CHARLES P. ALLEN HIGH SCHOOL
Drama 10 COURSE OUTLINE
Ms. April Cross ext. 7551101 Room 101
Room 312
Drama 10 is an introductory course in drama focusing on the personal, intellectual, and social growth of the student. Through extensive work both in small and large groups, students gain confidence as they explore and communicate ideas, experiences, and feelings in a range of dramatic forms such as dramatic movement and mime, dramatization, choral speech, and collective work. Drama is comprised of four components: FOUNDATION, MOVEMENT, SPEECH, and THEATRE.
FOUNDATION: Building trust, familiarity, and introducing students to some basic skills applicable to
Drama such as focus, concentration, risk-taking, exploring creativity and encouraging full participation.
MOVEMENT: Developing comfort, skill, and understanding of movement starting with everyday life, fostering expressive movement in Drama exercises, and providing classroom and stage performance experience with movement.
SPEECH: Exploring and developing the speaking voice emphasizing expressiveness, projection and pronunciation beginning from a discussion of everyday speech and elevating the level to small classroom and stage performance.
THEATRE: Developing and creating dramatic performances through group scene work and projects culminating in the presentation of a monologue.
Successful drama students:
- Attend class regularly as indicated in the school attendance policy.
- Dress appropriately for the physical demands of drama activities.
- Participate fully in each assignment, task, and activity.
- Cooperate with other group and class members.
- Take risks within the context of each activity.
- Use and share talents and skills within the context of the drama activities.
- Concentrate and focus on all activities.
- Use school breaks for their intended purpose.
Materials you will need:
1. Paper to fill your doutang (provided by Ms Cross)
This will be collected each Thursday and will remain in class
2. Pen or pencil for each class
3. Comfortable clothing that allows you to move freely
4. ENTHUIASM
Term Breakdown Critical/Responsive 20
Critical and Responsive: 20%
Personal Growth: 20%
Historical and Cultural 10%
Creative and Productive 30%
Final Exam 20%
Final Assessment and Evaluation
Critical and Responsive (Journals/Feedback) - 20%: In drama education reflection is essential for the learning process. One way that students reflect on their work in drama is by keeping a journal. Therefore students will be required to complete one journal entry each week while they are in Grade 10 Drama. This will usually be assigned as homework. It will be due each Thursday. It will be necessary to maintain a duo-tang as a journal portfolio as it will also be handed in at the end of the term. This will contain all the reflective journal entries and other assignments throughout the semester. Students will be able to use their journal portfolio to tell the story of their learning in drama this semester. A final journal will be done on a reflection of this material during the written exam.
Personal Growth (Daily Class work) - 20%: The focus of Drama 10 is participation and learning through experience. If you don’t participate in the activities, you won't learn anything worth remembering. I understand that everyone has different comfort level about speaking in front of a crowd or standing up by themselves and no one will be volunteered or made to do anything that they are not comfortable doing. Participation will be evaluated on a biweekly basis. Student will be evaluated for a positive attitude, on task attention, preparedness for class, energy and a willingness to cooperate with your classmates.
Students will also be given opportunities give a self evaluation to evaluate their own growth in Grade 10 drama. In addition to a numeric grade, students will be required to provide rationale for any such evaluative opportunities. This is often a difficult but a worthy reflective assessment task, students will meet with Ms Cross prior to midterms to discuss this evaluation and their growth.
Units: Foundation, Physical Theatre, Movement, Pantomime, Speech, Improv, Scene construction
Historical and Cultural (Studying Theater) - 10%: Students will be expected to complete several assignments in connection to each of the Units. All students will be evaluated individual, even in group assignments. Assignments include the following:
Personal Symbol, Physical Theatre, Character Study, Set Design.
Creative and Productive (Performances) – 30%: Drama 10 students do not have to stage a public performance. However, there will be four major performance pieces that Grade 10 students will be required to do in class for their classmates. These assignments will include the preparation, rehearsal, script and performance on presentation date.
The four assignments are as followed: Tableaux Fairy Tale (Group), Physical Theatre Performance (Group), Non-Lyrical Song Assignment (Group), Scripted Scenes (Partner)
Exam (Monologue) - 20%: The final evaluative opportunity is a 3-5 minute monologue either written by yourself or from a scripted source (although film monologues will not be considered) performed in front of the class. For many students this shows tremendous growth and provides a vehicle for a final reflection on that growth. Students will also complete a written reflection, character sketch and complete a set design after their performance.
Outcomes:
1) Students will demonstrate personal growth through Drama.
2) Students will use drama to explore, formulate and express ideas perceptions and feelings.
3) Students will be able to respond with critical awareness to their own work and the work of others.
4) Students will address problems and make decisions relating to their drama work.
5) Students will value cultural diversity and be able to demonstrate respect for cultural diversity in the drama context.
6) Students will be able to interpret how drama celebrates, comments on and questions issues and events in cultural and historic context.
Parent/Guardian Communication Form
Please return to Ms. Cross by: Tuesday September 11th
Parents and Guardians:
This course outline is designed to let the students and their Parent/Guardians understand the expectations of Drama 10. It is a course that challenges the students and is designed to be an experiential learning course. If the students don’t get involved, then they won’t gain anything from the course, so participation is encouraged and expected. After you have read the course outline and discussed it with your son or daughter please sign, return this section to Ms. Cross by Tuesday September 11th.
If you require further information or have any questions about the course outline or assessment do not hesitate to call Ms. Cross at 832-8964 ext. 7551101 or email at
Student’s name (Print) ______
Student’s Signature: ______
Date: ______
Parent/Guardian’s signature: ______Date______