Lesson Plan 2
"In America; Romeo and Juliet In Bosnia" Article and Questions
Lesson Reflection
Lesson 2 was the pre-assessment for the unit. Despite the fact that the pre-assessment was the second lesson in the unit, students had not yet discussed and explored analyzing the characters' reactions and contributions to their situation. This was the first opportunity to analyze characters, their situation, and their contribution to their tragic end. Introducing an article pertaining to real people started the discussion and inquiry into comparing and contrasting various texts relating to the same topics. This particular article also incorporates other cultural relevancies and provides exploration of cultural backgrounds. Providing exposure to an article of this nature demonstrates the importance of incorporating a variety of cultural backgrounds and experiences. Unfortunately, the questions on the back of the text did not explicitly connect to the pre-assessment prompt. Some students were confused and struggled to see the connection between answering the questions and turning them into an argumentative paragraph. Further explanation of the structure and format of an argumentative prompt would have bridged the gap and provided greater understanding of the pre-assessment requirements/expectations.