Primary teaching resources

Contents

Romeo and Juliet – The prologue 1Romeo and Juliet – Act 1 2Romeo and Juliet – Act 2 3Romeo and Juliet – Act 3 4Romeo and Juliet – Act 4 & 5 5

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Shakespeare 400

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Resources: KS2 English > Romeo and Juliet > Videos > Act 1 – The prologue section only

Learning objectives: To be able to understand and analyse the language of the prologue in Romeo and Juliet.

Curriculum Links:• identifying the audience for and purpose of the writing, selecting the appropriate form and using other similar writing as models for their own • in writing narratives, considering how authors have developed characters and settings in what pupils have read, listened to or seen performed

Key quotationPrologue Two households, both alike in dignity,

In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.From forth the fatal loins of these two foesA pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life; Whose misadventured piteous overthrowsDo with their death bury their parents' strife.The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love,And the continuance of their parents' rage,Which, but their children's end, nought could remove,Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;The which if you with patient ears attend,What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.

Discussion• What do you think a prologue is?• Does the prologue make you want to watch the play?• What powerful words are used in the prologue?

Further resourcesKS2 English > Romeo and Juliet: Explore the activities for more resources about Shakespearean phrases.KS2 History > Tudors: Develop historical skills and understanding of key events and people of the Tudor period.KS2 News > Shakespeare Week: thousands of schools celebrate the great writer’s plays and poems every year.

ActivityFurther explanation: Explain to pupils that a prologue tells an audience what to expect and that in Shakespeare’s day he needed to write one to prevent his audience leaving or booing during the play!

Organise pupils into pairs and give each pair a piece of paper. Assign a line of the prologue to each pair and ask them to translate into modern English — provide a dictionary.

Create a class translation: Review the definitions as a class by asking pupils to stick their lines on the whiteboard.

Discuss what words make the play sound like it’s going to be interesting.

Extension activityPupils should write their own short story based on just the prologue (with-out knowing anything else about the play). Or for pupils of lower ability, ask get them to design a poster based on the prologue.

KS2 English > Romeo and Juliet > Videos > Act 1 – The prologue section onlyp p p p y j g

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Resources: KS2 English > Romeo and Juliet > Videos > Act 1Learning objectives: To understand the story and themes of Romeo and Juliet. Curriculum Links:• identifying and discussing themes and conventions in and across a wide range of writing • summarising the main ideas drawn from more than one paragraph, identifying key details that support the main ideas • predicting what might happen from details stated and implied

Key quotation

Tybalt:

They fight

Act 1 Scene 1What, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word,As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee:Have at thee, coward!

Discussion• Who are the two families at war?• What are the main themes of the play?• Can you think of other stories with a plot like Romeo and Juliet?

Further resourcesKS2 English > Romeo and Juliet: Explore the printable resources for more teaching ideas related to Act 1.KS2 History > Tudors: Develop historical skills and understanding of key events and people of the Tudor period.KS2 News > Shakespeare Week: thousands of schools celebrate the great writer’s plays and poems every year.

ActivityWatch Act 1 as a class.

Give pupils cut-outs showing names or pictures of the members of each family. In pairs, ask pupils to put the families together. Review as a class.

In their pairs, pupils should then write down their first impressions of each character using only one adjective.

Write a letter or diary entry: Ask pupils to imagine they were present for the fight in Act 1. How would they have felt? What are their first impres-sions of the Montagues and Capulets, and Verona.

Extension activityCreate a family crest: Ask pupils to choose a family (Montague or Capulet). Discuss what kind of images and colours could be used to represent a family. In pairs, ask children to design a family crest. Pairs could then present their ideas to the class, explaining their designs.

lKS2 English > Romeo and Juliet > Videos > Act 1p p p p y j g

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Resources: KS2 English > Romeo and Juliet > Videos > Act 2Learning objectives: Explore the language used in the balcony scene and how Shakespeare uses metaphor.Curriculum Links:• participate in discussions about books that are read to them and those they can read for themselves, building on their own and others’ ideas and challenging views courteously • provide reasoned justifications for their views• discuss and evaluate how authors use language, including figurative language, considering the impact on the reader

Key quotation

Romeo:

Juliet:

Act 2 Scene 2But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks?It is the east, and Juliet is the sun…O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; Or, thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I’ll no longer be a Capulet...

Discussion• Why does Romeo compare Juliet to the Sun?• What is Juliet asking Romeo to do? How likely would this be to happen?• Do you think Romeo and Juliet should choose love or family? Why?

Further resourcesKS2 English > Romeo and Juliet: Explore the printable resources for more teaching ideas related to Act 2.KS2 History > Tudors: Develop historical skills and understanding of key events and people of the Tudor period.KS2 News > Shakespeare Week: thousands of schools celebrate the great writer’s plays and poems every year.

ActivityDiscuss Romeo’s desire: As a class, thought shower the word ‘sun’ with pupils using mini-whiteboards. Explain that it is a metaphor (i.e. when something is described as something else). Ask pupils the following ques-tions, for them to answer using the whiteboards: What does the word ‘sun’ make them feel? Why does Romeo use the word to describe Juliet?

Write Juliet’s response: Keeping the first line: O Romeo, Romeo! Where-fore art thou Romeo? Ask the class to write their own versions of the next three lines. Remind them to keep the feeling of frustration that Juliet has due to Romeo coming from the ‘wrong’ family. There is a bonus point if they can also include a metaphor.

Extension activityExploring metaphors: Ask pupils to come up with three alternative metaphors that Romeo could use when describing Juliet; they should be able to justify each metaphor by explaining why they have chosen that particular word or phrase. (For classes who do not know what a metaphor is, write the definition on the board and highlight the line said by Romeo as an example, with an explanation).

https://central.espresso.co.uk/espresso/primary_uk/subject/module/video/item702207/grade2/module696887/index.htmlKS2 English > Romeo and Juliet > Videos > Act 2p p p p y j g

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Resources: KS2 English > Romeo and Juliet > Videos > Act 3

Learning objectives: To explore how adjectives can be used to describe characters.

Curriculum Links:• drawing inferences such as inferring characters’ feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions, and justifying inferences with evidence • in writing narratives, considering how authors have developed characters and settings in what pupils have read, listened to or seen performed

Key quotation

Prince:

Prince:

Prince:

Montague:

Capulet:

Act 3 Scene 1Where are the vile beginners of this fray? Romeo killed Tybalt, Romeo must not live. Romeo slew [killed] him, he slew [killed] Mercutio Who now the price of his dear blood doth owe? Prince, he was Mercutio’s friend: His fault concludes but what the law should end. And for that offence Immediately we do exile him hence:

Discussion• What adjectives would you use to describe Romeo in Act 3 Scene 1?• Discuss Mercutio’s final line: A plague o’both your houses! What does he mean by this? Why?• Why does the Prince choose to exile Romeo rather than kill him?

Further resourcesKS2 English > Romeo and Juliet: Explore the printable resources for more teaching ideas related to Act 3.KS2 History > Tudors: Develop historical skills and understanding of key events and people of the Tudor period.KS2 News > Shakespeare Week: thousands of schools celebrate the great writer’s plays and poems every year.

ActivityPupils could draw a picture of Romeo and around the image write adjec-tives and adjective phrases that describe him, based on his actions in Act 3. Review as a class.

Write a newspaper report: Ask pupils to write a report based on Romeo’s exile by the prince. They should write down the three most important things as their paragraphs starters (for example: Mercutio’s death), then write the report using as many adjectives as possible (include those from the last task).

Pupils can peer assess by swapping reports and counting how many adjectives have been used in the report.

Extension activityDesign a poster: Ask pupils to design a poster for the city of Verona, explaining that Romeo has been exiled and what residents should do if they see him.

https://central.espresso.co.uk/espresso/primary_uk/subject/module/video/item702209/grade2/module696887/index.htmlKS2 English > Romeo and Juliet > Videos > Act 3p p p p y j g

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Resources: KS2 English > Romeo and Juliet > Videos > Act 4 and 5

Learning objectives: To understand how Shakespeare uses the weather to describe mood.

Curriculum Links:• discuss and evaluate how authors use language, including figurative language, considering the impact on the reader • predicting what might happen from details stated and implied

Key quotation

Prince:Epilogue

A glooming peace this morning with it brings;The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head:Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things;Some shall be pardon'd, and some punished:For never was a story of more woeThan this of Juliet and her Romeo.

Discussion• What is the weather like in this scene? How does Shakespeare use the weather to help us understand the mood?• What do you think could happen between the two families now?• Has the deaths of Romeo and Juliet changed Verona forever?

Further resourcesKS2 English > Romeo and Juliet: Explore the printable resources for more teaching ideas related to Act 4 and 5.KS2 History > Tudors: Develop historical skills and understanding of key events and people of the Tudor period.KS2 News > Shakespeare Week: thousands of schools celebrate the great writer’s plays and poems every year.

ActivityWrite down the first two lines of the key quotation and ask pupils to draw the scene that is described. Can they explain the choices they made?

Further explanation: Explain to pupils that when the mood of a story or play is described by the weather it is called Pathetic Fallacy.

Write a diary entry: Using the idea of a new positive dawn and a new sunny day, pupils should write a diary entry from a surviving character, describing what happens the next day when the Capulets and Montagues try to become friends following the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.

Extension activityQuiz: Now the play is finished, ask pupils to write 10 questions to test the rest of the class.

KS2 English > Romeo and Juliet > Videos > Act 4 and 5p p p p y j g