What is the most important word in Romeo and Juliet?

Project Overview

This project was designed to develop new vocabulary and language analysis skills. Students initially studied Romeo and Juliet at a comprehension level. Then, through Harkness discussions and debates they started to establish which words within the text were most meaningful for representing the key themes. Finally they agreed on the 9 most significant words within the text, wrote essays about their individual word choices and started to design the words in preparation to create a 3D word cloud art installation.

What the student says

"LOVE"

"RAGE"

"QUARREL"

"HEARTLESS"

"CIVIL"

"HELL"

"MUTINY"

"DIGNITY"

"GRUDGE"

What we learnt about

New vocabulary
The story of Romeo and Juliet
How to analyse language
Discussion and debate skills

What the teacher says

“This project has been great for getting students to think precisely about a writer’s language choices. In order to select the words, students went through a collaborative process which required them to verbalise their understanding of the text and debate the importance of key themes and ideas. The creation stage of the project, when students started to make the 3D letters, also developed the group’s teamwork and resilience.”