Who Is to Blame for Romeo and Juliet's Death? - New York City ...

Unit Outline
INTRODUCTION: This unit outline provides an example of how to integrate performance tasks into a
unit. Teachers may (a) use this unit outline as it is described below; (b) integrate parts of it into a
currently existing curriculum unit; or (c) use it as a model or checklist for a currently existing unit on a
different topic. The length of the unit includes suggested time spent on the classroom instruction of lessons
and administration of assessments. Please note that this framework does not include individual lessons.
Grade 9 Literacy in English Language Arts: Who Is to Blame for
Romeo and Juliet’s Death?
UNIT TOPIC AND LENGTH:
‣ This contains a curriculum-embedded Common Core–aligned task and instructional
supports. The task is the culminating assessment for an 8-week unit on the study of
Romeo and Juliet. Throughout the unit, students read and discuss the play, read and
analyze critical essays, view video, and complete formative assessments leading to
the final performance task where students argue an answer to the question: Who is
to blame for Romeo and Juliet’s death?
COMMON CORE LEARNING STANDARDS:
Assessed by the task
RL.9-10.1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text
says explicitly, as well as inferences drawn from the text.
W.9-10.1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts,
using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
a. Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing
claims, and create an organization that establishes clear relationships among claim(s),
counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying evidence for each while
pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the
audience’s knowledge level and concerns.
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to link the major sections of the text, create
cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons
and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.
d. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the
norms and conventions of the discipline in which the student is writing.
e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the
argument presented.
Additional standards addressed in the unit
RI.9-10.5: Analyze in detail how an author’s ideas or claims are developed and refined by
particular sentences, paragraphs, or larger portions of a text (e.g., a section or chapter).
W.9-10.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
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