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Unit Plan- Ancient Greek Theatre
High School 45-minute blocks
1. Overview
2. World Context
3. Daily Life
4. Library Day
5. Biographical Presentations
6. Dionysus festivals
7. Vocabulary
8. Playwrights and plays
9. Ensemble training
10. Antigone- Analysis
11. Antigone- character analysis
12. Antigone- groups and scene selection
13. Antigone- rehearsal I
14. Antigone- rehearsal II
15. Antigone- presentations
16. Antigone- presentations
17. Antigone- final thoughts
18. Contemporary Adaptations
19. Unit Test
20. Lasting Impressions
Day 1- Overview
15 min- Slideshow of photographs and diagrams of key players, locations, instruments, and art
-Students will take notes and make observations
10 min- In groups prepare tableaux of images seen
-They can be abstract or literal and can portray anything that they have seen
5 min- Present tableaux. Students will guess which image/images are being presented
10 min- Journal Entry: Explain first impressions of Ancient Greece and how they
compare/contrast to past assumptions
5 min- Pass out schedule for the rest of the unit and read over as a group
ASSINGMENT: Finish journal entry to pass in next class
Day 2- World Context
10 min- Review journal entry from last class and discuss impressions
5 min- Post entries on bulletin board in the classroom
30 min- Watch documentary on Ancient Greece focusing on daily life
-Greeks: Crucible of Civilization, Episode 2- The Golden Age (PBS)
-Start at 20:00
ASSINGMENT: Research a fact about Ancient Greek life that you did not learn from the
video
Day 3- Daily Life
10 min- Share facts from the homework assignment
-Pass-in for a grade
10 min- Activity: “Build a room” but create a community area such as an open market
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-Students will mime picking up furniture and other structures and setting them in the
parameters, which I will draw out on the floor. They must communicate what they are
carrying into the “market area” to the other students so the design will be cohesive. The
students will decide when the market is finished.
15 min- Create a character to walk around in the area built by the class and engage each other
-They can be beggars, tradesmen, and politicians from any class
5 min- Soundscape of Greek markets and temples
-Lay down in a circle with the lights off. Individually make sounds you might have heard
in the market place they just built. Also try a temple such as the Parthenon, or a political
arena where senators would gather.
Day 4- Library Day
10 min- Introduction to research techniques and library resources by school librarian
-As a class we will walk down to the library and sit at the study desks. The librarian will
then show the students where to begin in research and the locations in the library where
the information can be found.
35 min- Pick from a list of notable artists and thinkers of the time to research. Compile a short
biography of information to present on next class
-Focus on literary sources not websites! The artists will include various playwrights and
authors including Socrates, Sophocles, Aristotle, and Aeschylus. Include basic
biographical information such as the years in which they lived, philosophies, theatre
criticisms, and greatest works.
ASSIGNMENT- Type up findings to present in-class including a bibliography and
photograph of a depiction of your person
Day 5- Biography Presentations
25 min- Each student will have 2-3 minutes to present findings from the Library Day
-Pass in research and bibliography
-Audience will take notes on presented information
5 min- Praxis on library research and information on important Greek artist
-Describe in one word at a time how the library and information you found made you feel
15 min- Activity: Statues
-Evey other student will randomly choose one of the depictions and a partner. The partner
will be blindfolded and serve as the “clay” to form a statue with. Using the depiction, the
student will sculpt the form of the person on their partner’s body. When done sculpting t
he statue will guess who they are and why then the blindfold will be removed to see if t
hey are correct.
Day 6- Dionysus Festivals
10 min- Discussion: From what we have learned about the empire and people working during the
time what could you imagine a festival honoring a God to be like?
-Write descriptive words on the board
10 min- Introductory lecture on Dionysus
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-Students will take notes
5 min- Activity: Story Circle. Create a story together on what a citizen would experience the day
of a festival
-Use full sentences to describe the start, middle, and end of the festival day. Try to
include specific names, objects, and locations from their notes.
5 min- Write individual prayers as actors to Dionysus to recite at the festival
-They can be in essay or poetic form
10 min- Each student will present his or her prayer as a monologue to the class
ASSIGNMENT: Study new list of vocabulary words
Day 7- Vocabulary
5 min- Review vocabulary words in class
20 min- Discussion: How do these objects relate to the ones we us in theaters today?
15 min- Activity: Typewriter. Stories must include at least five vocabulary words for the other
students to act out
-This will be an assessment of how well they use the vocabulary
Day 8- Playwrights and Plays of the period
30 min- Activity: Students will be given photographs of famous Greek poet statues. In groups
discuss who they think the person is and what kind of life they had then guessing at the genre of
play they wrote and why.
-Draw a picture of the life the group described to present to the class
-The class will make observations before the group that drew the picture shares their
process
15 min- Reveal who was who and some background on the plays they have written.
ASSIGNMENT: Read Antigone
Day 9- Ensemble Training
10 min- Read a short ensemble song from Oedipus Rex as a group
15 min- Choose student directors to instruct the class as an ensemble with blocking that pertains
to the passage they just read
-In two groups block the ensemble song with one leader per group to serve as director.
10 min- Present song with blocking
ASSIGNMENT: Antigone reading and study for quiz
Day 10- Antigone Analysis
10 min- Quiz
25 min- Analyze first scene of Antigone as an example for the groups
-Answer who, what, where, when, why
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10 min- Discuss themes and characters
ASSIGNMENT: Choose a character to analyze and write a page on your thoughts
Day 11- Character Analysis
5 min- Warm-up Activity: Continuous Sound and Movement
15 min- Activity: One student at a time will choose a character to portray and then without
talking pantomime events from the play as that person until the rest of the class guesses who it is.
-Assessment of reading comprehension
5 min- Activity: Tableau of how Antigone and Creon felt at the start of the play.
5 min- Activity: Tableau of how Antigone and Creon felt at the end of the play.
-Use each other to build tableaus as a group
15 min- Discuss how the tableaus and charades activity brought a better understanding of the
story or characters then thoughts on the characters in general.
Day 12- Groups and Scene Selection
45 min- Explain Scene Project and assign groups
-Pass out rubric of project
-Choose names from a hat to form four groups
- In groups: Assign actors and the director/directors, choose a scene, read through,
discuss, block, etc.
ASSIGNMENT: Scene work: memorize lines, block, schedule in-class rehearsals
Day 13- Antigone Rehearsal I
45 min- In groups: read through, discuss, block, etc.
ASSIGNMENT: Continue scene work
Day 14- Antigone Rehearsal II
45 min- In groups: read through, discuss, block, etc. By the end of today the groups should be
ready to present to the class.
ASSIGNMENT: Final preparations for scene presentations
Day 15- Antigone Presentations
15 min- Group I presentation of scene
5 min- Discussion and constructive criticism
15 min- Group II presentation of scene
5 min- Discussion and constructive criticism
Day 16- Antigone Presentations
15 min- Group III presentation of scene
5 min- Discussion and constructive criticism
15 min- Group IV presentation of scene
5 min- Discussion and constructive criticism
ASSIGNMENT: Write a short essay on how it was working in groups for consideration on
the group grade
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Day 17- Final Thoughts on Antigone
10 min- Activity: community builder
-Pass in homework assignment
25 min- Watch contemporary adaptation of Antigone
10 min- As a class list differences and similarities between adaptations
ASSIGNMENT: Study for Unit Test
Day 18-Unit Review
45 min- Unit Review
-Pass out test outline
-Review class lessons from beginning of unit
-Play Jeopardy in two group teams. The winning team will get +5 on the test
-Includes vocabulary, Antigone, biographies, culture, theatre techniques
ASSIGNMENT: Study for Unit Test
Day 19- Unit Test
5 min- Activity: Focus exercise
40 min- UNIT TEST
Day 20- Lasting Impressions
10 min- Activity: Energizer
15 min- Write your own chorus on Greek life
-Choose a specific lesson we touched on to describe in a written song
15 min- perform/read for class
5 min- Final thoughts
UNDERSTANDIGN BY DESIGN
Day 1: Overview
Established Goals
Standards:
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-5.13 Use group-generated criteria to assess their own work and the work of others
What essential questions will be considered?
-What was life in Greece like during the golden age of the empire?
-Who were the key players of the time?
-How does art back then relate to today’s?
-What did Ancient Greek style look like?
What understandings are desired?
Students will understand that…
-Greeks placed importance on art in every day life.
-The new democratic system made way for many important men to share their ideas.
-Many Greek styles and objects are still present in today’s markets.
What key knowledge and skills will students acquire as a result of this unit?
Students will know…
-Notable authors, playwrights, philosophers, politicians
-Modern inventions of the time
-Artistic philosophies
Students will be able to…
-Recognize Greek artistic styles
-Name surviving works from Greek artists
-Compare and contrast their assumptions on Ancient Greece and the factual information
presented
What evidence will show that students understand?
Performance Tasks:
-Lecture: Students will watch a slideshow of photographs and diagrams of key players, locations,
instruments, and art
-Tableau Activity: Students will create tableaus of images seen on the lecture slides.
-Quiz: On Day 10 students will be quizzed on all the information learned previously
What other evidence needs to be collected in light of Stage 1 Desired Results?
Other evidence:
Journal Entry: Students will explain their first impressions of Ancient Greece and how they
compare/contrast to past assumptions.
Student Self-Assessment and Reflection:
-At the end of the day reflect on the information he or she has learned through a journal entry.
-Self-Assess the tableaus he or she has created to show the class
UNDERSTANDING BY DESIGN
Day 6: Dionysus Festivals
Established Goals
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Standards:
-2.11 Using the correct form and structure, collaboratively write an original script or a dramatic
adaptation of a literary work
-1.17 Demonstrate an increased ability to work effectively alone and collaboratively with a
partner or in an ensemble
What essential questions will be considered?
-Who was Dionysus and why was he important?
-What events took place to celebrate the gifts from Dionysus?
-Who attended these festivals?
What understandings are desired?
Students will understand that…
-Dionysus was an important God to worship
-Greeks placed heavy importance on appeasing Gods and Goddesses
-Dionysus Festivals were the equivalent of national holidays
What key knowledge and skills will students acquire as a result of this unit?
Students will know…
-Who Dionysus was
-What events took place on festival days
-Why the festivals were important
What evidence will show that students understand?
Performance Tasks:
-Group Discussion: Students will guess what festivals were like based on the information learned
in previous classes on daily life and historical context.
-Storytelling Activity: Students will perform a Story Circle exercise saying one sentence each to
describe a day at a Dionysus Festival from morning to night.
What other evidence needs to be collected in light of Stage 1 Desired Results?
Writing Prompt: Students will write individual prayers to Dionysus based on biographical
information and events.
Student Self-Assessment and Reflection:
-Students will present prayers to Dionysus they have written as monologues to the class
-Self-Assess sentences contributed during the Story Circle activity
UNDERSTANDING BY DESIGN
Day 11- Character Analysis
Established Goals
Standards:
1.7 Create and sustain a believable character throughout a scripted or improvised scene
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1.12 Describe and analyze, in written and oral form, characters’ wants, needs, objectives, and
personality characteristics
1.9 Use physical acting skills such as body alignment, control of isolated body parts, and
rhythms to develop characterizations that suggest artistic choices
What essential questions will be considered?
-How do the characters change and grow over the course of the play?
-Who are the main players in the text?
-What were the events that were most important to that character?
-How does physically embodying the characters we read about help us learn more about them?
What understandings are desired?
Students will understand that…
-There must be an arc that characters must go through in a story.
-Tableaux can depict both events and people.
-Analyzing a character beyond the text helps to understand the theme of a story.
What key knowledge and skills will students acquire as a result of this unit?
Students will know…
-The arc of the characters from the beginning to the end of the play
-The main characters and the events of the play
-How to execute an effective tableau
-How to improvise in character
What evidence will show that students understand?
Performance Tasks:
-Character improvisation: Students will be able to guess which character is being portrayed
based on their reading of the text
-Tableau Activity: Students will portray how the characters change over the course of the play
demonstrating a close reading of the text
What other evidence needs to be collected in light of Stage 1 Desired Results?
Student Self-Assessment and Reflection:
-Students will create their own performance to demonstrate an understanding of the characters
and text
-Students will discuss how the tableaux they created helped to further analyze the reading
UNDERSTANDING BY DESIGN
Day 17- Final Thoughts on Antigone
Established Goals
Standards:
-2.7 Read plays and stories from a variety of cultures and historical periods
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and identify the characters, setting, plot, theme, and conflict
-2.11 Read plays from a variety of genres and styles; compare and contrast
the structure of plays to the structures of other forms of literature
-2.11 Using the correct form and structure, collaboratively write an original
script or a dramatic adaptation of a literary work
What essential questions will be considered?
-How did the student’s production of Antigone compare the the contemporary version?
-How did the experience of working in groups develop the student’s understanding of a
production?
What understandings are desired?
Students will understand that…
-There are many ways to conceptualize one text
-They successfully completed an individual production
What key knowledge and skills will students acquire as a result of this unit?
Students will know…
-How to analyze two different adaptations of the same play
-How to produce their own adaptation of a classic script
-How to reflect on their own work as part of a group
What evidence will show that students understand?
Performance Tasks:
-Assignment: Students will write a self reflection on the work they did in their groups
-Discussion: Students will compare and contrast contemporary and classic adaptations of
Antigone
What other evidence needs to be collected in light of Stage 1 Desired Results?
Student Self-Assessment and Reflection:
-Students will self-reflect on their individual contributions to the group production
-Students will be able to recognize the differences and similarities between two adaptations from
different historical periods