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Get Composition Notebook
 Get your Red/Yellow/Green
Assessment Cards
 (3 Minutes) Write down the unusual
characteristics of the story in your
Literature Book pg. 60-67 in your
composition notebook with a partner
under Lesson 10.

The Elements of Drama
7th Grade Language Arts
SPI 0701.8.3 Determine the common characteristics of literary
drama, nonfiction, novels, poetry, and short stories.
CFU 0701.8.14
I can understand the elements particular to dramatic
literature (e.g., scenes, acts, cast of characters,
stage directions) in plays that are read or viewed.
Guiding Question
 How
does the media world create
a movie or television show?
Drama…
The Senior Play at
HCHS
The “Hee Haw”
Show
Dreamweavers
Community Plays
Church plays

…is
a story told in
front of an
audience

Cast of Characters
List of the
characters needed
to perform the
drama
*Charlie Brown: the main and lovable character
* Snoopy: Charlie Brown's ubiquitous Dog
* Linus van Pelt: Charlie Brown's Blanking-Sporting best friend
* Lucy van Pelt: Linus' lovable fuss-budget of an older sister
* Woodstock: Snoopy's best friend
* Sally Brown: Charlie Brown's younger sister
* Marcie: the bespectacled character
* Peppermint Patty: Marcie's best friend
Elements of Drama
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Playwright-the
author of a play
Actors-the people
who perform
Acts-the units of
action
Scenes-parts of
the acts
Dramatic Speech

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Dialogueconversation
between or among
characters
Monologue-long
speech by one
single character
(private thoughts)
Example Dialogue
(Roberto comes into the office of Profesora Calderon and
remains standing)
Alicia - Please sit down.
Roberto - Yes, Profesora Calderon.
Alicia - The course is over. You passed very well, the highest in
the class.
Roberto - (standing up) Thank you very much. I'll be leaving
now.
Stage Directions
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Found in parentheses ()
Describe scenery and
how characters speak
C, Center Stage
L, Stage Left
R, Stage Right
U, Upstage or Rear
D, Downstage or Front
Theater

Where a play
takes place

Set

Construction on the stage
that shows time/place
Could be called “scenery”

Props
Small movable items that the
actors use to make actions
look real
Let’s Look


Reflect back to Literature Book pg 60-67
Locate the following
Stage directions
 Cast of characters

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Explain why a drama needs
Cast of characters
 Acts or scenes
 Stage Directions
 Set and props

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Draw a conclusion for why most dramas
use dialogue instead of monologue.
Activity

You will create a drama skit with your group
on bullying for middle school students.
Handout for groups
Example skit on overhead

WE WILL FINISH SKITS TOMORROW
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
Exit Poll
On a piece of paper
answer the following
questions

How does the reader know the
characters for the drama and how many
are needed?
What element of drama lets the actor
know what to do?
What is the creator of a drama called?

HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!!!
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Elements of Drama

Characterizationplaywright’s
technique for
making
believable
characters