Romeo & Juliet (English/Drama)

This is a unique app in allowing pairs to work simultaneously on one iPad with a task designed to encourage discussion around the main question ‘How and why does the fight in Act Three Scene One of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ escalate into such a serious incident?’

Users are given digital, illustrated slips of information all around Act Three Scene One in Romeo and Juliet. They must read these, organise them into groups and then arrange into a sequence to represent their thought pattern in coming to an answer. Following this process, an automatic report with screenshots and information of the session can be shared or printed. Students can also go through the Reflection Stage in which they playback the process and reflect on their ideas. This can be done alone, with their group, with their teacher or even as a class. It is an excellent way to help develop higher level thinking skills, while at the same time, learning information crucial to the curriculum and exams.

This resource is intended to enable students to understand and discuss this popular choice for GCSE assessment, and Act Three Scene One is a crucial scene with lots of dramatic appeal and interest. It consists of 16 slips on the ‘easy’ setting, with more coming in at each level: medium (20) and hard (24). At all levels, it can be used to learn more about Act Three Scene One, get to know the characters and plot points, as well as help students remember particular quotes.

It is suggested that lower abilities could use the app to clarify the important plot points that can sometimes be elusive to them. The more able could use it to explore Shakespeare’s skills as a dramatist, and the most advanced students could use it to begin an exploration of the wider theme of ‘contrasts’ and ‘opposites’ that characterise the play.

Who is this app for?
Those age 11-16 (KS3/4). By having three difficulty levels, it supports differentiation in class and can be suited to varying abilities/levels of knowledge. As the difficulty level goes up, more slips are added and stage introductions are tweaked to suggest another focus.

What is different about Digital Mysteries?
• Truly collaborative: It is unique in that more than one student can interact with it at once

• Curriculum-mapped: Tasks are directly mapped to the National Curriculum

• Retention: Working with information slips from two different perspectives (grouping, then fitting them into a sequence) ensures students remember more

• Higher-level thinking: Multiple discussion points combined with the task’s open-ended nature leads to students developing these skills

• Reflection: Sessions are recorded so students can playback and discuss what they’ve done, emphasising the importance of the process as well as the outcome

• Engagement: Mysteries split bulks of information into short snippets which makes it more digestible, plus working with peers leads to higher engagement levels

• Research: We’ve done years of academic research on how to make the most of touch screens for learning

What does a mystery consist of?
• Illustrated slips of information: Including facts on the topic alongside story-based snippets about a particular character and their experiences

• Open question: To maximise the potential of collaboration, discussion, and expression of ideas, the nature of the task is usually open ended

• Extras: Most tasks come with personalised hints for those who need them. E.g. suggestions for grouping or sequencing their slips

• Description: This gives teachers the information they need to plan their session including the curriculum point each task links to, the advised age range and possible learning outcomes

How can I try other mysteries?
At the bottom of the app details tab, tap ‘Developer Apps’ to view our current range.