Lesson Plans - Days one through five

Theater Lesson Plans - Days one through five
Beginning Drama Grade 9

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.