Romeo and Juliet

Topic
The Shakespeare play Romeo and Juliet, ideas from the play, arguing and apologising

Aims
• Learners will develop strategies for watching and understanding a short video based on the
Shakespeare play Romeo and Juliet.
• Learners will develop comprehension and speaking skills by discussing ideas from the play.
• Learners will develop speaking skills through a personalised speaking activity based on an element
from the play.

Age
Older primary (9–11 years)

Time
1 x 45-minute lesson or three shorter segments

Materials
Romeo and Juliet video, worksheet, answers, transcript, character flashcards and games:
https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/short-stories/romeo-and-juliet

Introduction
In this lesson plan, which can be delivered as a 45-minute lesson or as shorter segments over three
lessons, learners will be introduced to the Shakespeare play Romeo and Juliet through a short animated
video. They will watch the video and complete comprehension activities, and then will be guided to think
about and discuss the idea of ‘family feuds’ from the play. Finally learners will develop their speaking
skills by role playing a situation where two friends have done something mean to each other.

Procedure
1. Introduce and • Ask your learners if they have ever had an argument with a friend, classmate or
watch the video neighbour. What was it about? Did they make up?
(15 mins) • Tell the learners that they are going to watch a video called Romeo and Juliet,
which is a story about a feud (a long, ongoing argument) between two families.
• Give learners the video worksheet and ask them to match the words and pictures
(exercise 1). Check answers as a class. Ask learners to make some predictions
about the video based on the words.
• Play the video and ask learners to match the characters and their names as they
watch (exercise 2). Ask them to compare in pairs and then check as a class.
• Now ask learners to try to order the sentences (exercise 3). Tell them it doesn’t
matter if they can’t remember, because they will watch the video again.
 • Play the video again and learners check their answers to exercise 3. Ask them to
compare in pairs, then go through as a class.
• At this stage, you might like to ask learners additional questions to help clarify their
understanding, or ask them to say which of their earlier predictions were correct.
Alternatively, play the video again and ask learners to circle true or false (exercise
4) as they watch. Fast finishers can try to correct the false sentences.
• Ask learners if they liked the story and why. Did they think it was funny, interesting,
happy/sad, etc?
• If your learners need more support understanding the video, you might like to
adapt the transcript of the video and get learners to act it out.

2. Discuss ideas • One of the ideas in Romeo and Juliet is ‘family feuds’. The depth to which you
from the play (5– discuss the ideas and questions in this stage will depend on your learners’ age and
10 mins) maturity, and you may need to provide more or less support.
• Ask your learners if they think it was a happy ending and why. Elicit that it was sad
for Romeo and Juliet, but also positive because the two families ended their feud.
• As a class, review the story with consequences sentences, i.e.:
1. Because of the family feud, Tybalt is angry when he sees Romeo with Juliet.
2. Because Tybalt is angry, he kills Mercutio.
3. Because Tybalt kills Mercutio, Romeo kills Tybalt.
4. Because Romeo kills Tybalt, he is sent away.
5. Because Romeo is sent away, Juliet makes a plan but Romeo doesn’t find out about it.
6. Because Romeo doesn’t find out about it, he thinks Juliet is dead and kills himself.
7. Because Romeo is dead, Juliet kills herself.
8. Because Romeo and Juliet are dead, the families end their feud.
• Ask your learners what happens each time someone retaliates – does it make the
situation better or worse? Is it better to retaliate or try to forgive people?

3. Extension • Ask your learners to imagine a situation where two friends or classmates have done
(20–30 mins) something bad to each other. For example, one friend told another friend’s secret,
so the other friend also tells a secret, or one classmate copied another classmate’s
work, so the other classmate draws on their book. Brainstorm ideas on the board.
• Tell learners they are going to work in pairs and role play the situation. In the role
play they need to explain to each other why they did what they did and how they
were feeling, and decide whether to apologise and forgive each other.
• Learners can either plan a dialogue in their notebooks first or role play it directly.
Monitor and help as needed. Fast finishers can swap roles or try another situation.
• Ask learners what happened in the end. Did they forgive each other? Some pairs
could perform their role play for the class!

4. Further • Would you like to extend your learners’ work with Romeo and Juliet? Try one of
activities our suggested further activities here:
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/shakespeare-extension-activities-kids

Contributed by
Rachael Ro