During this time, we are going to look at what it means to be a teenager.
What are the universal truths that have lasted for centuries?
What are the truths that only exist now that we have social media to help us reach out further and have a greater impact?
How much power do we have to re-invent what it means to be a teenager? That's the big essential question that will lead into the final.
In the first couple of days of Romeo & Juliet we looked at these aspects of being a teenager.
Emotions/Feelings
Hobbies/Interests
Beliefs/Values
Goals/Dreams
We started by focusing just on the teenage perspective.
And then we added what we believe to be the adult perspective.
Then we took a page from Mr. DeMillo and made a Venn diagram for each aspect, identifying the common ground between adults and teenagers when it comes to defining what a teenager is like.
We used this information to make some conclusions about what the data suggests.
Armed with this thinking, we decided to look at Romeo & Juliet and see which of these ideas were true about teenagers and adult perceptions in 1600.
We are watching the 1968 Zefferelli version, because it provides the most traditional version of the story. There is a 1997 version starring Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio. It has a lot of plusses to it, but so much of the story is cut out and changed, it is a bit frustrating to say you've seen Romeo & Juliet if that's your only experience. (There's also a 2013 version from the creator of Downton Abbey, but I haven't seen it yet.)
We will continue this work on Monday and Tuesday and transition to what should be our final project on Wednesday.
HOMEWORK
Blog: 3+ Posts
Req'd Post: What qualities/characteristics of modern teenagers do you see playing out in Romeo & Juliet? Be as specific as possible. What do you think is missing in the film that would make it more realistic to your experience with other teenagers? (Try to get beyond physical things like cellphones or iPads and such.)
CRAZY HELPFUL ROMEO & JULIET LINK: Shakespeare Navigators
DEJS: 3 on Theme (May use Little Brother, To Kill a Mockingbird, Of Mice & Men and Speak as source texts.)
Due: Last Wednesday
Freedom/Responsibility Project
Due: Last Week
Remember to Complete:
5-Paragraph Reflective Essay
Self Assessment Form
Due: Last Week
