Arizona Theatre Standards
Demonstrate mental and physical attributes
required to communicate characters
different from themselves.
Describe and compare responses to their
own works and works by others.
Materials:
Handouts (can use overhead projector if preferred)
Class Business:
Roll
Announcements
Introduction:
Circular classroom seating
Teacher introduction
Student introductions
Name
Experience in
theatre
Name game
Each student selects a city, state,
country, or planet that begins with the first letter of their name and
reveal it to the group. Ex: Sherrie from Spain, Danny from Delaware, Pat
from Pluto. The group will then go around the circle restating each
person’s name and place.
Course Introduction:
Discuss possible directions of the course
and present ideas
Pass out contracts - due at week’s end
Including:
a variety of projects
examples designs - at least 3 distinctly different designs
guidelines for student designs
grade options
Introduction to pattern making:
Pass out handout #1 (for the handouts, click
on the link following the lesson plans)
Give students
30 seconds to memorize the code and then collect papers
Pass out handout #2
Give students
2 minutes to decode all six words
Discussion
What were the difficulties? Were letters
confused? What was success rate?
What was the level of frustration?
Pass out handout #3
**Note on the handouts - I put a lot of emphasis
on teaching students about pattern
making and learning processes.
The handouts demonstrate how we can conncet
information and provide
an opening for a discussion on webbing, mapping,
mnemonics, etc. If
you are not interested in opening this door, the plan can stand
on its own without the handouts
activity.
Discussion
What would success rate be if this pattern
were offered before the‘test’?
Introduce webbing, mapping, mnemonics,
etc.
Brief chat about the role of patterns
in student designs and the unique qualities of the learners.
Ending on uniqueness will allow for
a nice segue into unique personalities and characteristics,
and will lead into . . .
The Hitchhiker Activity
Six chairs form the ‘van’ in the center of
the room. Students line up and stick out their thumb or wave
in turn. Each hitcher will demonstrate a unique characteristic
(vocal, physical, etc...) that will be adopted in some way by everyone
in the vehicle. Once the van is full, one person will get out at
the stop where the new hitcher gets in until everyone has rotated
through the van.
Discussion regarding choices, subtleties, confused
characteristics, differences and similarities in
stereotypes, and feedback on classmates work.
Assignment
Bring in an object that expresses at least
one facet of the student’s personality. Ex: a student may bring
in a rock to demonstrate stubbornness or a piece of bright material
that screams ‘wild child’.
Lesson Plan - day two
Objectives
Describe and compare responses to their own
work and works by others.
Describe ways in which the principles and
subject matter of other disciplines in the
curriculum are interrelated with theatre.
(education theories and theatre)
Demonstrate ways personalization enhances
performance; as a student, actor, designer, etc...
Provide opportunity for exploration of learning
styles and the field.
Materials
Student objects
Teacher object
Class Business
Roll
Announcements
Pass around sheet of paper and have students
write their name and the name
or description of the object
they brought to class.
Activity #1 - Name Game
Variation of day one- after group names individuals
and place, half of the class moves
to a new location
and we name everyone again.
Activity #2 - Objects
Students are asked to think about their objects,
the reason they chose to focus on that one particular character trait,
and a story out of their lives that demonstrates that trait in action.
The class will break into pairs and share this information.
The class will find new partners and retell
their stories, paying attention to details such as sight and
sound. The class will find new partners and retell stories,
paying attention to all details - sight, sound, taste, touch, smell,
feelings, etc... Students will have 5 minutes with each partner.
Discussion
How did students’
stories change and grow?
Reactions to the stories
of others
Was it difficult to
retell stories with more and more detail, but the same amount of time?
Activity #3 - New Objects
Students are given an object other than their
own and asked to come up with a story,
some way they connect with the object, a trait or occasion in their
life which comes to
mind; and then get into new pairs and repeat the third step of
activity #2. Collect objects.
Discussion
How did it feel connecting
with someone else’s object?
What were the differences
between choosing and being assigned and object?
Was anyone frustrated,
stumped?
How easy or difficult
was it creating a story that was not just trivial?
Activity #4 - Personalized Project Designs, Group Designs?
Previous discussion leads into discussion
regarding what works for students?
Design and application discussion. Discuss
project interests and get into groups of four with shared interests.
Share ideas, possibilities, and experience. Teacher will
circulate listening to groups and providing feedback and direction
if called for. Ask students to decide whether they would like to
design a one-person project, work on a group project, or choose from one
of the three-four provided example projects. Have them write
their name and category on a provided sheet before leaving.
Lesson Plan - Day 5
Arizona Theatre Standards
Individually and in groups, create and
script scenarios that develop tension and
suspense between believable, interrelated characters.
Cooperate in an ensemble to rehearse and
present improvisations and scripted
scenes involving themselves as invented characters.
Explain (and build) how social concepts
apply in theatre and in daily life.
Describe and compare responses to their
own works and works by others.
Additional Objective
Lay the foundation for the understanding of the
effectiveness of varying tactics in and out
of the classroom.
Materials
Nerf Ball
Class Business
Roll
Announcements
Activity #1 - Machine Game
Students standing in a circle. Ask students
about the machine - is it used for ecological or
social purposes (positive, negative), does it create or destroy,
etc... Ask for a volunteer to begin
a movement simulating an isolated action of a machine.
Have students add on to the machine, working with or against the
other sections depending on the choice made regarding its purpose.
Discussion
What worked and
what did not work?
Was there conflict
within the machine? Was there flow?
What did students
on the inside, i.e. the first pieces of the machine, see?
How did the machine
look as it was being formed from the outside?
Activity #2 - Live Machine Improv
Divide into groups of four. The direction
of this improv will depend entirely on the choices
made in activity one. Have students discuss the purpose and
topic of the machine, and create
an improv containing tension with two students from the group opposing
the other two. A group may agree on the outcome but not the process,
they may disagree entirely, or something in
between. Students will rehearse their choices and present them
to the class. Teacher will stop improv when appropriate and ask students
to switch roles.
Discussion
Did groups find ways
to work out differences?
What compromises were
made? Was there any consensus?
How did they feel
when their arguments had no effect on the others?
How did they feel
when their arguments convinced others?
Were they willing
to give or did they remain unyielding?
When roles were switched,
were new tactics used and what were they?
This leads into discussion
about give and take in the theatre and in group work in the
classroom.
Give the students approximately the last 10 minutes of class to discuss
class projects with each
other and the instructor.
Lesson Plan - Day 3
Arizona Theatre Standards
Identify and demonstrate the basic physical
and chemical properties of the technical aspects of theatre.
Additional Objective
Familiarize students with the space and demonstrate
the teacher’s belief that theatre is not
just about acting.
Materials
All necessary keys
Class Business
Roll
Announcements
Collect student contracts
Name Game
Standing in a circle, student will toss the
ball to someone and give the catcher’s name before
that individual catches the ball. Each person gets the
ball once, no power throws. After
everyone has had a turn, student will toss the ball to someone
and the catcher must say the thrower’s name before catching ball.
Activity #1 - Theatre exploration
Group will explore the theatre space, look
at costume shop, make-up/dressing room,
catwalks, lighting/sound booths, storage, (if we’ve got it, they see
it). I will also take them to the library and familiarize
them with the theatre section (if applicable) where to find scripts,
research material, etc... With a large group, this could easily
take up the entire class, but I think exposing students to multifarious
aspects of theatre is critical in developing a well-rounded, cooperative
theatre artists.
Conduct interactive discussions throughout exploration and to provide
closure.
Lesson Plan - Day 4
Arizona Theatre Standards
Demonstrate mental and physical attributes
required to communicate characters (experiencing situations) different
from themselves.
Describe and compare responses to their
own works and works by others.
Aditional Objectives
Explore the differences between being and
doing.
Work collaboratively to experience the diversity
found in a cooperative learning experience.
Class Business
Roll
Announcements
Name Game
Students standing in a circle. Teacher
comes to the center of the circle, closes eyes, turns around with
arm outstretched until the count of three, stops, and names the individual
she is
pointing to. The named student comes to the center and
repeats teacher’s action while teacher
gets back into circle but sits down. If spinner points
to someone sitting down, she/he must name
the first standing person to the right.
Framework
Acting discussion - you cannot be this or
that, but you can respond to a certain situation
'as if ' you were experiencing it. Think about how you would
react, how would your face
and body look, what would your gestures be, and so on.
Activity #1 - ‘As If’
Talk students through the exercise.
Look through your book bag/folder as if you cannot
find an important paper that is due, but you know you packed this morning.
You still have not
found it. Now look through as if you were a little nervous,
not frantic, over its whereabouts.
Now look through as if you were questioning whether you packed
it and as if it were taking its
toll. Now react as if you located it.
Discussion
What were some of
the exact thoughts running through your mind?
Comments on movement,
gesture, facial expressions, etc...
Activity #2 - Entrances
Supply students with a handout listing various
entrances, ex: enter as if it is 70 degrees below zero outside, as
if you just stubbed your toe, as if you do not want to be noticed.
Have students choose an entrance, without revealing the choice to the class,
go outside and make an entrance. Have students discuss what
they see and give possibilities. There is no need for the ‘right’
answer to be given - the inferences are the important things.
Discuss the way there can be differences in
opinion over entrances and that what one person sees is not always
what another sees. Also, any entrances that were duplicated
but still had
unique qualities.
Activity #3 - Group work
Get students together that are not in the
same project group, or if students are doing
individual projects or prepared projects, have students join a group.
Students may discuss
topics, methods of application, and share ideas. Then have
students switch groups and begin
a new discussion. Have students visit as many different
groups as time allows. Students may
switch groups, combine topics, and/or create new projects as
a result of this group sharing experience.
Designed by S.R.
handouts.doc
