Enumclaw School District - SE
Theatre
March/April
Theatre Infused Lesson 1a:
Sample Target Learning
Assessment Criteria
Target: Identifies the main
action that is found in the
beginning of a given story.
Story Structures
Criteria: Uses tableau,
physically recreates the
character(s) first action of the
stories beginning.
March/April
Theatre Focus Lesson 1b:
Target: Makes a specific
vocal choice to create a
character.
Creating Character
(Three Part Lesson)
Criteria: Uses voice quality,
pitch, and volume choices and
describes the vocal choices
through writing.
Theatre
Standards
ADE ART
Writing Standards
U
ICULUM
Theatre Vocabulary
Enduring Understanding
AEl1.l concepts:
Arts:
action, main events,
main characters,
settings
beginning
climax
denouement
end
middle
plot
resolution
tableau
Dramatic stories can be
told through a sequence of
actions related to specific
events.
AEl 1.2 skills and
techniques:
movement
AEl 2.2 performance
process:
conceptualization
AEL 1.1 concepts:
character
REl 1.4 literacy
devices: descriptive
language
WEll.! develop
concept and design:
Relevant details:
character attributes
Arts:
attributes
character
movement
neutral
pitch
posture
quality
volume
Combining specific
gestures/body movements
with vocal choices
contributes to the
understanding and
creation of a character.
ARTS IMPACT
SUMMER SCHOOL
Story Structure
THEATER ARTS LESSON - SECOND GRADE
Al1ist/Mentor. Dave Quicksall; Teachers: Colleen Tumlin
Problem to Solve: How is a story physically retold by focusing on its beginning, middle, and end?
Understanding: Dramatic stories can be told through a sequence of actions related to specific events.
Brief Description of Task/ Project
Students create and present three snapshottableaux of the beginning, middle, and end of a story.
Evidence of Student Learning
Target Learning and Assessment Strategies
tableau
Knowledge and skills: The student:
Target: Identifies the main action that is found in the beginning (introduction) of a given story.
Criteria: Using a tableau, physically recreates the character(s) first action of the story's beginning (introduction).
Target: Identifies the main action that is found in the middle (climax) of a given story.
Criteria: Using a tableau, physically recreates the character(s) climatic action of the story's middle).
Target: Identifies the main action that is found at the end (resolution) of a given story.
Criteria: Using a tableau, physically recreates the character(s) resolution action of the story's end.
Target: Understands the sequential dramatic structure of the given story.
Criteria: Presents, in order, the sequence of the three tableaux (beginning, middle, end).
instructional Strategies for the Teacher and Student
If the students aren't capable of working independently in groups, the teacher can lead small groups through the lesson. If the
students can't write, the teacher can work orally with them. The stories used can be as simple as a nursery rhyme or as complex as an
entire book.
1. Teacher: Selects the story or rhyme that the students will work on (it could be more than one story/rhyme if desired). A
simple story or rhyme is best. Divides the class into groups and leads the groups in brainstorming for the main characters and their
main actions at the beginning of the story. Prompts: The beginning ofa story is the INTRODUCTION to the characters and actions to
come. This pal1 of the plot reveals the characters and conflict. We define conflict as the struggle between two opposing forces. Who
are the main characters who get the story going? What are they doing? What do they want?
Student: Brainstorms in groups and compiles a list (written if they are old enough, if not scribed) of the main
characters and actions.
2. Teacher: Guides the groups in developing a frozen tableau, or snapshot, that physically expresses the characters and actions
at the beginning of the story or rhyme. Prompts: Pretend that you are using your bodies to create a giant photograph of the
characters and their actions. How can you express the actions While remaining frozen? How can you express who the characters are
With a statue?
Student: Working with their groups creates a frozen tableau of the beginning action of the story.
Embedded Assessment: Criteria-based teacher checklist
3. Teacher: Repeats steps 1 & 2 in creating tableaux for the middle of the story or rhyme, focusing on the climaxing action.
Prompts: The middle of the story usually has something very big happen to the main characters. This is the pal1 of the plot where the
problem is explored.
Student: Brainstorms and creates tableaux for the middle of the story with their groups.
Embedded Assessment: Criteria-based teacher checklist
Teacher: Repeats steps 1 & 2 in creating tableaux for the end of the story or rhyme, focusing on the resolving action.
rompts: After the big action ofthe climax, a story usually winds down and finishes. This is where the conflict is solved.
Student: Brainstorms and creates tableaux for the end of the story with their groups.
Embedded Assessment: Criteria-based self-assessment/peer assessment checklist
S. Teacher: Guides the students in combining all three tableaux into a slide show that captures the main actions of their stories.
Prompts: Now I want each group to arrange their snapshots into a slide show for the class. We should be able to guess which
characters are which, what they are doing and clearly see a beginning, middle and end to the story. I'm going to give you the count of
three to get from one tableaux to the other. Three, two, one.
Student: Rehearses, refines and performs tableaux for the class.
Embedded Assessment: Criteria-based peer reflection.
Vocabulary
• beginning
(introduction)
• climax
• denouement
• end
• middle
• plot
• resolution
• tableau
Selected Resources
Classroom Materials:
selected stories or rhymes
Student Applications of Learning
Students identify and use clear actions in
a story sequence.
Essential Learnings
AEL 1.1 concepts: action, main events,
main characters, settings
AEL 1.2 skills and techniques: movement
AEL 2.2 performance process:
conceptualization
REL 2.1 understands the meaning what is
read: understands the importance of
sequence of events or information
ARTS IMPACT
THEATER ARTS LESSON - SECOND GRADE
,tory Structure
Target Learning and Assessment Strategies
Knowledge and skills: The student:
Target: Identifies the main action that is found in the beginning (introduction) of a given story.
Criteria: Using a tableau, physically recreates the character(s) first action of the story's beginning (introduction).
Target: Identifies the main action that is found in the middle (climax) of a given story.
Criteria: Using a tableau, physically recreates the character(s) climatic action of the story's middle).
Target: Identifies the main action that is found at the end (resolution) of a given story.
Criteria: Using a tableau, physically recreates the character(s) resolution action of the story's end.
Target: Understands the sequential dramatic structure of the given story.
Criteria: Presents, in order, the sequence of the three tableaux (beginning, middle, end).
PERSONAL ASSESSMENTS WORKSHEET
Student
Story Structure and Action
LITERACY
RESPONSE
ARTISTIC
RESPONSE
LITERACY
RESPONSE
ARTISTIC
RESPONSE
LITERACY
RESPONSE
ARTISTIC
RESPONSE
identifies
beginning
(introduction)
first action
./
recreates
beginning
(introduction)
first action
./
identifies
middle
climatic
action
./
recreates
middle
climatic action
identifies end
/resolution
action
./
./
recreates
end
/resolution
action
./
Performance
Process
ARTISTIC
RESPONSE
Total
Points
7
presents
beginning,
middle &end
./
ASSESSMENTS WORKSHEET
Student
Story Structure and Action
LITERACY
RESPONSE
ARTISTIC
RESPONSE
LITERACY
RESPONSE
ARTISTIC
RESPONSE
LITERACY
RESPONSE
ARTISTIC
RESPONSE
identifies
beginning
(introduction)
first action
./
recreates
beginning
(introduction)
first action
./
identifies
middle
climatic
action
./
recreates
middle
climatic action
identifies
end
/resolution
action
./
recreates
end
/resolution
action
./
./
Performance
Process
ARTISTIC
RESPONSE
Total
Points
7
presents
beginning,
middle & end
./
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
Total
Percentaqe
Mean
Median
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Teacher Comments:
•
•
•/'p,<
/i •••••
ARTS IMPACT
Story Structure
Dear Family:
Today your child participated in a theater arts lesson in which he/she created three snapshots that
show the action sequence of a story.
1. We brainstormed, in groups, and determined the beginning, middle, and end of our
story.
2. We identified and physically expressed the main characters and actions of the story in a
frozen snapshot (or tableau).
3. We presented, to the class, our three snap shots of beginning, middle, and end in a slide
show.
,t home you could make a series of snapshots that express the actions of your favorite stories.
UNDERSTANDING
Dramatic stories
can be told through a sequence ofactions related to specific events.
ARTS IMPACT
SUMMER SCHOOL
HEATER ARTS LESSON - SECOND GRADE
Creating Character
Uses posture and movement
choices.
Artist/Mentor. Dave Quicksall; Teacher: Colleen Tumlin
Uses posture and movement
choices.
Problem to Solve: How does the use of body and voice contribute to the bUilding of a character?
Understanding: Combining specific gestures/body movements with vocal choices contributes to the
understanding and creation of a character.
Brief Descri ption of Taskl Project
Students read a specific story. Using the descriptions in the story and/or illustrations, students create different character using their
bodies and voices.
Target Learning and Assessment Strategies
Knowledge and skills: The student:
Target: Recognizes and uses actor neutral.
Criteria: Walks and talks normally.
Target: Makes a specific physical choice to create a character. (SESSION 1)
Criteria: Uses posture and movement choices and describes the physical
Evidence of Student
Learning
written descriptions and/or illustrations
of characters; body and voice
choices through writing and/or illustration.
Target: Makes a specific vocal choice to create a character. (SESSION 2)
Criteria: Uses voice quality, pitch, and volume choices and describes the vocal choices through writing.
Target: Combines the physical choices with the vocal choices into a complete presentation of the character. (SESSION 3)
Criteria: Combines posture and movement choices with voice quality, pitch and volume choices and describes the overall
character through writing.
'nstructional Strategies for the Teacher and Student
jESSION 1 - THE SUPER EXPRESSIVE BODY
WARIVI-UPS: Walk AND CHANGE, STATUES, EXAGERRATED MOVEMENT
1. Teacher: Instructs students to walk around the class as themselves. Prompts: In theater we call movement without
charader added to it as neutral. When you are ading as yoursel0 you are neutral.
Student: Walks around the class in a neutral manner.
2. Teacher: Guides the students in transforming their walks from neutra/to that of the character. Introduces a character
(human or animal) not from the specific story but one that the students would be familiar with (i.e.: pirate, teacher, lion, snake,
spaceman, etc.). Prompt: /-low does a bear walk? /-low does a fireman walk? /-low is the character's walk different from yours?
Student: Changes their posture and movement to represent the given character.
3. Teacher: Compiles a list of characters from the story that the class is reading. Repeats the above exercise but now using the
characters specific to the story. Prompts: What words or pidures in the story describe how the character might move? /-low does
the character fee/? Is he/she ma~ happy- sa~ scare~ etc? How do those feelings change how you move?
Student: Changes posture and movement to represent the given character from the story.
4. Teacher: Guides the students in writing/illustrating what they did to their bodies to creata the character. Prompt:
Wnte about what your legs were doing. Were they stomping, running, sliding? What about your arms? What did you face look like?
Can you draw it? Embedded Assessment: Criteria-based teacher checklist
~: Writes about and/or illustrates what he/she did with his/her body to create the character.
I
Vocabulary
•
•
•
•
•
•
, •
~_Iu_m_e
Student Applications of Learning
Student uses voice and body to demonstrate understanding of
characterization.
attribute
character
movement
neutral
pitch
posture
quality
Selected Resources
Classroom Resources:
selected story from literature
_
Essential Learnings
AEL 1.1 concepts: character
REL 1.4: literary devices: descriptive language
REL 2.2: analyze and interpret: character's persona within the context of
the story
WEL 1.1 develop concept and design: relevant details: character attributes
WEL 1.2: word choice
WEL 1.2 figurative writing
SESSION 2 - THE BIG VOICE
1. Teacher: Leads students into an exploration of vibrations that are created from the center of the body (the diaphragm)
through humming. Instructs students to hum and touch their toes. Prompts students to unbend their bodies to a standing position,
humming all the while. When students have reached their full height prompts students to release the sound by simply opening their
llouths and letting it out. Prompts: Relax the body. Don't forget to breathe. Feel the diaphragm expanding and contracting. Sustain
'Ie sound as though on a long sigh ofrelief. Don't force the sound as you open your mouth, just let it spill out.
Student: Finds center and identifies the diaphragm from the vibrations in their bodies caused by the humming.
Embedded Assessment: Self-assessment reflection
2. Teacher: Divides students into pairs and leads them in the "HEY!" exercise, which "frees" the voice from the body. Guides
students to decide on who is "A" and who is "B." Prompts: Connect to your center. Feel the desire to communicate before using the
voice. Don't strain or push the sound. Think ofthe sound coming from your center and not from your throat
Student: Acts out the follOWing scenario: "A" is waiting for a bus and sees "B" across the street. "A" feels an overwhelming
desire to call out to "B" and does so by saying "HEY!" with a big voice. "B" acknowledges "A" and returns the greeting.
Repeat as often as necessary. Releases the voice and communicates to partner with an open channel and with no visible
signs of tension. Evaluates partner by watching how he/she says "HEY!" and give critical feedback.
Embedded Assessment: Criteria-based peer assessment
3. Teacher: Assigns phrases from a familiar story that the students will use to project across the room.
Prompt: I can't hear you. Let me hear your playground voice not your classroom voice. Embedded Assessment, Criteria-based
checklist.
Student: Practices, refines and presents a phrase that is heard across the room. Evaluates fellow students as to how well they were
heard in the room. Embedded assessment: Peer assessment, class critique and reflection
4. Teacher: Instructs students to say the following phrase as themselves (neutral): "Excuse me, but can you tell me what
time it is?" Prompts: Do you remember what neutral means in the theater? A neutral voice is without any character added to it
When you are speaking as yourselfyour voice is neutral.
Student: Will walk up to fellow students and ask the question using his/her own neutra/voice.
5. Teacher: Guides the students in transforming their voices from neutralto that of the character. Introduces a character
(human or animal) not from the specific story but one that the students would be familiar with (Le.: pirate, teacher, lion, snake,
spaceman, etc.). Prompts: Ifa wolf could talk what would it sound like? How does a pirate talk? How is the character's voice
1ifferent from yours, is it higher, lower, more gruff, softer? We can change the loudness (volume), talk in high or low voices (pitch), or
hange our voice quality.
Student: Changes their voice to sound like the given character.
6. Teacher: Using the list of characters from the story that the class is reading, picks lines of dialogue (or invents some) from
the story that the characters would say. Repeats the above exercise but now using the characters specific to the story. Prompts:
What in the story describe how the character might sound? How does the character feel? Is he/she mad, happy, sad, scared, etc?
How do those feelings change how you use your voice?
Student: Changes voice to sound like the given character from the story.
7. Teacher: Guides the students in writing what they did to their voices to create the character. Prompt: Write about what
your voice sounded like. Was it low? Did it sound musical? Was it scratchy? What did your voice look like? Draw what you voice
looks like coming out ofyour mouth. What color is it? Is it wavy? Does it look like bubbles? Embedded Assessment: Criteria-based
teacher checklist
Student: Writes about and/or illustrates what he/she did with his/her voice to create the character.
SESSION 3· PUmNG IT TOGETHER
Building on the previous sessions, we are now combining body and voice.
1.Teacher: Guides the students in moving and talking like the characters from the story by having them walk around the
classroom while speaking the previously chosen lines of dialogue. Prompts: How does the character move and speak at the same
time? How does the way the character moves affect the way its voice sounds?
Student: Moves and speaks simultaneously as the character.
2.Teacher: Selects short scenes from the story that the students will act out (the characters should be the ones that they have
been exploring previously). Divides the students into groups and assigns roles (possibly by having them draw character names to pick
characters). Each character needs to have something to do and say within the scene. Guides each group in presenting the scene to
the class, the emphasis being on combining the body and voice to communicate the overall character.
Student: Acts out the scene with classmates and combines body and voice to convey their character.
. Teacher: Guides the students in writing/illustrating how their bodies and voices worked together to create a character.
Prompts: How did your body movement affect the way your voice sounded? How did the feelings ofthe character affect your voice?
Embedded Assessment: Criteria-based teacher checklist
Student: Writes about and/or illustrates what he/she did with his/her voice and body to create the character.
ARTS IMPACT
THEATER ARTS LESSON - SECOND GRADE
':reating Character
Target Learning and Assessment Strategies
Knowledge and skills: The student:
Target: Recognizes and uses actor neutral.
Criteria: Walks and talks normally.
Target: Makes a specific physical choice to create a character. (SESSION 1)
Criteria: Uses posture and movement choices and describes the physical choices through writing and/or illustration.
Target: Makes a specific vocal choice to create a character. (SESSION 2)
Criteria: Uses voice quality, pitch. and volume choices and describes the vocal choices through writing.
Target: Combines the physical choices with the vocal choices into a complete presentation of the character. (SESSION 3)
Criteria: Combines posture and movement choices with voice quality, pitch and volume choices and describes the overall
character through writing.
SELF-REFLECTION
Physical and Vocal Choice:
What physical choices did you make? What vocal choices did you make? How did your body movement affect the way your
voice sounded?
Iftwo ofyou worked on the same character how were your characters different?
CHARACTER
Creatino Character
Uses vocal quality
'ses posture and
I movement to describe
character
4
Speaks in front of a group changing
volume and pitch to reflect attributes
of a specific character
Changes body posture in front of a
group from actor neutral and adds
movement to reflect actions and
attributes of a soecific character
Speaks in front of a group
changing volume and pitch
2
Speaks in front of a group
changing volume
Changes body posture in front
of a group from actor neutral
and adds movement to reflect a
nonsoecific character
Changes body posture in
front of a group from
actor neutral and adds
movement
3
1
Speaks in
front of a
group
Moves in
front of a
group
ASSESSMENTS WORKSHEET
Student
Actor
Neutral
ARTISTIC
RESPONSE
Characterization
LITERACY
RESPONSE
walks and
talks
normally
v'
lists
characters in
story
v'
LITERACY RESPONSE
uses posture and
movement choices and
describe attributes of
character
v'
Rubric (Weighted Score)
ARTISTIC RESPONSE
Changes body posture in front of a group from actor
neutral and adds movement to reflect actions and
attributes of a specific character
1·4
l.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
ll.
12.
13.
14.
15.
·otal
ercentage
Mean
Median
. <.><
Teacher Comments:
_>c..
"':'>/."
'> .'
·....•..
.t····.·.···
Total
Points
7
ARTS IMPACT
Creating Character
Dear Family:
Today your child participated in a reading and writing lesson using theater. We studied
characterization.
o We established acting as yourself-actor neutral.
We transformed actor neutral into character by considering the character's persona within
the context of the story and the relevant details of a specific character's attributes.
@
e We changed our posture and
movement to represent a specific character: made
physical choices.
e We changed our voices, voice quality, pitch, and volume, to represent a specific
character: made vocal choices.
o We combined our physical and vocal choices to represent a specific character and
documented our work in written words and images.
\t home you consider the posture, movements, and vocal qualities of some of your favorite
characters from literature.
Why are we sometimes surprised when we see a character brought to life in a movie or play after we
read the book?
UNDERSTANDING
Combining specific gestures/body movements with vocal choices
contributes to the understanding and creation ofa character.
,
ARTS,IlvfpA'ctfl.tesso'
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Arts Discipline:
Infused Discipline:
(If applicable'
Grade
Level:
Enduring Understandina:
Examples:
Title:
Author:
I
Transfers ink evenly to paper using
printinq techniques
Identifies beginning, middle and end as
keY events and actions in dance.
Target Learnings and Assessment Criteria
Target:
Criteria:
Target:
Criteria:
Target:
Criteria:
Target:
Criteria:
Instructional Strategies
Vocabulary
Resources:
Historical Art or
Performance
Classroom, Visual
Arts or Performing
Arts Materials
WA Essential
Learnings
•
•
•
•
AEL 1.1 concepts:
•
•
•
•
•
Scheduled Study Visit:
I
•
AEL 1.2 skills and
techniques:
•
,Math/Reading/Writing
Essential Learning
•
I
Arts Discipline:
Infused Discipline:
(If apolicable)
Grade
Level:
Students
Title:
Author:
Copy in Concept
e.g. Color; Level;
Characterization
Copy in lesson
criteria
Total
Points
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
Total
Percentage
Teacher Comments
Were there any students especially
challenged by concepts in the lesson;
what instructional strategies helped
these students?
Were there lesson dynamics that
helped or hindered learninq?
What classroom management
techniques supported student
learninq?
Other comments:
Family Communication:
ARTS IMPACT LESSON PLAN
LESSOI\J TrrLE
PERSONAL ASSESSMENT WORKSHEET
Total
Student Name
Criteria-based Reflection Questions:
Self-Reflection:
Peer to Peer:
Student Name:
Date:
_
ARTS IMPACT
LESSON.·~LA"'NINGFORMAT
..
.>
Arts Discipline:
Infused Discipline:
(If applicable
Grade
Level:
Enduring Understanding:
Examples:
Title:
Author:
Transfers ink evenly to paper using
printinq techniques
Identifies beginning, middle and end as
kev events and actions in dance.
Target Learnings and Assessment Criteria
Target:
Criteria:
Target:
Criteria:
Target:
Criteria:
Target:
Criteria:
Instructional Strategies
Vocabulary
Resources:
Historical Art or
Performance
Classroom, .Visual
Arts or Performing
Arts Materials
WAEssential
Learnings
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
AEL 1.1 concepts:
•
Scheduled Study Visit:
•
AEL 1.2 skills and
techniques:
•
IVlathjReadingjWriting
Essential Learning
•
Arts Discipline:
Infused Discipline:
(If applicable)
Grade
Level:
Students
Title:
Author:
Copy in Concept
e.g. Color; Level;
Characterization
Copy in lesson
criteria
Total
Points
1.
2,
3.
4.
5.
6.
7,
8,
9.
10,
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16,
17.
18.
19.
20,
21.
22.
23,
24,
25.
Total
Percentage
Teacher Comments
Were there any students especially
challenged by concepts in the lesson;
what instructional strategies helped
these students?
Were there lesson dynamics that
helped or hindered learninq?
What classroom management
techniques supported student
learninq?
Other comments:
Family Communication:
ARTS IMPACT LESSON PLAN
LESSON TITLE
PERSONAL ASSESSMENT WORKSHEET
Total
Student Name
Criteria-based Reflection Questions:
Self-Reflection:
Peer to Peer:
Student Name:
Date:
_