to a scheduled soccer

practice. • Characters: Trevor, Andy, Mark, Lucien, several other students,

coach. • Action: Trevor and Andy are best friends, as are Mark and

Lucien. Trevor and Andy have a long-standing grudge against Mark and Lucien. The four meet on the school soccer field and a loud, shoving match provoked by Trevor and Andy begins. Suddenly other students join in the disagreement, taking one side or the other. When the coach arrives, his attempts to find out who started it fail as each side blames the other. The coach then gives the two sides a warning about what will happen if they fight in the future. How do you think it might sound? What happens when people disagree?

• Explain to students that a disagreement of a similar nature happens at the beginning of the play, Romeo and Juliet, because of a long-standing feud between the Capulets and the Montagues, two old families of Verona, Italy.

• The play begins with a prologue, in which a single actor comes onto the stage and speaks to the audience. This prologue gives an outline of the play.

• Retell the prologue in your own words. What is going to happen in this play? What key words or phrases in the prologue are particularly important to your understanding? Explain why.

• How would you present the prologue as true-life drama in Canada today?

Language and Technique • Throughout this part of the unit, help students understand the

key words and phrases found in the play (e.g., avenging, citizen, banishment, feud, dejectedly, exile, foul, friar, monastery, nunnery, spited, vial) as well as the colourful terms and phrases for which Shakespeare is renown (e.g., slug-a-bed).

The log can be used as a running check of students’ understanding of the play. Use a simple observation checklist to note each student’s abilities to work with each other (e.g., listen attentively, contribute actively, support each other). Create checklist similar to “Role Play: Observation Checklist” #31 (SightLines 9, Teacher’s Guide). Create and share with students a broad rubric to assess and evaluate their receptive (listening, reading, and viewing) skills and strategies and their expressive (speaking, writing, and representing) skills and strategies for this part of the unit. Have students begin a log of their new and interesting “Shakespearean” words.


CR 9.6b CR 9.6b CR 9.5b CR 9.4b CC 9.5b CC 9.5b CC 9.7b

• What words, phrases, or sentences in the prologue most clearly indicate the atmosphere at the beginning of the play?

ACT I You are a young woman or man very much in love with your boy/girlfriend. You are confident that one day you will marry each other but your family does not approve of your boy/girlfriend or his/her family. Do you obey your family or follow your heart? Have students read the synopsis section and consider the questions: • What does this act remind you or make you think of? • What is your impression of Romeo or Juliet based on this act? • What did you find out about the characters’ personalities? Read the synopses and script excerpt (Identities 9, p. 177 or Act I, Scene V excerpt from another version) aloud to the students, explaining the terms and ideas as you go. Use the “Pause and Think” strategy, footnotes, and prompt question provided. Now, view the opening scenes of a movie version of Romeo and Juliet (e.g., Franco Zeffirelli’s version). Pause after Act I, Scene I and help the students prepare and complete a chart that identifies the characters loyal to the Capulets and those who are loyal to the Montagues, as well as any other characters they encounter. Have students add to their chart as they encounter new characters during the play.

Loyal to Capulets Loyal to Montagues

Other Characters

With at least 11 classmates, recreate a tableau or “freeze” for at least 60 seconds (no movement whatever) that gives a snapshot photograph showing the height of the riot in Act I, Scene I, line 72. In a group of four, read aloud the Prince’s speech (Act I, Scene I, lines 72-94) (“Rebellious subject, enemies to peace”). Have each person speak one line only, then “hand on” the next line to the next person. Read it again around the group, but this time, when your turn comes, say only one word from each of your lines (the word that you think is most important). Think about the words chosen and the tone in which you think the Prince speaks (Gibson, 2002, p. 8). View the rest of the act. Consider and read aloud Act I, Scene IV, lines 25-26. How does Romeo define ”love”? Do you agree with him? Why or why not?

Students should be able to demonstrate a good understanding of the main idea, express an interpretation supported with textual information, express opinions with justification, and consider and respect opinions offered by others. Possible representing and group work evaluation. Possible speaking evaluation. Possible viewing evaluation.


CR 9.4b CR 9.5b CR 9.3b CC 9.9b CC 9.3b

Listen and read again Romeo’s speech – “O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!” (Act 1, Scene V, line 43). What motivated Romeo to say “O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright”? Romeo loves Juliet from the moment he sees her and Juliet falls instantly in love with him. Do you believe in love at first sight? Line 43 is an example of hyperbole – exaggerated language (“hype”). Create a line of your own in a similar style to say the same thing. Reflecting on Act I These activities give students an opportunity to have ownership for the play and to consolidate their understanding of each act. Have students choose one activity that appeals to them and that will help them show that they have understood the play so far. • Imagine you are an editor for a newspaper. Your job is to write

brief, memorable headlines for each of the five scenes of Act I. Make your five headlines as accurate as possible using words similar to those Shakespeare might have used or those that you might see in a contemporary paper (or tabloid) (Cambridge, 2002, p. 46).

• Imagine that you are Lady Capulet. Write a party invitation for the feast held in your home in Act I. Describe the food, dancing, and other activities in such a way as to make your invited guests look forward to the party (Farrell, 2001, p. 325).

• Assume that you are Romeo or Juliet at the end of Act I. Write a personal letter to the other person you have met at the feast. Be sure to express your feelings about the other person as well as your hopes and fears for the future (Farrell, 2001, p. 325).

• Play the role of an advice columnist to whom Romeo has written for help with his troubles in love. He has described his initial love for Rosaline, who felt no love for him, as well as his new love for Juliet, who returns his love but is the daughter of his father’s enemy. He asks, “What should I do?” What advice would you have for Romeo? Write an advice column including Romeo’s letter and your response (Farrell, 2001, p. 325).

• Shakespeare refers to several characters from traditional narratives in Act I. Choose one of these and research the legend behind it: Queen Mab, a fairy queen of English and Welsh legend; Diana, the Roman goddess of chastity and the hunt; or Cupid, the Roman god of love. Prepare a brief oral presentation and share what you have learned with your class. You may want to include visuals that depict your character (Farrell, 2001, p. 325).

Language and Technique in Act I • Shakespeare and Elizabethans were amused and fascinated by

language. They especially liked puns (words that sound the same but have a different meaning). There is a great deal of

Comprehension and response to Act I check. Begin a grid such as that illustrated in Appendix B for students to map their consolidating activity for each act.


CR 9.5b CR 9.6b or CR 95b. CC 9.7b CR 9.4b CR 9.2b CR 9.3b CC 9.6b

“punning” throughout Romeo and Juliet. For example, in the opening of Act I, Scene IV, measure/measure, soles/soul, soar/sore. Have students create a pun and then to be on the lookout for others throughout the play.

ACT II Review the synopsis of Act II (Identities 9, p. 178) and then consider the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet (Act II, Scene II, lines 1-124, pp. 178-182). Explain to students that this is the famous “balcony scene” and is probably the best known scene in all English literature. In this scene, Romeo and Juliet declare their love for each other; however, as the scene begins with Juliet on her balcony and Romeo in the shrubs beneath the balcony, Juliet is unaware of his presence and speaks aloud to herself as if she is alone. Read the scene or have students listen to an audiotape/CD reading. Ask students to consider the significance of Juliet’s lines: “O Romeo, Romeo … no longer be a Capulet” (lines 33-36). What does Romeo’s initial reluctance to let Juliet know he is there suggest to you about him? In what ways are their feelings for one another similar and different? In pairs, have students try “echoing” the words of Romeo by taking lines 1-32 and sitting facing each other. One student reads the lines aloud. The other listens (or follows in the script) and quietly echoes certain words (a) all words to do with light or brightness or eyesight, and (b) all the words that refer to something overhead. As the “upward” words are echoed, a finger also can be pointed upward. What do these “light-giving” words and “upward” words tell you about Romeo’s feelings? (Gibson, 2002, p. 52). Provide a video recording of Act II. Pause and discuss: • The prologue to Act II includes the following quotation. What

is the problem that Romeo and Juliet must now address? “Being held a foe, he may not have access To breathe such vows as lovers use to swear, And she as much in love, her means much less To meet her new beloved anywhere; …”

• Scene I: Romeo hides from his friends, Mercutio and Benvolio, and hears them making jokes and teasing him about his love for Juliet. Ask students if their friends have ever teased them about a girlfriend or boyfriend. How have these teasing statements made them feel and what did they do about it?

• Scene II: In the balcony scene, what techniques does Shakespeare use to allow Romeo to quickly find out Juliet’s feelings for him? Who is the most practical of the lovers? (Support interpretation with quotes.) Both Romeo and Juliet are willing to give up family loyalty for their love. Ask students if they would be prepared to do the same. Why or why not? Do the students think that Romeo and Juliet are being foolishly

Possible listening strategy check. Possible oral language check. Possible viewing strategy check. Possible comprehension and response to Act II check.


CC 9.7b CC 9.9b CC 9.5b

romantic? Why or why not? Ask students if they think romantic love is “real love” or love that will last? Would they ever consider marrying someone whom they had just met? Why or why not?

• Scene III: Friar Laurence plays a vital part in what happens to Romeo and Juliet. In this scene Romeo goes to visit Friar Laurence, his confidant and advisor, to tell him he is in love and make a special request (to marry Romeo and Juliet). What would happen if you were in the same position? Improvise in groups of four or five a number of short examples of a modern teenager, like Romeo, head over heels in love with a new girl, talking with an adult (e.g., priest, teacher, parent). Work out what happens in each case. What does the adult say to the teenager? Use some of Friar Laurence’s techniques: Accusing Romeo of mere infatuation (lines 66-80), making jokes (lines 75-6, 83-4), using proverbs (lines 80-94) (Gibson, 2002, p. 68).

• Scene IV: What signs are there that Benvolio and Mercutio are Romeo’s loyal friends and that the Nurse is a loyal, trusted friend of Juliet’s?

• Scene V: How does Shakespeare increase the dramatic tension by portraying Juliet’s increasing impatience to learn the Nurse’s news and the Nurse using all kinds of methods to delay telling her?

• Scene VI: Shakespeare does not show the wedding of Romeo and Juliet. Would the dramatic effect of the play be increased by adding a wedding scene?

Reflecting on Act II: Choose One • Have students select three or four lines from Act II that appeal

to them. Instruct students to write these lines on a sheet of paper and then listen again to an audio or video recording of the lines to get a sense of their cadence. Have the students practise saying the lines and then learn them by heart. In groups of three or four have students work out a way of presenting their lines together with the favourite lines of the other students. When sufficiently practised, have students recite to the entire class or on audio recordings that can be played to the class.

• Imagine that you are Juliet. Write a diary entry that she might have written after the balcony scene in Act II, Scene II.

• Friar Laurence goes against the wishes of the Capulets and Montagues in marrying Romeo and Juliet, and helps deceive the families as well, in order to accomplish what he believes is a worthy goal. Does “the end justify the means”? Do you agree? In a paragraph, explain.

• Rewrite the dialogue between Romeo and Juliet in Act II, Scene II, lines 2-60 in modern language, as you would use to speak to a peer. Practise reading it aloud. Which version is more dramatic? The original or yours? Why?

Have students use the Consolidating Learning Log found in Appendix B to map their consolidating activity for each act.


CR 9.3b CR 9.6b CR 9.6b or CR 9.5b CC 9.7b CR 9.6b CR 9.4b CR 9.4b or CR 9.5b CR 9.2b CR 9.3b

• Imagine that you are going to stage the balcony scene from Act II in a contemporary theatre. Make plans for the set design for the scene. Create a written description and a drawing of the stage set (including what might be painted on the backdrops). What objects might be placed on the stage and what lighting effects might the scene require?

Language and Technique in Act II • The Nurse uses malapropisms (e.g., she uses “confidence

instead of “conference” and “indite” instead of “invite” in Scene IV, lines 105-106). Malapropisms are named after Mrs. Malaprop, who muddled up her language in Sheridan’s play The Rivals.

• Shakespeare uses verse in five of the six scenes in this act. Why did he change his style from verse to prose in one scene?

ACT III Trouble again heats up between the Capulets and the Montagues. Mercutio and Benvolio meet Tybalt in the street. They taunt each other. When Romeo enters, a fight breaks out. The result is the death of both Tybalt and Mercutio. Have students read silently the synopsis for Act III (Identities 9, p. 183). Scene I: Read Scene I, lines 30-128 (Identities 9) to students or have them listen to an audio recording. Have the students describe the fight in their own words and consider who caused the fight. How do they think the Capulet family will respond? How will this influence the parents’ reaction to news of the wedding? How might the story have differed if Tybalt were killed instead of Mercutio? In groups of four, have each student take a part – Benvolio, Mercutio, Tybalt, Romeo. Two are to pick a quarrel (fight); two wish to avoid one. Have students read through lines 30-65 to gain a feeling of what’s happening. Next, each person speaks only the words that are intended to avoid or provoke a quarrel. Change parts and repeat the activity to see if the same words are chosen. How do the words we choose tend to start a fight or avoid it (Gibson, 2002, p. 92)? Finally, consider Romeo’s line 127, “O, I am fortune’s fool” – What does he mean? View a video of Scene 1. Have students view or listen to the rest of the act. Use the following outline as a viewing or listening guide. • Scene II: How does the Nurse demonstrate her love and loyalty

to Juliet?

Possible oral language check.


CC 7.6b CC 9.5b

• Scene III: Friar Laurence brings news to Romeo that he is banished for killing Tybalt and Romeo talks of suicide (lines 1-106). Pause the video and have students consider what advice they would give Romeo. How does this compare with the advice that Friar Laurence does give? What is the Friar’s plan? Have students summarize it in their own words.

• Scene IV: The scene is full of dramatic irony. The audience knows something the character does not know. As Lady Capulet plans Juliet’s marriage she is eagerly awaiting her husband Romeo in her bedroom. Identify five examples of dramatic irony in the scene and suggest what makes each ironic.

• Scene V: How do the Capulets respond? What does the arranged marriage suggest to you about male-female relationships in Verona? If you are female, what would you do if you were suddenly told that your father had arranged a marriage for you to a man you barely know? If you are male, do you think fathers should decide who their daughters should marry?

• What should Juliet do? If Juliet were a friend of yours today, what advice would you give her at this point?

Reflecting on Act III: Choose one • Ask students to consider the fight scene again. If they were

directing the fight scene in modern time, how would they update the scene? What would they use instead of swords? What other changes would they make?

• Ask students to imagine they are a reporter for The Verona Mail (or make up a newspaper title). Have them report the action of the events in Scene I.

• Imagine that you are Benvolio, Romeo’s best friend. Write a letter to Juliet, describing what has happened and assuring her that Romeo has behaved honourably (Farrell, 2001, p. 376).

• Were Romeo and Juliet wise to get married so quickly? Did they think enough about how their parents would react? In a paragraph explain your point.

• What arguments does Lord Capulet use to suggest that Juliet should obey him? How have generational conflicts changed in 500 years? How have they stayed the same? In a paragraph, explain your point.

• With which character do you identify in Act III and why? With which character do you least identify with and why? In two paragraphs, explain.

• If you were to choose five sites, somewhere in or around the school, where the five scenes of Act III could most suitably be staged, where would they be and why? Sketch the five sites and explain on the back of each sketch why you chose this site.

Possible Act III comprehension and response check. Have students use the Consolidating Learning Log found in Appendix B to map their consolidating activity for each act.


CR 9.3b CR 9.5b CR 9.6b or CR 9.4b CR 9.tb or CR 9.4b CR 9.6b CR 9.4b or CR 9.5b

Language and Technique in Act III • In a very few lines (often the first four), Shakespeare sets the

mood for each scene in this act. Read aloud the first lines of each scene. What mood is set by these lines and the words that they contain? What are the differences between the language of each?

ACT IV Juliet’s father announces that she will wed Paris. How must she feel? What can she do? Review the synopsis of Act IV (Identities 9, p. 189). View or listen to Act IV, Scene I and then ask students to consider, in groups of three to five, lines 77-86 in Scene I. Juliet says she is prepared to do at least six things rather than marry Paris. What are they and what are some of the things the students would rather do than marry someone not of their own choice? In Scene II, Juliet deceives her father. View or listen to Scene II. Talk about whether you think it is right to lie to your parents. When might you deceive your parents? Explain why you think the Friar’s and Juliet’s actions were wise or foolish. What alternate plan might you have suggested if you were Juliet’s friend? Read Act IV, Scene III (Identities 9, pp. 187-188). Have students consider the “Pause and Think” question. When an actor makes a speech alone on the stage, s/he uses a soliloquy. How does this technique help the audience feel Juliet’s situation at the end of Act IV, Scene III? View or listen to Scenes IV and V: Have students create a reaction chart such as the following: Character Quotation Interpretation

Select one or more quotes that express each character’s grief upon finding Juliet “dead”.

Explain what each of the quotes reveals about the speaker and his or her feelings for Juliet.

The Nurse Lord Capulet Lady Capulet Paris


CC 9.7b CC 9.9b CC 9.3b CC 9.4b CR 9.5b CR 9.6b CR 9.4b or CR 9.4b CC 9.7b, CC 8.3b CC 9.4b

Reflecting on Act IV: Choose one • Assume the role of Friar Laurence and write a personal letter to

Romeo, explaining the plan to free Juliet from marriage to Paris.

• Imagine that you are Paris, overcome with grief at the “death” of your fiancée, Juliet. Write a prose eulogy or a poem about your love for her and your feelings about her death, to be read at her funeral (Farrell, 2001, p. 391).

• Imagine that you are preparing a step-by-step procedure for a stranger to implement Friar Laurence’s plan in Act IV, Scene I, lines 90-125. Write the plan, making sure that your instructions are clear and in the appropriate order.

ACT V The play comes to an end in Act V. Have students view Act V, Scenes I and II. In Scene I, Romeo is informed that Juliet is dead and has been placed in the Capulet monument. He is determined to join her in death and convinces an apothecary to sell him poison. In Scene II, Friar Laurence is worried about the consequences of the undelivered letter and again writes to Romeo. Ask students to consider Romeo’s line, “Well, Juliet, I will lie with thee tonight” (line 34). Is Romeo brave or foolish or ...? Does he really have any alternative? In Scene III, the play ends. Read with the students the summary of Act V, the synopsis, and the excerpt from Scene III in Identities 9 (p. 189). What happens and who does the prince hold responsible for the tragedy? Have the students view or listen to a recording of Scene III. What do they think of the ending of Romeo and Juliet? How has Romeo’s understanding of love matured from when he first spoke of his love for Rosaline? How is Romeo’s more mature understanding of love contrasted with Paris’ idealistic view of love (Act V, Scene III, lines 1-21)? How could Shakespeare have ended this story differently? Three Final Considerations: Friends, Family, and Relationships in Romeo and Juliet • Have students consider the types of friendship, loyalty, and

love found in the play: a) Friendship: Romeo and Benvolio, Romeo and Mercutio,

Romeo and Friar Laurence, Nurse and Juliet b) Parental Love: Lord and Lady Capulet for Juliet, Lord and

Lady Montague for Romeo, Nurse for Juliet c) Love of Family Honour: Tybalt, Mercutio, Romeo d) Romantic Love: Romeo and Juliet e) Unrequited Love: Romeo for Rosaline, Paris for Juliet f) Love of Self: Tybalt and Mercutio

Possible Act IV comprehension and response check. Have students use their grid to map their consolidating activity for the act.


CC 9.7b CC 9.5b, CC 9.7b CC 9.8b CC 9.9b CC 9.3b CC 9.4b CR 9.6b

• Have students find and cite examples that illustrate each of these types of love.

Possible Mini-Lesson: Proper Citation Form

• Did Romeo and Juliet die in vain? Why or why not? Discuss. • What message does this play teach about relationships and

love? What might be the moral or theme of the play? Discuss. Reflecting on Act V and the Play as a Whole: Choose one • Who do you feel is to blame for the tragic fate of Romeo and

Juliet? Consider how each of the main characters in Romeo and Juliet contributes to the tragic end.

• What personality characteristics do Romeo and Juliet both have that help bring about the tragedy? What characteristics do their parents have that contribute to the tragedy? What roles do Tybalt and Benvolio play in the tragedy? What parts do the Nurse and the Friar play? Write an essay to support your argument.

• How do you think Friar Laurence feels at the end of the play? Does he feel responsible for the deaths? Does he blame the Montagues and the Capulets? Compose a letter that Friar Laurence might have written to either Romeo’s or Juliet’s family, expressing his feelings.

• Recall a time when your own good intentions went awry and you unintentionally caused a bad outcome. What might have averted that bad outcome? What could you have done differently? (Farrell, 2001, p. 407). Recount in a paragraph the experience and outcomes.

• Improvise scenes to act out different love relationships in the play or in real life.

• Write an epitaph to be used on a tomb or written in commemoration of Romeo, Juliet, Paris, or Lady Montague.

• Show your version of the play in five tableaux. Each “frozen moment” must have a caption – in either your own language or in Shakespeare’s (Gibson, 2002, p. 219).

• You have been commissioned to design the golden statue of Romeo and Juliet. Prepare a tableau to show your statue and write an inscription that you would include at the base of the statue.

• Read the play or watch the film West Side Story. Compare it to Romeo and Juliet. How is it similar and how it is different? Which version is more effective, for you, at conveying the lesson that hatred and feuding cause only grief and heartache? Why? (Farrell, 2001, p. 409).

• Create a modern scene with two to four characters based on a theme in Romeo and Juliet. Devise a new situation, setting, and character names, but be faithful both to the theme from Romeo and Juliet and the basic personalities of the characters (Farrell, 2001, p. 412).

Possible Act V comprehension and response check. Have students use their grid to map their consolidating activity for the act.


AR 9.1b AR 9.2b

• Choose a few lines of dialogue from either the balcony scene or the fight scene. Work with a partner to develop a dramatic reading of the episode.

What Have You Learned? Self-Assessment • Ask students to reflect on their learning. As you worked

through this unit, what did you learn? • Consider the focus questions: o Why do people need each other? o What does it mean to be a loyal and true friend? o What does it mean to belong and be loyal to our family? o What does it mean to be in love?

• How well did you complete your assignments? • What were your strengths? What do you need to work on in

the next unit? • Did you work collaboratively with others? • What have you learned about the English language? Peer Assessment Did my partner(s) and group member(s): • participate effectively in group activities • listen respectfully to others • help and build on ideas of others • stay on task • respond appropriately to others • encourage others through nonverbal and verbal cues • work collaboratively and co-operatively?


Appendix A

Reading Log for Unit

Title Author Date Number

of Pages

Comments Rating Started

Finished

Appendix A


Appendix B

Consolidating Learning Romeo and Juliet

Act Consolidating Activity Criteria Used Mark

Act I Comments:

Act II Comments:

Act III Comments:

Act IV Comments:

Act V Comments:

Concluding Activity

Appendix B

middle level english language arts (ela) grade 9 a model

Documents