Multimedia Lesson Plan: Romeo + Juliet

Mr. Simon-Joseph Querimit
9th grade English
Literature: William Shakespeare plays
Lesson Time: 5 weeks (50 minute classes)

Analyze Learners

Number of Students: 25
Gender: 14 females, 11 males
Age Range: 14-17 years old
A majority of students are visual learners, and respond better with hands-on activities.
Two students, one male and one female, are labeled as SPED students.


State Objectives

1. Students will read the final act of Romeo and Juliet together in class.
2. Students will take part in a class discussion on how to modernize the story of Romeo and Juliet.
3. Students will watch the modern and latest film update of the play, Romeo + Juliet (dir. Baz Luhrman, 1998).
4. Students will be divided into groups of five, and together, they will write a modern version of the final act.
5. Students will film their scripts using digital cameras or camcorders.
6. Students will use the classroom computers to upload their footage onto the hard drive as well as a flash drive for storage.
7. Students will edit their footage into a short film using the Windows Movie Maker program.
8. Students will show their short films using a laptop and an overhead projector.
9. Students will present their short films in class.


Select Media, Materials, and Methods

1. Glencoe Literature text with Romeo and Juliet
2. DVD: Romeo + Juliet (dir. Baz Luhrman, 1998)
3. Television set
4. DVD player
5. Computers with internet capabilities, Microsoft Movie Maker, and Microsoft Word
6. Digital cameras or camcorders
7. Flash/ USB drive
8. Laptop (provided by teacher)
9. Overhead projector


Utilize Media, Materials, and Methods

1. Students will use the text to read the final act of Romeo and Juliet.
2. Students will watch the modern film version of Romeo and Juliet using the DVD, the DVD player, and the television set.
3. Students will use Microsoft Word to transcribe the final draft of their script.
4. Students will use the digital camera and/or digital camcorder to record their footage from their script.
5. Students will use Microsoft Movie Maker or any other film editing programs to create a short film.
6. Students will store the footage and the short film itself on the hard drive of the computer as well as a flash or USB drive.
7. Students will present their short films using the laptop and overhead projector.


Require Learner Participation


Week 1

1. Students will read the final act of Romeo and Juliet in class.
2. Students will watch the modern film version of Romeo and Juliet.
3. Students will discuss the different ways to modernize the final act of Romeo and Juliet.


Week 2

1. Students will be divided into five groups of five students.
2. Students will write a rough draft of their modern interpretation on the final scene.
3. Students will write and type out their final draft of the final scene using Microsoft Word.

Week 3 and 4

1. Students will film their modern version of the final act using a digital camera or camcorder.
2. Students will edit their footage using Microsoft Movie Maker or any other film editing program on their computer.
3. Students will transfer their short film onto a flash or USB drive.
4. Students will save the short film onto the hard drive of the computer.

Week 5

1. Students will present their short films using the teacher’s laptop and an overhead projector.
2. Students will turn in the rough draft and the final draft of their short film.


Evaluate and Revise

Student Performance

The lesson will help students understand the changes that have occurred in society from the era of Shakespeare to modern times of today. The students will learn to apply technology in their assignments to better enhance their learning experience of Romeo and Juliet.

At the same time, students will sharpen their reading and writing skills as they put their final project together. The assignment will help students tap into their creative and thus, imaginative side.

Teacher Performance

The lesson will help the teacher evaluate whether or not the students understood how society has changed over the years despite the play’s timeless theme of forbidden love and inevitable tragedy. The teacher will be able to distinguish what worked and what didn’t, and modify the lesson if it is carried out the following school year.


Media Effectiveness

Using the DVD player and TV to show the modern version of Romeo and Juliet is meant to give student ideas on how to give Romeo and Juliet a modern ending, i.e. guns instead of swords. Students will learn to use digital cameras and camcorders to film footage. They will sharpen their skills in filming and editing using Microsoft Movie Maker. Students will become proficient in using the computer since they will be using programs such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft Movie Maker, as well as the hard drive and flash/USB drive to store data.