NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
DRAFT
Grade 9 • Module 1 • Unit 3 • Lesson 3
Lesson 3
9.1.3
Introduction
In this lesson, students will continue to develop their close reading skills as they resume their
exploration of the short excerpt begun in Lesson 2 (Act 1.1, lines 206–236). In this passage, Romeo
discusses his unrequited love for Rosaline with his cousin Benvolio.
Students will analyze sentence structure, rhyme scheme, word choice, and figurative language in order
to continue to build upon the foundation of their unit-long exploration of Romeo’s character
development. In conjunction with Lesson 2, Lesson 3 establishes this excerpt as a point of origin for
future analysis of how Romeo’s character unfolds throughout the play, revealed by Shakespeare’s
language and syntax, and Romeo’s interactions with other characters.
Activities involve reading aloud, discussion and reflection, and writing work in tandem with a set of
text-dependent questions to guide students in their exploration of the unifying focusing question of
this two-lesson arc: What can you infer about Romeo from the way that he describes Rosaline? At the
close of the lesson, students will consolidate and strengthen the analysis they have performed in both
lessons as they craft a final brief written response to the focusing question. For homework, students
will continue to read their accountable independent reading texts using a new focus standard to guide
their reading.
Standards
Assessed Standard(s)
RL.9-10.3
Analyze how complex characters develop over the course of a text, interact with
other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
Addressed Standard(s)
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says
RL.9-10.1
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.9-10.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including
figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific
word choices on meaning and tone.
ELA-Literacy
CCRA.R.7
Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including
visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
Assessment
Assessment(s)
Quick Write: What can you infer about Romeo from the way that he describes Rosaline? Consider both
form (how Romeo speaks) and content (what he says). Cite specific evidence from the text to support
File: 9.1.3 Lesson 3 Date: 8/31/13 Classroom Use: Starting 9/2013
© 2013 Public Consulting Group. This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
1
NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
DRAFT
Grade 9 • Module 1 • Unit 3 • Lesson 3
your response.
High Performance Response(s)

Romeo describes his romantic pursuit of Rosaline as a battle in which he is the aggressor and she is
the victim—his “loving terms” are a “siege” and his gazes “assail” her (lines 210-211). He thinks of
himself as a romantic hero or warrior, armed with “Cupid’s arrows” (line 207). This self-perception
seems to influence his understanding of love as ultimately about overpowering and conquering the
object of his affection.

Romeo’s love for Rosaline seems to be entirely dependent on her good looks, as is indicated by his
repeated reference to Rosaline’s beauty—“O, she is rich in beauty” (line 213)—and his repeated
use of the word fair (line 219). Rosaline’s beauty is all Romeo talks about; he doesn’t mention
anything else that he admires about her.

Romeo takes himself very seriously, perhaps more seriously than he deserves, as is suggested by
Benvolio’s dismissal of Romeo’s love for Rosaline as a passing crush when he says “forget to think
of her…examine other beauties” (lines 223–226).
Vocabulary
Vocabulary to provide directly (will not include extended instruction)

Dian (n.) – a reference to Diana, the Roman goddess of hunting and chastity

proof (n.) – in this context, armor

chastity (n.) – virginity, celibacy

posterity ( n.) – all future generations

forsworn ( v.) – relinquished under oath

doctrine (n.) – a set of beliefs held and taught by a church, political party, or other group
Vocabulary to teach (may include direct word work and/or text-dependent questions)

uncharmed (adj.) – immune to; not charmed by
Lesson Agenda/Overview
Student-Facing Agenda
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
% of Lesson
Standards: RL.9–10.1, RL.9-10.3, RL.910.4, ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.7
Text: Romeo and Juliet, Act 1.1, lines 206–236
Introduction of Lesson Agenda
Homework Accountability
Masterful Reading: BBC Radio Production of Romeo and Juliet, Act 1.1, lines
206–236, [14:35–16:14]
Text-Dependent Questions and Activities
Quick Write
Closing
File: 9.1.3 Lesson 3 Date: 8/31/13 Classroom Use: Starting 9/2013
© 2013 Public Consulting Group. This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
2
5%
5%
5%
75%
5%
5%
NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
DRAFT
Materials
•
None.
File: 9.1.3 Lesson 3 Date: 8/31/13 Classroom Use: Starting 9/2013
© 2013 Public Consulting Group. This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
3
Grade 9 • Module 1 • Unit 3 • Lesson 3
NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
DRAFT
Grade 9 • Module 1 • Unit 3 • Lesson 3
Learning Sequence
Percentage Teacher Actions
of Lesson
5%
Instructional Notes (extensions,
supports, common
misunderstandings)
Introduction of Lesson Agenda
Begin by reviewing the agenda and sharing
the standards for this lesson: RL.9-10.1, RL.910.3, RL.910.4, ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.7.
Lesson 3 continues the exploration of the
excerpt that students began in Lesson 2 (Act
1.1, lines 206–236). At the end of this lesson,
students will draw upon the analysis they
performed in both lessons to craft a brief
written response to the focusing question of
this two-lesson arc: What can you infer about
Romeo from the way that he describes
Rosaline?
5%
Student Actions
Students look at the agenda.
Homework Accountability
Students recap that Rosaline is using her
vow of celibacy to protect herself. From
here, students may be able to infer that if
Rosaline is not hit by Romeo’s arrows of
love, she is not in love with Romeo. She
Reread your Quick Write and lines 206–209 of remains immune to Romeo’s romantic
the play. Based on your analysis up to this
overtures, or uncharmed by him.
point, what clues in line 208 can help you to
understand what the word uncharmed (line
209) means?
Instruct students to review the Lesson 2
Quick Write that they revised and expanded
for homework and post the following
instructions on the board:
File: 9.1.3 Lesson 3 Date: 8/31/13 Classroom Use: Starting 9/2013
© 2013 Public Consulting Group. This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
4
The purpose of the homework
accountability activity is to have
students revisit their analysis of
lines 205–209 in Lesson 2 and to
set the stage for making
connections between the Lesson 2
Quick Write and the close reading
work in Lesson 3.
NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
DRAFT
Lead a brief class discussion of student
responses.
5%
Masterful Reading: BBC Radio Production
As in Lesson 2, begin the class by playing the
BBC radio performance of Act 1.1, lines 206–
236 (14:35–16:14). Instruct students to follow
along in their texts. The purpose of this
exercise is to reacquaint students with the
excerpt in its entirety.
75%
Students follow along, reading silently.
Text-Dependent Questions and Activities
Instruct students to form pairs and read lines
209–212 aloud. When students have read the
text, direct their attention to line 211. Pose
the following question for a Think-Pair-Share:
1. What clues from lines 206–209 can help
you to understand the meaning of the
adjective assailing in line 211?
Student responses may include the
following:
1. Students might point to the words hit in
line 206 and siege in line 210. Both refer to
Romeo’s aggressive descriptions. Students
infer that assailing means to make a
violent attack on something.
Direct students to return again to their
Lesson 2 Quick Write (Do Romeo and
Rosaline feel the same way about their
relationship?) Pose the follow-up question:
2. Students further support their assertion
that Rosaline is refusing Romeo’s pursuit
with specific references to the text, such as
the fact that Rosaline will not “stay the
siege” of Romeo’s “loving terms,” and she
will not “encounter” the onslaught of his
“assailing eyes.”
2. Now that you’ve taken a closer look at lines
209–212, dig deeper. Can you find other
evidence in the text to support the claim you
made in Lesson 2? Be ready to discuss your
observations with the class.
Lead a brief class discussion on students’
observations.
File: 9.1.3 Lesson 3 Date: 8/31/13 Classroom Use: Starting 9/2013
© 2013 Public Consulting Group. This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
5
Grade 9 • Module 1 • Unit 3 • Lesson 3
NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
DRAFT
Pose the following questions for students to
discuss in their pairs:
3. What is Romeo’s courtship of Rosaline
compared to? Cite evidence from the text to
support your answer.
3. Romeo’s courtship of Rosaline is
compared to a conquest in battle or a
hunting expedition. Textual evidence might
include “hit by cupid’s arrows,” “stay the
siege,” and “assailing eyes.”
4. What do these comparisons reveal about
how Romeo understands himself? What do
they reveal about how he understands
Rosaline?
4. Romeo sees himself as a hunter and
Rosaline as his prey.
Have student pairs take turns reading the
parts of Romeo and Benvolio to each other.
When they have finished they should
complete the following activity:
At this point students will have
listened to a masterful reading of
the excerpt twice. Their familiarity
with the language of this passage
should support students in reading
aloud.
Draw lines between pairs of rhyming words.
Then, discuss the following questions with
your partner:
Students link the words that rhyme at the
end of Romeo’s couplets.
5. How does Romeo’s speech compare to
Benvolio’s? Hint: consider word choice,
pacing, and structure.
5. Students notice that Romeo speaks in
long, grandiose text while Benvolio’s
responses are short, usually one-line.
Students also note that romantic Romeo’s
lines end with rhymes while Benvolio’s
lines do not rhyme.
6. What can the differences you identified
with your partner reveal about these two
characters?
6. Students note that Benvolio has little to
say in response to his cousin’s long
ramblings. On the other hand, Romeo
appears self-absorbed and emotional.
File: 9.1.3 Lesson 3 Date: 8/31/13 Classroom Use: Starting 9/2013
© 2013 Public Consulting Group. This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
Grade 9 • Module 1 • Unit 3 • Lesson 3
6
Armed with a firmer understanding
of plot and character, students are
now ready to explore the effect of
author’s craft on character
development.
NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
DRAFT
Students might also note that Romeo’s use
of rhyme makes him sound romantic and
poetic.
Pose the following questions for student pairs
to discuss:
7. Look carefully back through the entire
excerpt. What words does Romeo use
repeatedly? Underline them.
7. Students note that Romeo uses the
words fair and beauty multiple times (five
times each).
8. Why do you think Romeo is pursuing
Rosaline? What words or lines in the text
make you think so?
8. Romeo’s repeated use of the words
“fair” and “beauty “when describing
Rosaline and his attraction to her indicates
that he is only interested in her because
she is beautiful.
Direct students to reread lines 223–226 with
the following questions in mind:
9. What is Benvolio’s advice to Romeo? What
does this suggest about his attitude towards
Romeo’s infatuation with Rosaline?
Lead a brief class discussion of student
responses.
9. Students paraphrase lines 223 (“Be ruled
by me, forget to think of her”) and lines
225–226 (“By giving liberty unto thine
eyes. Examine other beauties.”) to explain
that Benvolio advises Romeo to stop
thinking about Rosaline. Benvolio says that
Romeo will forget all about Rosaline if he
looks at other pretty girls.
Students might infer that Benvolio’s short
and unsympathetic response suggests that
he perceives Romeo as shallow and quick
to fall in love. As far as Benvolio is
concerned, when Romeo finds another girl
as pretty as Rosaline, she will be easily
replaced.
File: 9.1.3 Lesson 3 Date: 8/31/13 Classroom Use: Starting 9/2013
© 2013 Public Consulting Group. This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
7
Grade 9 • Module 1 • Unit 3 • Lesson 3
NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
5%
DRAFT
Grade 9 • Module 1 • Unit 3 • Lesson 3
Quick Write
Pose the following prompt for a Quick Write:
What can you infer about Romeo from the
way that he describes Rosaline? Consider
both form (how Romeo speaks) and content
(what he says). Support your ideas with
evidence from the text.
Students complete a Quick Write. See High
Performance Response at the beginning of
this lesson.
Use the Quick Write to assess
students’ understanding of this
section of Romeo and Juliet.
Students will continue reading their
independent reading text.
Some students may choose to
annotate their independent
reading texts as they read to
practice the new skill of
annotation. Even though this
reading is meant to stimulate
interest and enjoyment in reading,
some students may find annotating
their texts a beneficial strategy for
reading comprehension.
Inform students that you will collect their
Quick Write at the end of class. At the
beginning of the next class, they will use it as
a starting point for continued analysis of the
play.
5%
Closing
Explain homework: Introduce Reading
Standard Three as a focus standard to guide
students’ Accountable Independent Reading
and model what applying a focus standard
looks like. Tell students they should prepare
for a brief 3–5 minute discussion that will ask
them to apply the language of the standards
to their reading.
For example, Reading Standard 9-10.3 for
informational texts asks students to “analyze
how the author unfolds an analysis or series
of ideas or events, including the order in
which the points are made, how they are
introduced and developed, and the
connections that are drawn between them.”
Students who have read an article on global
warming might say, “The article began with
File: 9.1.3 Lesson 3 Date: 8/31/13 Classroom Use: Starting 9/2013
© 2013 Public Consulting Group. This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
8
NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
DRAFT
Grade 9 • Module 1 • Unit 3 • Lesson 3
an anecdote about polar bears and how
they’re having a hard time finding solid ice to
live on in the Artic. The article then talked
about the root causes of that problem: how
pollution like toxic chemicals emitted by
manufacturing has depleted the ozone layer
over the past century. This has led to some of
the warmest temperatures on record in
recent years, which has directly affected
species’ habitats like the polar bears
described in the beginning of the article.”
Inform students that for homework they
should review and expand their notes from
today’s lesson. Remind students that they
should also continue reading their AIR text
using the new focus standard for guidance.
Students review and expand their notes
from today’s lesson for homework.
Students also continue to read their
Accountable Independent Reading text,
using the new focus standard for guidance.
Homework
Students review and expand their notes from today’s lesson. Students should also continue their Accountable Independent Reading using the
language of the focus standard to guide their reading. Students should continue to read their Accountable Independent Reading through the
lens of their focus standard and prepare for a 3–5 minute discussion of their text based on that standard.
File: 9.1.3 Lesson 3 Date: 8/31/13 Classroom Use: Starting 9/2013
© 2013 Public Consulting Group. This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
9