These materials were developed for the purpose of integrating museum resources into the study of Romeo and Juliet at the high school level.
The online materials included here for students should be used after students have read and discussed the play. Following is an outline of how these materials were integrated into the curriculum at Kenwood Academy High School in Chicago:
I. Context
In preparation for reading the play, classroom English teachers guided students as they researched online and print material related to the Elizabethan period, Shakespeare, and clothing worn at the time that Romeo and Juliet is set. Students viewed movie segments and other media resources as well.
II. Art Integration/Pre-visit preparation
Prior to their visit to the Smart Museum to view to exhibition A Well Fashioned Image: Clothing and Costume in European Art, 1500-1850 (Oct. 23, 2001-April 28, 2002), Smart Museum education director Jackie Terrassa led a classroom session at Kenwood Academy. The session focused on media and art forms, specifically oil painting and printmaking, since the works students would see the next day were primarily made in these two media. Resource materials for this session included an illustrated handout and the Museum of Modern Art's web site "What Is A Print?".
III. Art Integration/Museum Visit
The next day students visited the Smart Museum to view the exhibition and look at related works from the Museum's archives. The goals of the visit were to increase students' understanding of Shakespeare's era, to develop their observation skills, and to focus their and to explore the questions: What do details of clothing tell us about the person who wears the clothing? How might such details contribute to our understanding of the story or of the person portrayed in the image?
IV. Discussion and analysis of the text
English teachers lead students through the analysis of the play based on Chicago Public Schools Standards and curriculum requirements.
V. Reflection: Integrated online materials
Students demonstrate their comprehension of the text and their understanding of what creative choices Shakespeare and the visual artists made by responding to the essay question included in this web site.
