Ninth-grade English students at Papillion La Vista South High School are experiencing Shakespeare's classic tragedy "Romeo and Juliet" through innovative and engaging instructional approaches in Ms. Lingenfelter's classroom. Rather than treating the Renaissance text as a distant relic, students are discovering connections between Shakespeare's themes and their own lives through creative and interactive learning strategies.

The class participates in dramatic readings of the play, bringing the characters and dialogue to life while simultaneously breaking down the language and concepts scene by scene. This active learning approach helps students navigate the complexity of Shakespeare's language while developing their understanding of plot, character motivation, and thematic elements.

During the Act I masquerade scene, students had the opportunity to enhance their engagement by wearing decorative masks, physically connecting with the context of the famous ball where the star-crossed lovers first meet. This simple prop helped transform the classroom into a space where students could more fully immerse themselves in the world of the play.

Ms. Lingenfelter guided students through a detailed analysis of the prologue sonnet, which notoriously reveals the entire plot before the action begins. Students worked line by line to translate Shakespeare's language into their own vernacular, discussing why an author might choose to reveal a story's ending at the beginning and how this literary device affects the audience's experience.

The classroom approach to this canonical text incorporates multiple learning modalities and student interests. Students engage with the material through dramatic interpretation, contemporary language translation, artistic expression, and even by sharing their favorite modern "pick-up lines" to find common ground with Renaissance character interactions. These diverse entry points ensure that students with different learning preferences can connect meaningfully with the material.

By bridging historical literature with contemporary student experiences, Ms. Lingenfelter creates an environment where freshmen can recognize the timelessness of Shakespeare's themes—young love, family conflict, loyalty, and impulsive decision-making—and understand why these works remain relevant more than 400 years after they were written.

This dynamic approach to teaching classic literature exemplifies how PLCS educators make challenging content accessible and engaging for today's students while maintaining academic rigor and developing essential literacy skills.