About This Lesson
Romiette and Julio
A contemporary exploration of identity, conflict, and connection
This unit uses Sharon Draper’s Romiette and Julio as the anchor text for a multi‑week study of how young people navigate identity, belonging, and external pressures. Students examine how personal relationships intersect with social forces such as peer influence, cultural expectations, and community conflict. Through close reading, discussion, and writing, students analyze how Draper adapts Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to a modern context while addressing themes relevant to adolescents today.
