CSI Romeo and Juliet Pre-Reading Activity | Crime Scene Investigation

Capture Your Students’ Curiosity Before Page One with This Romeo & Juliet CSI Pre-Reading Activity! Bring Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy to life from the very first day with this high-interest, hands-on CSI-themed pre-reading investigation. Designed to ignite curiosity, strengthen critical thinking, and introduce key concepts of conflict and consequence, this activity invites students to step into the roles of forensic specialists and detectives as they unravel a fictional crime scene based on the events of Romeo and Juliet.

Perfect for building anticipation and encouraging teamwork, this group-based lesson sets the stage for deeper thematic exploration later in your unit — making Shakespeare engaging, accessible, and relevant from the start.

What’s Inside:

Crime scene map and detailed scenario handout

Fourdistinct investigation roles:
• CSI Team Leader
• Coroner
• Toxicologist
• Detective (Witness Statements, Evidence Locker, Suspects)

Coroner’s and toxicology reports

Witness statements and suspect profiles

Evidence locker documents for forensic analysis

❤Why You’ll Love This Resource:❤

✔Captures attention and builds excitement before beginning the text
✔Strengthens inference, deduction, and analytical thinking skills
✔ Flexible for groups of 4–6 students (add 2 more detectives), adaptable for short or extended lessons
✔Encourages teamwork, communication, and creative problem-solving
✔Supports cross-curricular connections to science and media literacy