Biting thumbs and foul play: ninth grade solves Shakespearean mystery
Students use evidential text messages between Benvolio and Mercutio, as well as The Lord and his Annoying Nephew.
September 2, 2016
Mrs. Zavala, Mrs. Smith, and Mr. Cortes’s on-level and honors freshman literature classes took a new approach to William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet by performing a mock investigation on the character that murdered Mercutio and Tybalt. The investigation included six stations in which groups researched the murder with evidence and hints.
A mock witness statement assisted the investigation process to provide students with more insight.
“We are trying to figure out who killed Mercutio and Tybalt. We think that Romeo killed Tybalt once he killed Mercutio. That is just a theory and we are just trying to investigate the crime scene,” freshman Austin Starnes said.
Students shed light upon the investigation and gathered interesting evidence while moving from station to station. All stations helped students analyze evidence and apply it in various writing techniques.
Students work diligently on their final case file to conclude their project.
“Yesterday all we did was have different set ups, and it was like a CSI investigation,” freshman Ryan Fannin said. “There was an actual crime scene, text messages, pictures from video cameras, and we had to take notes about what was going on. Today we have to make a case file which includes the interview in each of the blocks.”
In addition, students enthused about the assignment by suggesting literature teachers use it again in future classes.
“It was a mysterious investigation because I was confused with the activity,” freshman Ravleen Sandhu said. “However, we think that Tybalt killed Mercutio and Romeo killed Tybalt.”
