Anticipation Guide
Romeo and Juliet
William Shakespeare
PURPOSE OF THE STRATEGY
Anticipation guides activate students’ schema and help them become emotionally
involved with a text. This pre-reading strategy, sometimes called “reaction guides” or
“prediction guides,” is designed to prepare students to read a text, in this case Romeo and
Juliet, by asking the students to react to statements regarding the themes that they will
encounter while reading the play. The statements elicit discussion, interest, and opinions
and prepare students to connect prior knowledge to new knowledge gained while
studying Romeo and Juliet.
CONTEXT
This strategy should be used as one of the very first pre-reading strategies before actually
reading Romeo and Juliet. It may wisely be preceded by lessons or activities that help
students become familiar with Shakespeare and his plays. It will also be referred to while
a class studies the play or after reading it. The strategy will help students monitor their
own comprehension and will help them focus on important themes.
DIRECTIONS
STEP 1
Before reading the play, give each student should receive a copy of the Romeo and Juliet
anticipation guide. Instruct the students to place an X under the “You” column for each
statement they agree with. Tell them that they will be discussing their answers in class, so
they should be able to explain their choices. The teacher should have an overhead of the
anticipation guide (original included below) to display during the discussion.
STEP 2
As a class or in small groups, discuss each statement. Allow and even encourage students
to use personal experiences to explain their opinions. Be sure to recognize all individual
views and facilitate the discussion when needed. Remember the idea is to get the students
interested in these issues. At this point, try to stay away from specific references to the
play (10-15 minutes).
STEP 3
Ask students to pick at least one of the issues that were discussed and write a
journal entry on their feelings regarding the issue(s) (5-7 minutes).
STEP 4
After the journal write, have students place an X in the “Shakespeare, Now” column for
each statement that they think Shakespeare agrees with. Remind them that this is just a
prediction. Let them know that they may change their answers as the class studies the
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play. They should place their new answers in the “Shakespeare, End” column using
pencil so that they can change them again later if they want to.
STEP 5
Read the entire play. During the reading, draw attention to events in the play that relate
back to the class discussion. Use the overhead to remind them. (3-5 days)
STEP 6
After the play has been read and discussed (a process that will certainly take at least a
few days), ask the students to read the statements on the anticipation guide again to
confirm the X’s that they have placed in the “Shakespeare End” column (2-3 minutes).
After the students have reviewed their responses, have students discuss each item in the
guide in a class discussion. Have them remember and point out evidence from the play to
support their statements. (15-25 minutes)
ASSESSMENT:
After discussing their opinions, students should complete and hand in their anticipation
guides for participation points. Teachers could stamp the paper at this point to indicate
its completion and the award of participation points.
The guide could also be handed in after making final changes and discussing them at the
end of the unit. It may be wise to have students write a paragraph explaining each change
they made in the Shakespeare column and in their own column during the study. These
paragraphs would be graded for clarity and evidence and would probably be considered a
Level 1 or Level 2 write rather than a Level 3. However, these paragraphs, as a good
prewriting activity, could help students discover topics meaningful to them for a final
paper topic.
Anderson 2002
Anticipation Guide
Romeo and Juliet
William Shakespeare
DIRECTIONS
As you know, we will be reading Romeo and Juliet in class. Before we do, though, it will
be helpful to access our prior knowledge and make predictions about the text. The
following steps will help you do this.
STEP 1: Place an X under the “You” column for each statement you agree with. As a
class we will be discussing your answers, so be prepared to explain your choices.
STEP 2: As a class we will discuss your opinions. Contribute to the discussion by
making at least one comment or asking a question.
STEP 3: After our discussion, when I indicate, predict what you think William
Shakespeare feels about these issues. Place an X in the “Shakespeare, Now” column for
each statement that you think Shakespeare agrees (will agree) with. Leave the
“Shakespeare, End” column blank. We will fill it in later.
STEP 4: Complete and turn this paper in after class for participation points. I will return
it to you during the next class period.
STEP 5: Save this paper. I will ask for it again. As we read Romeo and Juliet, you will
have an opportunity to change your marks in the Shakespeare column. After we finish
reading the play, we will discuss again how Shakespeare feels. Take note of evidence
that supports your markings.
ASSIGNMENT
You
Love at first sight is not only possible, but likely.
Love should be blind to family differences.
When it comes to matters of love, trust your feelings.
Revenge is justifiable—“An eye for an eye.”
Men should be ruled by their passions.
The end justifies the means (e.g. It is OK to be
dishonest if the result is good.)
Parents should have some say about whom their
children marry.
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Shakespeare
Now End
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Anticipation Guide
Romeo and Juliet
William Shakespeare
You
Shakespeare
Now
End
Love at first sight is not only possible, but likely. ____
____ ____
Love should be blind to family differences.
____
____ ____
When it comes to matters of love, trust your
____
____ ____
Revenge is justifiable—“An eye for an eye.”
____
____ ____
Men should be ruled by their passions.
____
____ ____
____
____ ____
____
____ ____
feelings.
The end justifies the means (e.g. It is OK to be
dishonest if the result is good.)
Parents should have some say about whom their
children marry.
Anderson 2002