Name
Date
Hour
William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
English 9 – Project Grading Rubric
Select one of the projects described on the following pages and complete it according to the guidelines given below. You will
hand this rubric in with your project. When handing in the final project, be sure to attach the final product (where possible), all
notes, rough drafts, etc. in reverse chronological order with this rubric on top. Points will be subtracted for lost rubrics. Hard
copies of drafts/plans will be expected; however final projects may be submitted electronically where possible.
Requirements
Rough Draft and/or Plan due
Final Project due
Holistic Grading Descriptions for Projects
Description of Work
The content of the work is appropriate, thought provoking, and expressive and shows
excellent control over the medium in which it is presented. The work completely
fulfills or exceeds the applicable requirements of length (i.e. number of lines/pages,
different pieces required for the whole). The presentation is neat, including being
typed where appropriate. Student obviously put forth great effort in the creation of
this work, as shown by its outstanding craftsmanship and overall high quality.
The content of the work is appropriate, thought provoking, and expressive and shows
solid control over the medium in which it is presented. The work completely fulfills
the applicable requirements of length (i.e. number of lines/pages, different pieces
required for the whole). The presentation is neat, including being typed where
appropriate. Student obviously put forth great effort in the creation of this work, as
shown by its careful craftsmanship and overall quality.
The content of the work is mostly appropriate, thought provoking, and expressive.
May show somewhat weak control over the medium in which it is presented. The
work generally fulfills the applicable requirements of length (i.e. number of
lines/pages, different pieces required for the whole). The presentation is neat,
including being typed where appropriate. Student has put forth some effort in the
creation of this work, as shown by its acceptable craftsmanship and average quality.
Points and Comments
of 30
of 70
(see below for grading guidelines)
Grade
A
65-70 points
B
59.5-64.5 points
C
54-59 points
The content of the work is not always appropriate, thought provoking, or expressive.
Shows weak control over the medium in which it is presented. The work minimally
fulfills the applicable requirements of length (i.e. number of lines/pages, different
pieces required for the whole). The presentation is typed where appropriate, but may
be somewhat sloppy or poorly proofread. This work shows some craftsmanship but is
below average in quality.
D
48.5-53.5 points
This work earns a low score because it is inappropriate, sloppy, of poor quality and/or
doesn’t fulfill the applicable requirements of length.
F
0 – 48 points
TOTAL/COMMENTS
of 100
Name
Date
Hour
William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
English 9 – Project
Select ONE of the projects described below and complete it according to the guidelines given.
When handing in the final project, be sure to include the final product (where possible), any
notes, rough drafts, etc. in reverse chronological order with the rubric on top. Points will be
subtracted for lost rubrics. Hard copies of drafts/plans will be expected; however final projects
may be submitted electronically where possible.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The story of young lovers who are kept apart because of misunderstandings or prejudice
is an old one. Shakespeare used this ancient tale as the basis for Romeo and Juliet.
Find a modern story with a theme that is similar to Romeo and Juliet. The story
could be from a movie, TV show, novel, short story, or song. In a well organized essay
(1-2 pages, typed, double spaced) compare and contrast the plot, setting, and characters
of this story to Romeo and Juliet in an essay. Conclude by comparing the themes (big
ideas) of the two works.
A casting director is responsible for selecting the right person to portray each character in
a play or movie. Choosing the right actor is a complicated process. It involves finding a
person with the right age, personality, looks, speech patterns – even gestures and voice.
Imagine that you are selecting actors for Romeo and Juliet. Choose actors (alive
or dead, from any point in their career) to portray the following parts: Romeo, Juliet,
Benvolio, Mercutio, Tybalt, Nurse, Lord and Lady Capulet, Lord and Lady Montague,
Friar Laurence.
Prepare a poster, chart, or play program with pictures of the actors. Then, on the
poster, chart, or play program, describe in at least one (typed) paragraph per character the
traits shared by the actors and the characters in the play.
Does the ending of Romeo and Juliet leave you unhappy and frustrated? Invent a new
conclusion to the play that suits you. Go back into the play as far as necessary to create a
different ending. Write your new ending in dialogue/script form (1-2 pages, typed,
double spaced).
Select your favorite character in Romeo and Juliet. Examine his or her personality in a
character sketch (1-2 pages, typed, double spaced). Use evidence from the play to
support your ideas. Your written sketch will answer questions such as the following:
a. What do you learn about the character from his or her remarks, decisions, or
behavior?
b. Does the character’s behavior under stress show him or her to be mature or
childish?
c. What are the character’s relationships with other people like?
d. Is the character selfish or loving?
e. What is your opinion of this character?
Design costumes for the actors. You may research clothing worn by men and women
during the 1300s in Italy and design authentic period costumes, or choose another time
period or style (1950s, contemporary, western, Chinese, etc.). Write a paragraph about
each costume explaining how elements of the costumes reflect the personalities of the
characters (for example, how does the costume reflect Juliet’s innocence, Romeo’s
Name
6.
7.
8.
9.
Date
Hour
romanticism, Mercutio’s flamboyance?). Make illustrations, paper doll replicas, or doll
sized costumes for at least eleven (11) characters in the play.
Imagine you are a reporter for the daily newspaper in Verona. It is the morning after
Romeo and Juliet’s double suicide. Your task is to cover their tragic deaths in a spread
including a well-developed news story and some related interviews. Be sure to provide a
banner at the top of the first page with the newspaper’s name (such as Verona Views or
Times of Verona) and a striking headline for your stories. Below is an outline for
organizing your newspaper (1-2 pages, typed).
a. News story – first paragraph: Begin your article with a brief firsthand report of
the actual events. What happened? Where? When? To whom? How? Mention
only the most important facts.
b. News story – second paragraph: Give more details about the event. Who
discovered the bodies? What did that person observe? Who told the authorities?
What steps have the authorities taken to investigate the deaths?
c. News story – third paragraph: What information has been gathered about the two
who died? What led up to the deaths? Who are the survivors?
d. Related interviews: Create questions and responses of related characters, such as
Friar Laurence, Lord and Lady Capulet, Lord Montague (explain why you
couldn’t interview Lady Montague), Balthasar, Paris’s page, Nurse, Benvolio.
Ask your interview subject questions such as the following: How were you
related to Romeo or Juliet? How do you feel about his or her suicide? Did you
suspect this would happen? Do you feel you could have prevented it? How?
What if you had known all along that Romeo and Juliet were in love – would you
have behaved differently?
e. Additional stories – weather, sports, other news – be creative!
Group or individual project: use the same content guidelines as option #6, but in a
television news format. You may perform or videotape your news program. Consider
reporting from a newsroom and/or on location. Different members of the group can
portray the journalists and various characters being interviewed (only speaking parts earn
credit for this project). Be sure to include station identification. Time limit: 5-8 minutes.
Alternative: one person can perform or record a radio news version by mimicking
different voices for each journalist and character.
Group project: arrange a trial for Friar Laurence. Imagine that he is accused by the
Capulet and Montague families of causing the deaths of their children. Group members
should portray the jury, judge, lawyers, and witnesses.
Before the courtroom drama takes place, participants should prepare for their
roles in the trial. Write a script for the trial to help everyone prepare (1-2 pages, typed,
double spaced).
The group will perform the trial for their class or make a video of the trial. Time
limit: 6-8 minutes. Every group member must have a speaking part.
Group or individual project: act out a scene from Romeo and Juliet. Each performer
must memorize and perform a minimum of 25 lines from the play. Blocking
(movement), costuming and props are required. You may choose part(s) of a scene(s), so
long as the performance makes sense. You may also choose what style in which to
perform (e.g. western, rap, operatic, etc.) An original introduction (and transitions where
needed) will establish the scene(s).
Name
10.
11.
12.
Date
Hour
Alternative: choreograph a dance version of a scene or scenes. Choose
appropriate music and costume and perform your dance for the class.
In a well-organized essay (1-2 pages, typed, double spaced), analyze the strengths and
weaknesses of Friar Laurence’s plan to prevent Juliet’s marriage to Paris and eventually
reveal Romeo and Juliet’s secret wedding. What causes his plan to fail? Could its failure
have been prevented? If so, how? If not, why not? What might have happened if Juliet’s
fake death had been successful and Friar Laurence were able to announce Romeo and
Juliet’s marriage to their parents?
Write a report about one of the topics listed below. The information for your report
should be limited to the late Middle Ages, from the 1300s to the 1500s. Use at least three
resources, only one of which may be an encyclopedia, and include a bibliography in
MLA format. The report should be 1-2 pages, typed, double spaced. Plagiarism will earn
you a zero, so be sure to put your ideas in your OWN words.
a. marriage customs
b. education of upper-class children
c. the Black Plague
d. Shakespeare’s Globe Theater
e. superstitious beliefs
f. clothing of the common people, nobles, and clergy
g. medicine, science, astrology, and astronomy
h. music and musical instruments
Alternative: create a Photo Story, PowerPoint or Google Earth presentation
combining images and text/spoken word. Bibliography is still required for both
information and images.
Many composers have been inspired by the story of Romeo and Juliet. For example,
Tchaikovsky, Berlioz, and Gounod wrote music based on Shakespeare’s play. Leonard
Bernstein, a modern composer, wrote the score for West Side Story, an updated version of
the play.
Find at least two musical pieces based on Romeo and Juliet OR create your own
soundtrack for Romeo and Juliet including at least three songs. In an oral presentation to
your class, explain how the music matches the events and mood of the play. Explain the
feelings and emotions the music creates for the listener. Arrange to play some of the
music on a CD or mp3 player. Time limit: 3-5 minutes.
Alternative: Create your presentation in Photo Story or PowerPoint with music
embedded in the project and relevant images chosen. Cite the sources of your music and
images.
Note about sources: Google is NOT a source of information. Google is a search engine that helps
you find websites that are sources of information. When you prepare your bibliography/cite your
sources, you must give citation information for the actual website your information/image came
from, NOT Google.