Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Exemplar: Theatre
Aligned to the 2009 New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21ST CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Senior Stories: Unit Overview
Content Area: Visual and Performing Arts: Theatre
Unit Title: Senior Stories: How Does History Repeat Itself?
Target Course/Grade Level: 11-12
Unit Summary
This unit permits the student actor or theatre practitioner to explore and make use of specific modern theatre
methodologies integrated with historical research and journalism practices. Students begin by exploring Uta
Hagen’s acting techniques. Then, following the approach of Anna Deavere Smith, each student interviews a
senior citizen, looking for “a defining moment in American history” that helped shape their subjects’ lives.
Afterward, students research these events to better understand the various contexts through which their subjects
experienced the world. They then engage in the dramaturgical study of their research subjects. Borrowing from
Smith, Hagen, and Michael Chekov, they take a process-driven approach to finding/developing a character
based on the individuals they interviewed. After this formative “rehearsal process” brings the character to life,
each student focuses on a single anecdote from their subjects’ lives and uses these to write short, one-person
plays that tell each subject’s story. The unit culminates in a live performance that is recorded and published on
the school website. A class blog serves as a digital portfolio of students’ progress, and following their
performance, students reflect on their extended theatrical experience and explore similarities and differences in
the ways a range of historical events shape both the individual and our collective experience.
Primary interdisciplinary connections: Language arts, social studies, technology
21st-Century Themes: Global Awareness, Civic Literacy
Unit Rationale
Senior Stories can be used to structure a trimester-long theatre course and contains numerous extensions to
facilitate its use as a one-semester or longer course. The unit provides artistic opportunities for students to
deeply explore and provide evidence of their understanding of an individual’s experience during a specific
period of history. It engages students in drama, journalism, and playwriting, using a real-life historical context,
and enables them to make use of creative processes employed by professional artists. Students can later apply
the techniques and processes they learn to a range of theatrical and other artistic endeavors. In addition,
students use a range of technologies to both create and communicate, and they work collegially with their
teacher and peers—all 21st-century career skills. After completing the unit, they are asked to consider the role
historical events play in our lives by reflecting on, discussing, and responding creatively to such questions as:
 How does history repeat itself? In other words, in what ways do the impacts of specific historical events
differ, and in what ways are they similar?


What does this say about the role of history in our lives? About the human experience?
What role does art play in our experience? How does history impact art, and how does art impact history?
Learning Targets
Standards: Visual and Performing Arts
 1.1 The Creative Process: All students will demonstrate an understanding of the elements and principles
that govern the creation of works of art in dance, music, theatre, and visual art.
 Strand C: Theatre
 1.3 Performing: All students will synthesize those skills, media, methods, and technologies appropriate to
creating, performing, and/or presenting works of art in dance, music, theatre, and visual art.
 Strand C: Theatre
 1.4 Aesthetic Responses & Critique Methodologies: All students will demonstrate and apply an
understanding of arts philosophies, judgment, and analysis of works of art in dance, music, theatre, and
Created for New Jersey school districts through a project of the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Academic Standards,
in partnership with the N.J Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the N.J. Principals and Supervisors Association.
Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Exemplar: Theatre
Aligned to the 2009 New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21ST CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
visual art.
 Strand A: Aesthetic Response
 Strand B: Critique Methodologies
Related Content Statements for Standard 1.1, Strand C
 Theatre and the arts play a significant role in human history and culture.
 Characters have physical, emotional, and social dimensions that can be communicated through the
application of acting techniques.
Related Content Statements for Standard 1.3, Strand C
 Effective scripted and improvisational performances require informed, supported, and sustained choices by
actors, directors, and designers. Theatre genres are created by combining complex narrative structures,
technical theatrical elements, and thematic intent.
 Presentation of believable, multidimensional characters in scripted and improvised performances requires
application of specific physical choices, sustained vocal technique, and clearly motivated actions.
Related Content Statements for Standard 1.4, Strand A
 Contextual clues within artworks often reveal artistic intent, enabling the viewer to hypothesize the artist’s
concept.
Related Content Statements for Standard 1.4, Strand B
 Archetypal subject matter exists in all cultures and is embodied in the formal and informal aspects of art.
 The cohesiveness of a work of art and its ability to communicate a theme or narrative can be directly
affected by the artist’s technical proficiency as well as by the manner and physical context in which it is
performed or shown.
 Art and art-making reflect and affect the role of technology in a global society.
CPI #
Cumulative Progress Indicator (CPI)
1.1.C.12.1
Analyze examples of theatre’s influence on history and history’s influence on theatre in
Western and non-Western theatre traditions.
1.1.C.12.2
Formulate a process of script analysis to identify how the physical, emotional, and social
dimensions of a character are communicated through the application of acting techniques.
1.3.C.12.1
Create plays that include well-structured plots and subplots, clear thematic intent, original
characters, and technical theatrical elements appropriate to a variety of theatrical genres.
1.3.C.12.2
Create and evaluate performances by citing evidence of specific physical choices, sustained
vocal technique, and clearly motivated actions.
1.4.12.A.2
Speculate on the artist’s intent, using discipline-specific arts terminology and citing
embedded clues to substantiate the hypothesis.
1.4.12.B.1
Formulate criteria for arts evaluation using the principles of positive critique and observation
of the elements of art and principles of design, and use the criteria to evaluate works of dance,
music, theatre, visual, and multimedia artwork from diverse cultural contexts and historical
eras.
1.4.12.B.2
Evaluate how an artist’s technical proficiency may affect the creation or presentation of a
work of art, as well as how the context in which a work is performed or shown may impact
perceptions of its significance/meaning.
1.4.12.B.3
Determine the role of art and art-making in a global society by analyzing the influence of
technology on the visual, performing, and multimedia arts for consumers, creators, and
performers around the world.
Created for New Jersey school districts through a project of the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Academic Standards,
in partnership with the N.J Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the N.J. Principals and Supervisors Association.
Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Exemplar: Theatre
Aligned to the 2009 New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21ST CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Unit Essential Questions
 How is the playwriting and dramatic
process influenced, both positively and
negatively, when the subject is a living
person?
 How can specific acting techniques
influence the process through which living
people become characters in theatrical
performances?
 How can historical and other real-life events
shape creative production and performance?
 How can creative performances based on
historical and other real-life events
influence individuals and society?
Unit Enduring Understandings
 Journalism techniques and the use of multimedia technology
can impact the playwriting process and structure of dramatic
literature.
 Method acting is one approach to acting.
 The critical processes of observing, describing, analyzing,
interpreting, and evaluating leads to judgments regarding the
relative merits of artworks and can help artists improve their
work.
 Although historical periods are distinct in many ways, there
are similarities in the way that historical events shape the
lives of individuals across time.
 Theatre can be used to interpret events and make
sociopolitical statements that can influence other people.
Unit Learning Targets
Students will ...
 Examine Uta Hagen’s contributions to theatre history and the concept of the Fourth Wall.
 Apply acting techniques to maintain the existence of the Fourth Wall.
 Self-critique their own creative efforts, apply the principles of positive critique to their peers’ work, and use
feedback to improve their work.
 Discuss acting techniques supporting the existence of the Fourth Wall and how they help the actor and
playwright engage the audience.
 Reflect on their exploration of acting techniques.
 Examine Anna Deavere Smith’s use of journalistic techniques to develop characters for her unique theatrical
performances.
 Discuss the role of individual and collective experiences in depicting American identity.
 Prepare for interviewing by drafting questions, role-playing, and discussing interviewing skills and decorum.
 Conduct planned interviews with senior citizens.
 Examine Michael Chekov’s techniques for exploring and finding the center of their characters.
 Research the historical, life-shaping events their subjects identified.
 Use the information from their interviews, in combination with Smith’s and Chekov’s techniques, to explore
who their characters are and to physically transform into their characters by embodying their physical and
emotional attributes.
 Discuss and reflect on the character study process.
 Learn and practice a variety of exercises for strengthening posture, controlling breathing, locating vocal
range, and refining diction.
 Develop, stage, and perform a roughly five-minute one-person play based on (1) an anecdote shared during
their interviews, (2) their character studies, and (3) their research on the identified historical moment.
 Engage in a cyclical process of performance and revision to refine and improve both their scripts and their
performances.
 Work closely with a peer review partner to share and improve draft scripts and performances.
 Appropriately apply exercises for strengthening posture, controlling breathing, locating vocal range, refining
diction, and enhancing performance.
 Assess their own scripts and performances, as well as those of a peer.
Created for New Jersey school districts through a project of the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Academic Standards,
in partnership with the N.J Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the N.J. Principals and Supervisors Association.
Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Exemplar: Theatre
Aligned to the 2009 New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21ST CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
 Discuss the value of individual character development techniques.
 Compare and contrast the approaches of Hagen, Smith, and Chekov, and analyze how each affects character
believability.
 Reflect individually on their experiences of the unit.
 Evaluate and respond creatively to the question of the role that history and “breaking” global events play in
our lives.
Evidence of Learning
Summative Assessment
After an extended exploration of acting techniques, their interview subjects, the character they develop based
on their subjects, and the historic event or moment that helped shape their subjects’ lives, students pull all of
their learning together to develop a roughly 5-to-7-minute one-person performance—a monologue—based on
an anecdote their subjects shared during their interviews. They use the character they developed to tell this
story, striving to tell it in a way that brings the role of the identified historical moment to life while also keeping
the story personal.
Equipment needed: Teacher computer/projection set-up, student computer/Internet access, digital
camcorder(s), digital still cameras, individual tape recorders (plus blank 90-minute cassettes and earbuds/earphones)
Teacher Resources:
See Senior Stories Summative Assessment for student instructions.
See Playwriting Rubric and Acting Rubric for performance expectations.
Formative Assessments
 Introductory blog entries and
responses to reading
 Class discussion of chapter
 Completed Step 1, Part A, of the
Fourth Wall Exercise
 Peer critiques of written
exercises in circle
 Revised Step 1, Part A, of the
Fourth Wall Exercise
 Performance (Step 1, Part B) of
the Fourth Wall Exercise
 Self- and peer assessments (Step
1, Part B)
 Class discussion of challenges
and rewards of Step 1 of the
Fourth Wall Exercise
 Blog responses to Step 1 of the
Fourth Wall Exercise
 Completed Step 2, Part A, of the
Fourth Wall Exercise
 Revised Step 2, Part A, of the
Fourth Wall Exercise
 Performance (Step 2, Part B) of
 List of effective interviewing
skills
 Class discussion of interview
decorum
 Interviews
 Post-interview journal entries
and discussion
 Follow-up communication with
interview subjects
 Jigsaw discussion of Chekov
concepts
 Completed My Defining Moment
handouts
 Completed Discovering Your
Character handouts
 Teacher-student conferences
 Character exploration and
development
 Peer and self-evaluations of
character explorations
 Class discussion of and blog
reflections on character
explorations
 Revised and final scripts
 Developing videotaped
performances
 Use of specific exercises for
strengthening posture,
controlling breathing, locating
vocal range, and refining diction
 Success with locating the vocal
ranges of their
subjects/characters
 Success with adopting the diction
and speech patterns of their
subjects/characters
 Blogged reflections
 Performance of in-progress plays
 Use and development of
costumes, make-up, props, and
lighting
 Use and development of
music/sound
 Use and development of other
media
 Dress rehearsals
Created for New Jersey school districts through a project of the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Academic Standards,
in partnership with the N.J Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the N.J. Principals and Supervisors Association.
Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Exemplar: Theatre
Aligned to the 2009 New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21ST CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS








the Fourth Wall Exercise
Self- and peer assessments (Step
2, Part B)
Class discussion of challenges
and rewards of Step 2 of the
Fourth Wall Exercise
Blog responses to Step 2 of the
Fourth Wall Exercise handout
Class discussions of Smith
Interview questions
Analysis and discussion of
biased questions
Interviewing role-plays
Role-play critiques
 Use of exercises for finding and
developing aspects of character
 Blog reflections on role of vocal
range
 Class discussion of expectations
for scripts and performances
 Written explorations of
anecdotes (Part A of My Senior
Story) and subsequent revisions
 Story maps and draft scripts (Part
B of My Senior Story)
 Use of feedback, revision, and
collaboration
 Final performances
 Technical support of each other’s
performances
 Self- and peer assessments
 Student-teacher conferences
 Class discussion of character
development techniques, the
approaches of Hagen, Smith, and
Chekov, and believability
 End-of-unit reflections
 Class discussion of the role of
history in our lives
 Creative responses on the role of
history in our lives
Lesson Plans
Lesson
Timeframe
Lesson 1
An Exploration of Self Through the Medium of Theatre
9 days
Lesson 2
Using Techniques From Journalism and Theatre to
Investigate and Develop a Character
7 days
Lesson 3
Developing and Performing Short Original Plays
14 days
Lesson 4
Post-Performance Reflection
4 days
* A “day” is based on an 80-minute class period.
The timing allotted for performance days is based on 20 students.
Teacher Notes:
 Before beginning this unit teachers should have a basic understanding of (1) Uta Hagen’s Object Exercises
(from her book, Respect for Acting), (2) the works of Anna Deavere Smith, and (3) Michael Chekhov’s work,
On the Technique of Acting. Students will need access to Chapter 14 of Hagen’s work, and chapters 1, 3, 4,
and 5 of Chekhov’s work.
 This unit was written for collaboration with local senior citizens because central access to seniors is possible
in most communities, such as through residential facilities and recreation centers. Prior to launching the unit,
the teacher should consider how to handle the interviewing portion of the unit. For example, students can take
a field trip to a senior center to complete the interviews, or seniors may be bused to the school for the
interviews. In any case, prior contact with the center’s manager will be necessary. In this initial
communication, be sure to note that students are looking for senior citizens who are willing to share stories of
their lives with them, especially as they relate to historical events. Also note that you would like to pair each
student with one senior citizen for the interviews; those senior citizens who are computer savvy may also
wish to make themselves available for follow-up communication with students by email or through the class
blog. Finally, mention that after the interviews, each student will develop a dramatization based on his or her
subject’s life, and students will later perform their dramatizations for the seniors either at school or at the
facility. (You may also want to discuss this with your administration, as they may want to arrange a luncheon
Created for New Jersey school districts through a project of the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Academic Standards,
in partnership with the N.J Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the N.J. Principals and Supervisors Association.
Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Exemplar: Theatre
Aligned to the 2009 New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21ST CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
to take advantage of the opportunity to reinforce positive relations with the seniors.)
 This unit may be modified to take advantage of unique communities within the school district. For example,
if the community has a veterans hospital or very active American Legion or V.F.W. organization, you could
try to arrange the interview with veterans of specific wars; in this case, be sure to include the organizations’
auxiliaries (usually female) to show how the selected war affected those at home as well as those involved in
battle. Similarly, if your community experienced a wave of migration as a result of a historic event, you could
try to arrange interviews through a cultural center serving this community.
 Senior Stories also provides opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration within the school. Teachers
may wish to invite social studies and/or language arts teachers to collaborate on parts of the unit. In addition,
visual art teachers may see opportunities for collaboration; for example, students in a photography course or
club could photograph the senior citizens, and these photographs could become part of a multimedia set for
students’ dramatic performances.
 This unit assumes that the teacher has access to one or more digital video cameras for use in the classroom.
The camera(s) should be set up in a fixed location to capture students’ developing performances using various
techniques. The availability of multiple cameras would be helpful in Lesson 3.
 Several video excerpts are used in the course of the unit. Teachers should view these in advance to ensure that
the content is appropriate for their particular students. For example, mature content and strong language both
play a role in Anna Deavere Smith’s performances.
 In this unit, students blog their reflections rather than keep private journals; if students have built-in video
cameras on their home computers, they could easily be afforded the option of creating video reflections.
 If it is not already a classroom practice, consider instituting a “no volunteers” policy to conduct the
discussions in this lesson. To avoid having the discussion led by only a few individuals, call on students at
random. This way, every student is accountable for their thinking at every moment, as no one knows when he
or she might be called on. If this is a new practice, explain it to students first. Tell them the emphasis should
be on listening and thinking, not talking, and that they can jot thoughts down (while still listening) if they feel
they will forget something.
 A Guide to Student Reflection is provided to help teachers develop reflection questions to suit different
moments in the learning process.
Curriculum Development Resources
 The design of Senior Stories and many of the unit’s supporting materials come from theatre specialist Daniel
Paolucci of the Jersey City ARTS High School Program in the Jersey City Public School District.
 The unit adapts with permission student materials provided online by the Rice University Theater Department
(http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~thea301/Rigdon/index.html).
Created for New Jersey school districts through a project of the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Academic Standards,
in partnership with the N.J Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the N.J. Principals and Supervisors Association.
Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Exemplar: Theatre
Aligned to the 2009 New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21ST CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Senior Stories: Lesson Plan 1
Content Area: Visual and Performing Arts: Theatre
Lesson Title: An Exploration of Self Through the Medium of Theatre
Timeframe: 9 days
Lesson Components
21st Century Themes
Global Awareness
Financial, Economic,
Business, and
Entrepreneurial Literacy
X Civic Literacy
Health Literacy
21st Century Skills
X
Creativity and
Innovation
X
Media Literacy
X Critical Thinking and
Problem Solving
ICT Literacy
X Communication
and Collaboration
X Information
Literacy
Life and Career Skills
Interdisciplinary Connections: Technology
Integration of Technology: Video as a tool for self-assessment, blogging
Equipment needed: Teacher computer/projection set-up, student computer/Internet access, digital camcorder
Goals/Objectives
Learning Activities/Instructional Strategies
Formative Assessment Tasks
Students:
 Examine Uta Hagen’s
contributions to theatre
history and the concept of
the Fourth Wall.
 Apply acting techniques
to maintain the existence
of the Fourth Wall.
 Self-critique their own
creative efforts, apply the
principles of positive
critique to their peers’
work, and use feedback to
improve their work.
 Discuss acting techniques
supporting the existence
of the Fourth Wall and
how they help the actor
and playwright engage
the audience.
 Reflect on their
exploration of acting
techniques.
Teacher Note
If this unit is used to structure or begin a theatre
course, teachers should use the first day of the
course to acclimate students to theatre language
and the school’s theatre resources, to discuss
student behaviors that create a safe environment
for theatrical risk-taking, to relay expectations
for student learning, and to introduce students to
performance through some ice-breaking
improvisational activities. For homework,
students should:
 Read Chapter 14 of Respect for Acting (let
them know the next class will start with a
discussion of the reading).
 Create brief introductory entries on the class
blog (e.g., post a photo and an introductory
statement, such as what they hope to get out
of the course and/or any prior acting
experiences), and post a brief response to or
question about the reading.
 Read Sample Fourth Wall Exercise handout.
Lesson Sequence
Day 1
Teacher
 Introductory blog entries
and responses to reading
 Class discussion of chapter
 Completed Step 1, Part A,
of the Fourth Wall Exercise
 Peer critiques of written
exercises in circle
 Revised Step 1, Part A, of
the Fourth Wall Exercise
 Performance (Step 1, Part
B) of the Fourth Wall
Exercise
 Self- and peer assessments
(Step 1, Part B)
 Class discussion of
challenges and rewards of
Step 1 of the Fourth Wall
Exercise
 Blog responses to Step 1 of
the Fourth Wall Exercise
 Completed Step 2, Part A,
of the Fourth Wall Exercise
 Revised Step 2, Part A, of
Created for New Jersey school districts through a project of the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Academic Standards,
in partnership with the N.J Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the N.J. Principals and Supervisors Association.
Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Exemplar: Theatre
Aligned to the 2009 New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21ST CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
1. Engages students in a brief introductory
discussion of Chapter 14 of Respect for
Acting by acknowledging students’ posted
responses and probing for prior knowledge
and experience.
2. Introduces students to Uta Hagen and
relates her contribution to theatre history,
using slides 1-4 of UtaHagen.ppt as a guide.
3. Provides an overview of the unit as follows:
 Students will first experiment with Hagen’s
acting techniques using themselves as
subjects.
 They will then interview senior citizens use
a variety of techniques to develop and refine
original performances based on the senior
citizens’ lives in relation to historical
events.
 They will rehearse and perform the resulting
character monologues for the student body
as well as for their senior citizen subjects.
4. Explains and demonstrates the concept of
the Fourth Wall.
5. Shows videotaped examples of students
who completed Hagen’s Fourth Wall
Exercise, using slides 5-9 of UtaHagen.ppt
as a guide.
6. Projects the Fourth Wall Exercise handout,
and reviews Step 1, Part A, Alone in Your
Room, referring to qualities that make the
Sample Fourth Wall Exercise “excellent.”
7. Assists individual students as they work on
the handout.
Students
8. Complete a first draft of Step 1, Part A, of
the Fourth Wall Exercise handout on the
computer, then post the completed entries
on the class blog (finishing for homework if
necessary).
9. Read their peers’ entries for homework
using the class blog, and if desired, expand
or refine their own entries.
Days 2-4
Teacher
10. Distributes the student handout, A Guide to
Peer and Self-Assessment, and opens it on
the computer projection screen so that
students can follow along as they discuss it.




the Fourth Wall Exercise
Performance (Step 2, Part
B) of the Fourth Wall
Exercise
Self- and peer assessments
(Step 2, Part B)
Class discussion of
challenges and rewards of
Step 2 of the Fourth Wall
Exercise
Blog responses to Step 2 of
the Fourth Wall Exercise
handout
Created for New Jersey school districts through a project of the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Academic Standards,
in partnership with the N.J Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the N.J. Principals and Supervisors Association.
Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Exemplar: Theatre
Aligned to the 2009 New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21ST CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
11. Assigns peer review pairs for the duration
of Lesson 1.
12. Explains that, throughout the lesson,
students will be responsible for positively
critiquing their own work as well as the
work of their peers using A Guide to Peer
and Self-Assessment, the Sample Fourth
Wall Exercise handout, and the principles of
positive critique.
Students
13. Arrange desks in a circle.
14. Discuss the student handout, A Guide to
Peer and Self-Assessment, and the
principles of positive critique; add points
contributed by peers to the handout as the
discussion proceeds.
Teacher
15. Opens the class blog on the computer
projection screen so that students can follow
along as their peers read their entries.
Students
16. Take turns around the circle reading their
responses to Step 1, Part A, of the Fourth
Wall Exercise handout.
17. Provide feedback to peers as a group using
the tools provided (Sample Fourth Wall
Exercise and A Guide to Peer and SelfAssessment) and the principles of positive
critique (the teacher can elicit feedback by
using the probing questions provided on A
Guide to Peer and Self-Assessment as
needed; if more structure is necessary, the
teacher can implement Two Stars and a
Wish (i.e., ask students to name two things
they liked and one thing they think could be
improved in the work at hand).
18. Strengthen their written exercises based on
peer and teacher feedback.
19. Share their revised exercises with their peer
review partners in pairs and provide each
other with Two Stars and a Wish.
20. Update their responses on the class blog.
21. Prepare and rehearse a 2-3 minute
performance based on their completed
exercises for homework using Step 1, Part
B, of the Fourth Wall Exercise handout.
Day 5-6
Created for New Jersey school districts through a project of the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Academic Standards,
in partnership with the N.J Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the N.J. Principals and Supervisors Association.
Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Exemplar: Theatre
Aligned to the 2009 New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21ST CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Teacher
22. Videotapes student performances and
uploads them to the class blog. (This will
have to be done by the end of Day 5 to be
useful; try to post the few performances that
carry into Day 6 immediately after the last
student performs.)
Students
23. Perform their exercises for the class.
24. Evaluate their own and their peer review
partner’s performances using videos posted
on the class blog, A Guide to Peer and SelfAssessment, the Sample Fourth Wall
Exercise, Two Stars and a Wish, and the
principles of positive critique.
25. Hand in their self- and peer assessments.
26. Share their peer reviews with their partners.
27. Discuss the challenges and rewards of the
exercise as a class.
Teacher
28. If time allows, highlight a few well-done
elements of students’ performances using
video clips.
Students
29. Blog a reflection on the Step 1 activity for
homework.
Day 7
30. Complete Step 2, Part A, of the Fourth Wall
Exercise handout on the computer and post
them on the class blog.
31. Exchange written exercises with their peer
review partners and provide feedback using
A Guide to Peer and Self-Assessment, the
Sample Fourth Wall Exercise, Two Stars
and a Wish, and the principles of positive
critique.
Teacher
32. Confers informally with students as they
work in pairs to monitor their progress and
give feedback.
33. Provides mini-lessons to specific students
and/or the whole class as needed.
Students
34. Revise the exercise based on peer and
teacher feedback.
35. Share their revised exercises with their peer
Created for New Jersey school districts through a project of the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Academic Standards,
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review partners in pairs and provide another
round of Two Stars and a Wish.
36. Update their entries on the class blog.
37. Prepare and rehearse a 2-3 minute
performance based on their revised
exercises for homework.
Days 8-9
Teacher
38. Videotapes student performances and
uploads individual performances to the class
blog by the end of the school day (posting
the few performances that carry into Day 9
immediately after the last student performs).
Students
39. Perform their exercises for the class.
40. Evaluate their own and their peer review
partner’s performances for homework using
videos posted on the class blog, A Guide to
Peer and Self-Assessment, the Sample
Fourth Wall Exercise, Two Stars and a
Wish, and the principles of positive critique.
41. Hand in their self- and peer assessments.
42. Share their peer reviews with their partners.
43. Discuss the challenges and rewards of the
exercise as a class, and discuss the
contribution of the Fourth Wall to the
audience’s experience of the performance.
Teacher
44. If time allows, highlight a few well-done
elements of students’ performances using
video clips.
Students
45. Blog a response to the following question
for homework:
 How does manipulation of the Fourth Wall
help the actor and playwright engage the
audience during a performance?
Differentiation
 This is a highly individualized lesson; individual students should be provided with support based on their
learning needs.
Resources Provided
 Teacher Resource: UtaHagen.ppt
 Student Handout: Sample Fourth Wall Exercise
 Student Handout: Fourth Wall Exercise
 Student Handout: A Guide to Peer and Self-Assessment
Created for New Jersey school districts through a project of the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Academic Standards,
in partnership with the N.J Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the N.J. Principals and Supervisors Association.
Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Exemplar: Theatre
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ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21ST CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS

Created for New Jersey school districts through a project of the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Academic Standards,
in partnership with the N.J Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the N.J. Principals and Supervisors Association.
Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Exemplar: Theatre
Aligned to the 2009 New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21ST CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Senior Stories: Lesson Plan 2
Content Area: Visual and Performing Arts: Theatre
Timeframe: 7 days
Lesson Title: Using Techniques From Journalism and Theatre to
Investigate and Develop a Character
Lesson Components
21st Century Themes
X
Global Awareness
Financial, Economic,
Business, and
Entrepreneurial Literacy
X Civic Literacy
Health Literacy
21st Century Skills
X
Creativity and
Innovation
X
Media Literacy
X Critical Thinking and
Problem Solving
ICT Literacy
X Communication
and Collaboration
X Information
Literacy
Life and Career Skills
Interdisciplinary Connections: Language arts, social studies, technology
Integration of Technology: Video as a tool for self-assessment, blogging, still photography
Equipment needed: Teacher computer/projection set-up, student computer/Internet access, a digital
camcorder, digital still cameras, tape recorders (and blank 90-minute cassettes), ear-buds/earphones
Goals/Objectives
Learning Activities/Instructional Strategies
Formative Assessment Tasks
Students:
 Examine Anna Deavere
Smith’s use of journalistic
techniques to develop
characters for her unique
theatrical performances.
 Discuss the role of
individual and collective
experiences in depicting
American identity.
 Prepare for interviewing
by drafting questions,
role-playing, and
discussing interviewing
skills and decorum.
 Conduct planned
interviews with senior
citizens.
 Examine Michael
Chekov’s techniques for
exploring and finding the
center of their characters.
 Research the historical,
Teacher Note
The lesson sequence that follows assumes the
class will participate in only one interview
session, with follow-up communication between
individual students and their subjects. Another
approach, if feasible, might be to arrange two
interview sessions for students—perhaps one as
a field trip and another in which senior citizens
are bused to the school—as students are
unlikely to collect all of the information they
need in one sitting.
Lesson Sequence
Days 1-2
Teacher
1. Introduces Anna Deavere Smith by playing
a roughly five-minute video excerpt from
the Today Show.
2. Relates how Anna Deavere Smith makes
use of journalistic techniques to develop
characters for her unique theatrical
performances, using slides 1-5 of
AnnaDeavereSmith.ppt as a guide.
3. Explains to students that while their subject
 Class discussions of Smith
 Interview questions
 Analysis and discussion of
biased questions
 Interviewing role-plays
 Role-play critiques
 List of effective
interviewing skills
 Class discussion of
interview decorum
 Interviews
 Post-interview journal
entries and discussion
 Follow-up communication
with interview subjects
 Jigsaw discussion of
Chekov concepts
 Completed My Defining
Moment handouts
 Completed Discovering
Your Character handouts
 Teacher-student
Created for New Jersey school districts through a project of the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Academic Standards,
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life-shaping events their
subjects identified.
 Use the information from
their interviews, in
combination with Smith’s
and Chekov’s techniques,
to explore who their
characters are and to
physically transform into
their characters by
embodying their physical
and emotional attributes.
 Discuss and reflect on the
character study process.
 Learn and practice a
variety of exercises for
strengthening posture,
controlling breathing,
locating vocal range, and
refining diction.
4.


5.



6.
7.
may differ from those treated by Smith, they
will use some of her techniques to
investigate and develop a character for a
performance.
Engages students in a discussion of Smith’s
techniques by reflecting on Smith’s own
words about her art (it may help to project
these; the first statement goes to the
elaboration of an individual’s unique
experiences, while the second goes to the
manner in which our collective experiences
combine to create a national identity):
Smith uses a tape recorder to capture
people’s words and creates her monologues
using their language. She says, “If you say a
word often enough, it becomes you.” What
do you think she means?
Smith says that as she works, she sometimes
thinks, “that if I walked in their words, that
I could sort of absorb America.” What do
you think she means by walking in
someone’s words? How is she defining
“America?”
Asks students to think about the following
questions (it may help to project these) and
note examples as they watch a video of
Smith’s performances:
How are Smith’s performances both about
individuals and about something larger?
How does her use of her character’s
language help bring them to life?
How does her choice of what to include in
her performances help create a portrait of
the American experience?
Plays a video of Smith’s performances
using part or all of the roughly 24-minute
Anna Deavere Smith: Four American
Characters (the performances, interwoven
with her commentary, are about 6 minutes
each, and if time is tight, the first, based on
Studs Terkel, will get the point across to
most students, while two-four segments will
better illustrate her range).
Engages students in a discussion of the
posted questions, and as students cite
examples, points back to Smith’s words, as
appropriate:





conferences
Character exploration and
development
Peer and self-evaluations of
character explorations
Class discussion of and
blog reflections on
character explorations
Use of exercises for finding
and developing character
Blog reflections on role of
vocal range
Created for New Jersey school districts through a project of the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Academic Standards,
in partnership with the N.J Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the N.J. Principals and Supervisors Association.
Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Exemplar: Theatre
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ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21ST CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
 “If you say a word often enough, it becomes
you.”
 “… if I walked in their words, … I could
sort of absorb America.”
8. Explains that students will use Smith’s
techniques (1) to explore how historical
events impact individuals and (2) to
examine similarities and differences in
those individual experiences across
historical events and across time.
9. Explains the logistics of students’ upcoming
interviews with senior citizens.
10. Asks whether any students would prefer to
interview family members or family friends
with interesting backgrounds for this
activity. If so, directs them in contacting
these individuals and making arrangements
for in-person videotaped/recorded
interviews on their own time. (These
students can play the important role of
videographer or photographer during the
class’s group interview.)
Students:
11. Work in small groups to prepare 10
interview questions, following the guidance
provided in the Preparing for Interviewing
handout.
12. Switch papers with another group, and
reflect on the wording and potential bias of
their questions, following the guidance
provided in the Preparing for Interviewing
handout.
13. Share examples of potentially biased
questions as a class, and suggest ways to
improve such questions.
14. Switch papers back and revise them as
needed.
15. Share final questions as a class (after the
first group reports out, subsequent groups
should add only questions not yet shared,
unless worded significantly differently).
16. Work in pairs to prepare a two-minute roleplay using any interview question.
17. Perform their role-plays for the class, and
use the principles of positive critique to help
their peers improve their interviewing skills.
18. Work as a class to develop a list of effective
Created for New Jersey school districts through a project of the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Academic Standards,
in partnership with the N.J Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the N.J. Principals and Supervisors Association.
Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Exemplar: Theatre
Aligned to the 2009 New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21ST CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
interviewing skills.
Teacher
19. Shares the technology plans for the
interviewing session with students, and
ensures students can successfully operate
either the tape recorders, digital still
cameras, and/or video cameras that will be
used to capture their interviews.
20. Engages students in a discussion of the
appropriate decorum for their interviews
(stressing, for example, dress, behavior,
language, manners, and so on, as needed).
Day 3
Students
21. Conduct interviews with senior citizens.
22. If technically possible in a field trip
situation, show seniors how to access the
class blog before leaving.
23. Briefly record their general impressions of
their subjects in their journals for
homework, stressing concrete details that
help define their subjects as unique
individuals.
Teacher
24. Divides students in four groups and assigns
the reading of one chapter of Chekov’s On
the Technique of Acting to each group for
homework (chapters 1, 3, 4, and 5).
Day 4
Students
25. Share their interview experiences as a class,
focusing things that went well while also
problem-solving situations in which
students feel they did not get enough
information or still have questions.
26. Post digital photographs of their subjects on
the class blog.
27. Write thank you notes to their subjects,
using one of the following options:
 Email subjects individually.
 Print and mail a whole-class note of thanks.
 Print and mail individual thank-you notes.
 Post individual thank-you notes on the class
blog (only if the degree of the subjects’
technical proficiency is high).
Teacher
Created for New Jersey school districts through a project of the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Academic Standards,
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Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Exemplar: Theatre
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ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21ST CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
28. Engages students in a discussion of Michael
Chekhov’s contribution to theatre history,
the Moscow Art Theatre, the Second
Moscow Art Theatre, Group Theatre, and
Actors Studio, using slides 1-5 of Michael
Chekov.ppt as a guide.
29. Explains that students will use both Smith’s
and Chekov’s techniques in this lesson to
begin developing their characters.
30. Creates jigsaw groups composed of at least
one student from each homework group.
Students
31. Share key concepts from each of the four
chapters of Chekov’s On the Technique of
Acting in their jigsaw groups; at least the
following concepts should be covered, as
well as any others noted by the teacher (it
may be helpful to project these terms as
students work):
 physical center
 emotional center
32. Research the “defining moments in
American history” their subjects identified,
following the guidance provided on the
student handout, My Defining Moment, and
finishing for homework if necessary.
Teacher
33. Assists students, provides mini-lessons as
needed, and monitors students’ developing
understanding as they work.
Day 5-7
Students
34. Begin developing their understanding of
their subjects by completing Step 1 of the
student handout, Discovering Your
Character, and by referencing their recorded
interviews (using ear-buds/earphones).
35. Determine additional information they
would like to know about their subjects.
Teacher
36. Confers informally with students as they
work and advises them on follow-up
communication with their subjects.
37. Assigns peer review partners for the
remainder of the unit.
Students
Created for New Jersey school districts through a project of the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Academic Standards,
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38. Begin developing their understanding of the
subject’s “physical center” by completing
Step 2 of the student handout, Discovering
Your Character, and by referencing any
available images of their subjects.
Teacher
39. Engages student actors in a meditative
exercise in which they visualize an
imaginary body for their characters.
Students
40. Begin developing their understanding of
their subjects’ “emotional center” by
completing Step 3 of the student handout,
Discovering Your Character, recalling their
interviews, and referencing any photographs
or video footage taken that day.
41. Walk around the classroom exploring and
embodying their characters’ physical and
emotional centers, as the teacher films the
exploration process and uploads the film to
the class blog.
42. Evaluate their own and their peer review
partners’ character explorations using
videos posted on the class blog, A Guide to
Peer and Self-Assessment, Two Stars and a
Wish, and the principles of positive critique,
paying particular attention to the
incorporation of the “center.”
43. Discuss the rewards and challenges of these
character study activities as a class.
44. Blog reflections on their character
explorations.
Teacher
45. Explains that students will now learn a
variety of exercises for strengthening
posture, controlling breathing, locating
vocal range, and refining diction, which
they should routinely practice at least once
during each day of the rehearsal process.
46. Initiates a physical warm-up focusing on
exercises that strengthen posture.
47. Leads a meditative exercise in which
students focus on the rhythm and the depth
of their breathing.
48. Leads students in practicing breathing from
the diaphragm, while also avoiding shoulder
lifting and breathing from the chest.
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49. Instructs students to create a human chain
on the floor, with each student placing his
or her head on another student’s diaphragm,
while the other student produces an audible
“ha … ha … ha …” sound.
50. Directs student to practice making the same
sound while standing.
51. Demonstrates how to create a human siren
to explore vocal range, and engages
students in a discussion of the relationship
between vocal range and character.
52. Chooses a student, demonstrates how to use
the human siren to locate the student’s vocal
range, and explains that students can repeat
this exercise to locate the vocal range of
their subjects/characters.
53. Invites individual students to practice
locating each other’s vocal ranges.
54. Leads students in diction exercises, such as
a series of vocal tongue twisters.
Students
55. Rehearse these exercises for the duration of
the class, with the teacher assisting
individual students as needed.
56. Blog a reflection on the role of vocal range
in “becoming” a character for the stage for
homework.
Extension Opportunities
More About Anna Deavere Smith
If time permits, implement the activity
described on slide 6 of AnnaDeavereSmith.ppt
between steps 5 (introduction of viewing
questions) and 6 (viewing of Smith’s
performances) of the lesson. Depending on the
time available, as well as on the level of the
students and course, the article by Richard
Schechner, called Anna Deavere Smith: Acting
as Incorporation, may provide a useful
analytical lens for viewing the performances
(her “incorporations”).
Smith: Walking in Their Words
If time permits, implement the activity
described on slide 7 of AnnaDeavereSmith.ppt
between steps 7 (conclusion of Smith
discussion) and 8 (introduction of unit focus) of
the lesson.
Chekhov: Psychological Gesture
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Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Exemplar: Theatre
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ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21ST CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
If time permits, implement the activity
described on slides 6-7 of Michael Chekov.ppt
between steps 31 (conclusion of key-concept
jigsaw) and 32 (beginning of historical research)
of the lesson.
Uta Hagen: History
If time permits, implement the activity
described on slide 13 of Uta Hagen.ppt (Object
Lesson #9) between steps 33 (research on
defining moments) and 34 (exploration of
interview subjects as “characters” in their plays)
of the lesson. This may better enable students to
understand the role of history in their
subjects/characters’ lives.
Language Arts Connection
In an NPR interview with Anna Deavere Smith
about her book, Letters to a Young Artist
(http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?s
toryId=5203584), Smith talks about “civil
discourse” and says, “those of us who are
artists” should be “coming into the world and
allowing oneself, as Whitman wanted to be, to
[be] both absorbed by America—he wanted to
absorb America and have America absorb him.”
Compare and contrast Whitman’s and Smith’s
views of America and of art. Imagine how the
artists would agree or disagree with each other
over their respective visions by developing and
staging a conversation between them. Use any
personal information you can find about these
individuals to create a presentation that is true to
their personas.
Differentiation
 This is a highly individualized lesson; individual students should be provided with support based on their
learning needs.
Resources Provided
 Video Resource: Today Show
 Teacher Resource: Anna Deavere Smith.ppt
 Video Resource: Anna Deavere Smith: Four American characters
 Student handout: Preparing for Interviewing
 Teacher Resource: Michael Chekov.ppt
 Student handout: My Defining Moment
 Student handout: Discovering Your Character
Created for New Jersey school districts through a project of the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Academic Standards,
in partnership with the N.J Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the N.J. Principals and Supervisors Association.
Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Exemplar: Theatre
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ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21ST CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Senior Stories: Lesson Plan 3
Content Area: Visual and Performing Arts: Theatre
Lesson Title: Developing and Performing Short Original Plays
Timeframe: 14 days
Lesson Components
21st Century Themes
Global Awareness
Financial, Economic,
Business, and
Entrepreneurial Literacy
X Civic Literacy
Health Literacy
21st Century Skills
X
Creativity and
Innovation
X
Media Literacy
X Critical Thinking and
Problem Solving
ICT Literacy
X Communication
and Collaboration
X Information
Literacy
Life and Career Skills
Interdisciplinary Connections: Language arts, social studies, technology
Integration of Technology: Video as a tool for self-assessment, blogging
Equipment needed: Teacher computer/projection set-up, student computer/Internet access, multiple digital
camcorders, tape recorders, ear-buds/earphones
Goals/Objectives
Learning Activities/Instructional Strategies
Formative Assessment Tasks
Students:
 Develop, stage, and perform
a roughly five-minute oneperson play based on (1) an
anecdote shared during their
interviews, (2) their
character studies, and (3)
their research on the
identified historical
moment.
 Engage in a cyclical process
of performance and revision
to refine and improve both
their scripts and their
performances.
 Work closely with a peer
review partner to share and
improve draft scripts and
performances.
 Appropriately apply
exercises for strengthening
posture, controlling
breathing, locating vocal
range, refining diction, and
Teacher Note
The videotaping of student performances is
essential to this process. If you only have
access to one digital camcorder, you can
continue to function as a class, with you
fulfilling the roles of videographer and
uploader. However, if you have access to more
than one digital camcorder, you may want to
create filming stations in different corners of
the room. This could accelerate the process for
students who are working at different paces. In
this scenario, students could at least share the
role of videographer; they could film each
other in their peer review pairs. Sharing the
uploading task may also be possible, but
beware that an accidental deletion could
jeopardize the class portfolio, which is an
important record for assessment.
Lesson Sequence
Teacher:
Days 1-5
1. Introduces the summative assessment to
students, using the handout entitled, Senior
Stories Summative Assessment.
 Class discussion of
expectations for scripts and
performances
 Written explorations of
anecdotes (Part A of My
Senior Story) and
subsequent revisions
 Story maps and draft scripts
(Part B of My Senior Story)
 Use of feedback, revision,
and collaboration
 Revised and final scripts
 Developing videotaped
performances
 Use of specific exercises
for strengthening posture,
controlling breathing,
locating vocal range, and
refining diction
 Success with locating the
vocal ranges of their
subjects/characters
 Success with adopting the
diction and speech patterns
Created for New Jersey school districts through a project of the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Academic Standards,
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Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Exemplar: Theatre
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ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21ST CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
enhancing performance.
2. Introduces Playwriting Rubric and Acting
Rubric to students, and engages students in
review and discussion of individual
criteria. Depending on the needs of the
students, this might include:
 Asking students to paraphrase criteria.
 Pointing out criteria with which students in
general are struggling.
 Providing examples that clarify levels of
performance.
 Answering students’ questions about how
their final performances will be evaluated.
3. Communicates any requirements for
students’ final performances, such as
minimum/maximum time limits, use of
props and sound, and so on.
4. Introduces and reviews Playwriting Tips
and Playwriting Formatting Guidelines,
which students will consult at various
points in the playwriting process.
5. Notes that students will continue to assess
one another’s developing performances in
the most recently assigned peer review
pairs, using the process established in
lessons 1 and 2 (videos posted on the class
blog, A Guide to Peer and SelfAssessment, Playwriting Rubric, Acting
Rubric, Two Stars and a Wish, and the
principles of positive critique).
6. Sets up as many video stations as feasible
to support students in developing their
performances.
7. Uploads videos to the class blog as they
are taken.
8. Monitors students as they work, providing
mini-lessons for the whole class or small
groups as needed. Some options include:
 Engaging students in using correct
language for parts of the stage, to support
the writing of stage directions (a labeled
visual somewhere in the classroom might
also be helpful).
 Showing the video clip associated with
slide 10 of Uta Hagen.ppt (Object Lesson
#5), and discussing what it means to “give
a thing the qualities of some other thing.”
 Showing the video clip associated with








of their subjects/characters
Blogged reflections
Performance of in-progress
plays
Use and development of
costumes, make-up, props,
and lighting
Use and development of
music/sound
Use and development of
other media
Dress rehearsals
Final performances
Technical support of each
other’s performances
Created for New Jersey school districts through a project of the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Academic Standards,
in partnership with the N.J Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the N.J. Principals and Supervisors Association.
Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Exemplar: Theatre
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ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21ST CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
slide 11 of Uta Hagen.ppt (Object Lesson
#6), and discussing what it means to
“reveal your intimate self.”
 Showing the video clip associated with
slide 12 of Uta Hagen.ppt (Object Lesson
#8), and discussing the role of
“conditioning forces.”
 Showing the video clip associated with
slide 13 of Uta Hagen.ppt (Object Lesson
#9), and discussing the role of “history.”
 Discussing any rules or other
considerations associated with using the
lighting, sound, and projection equipment
in the school theatre.
 Sharing make-up and costume strategies.
9. Reminds students to use specific warm-up
exercises as they work (as introduced in
Lesson 2, introducing others as needed).
10. Directs student reflection on the creative
process by assigning questions for
blogging as needed (see A Guide to
Student Reflection).
11. Holds conferences with individual students
to discuss their scripts and view their
performances, providing specific guidance
as follows:
 Questioning students to deepen their
thinking about their characters and scripts.
 Reminding students to be selective in the
details, props, and other support they
include in their performances, rather than
choosing too many or too few.
 Suggesting ways to prune or expand their
scripts to better fit the time allotted and to
more pointedly or more fully communicate
the intended message.
 Suggesting techniques students can use to
strengthen their performances.
 Requiring revisions/approving final scripts.
Students:
12. Develop their performances in a repeating
cycle of performance and revision using
the approach outlined in Steps 1- 12 of the
student handout, Senior Stories Summative
Assessment.
13. Practice appropriate breathing and physical
Created for New Jersey school districts through a project of the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Academic Standards,
in partnership with the N.J Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the N.J. Principals and Supervisors Association.
Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Exemplar: Theatre
Aligned to the 2009 New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21ST CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
warm-up exercises prior to rehearsing their
performances.
14. Listen closely to key parts of their recorded
interviews in concert with the following
activities to incorporate voice and speech
into the physicalization of their characters:
 Use the human siren to locate the vocal
range of their subjects/characters.
 Use diaphragmatic support, proper
mechanical vocal production, and variable
breath cycles to reconcile their own voices
and those of their characters.
 Use diction exercises that are appropriate
to the character to enhance their imitation
of their characters’ speech patterns.
15. Continue writing, revising, and rehearsing,
for homework each day, as needed.
16. Blog their reflections on the process as
directed by the teacher.
Days 6-8
17. Perform their in-progress plays for the
class after the teacher has approved all
scripts as “final.”
18. Give and receive feedback for 5 minutes
after each in-progress performance.
Days 9-10
19. Stage their performances following Steps
13-14 of the student handout, Senior
Stories Summative Assessment.
20. Continue developing supporting materials
for homework each day, as needed.
Days 11-14
21. Conduct dress rehearsals in the school’s
performance space, continuing after school
as needed.
22. Provide technical assistance for one
another’s performances.
23. Perform in a public space before a live
audience (including senior citizens who
were interviewed).
Teacher:
24. Videotapes final performances, uploads
them to the class blog, and publishes them
on the school website.
Differentiation
 This is a highly individualized lesson; individual students should be provided with support based on their
Created for New Jersey school districts through a project of the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Academic Standards,
in partnership with the N.J Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the N.J. Principals and Supervisors Association.
Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Exemplar: Theatre
Aligned to the 2009 New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21ST CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
learning needs.
Resources Provided
 Teacher Resource: A Guide to Student Reflection
 Teacher Resource: Playwriting Rubric
 Teacher Resource: Acting Rubric
 Student Handout: Senior Stories Summative Assessment
Created for New Jersey school districts through a project of the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Academic Standards,
in partnership with the N.J Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the N.J. Principals and Supervisors Association.
Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Exemplar: Theatre
Aligned to the 2009 New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21ST CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Senior Stories: Lesson Plan 4
Content Area: Visual and Performing Arts: Theatre
Lesson Title: Post-Performance Reflection
Timeframe: 4 days
Lesson Components
21st Century Themes
X
Global Awareness
Financial, Economic,
Business, and
Entrepreneurial Literacy
X Civic Literacy
Health Literacy
21st Century Skills
X
Creativity and
Innovation
X
Media Literacy
X Critical Thinking and
Problem Solving
ICT Literacy
X Communication
and Collaboration
X Information
Literacy
Life and Career Skills
Interdisciplinary Connections: Social studies, language arts, technology
Integration of Technology: Use of A/V Equipment, video uploading, blogging/video journaling
Equipment needed: Student computer/Internet access
Goals/Objectives
Learning Activities/Instructional Strategies
Formative Assessment Tasks
Students:
 Assess their own scripts
and performances, as well
as those of a peer.
 Discuss the value of
individual character
development techniques.
 Compare and contrast the
approaches of Hagen,
Smith, and Chekov, and
analyze how each affects
character believability.
 Reflect individually on
their experiences of the
unit.
 Evaluate and respond
creatively to the question
of the role that history and
“breaking” global events
play in our lives.
Lesson Sequence
Day 1
Students
1. Self-Assess their work using videos of their
performances, the Playwriting Rubric, and
the Acting Rubric, and completing the
student Self-Assessment handout.
2. Assess the work of their peer review
partners using videotaped performances,
the Playwriting Rubric, and the Acting
Rubric.
3. Confer individually with the teacher about
their performances.
Teacher
4. Celebrates student successes, perhaps by
using video clips and noting one thing each
student did well.
Day 2
5. Engages students in a discussion of their
performances using the following questions
(also asking students to support their
answers with examples from the class’s
performances):
 Which techniques (Hagen, Smith, Chekov,
voice/speech, etc.) did you enjoy using the
 Self- and peer assessments
 Student-teacher
conferences
 Class discussion of
character development
techniques, the approaches
of Hagen, Smith, and
Chekov, and believability
 End-of-unit reflections
 Class discussion of the role
of history in our lives
 Creative responses on the
role of history in our lives
Created for New Jersey school districts through a project of the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Academic Standards,
in partnership with the N.J Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the N.J. Principals and Supervisors Association.
Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Exemplar: Theatre
Aligned to the 2009 New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21ST CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
most and why? What was rewarding about
using the techniques? What was
challenging?
 What did you find was similar about the
approaches of Hagen, Smith, and Chekov?
How do you think they differ?
 What role did a focus on believability play
in your ability communicate the physical,
emotional, and psychological attributes of
your character?
Students
6. Reflect on their individual experiences of
the unit by completing the End-of-Unit
Reflection handout.
Teacher
7. Engages students in a discussion of how
different historical events shape both our
individual and collective experiences,
asking students to support their answers
with specific insights from actual Senior
Stories:
 How does history repeat itself? In other
words, in what ways do the impacts of
specific historical events differ, and in
what ways are they similar?
 What does this say about the role of history
in our lives? About the human experience?
 What role does art play in our experience?
How does history impact art, and how does
art impact history?
Students
8. Develop creative responses to the unit by
completing the student handout, How Does
History Repeat Itself? for homework.
Day 3-4
9. Share their creative responses to the extent
time allows.
Differentiation
 Allow students to respond in alternative ways to the End-of-Unit Reflection handout (e.g., by drawing,
responding on video, interviewing one another on video), but limit all responses to about 30 minutes.
Resources Provided
 Student Handout: Self-Assessment
 Student Handout: End-of-Unit Reflection
 Student Handout: How Does History Repeat Itself?
Created for New Jersey school districts through a project of the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Academic Standards,
in partnership with the N.J Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the N.J. Principals and Supervisors Association.