MYPNA_TE_G12_U3_web.pdf

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This selection is an example

of an argument in the form of

a response to literature. This

is the type of writing you will

develop in the Performance-

Based Assessment at the end

of the unit.

As you read, look for

evidence the writer uses to

support an opening claim. Mark

the evidence you find especially

strong.

LAUNCH TEXT | ARGUMENT MODEL

I

n William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, love is fire. It burns

through everything: through the lovers of the title, through their

families, and through people on the sidelines. The romance between

Romeo and Juliet hurts so many people that one wonders whether

it would have been better if time unwound and the two leads had

never met. If we examine the play from the beginning, the evidence

for this is overwhelming.

Winding back the clock, we begin in Verona, where we find

Romeo, heir of the noble House of Montague, feeling sorry for

himself. His reason: rejection at the hands of Rosaline, niece to Lord

Capulet, leader of the House of Capulet and rival to the Montagues.

Romeo’s friend, Mercutio, wishing to improve his friend’s spirits,

disguises Romeo and sneaks him into a Capulet party. Romeo has his

own motive for going—he wants to see Rosaline again—but at the

party he meets Juliet, daughter of Lord Capulet, instead. From that

moment in time, they are in love, and everyone’s life gets worse.

The first one to suffer is Mercutio, a member of neither house,

but a relative of Prince Escalus, ruler of Verona. He fights a duel on

Romeo’s behalf with Juliet’s cousin Tybalt. Romeo meddles in the

fight, and his interference gets Mercutio killed. Romeo, furious at his

friend’s death, kills Tybalt.

For this action, Prince Escalus exiles Romeo from the city and

threatens him with execution should he ever return. The Prince has

his own plans for Juliet—a hope to see his cousin Paris marry the

young woman. Juliet’s family is also in favor of the marriage, as it

would raise the status of the House of Capulet and bring them closer

to destroying the Montagues. Juliet ignores her family’s history,

wishing to be with Romeo and no one else. Desperate, she plans a

way for them to escape their families and disappear together.

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NOTES

UNIT

3

INTRODUCTION

Better Never to

Have Met at All

240 UNIT 3 • FACING THE FUTURE, CONFRONTING THE PAST

LIT22_SE12_U03_LT.indd 240 23/03/21 12:10 PM

INTRODUCTION

Purpose of the Launch Text

The Launch Text provides a common

introduction to the unit theme for all students.

After they read the Launch Text, all students

will be able to participate in discussions about

facing the future, confronting the past.

Lexile: 950L This selection’s easier reading

level means that it needs little or no support,

so it can be assigned as homework. In

addition, students can use “Better Never

to Have Met at All” as a model when they

complete the Performance-Based Assessment

at the end of the unit.

Launch Text: Argument Model

Point out to students that the author’s position

is apparent in the title of the text and clearly

stated in the first paragraph. As students look for

evidence to support the author’s claim, have them

also stay alert to counter-arguments alluded to in

the text.

You may choose to have students read this

selection on their own. If so, encourage them

to annotate words they are unfamiliar with or

sections they think are particularly important.

AUDIO SUMMARIES

Audio summaries of “Better Never to Have Met

at All” are available online in both English and

Spanish in the Interactive Teacher’s Edition or Unit

Resources. Assigning these summaries before

students read the Launch Text may help them

build additional background knowledge and set a

context for their reading.

AUTHOR’S PERSPECTIVE Elfrieda Hiebert, Ph.D.

Word Networks Vary by Word Type Concept maps or nets—the

graphic organizers that help students understand the essential attributes,

qualities, or characteristics of a word’s meaning vary depending on the

type of word they help capture.

• In concept maps related to physical phenomenon, the words are
  typically not synonyms; rather, they are connected by topic. (For
  example, for the topic time, the words chronological, lasting,
  future, and generations all have different meanings, but each could
  be used in a word network.)

240 UNIT 3 • FACING THE FUTURE, CONFRONTING THE PAST

LIT21_TE12_U03_LT.indd 240 14/04/21 1:50 PM