Shakespeare STEM!

"But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun." Students in Mrs. Nugent’s 8th grade LA class were recently challenged to use nothing but 200 popsicle sticks, glue, and Barbie dolls to recreate the famous balcony scene from William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. After researching the construction of famous bridges around the world and learning about the ways in which they are designed to meet load, stress, and aesthetic challenges, students worked together as teams of engineers to design and build their balconies. They then tested the integrity of their balconies using 20+ pounds of weight and Barbie dolls representing Romeo and Juliet while reciting lines from the play to reenact the scene. In the balcony scene, the audience understands for the first time how strong the love is between these two characters. Were our popsicle stick balconies as strong as their love for one another? Check out the pictures below to find out! #STEMatSLS