Romeo and Juliet Project - Creative Newspaper Assignment for Shakespeare's Play

Wrap up your unit in a way students won’t forget with this creative Romeo and Juliet Project that turns Shakespeare’s play into a full newspaper experience. In this assignment, students create The Verona Times and take on the role of journalists living in the world of Romeo and Juliet. Students report on major events, write from different perspectives, and present key moments from the play as breaking news. This Romeo and Juliet Project works especially well as a final assessment because it allows students to demonstrate their understanding of plot, character, theme, and conflict while also practicing writing skills connected to journalism. It feels creative and fresh, but it still requires students to return to the text and support their ideas with text evidence.

This resource is included in a unit plan:
→ Romeo and Juliet Unit Plan

Included In The Romeo and Juliet Project:

➡️ Romeo and Juliet Newspaper Project Introductory Presentation: This 15-slide PowerPoint introduces the Romeo and Juliet project step by step. Students learn the basics of newspaper writing, including how to structure articles, write strong headlines, and maintain an appropriate tone. The presentation clearly outlines each required newspaper section and explains expectations for the final product. It walks students through the project in a way that makes the task feel manageable rather than overwhelming.

➡️ Romeo and Juliet Newspaper Project Student Handout: The included handout contains all project directions, requirements, and expectations in one place. Students can clearly see what sections are required, how their work will be evaluated, and what their final newspaper must include.

➡️ Romeo and Juliet Newspaper Project Organizers: Students receive pre-writing organizers to help them plan each required section before drafting. These include planning pages for a headline news story covering a major event from the play, an obituary for a key character, a special interview written from a character’s perspective, an advice column connected to the conflict, and a “life and times” section that highlights daily life in Verona. These planning pages help students organize their ideas and ensure their newspaper content reflects an accurate understanding of the play.

➡️ Blank Newspaper Templates: Once planning is complete, students can use the provided newspaper templates to design their final copy. The templates make formatting simple and give the final product a polished, professional look. Students can choose which layout works best for their content or design their own layout if you prefer to allow more flexibility.

➡️ Project Teacher Rubric: A ready-to-use rubric is included to make grading clear and efficient. The rubric assesses creativity, accuracy of content, organization, writing quality, and overall effort. Expectations are clearly outlined so students know what is required from the start.

What Teachers Are Saying About The Romeo and Juliet Project:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I did this last year as a final project with my class, and I was blown away at the quality work they turned in! This will be a teaching staple for me as I build my content.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ My students loved being creative with their newspapers!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great project to ensure students' comprehension of the play.

If you like this, you'll love this bundle: 
→ Shakespeare Introductory Resources

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