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Saturday, February 26, 2011

The Epic Romeo and Juliet Joint Project

I've been talking about this project over the past few months and it is finally ready to start. On Monday, my students will begin the most ambitious project I have ever put together.

Last summer, I went to Denver to experience the fun of ISTE. I was able to meet Shannon Miller from Van Meter and an amazing friendship started. I had an idea for a Romeo and Juliet Project, but after talking with Shannon and English teacher Shawn Hyer, we thought it would be cool to work together.

The students of Grosse Pointe South and Van Meter high schools are going to put together a joint production of Romeo and Juliet! Using all of the web tools available, the students are going to act, direct, write, design props, create costumes and everything else over the next 10 week.The acts have been divided and the students are excited.

Below is a the Slide Share of the handout that explains the different roles the students will have. One of my favorite parts of the project is that every student will be blogging about their experience during the process. Actors will write about their lines, directors will write about their visions for their act and the advertising team will post their ads and explain the thought process behind their creation.

When everything is filmed, we will have a joint viewing party Saturday April 30th. I hope to set up a U-Stream of the event, but I'm not sure how that is going to work just yet. The goal of the joint viewing is to have the students run a backchannel while watching the movie. It will be interesting to hear what kids think about the final product.

I will be keeping a running blog on how the project is going and I will also provide links to the student work when they get up and running. I'm excited about the various curve balls that are going to be coming my way.


Please leave comments, questions and/or suggestions below. I'm excited to hear what you think.

6 comments:

  1. I look forward to seeing this as it progresses. Huge undertaking. You are providing a great model for other teachers.

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  2. This looks fabulous. I look forward to following the journey through the process.

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  3. Epic is, for once, almost an understatement! Love to see this kind of innovative, creative, and engaging collaboration taking place between students with the aid of technology. Getting students excited about R&J in the first place is a huge accomplishment in itself. Would love to do something similar with Shakespeare's Julius Caesar or a Greek tragedy with my Latin students.

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  4. Wow. This is going to be so neat to see come to fruition. I bet you're excited! Can't wait to see the finished product (and hopefully hear updates along the way). :)

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  5. I am excited to watch your antics as they unfold. I tech 6th grade and work hard to incorporate project based learning into my classroom. It is fun to see you high school examples!
    Good Luck!

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  6. This sounds like an awesome undertaking for which, I am sure, your students will never forget. I am ELA teacher, and I have had students in the past rewrite acts from Shakespearean plays and Ancient Greek dramas into modern languages using a theme that they choose themselves. For example, students have done a rap version, punk rock version, a musical, a comedy routine, etc. They either perform them in class or record them. They will often create props as well. However, you are taking it much further than me. I am curious as to how you will organize the process as well as find the time to get all of the work completed. I don't think, in my schedule, I would be able to pull it off, but maybe you have some strategies of which I am not aware. Good luck, it sounds like an incredible project!

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