District Overview:
Effective communication is the ultimate goal of the English Language Arts (ELA) program. The District’s program is committed to producing reflective, critical, and creative thinkers by developing a positive learning community in which students are empowered to read, write, and respond to texts to prepare them for college and careers. Throughout the educational process, students shall strive to become expert readers and writers, effective speakers and listeners, thoughtful problem solvers, critical consumers of visual media and competent users of language. Instruction focuses on meaningful language experiences, which allow for whole-group, small-group and individualized instruction based on the needs of each student. Technology integration creates an interactive, engaging, and relevant learning environment. Through readings of both classic and contemporary literature as well as non-fiction selections, students are exposed to a variety of text modalities. By providing these opportunities, students are able to exercise skills in gathering, synthesizing, and communicating language. In all, the curriculum aims to develop problem solving skills and connect knowledge across curriculum to build an understanding of cultural diversities and complexities of the world.
Description:
From Kindergarten through 12th grade the district spends time focusing on how to develop confidence in its students, the students in themselves and students communicating their knowledge to an audience whether that takes place in a classroom, on a stage or in a board room. Introduction to Theatre continues on this mission through intensive team work, analysis of self and analysis of human communication through written and spoken words. Theater is often called a grand equalizer as the needs to accomplish its final goals come from sharing the varied talents of its players. It stretches the academic to become more vocally expressive. It allows the academically challenged students successes in having an arena where their talents beyond academia are needed. This class has included students participating in AP classes, vocational technical school and special needs classes.
This class is available to students in all four grades at the high school. This works well as it promotes community and strengthens connections within the school’s student body. The nature of the work promotes the importance of teamwork and individual growth. The overarching goals are to introduce students to the art form of stage productions, bolster confidence in one’s ability to communicate effectively, increase depth of empathy through role playing, and solidify abilities to speak in front of an audience. The year begins with playful group work and works its way into individual scenes that require in depth play analysis.
Introduction to Theatre Units:
  • Unit 1: Safety
  • Unit 2: Introduction to the Craft
  • Unit 3: The Craft of Acting - Focus in Performance
  • Unit 4: Improvisation
  • Unit 5: Mechanics of the Physical Actor
  • Unit 6: Creating Original Ensemble Works
  • Unit 7: Scripts and Characters
  • Unit 8: Technical Theatre * This unit needs to be taught in conjunction with the school’s stage production.
  • Unit 9: An Actor Prepares

Subject:Introduction to Theatre / Grade:9 - 12 / Suggested Timeline:1 – 2 weeks
Unit Title: Safety
Unit Overview/Essential Understanding:
The safety, materials, and machinery unit will be a tour of theatre workshop spaces. Students will understand how to properly use the tools and machinery of the shop. Students will evaluate supplies and inventory in the Art department workshop and storage shed.
Unit Objectives:
  • Students will practice using a variety of tools and machines following safety procedures.
  • Students will tour the Art room and storage shed for supplies and building materials.
  • Students will learn proper maintenance of the machines in the shop.

Focus Standards Addressed in this Unit:
  • 9.1.12 H -Incorporate the effective and safe use of materials, equipment and tools into the production of works in the arts at work and performance spaces. • Evaluate the use and applications of materials. • Evaluate issues of cleanliness related to the arts. • Evaluate the use and applications of mechanical/electrical equipment. • Evaluate differences among selected physical space/environment. • Evaluate the use and applications of safe props/stage equipment. • Evaluate the use and apply safe methods for storing materials in the arts.

Important Standards Addressed in this Unit:
  • N/A

Misconceptions:
  • Accidents will happen no matter what precautions we take.
  • Students believe that since they have used tools at home, they understand all of the safety precautions and don’t need to formally learn it.

Concepts/Content:
  • Safety requirements
  • Operation of Tools
  • Care and Maintenance
/ Competencies/Skills:
  • Operate a variety of tools safely
  • Identify tools and their use
/ Description of Activities:
  • Students will use a variety of tools and machinery to create props.
  • Students will demonstrate use of tools following safety procedures.

Assessments:
  • Demonstration of using tools safely and with proper handling.

Interdisciplinary Connections:
  • Math - to measure and create blue prints
  • ELA - reading to follow safety requirements
/ Additional Resources:
  • District approved resources

Subject: Introduction to Theatre / Grade: 9 - 12 / Suggested Timeline: 6 - 7 weeks
Unit Title: Introduction to the Craft
Unit Overview/Essential Understanding:
In order to establish trusting relationships from the players, actors need to know and trust each other. Using exercises in Viola Spolin’s Improvisation for the Actor and Robert Cohen’s Acting One, students begin breaking down those barriers through theatre games that focus on teambuilding. The students then take the tactics they discover in simple game playing and apply it to more complex human interactions. This unit takes time as trust building must happen before anything else can move forward. Within that trust building time, the class learns and employs tactics of positive criticism and analysis as a whole and individuals. Individually the students begin to develop more self-confidence as each becomes more accustomed to acting in front of others.
Unit Objectives:
  • Students will be able to create more confidence and build trust among the students in the class.
  • Students will initiate discussions among peers related to given topics.
  • Students will work with a group to complete an assigned task.
  • Students will examine scenarios related to human interactions.

Focus Standards Addressed in this Unit:
  • CC.1.5.9–10.A Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions on grade-level topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
  • CC.1.5.11–12.A Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions on grade-level topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
  • CC.1.3.9–10.F Analyze how words and phrases shape meaning and tone in texts.

Important Standards Addressed in this Unit:
  • CC.1.5.9–10.G Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English when speaking based on Grades 9–10 level and content.
  • CC.1.5.11–12.G Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English when speaking based on Grades 11–12 level and content.
  • CC.1.3.9–10.E Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it, and manipulate time create an effect.

Misconceptions:
  • Only particular people can act.
  • Acting in professional theatre looks easy, thereby it must be easy to do.

Concepts/Content:
  • The art of acting
  • Art requires analysis, discipline and an openness to play
  • As with most artists, actors also have trained and do particular things to become good at their craft
  • Successful participation
  • Ensemble
  • How to analyze an activity and/or scene
  • How to utilize problem solving skills
  • How to strategize to gain objectives
  • Dynamic strategy
  • Effective communication
  • Words are not enough alone to perform a scene effectively
  • Circumstances of relationships greatly affect how actors act within a scene
  • Settings greatly affect the way humans behave
  • Considerations of environments are absolutely necessary for effective playing of a scene
  • Focus on the expected cultural norms within a place is important
  • Utilizing the aspects of environments can help the actor have things to do on stage
  • Environments can create mini-obstacles within a scene thereby increasing its dramatic potential
  • Environments affect a character's sense of comfort and safety
  • The word "act" translates as "to do"
  • Acting is active, not a recitation of words
  • Tactics drive and define the playing of a scene
  • Effective actors are able to adjust and change tactics quickly from one moment to another
  • Actor's characters must always expect to accomplish his/her objectives
  • All characters motivations are positive.
/ Competencies/Skills:
  • Know what is required to successfully participate in and complete this course
  • Participate in class discussions.
  • Participate in activities
  • Participate in class discussions
  • Develop a strategy to obtain a goal
  • Work within large and small groups
  • Encourage peers to achieve
  • Read the handouts and apply their principles physically
  • Create physical obstacles to overcome
  • Write a response to the exercises of Days 4 through 7
  • Interact with a peer who is not well known to him/her
  • Read the handouts and apply their principles physically
  • Interact with a peer who is not well known to him/her
  • Complete the exercises as directed within the text and directed by the teacher
  • Work on expressing the same messages verbally as well as nonverbally
  • Complete at least three “content-less” scenes with three different partners
  • Write a reaction specifically to teacher selected classes
  • Write a descriptive essay of a place he/she does not like to be in
  • Play the scene within various environments, noting how the environments changed actions and reactions from one scene to another
  • Identify various tactics people use every day and the motivation for using them
  • Employ at least four tactics within their scenes for these exercises
  • Analyze the effectiveness of tactics chosen by themselves and other students in performance
  • Keep a journal that analyzes not only the material covered in class, but also their progress as an actor and changes in the acting ensemble every two weeks
/ Description of Activities:
  • Introductory group activities that require the students to make inquiries of others to gain as much information as possible.
  • Group activities that require finding common areas of interests and abilities in others.
  • Accomplishing a task that requires all individuals to be involved both physically and mentally to meet a goal.
  • The students will complete the exercises in the first four chapters of Acting One by Robert Cohen.
  • A journal that asks students to react to at least two different days a week of class exercises and also has at least two days a week of personal progress notes.
  • Students will read scenes from plays given to them by the instructor in hopes of finding at least two they would like to rehearse and perform later in the semester.

Assessments:
  • As one group (being always connected in some way at all times) move an object through a goal on the opposite side of the stage. HOWEVER, you may not use your feet or knees to propel yourself forward, you may not touch the object with your hands, and you must choose a method to complete this within two minutes.
**The group may have to try this several different ways, but find success. If they fail the first time, they must find an alternative way to do this. The attempts are limitless as long as they eventually work together to find a solution.
  • The students will complete scenes as designed by the teacher’s rubric.

Interdisciplinary Connections:
  • All core and some elective courses where group work is required.
/ Additional Resources:
  • Spolin, Viola. Improvisation for the Theatre. Northwestern University Press, Evanston IL.1985
  • Cohen, Robert. Acting One: Third Edition. Mayfield Publishing, Mountain View, CA.1984.
  • Teacher designed handouts and visuals
  • Traditional playground and camp games
    Setting Cards

Subject: Introduction to Theatre / Grade: 9 - 12 / Suggested Timeline: 4 weeks
Unit Title: The Craft of Acting - Focus in Performance
Unit Overview/Essential Understanding:
The hardest part of acting is getting from self-consciousness to consciously focused performances. An actor's primary job is to recreate a life believably on the stage. All of the subunits will work to allow the student to experience this transformation first hand through drills and exercises that create specific areas of focused performances. An essential understanding taught includes that when acting, actors cannot impose the limitations of onlytheir personal life experiences. They may utilize their understandings of life and their experiences in life to empathize, but they must not limit their performances to their own life experiences. If we limit performances to fit within our personal comfort zones, we can only play characters exactly like ourselves.
Unit Objectives:
  • Students will develop personal processes to overcome fear of judgment of others while on stage.
  • Students will study and perform scenes after analyzing the needs and goal of the characters. (The hardest part of acting is getting from self-consciousness to consciously focused performances. An actor's primary job is to recreate a life believably on the stage.)
  • Students will transform their understanding of acting by participating in drills and exercises that create specific areas of focused performances.

Focus Standards Addressed in this Unit:
  • CC.1.3.9–10.E Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it, and manipulate time create an effect.
  • CC.1.3.9–10.H Analyze how an author draws on and transforms themes, topics, character types, and/or other text elements from source material in a specific work.
  • CC.1.3.9–10.J Acquire and use accurately grade appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
  • CC.1.4.9–10.F Demonstrate a grade-appropriate command of the conventions of standard English grammar, usage, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.
  • 9.1.12 F Analyze works of arts influenced by experiences or historical and cultural events through production, performance or exhibition.

Important Standards Addressed in this Unit:
  • CC.1.3.9–10.I Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade-level reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies and tools.
  • CC.1.3.9–10.K Read and comprehend literary fiction on grade level, reading independently and proficiently.
  • CC.1.4.9–10.A Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately.
  • 9.1.8. – 12.CIntegrate and apply advanced vocabulary to the art forms.
  • 9.1.12 A. Know and use the elements and principles of each art form to create works in the arts and humanities. • Elements ¾ Dance: • energy/force • space • time ¾ Music: • duration • intensity • pitch • timbre ¾ Theatre: • scenario • script/text • set design ¾ Visual Arts: • color • form/shape • line • space • texture • value • Principles ¾ Dance: • choreography • form • genre • improvisation • style • technique ¾ Music: • composition • form • genre • harmony • rhythm • texture ¾ Theatre: • balance • collaboration • discipline • emphasis • focus • intention • movement • rhythm • style • voice ¾ Visual Arts: • balance • contrast • emphasis/focal point • movement/rhythm • proportion/scale • repetition • unity/harmony

Misconceptions:
  • Acting a scene just happens.
  • Simply saying the lines is the same as acting them.
  • There is a great misconception as to how rehearsal works and why it is necessary to get the most effective results.

Concepts/Content:
  • Ensemble
  • Activity and/or scene
  • Problem solving skills
  • Critiques and Objectives
  • Goal pursuit
  • Goal objective
  • Intentions
  • Acting must represent life and be lifelike
  • The goal is what your character wants
  • The obstacle is what stands in the character's way
  • The actor must try tactics to achieve a goal
  • Self-consciousness arises from the actor being self-focused and not focused on the ACTION of the character
  • The actor must try tactics to achieve a goal
  • The actor needs to project all of the internal thoughts including goals outwardly, or there is no need to perform the piece
  • Projection is the ability to escape the prison of yourself, open to the world of the character and be enabled to outwardly perform the needs of the character without self-consciousness
  • Each skill studied so far adds to the next step in becoming an effective performer
  • All content covered thus far must be applied to complete a performance successfully
  • An actor's job is to recreate a life believably on stage. This means incorporating not only aspects of characters personalities, but also incorporating the conflicts imposed by limitations or restraints of the environments
  • Settings are not just places; they also impose cultural norms on those within them
  • While characters are representations of humans, they are not ourselves.
  • If we limit performances to fit within our personal comfort zones, we can only play characters exactly like ourselves.
  • Playing the character as another frees us up to not focus on being judged since they aren't ourselves.
  • "Acting is something you can never do entirely in isolation or entirely by yourself."
  • An actor must focus as much on interacting with his partner and believing in his partner as much as himself.
  • Vulnerability is one of the most difficult concepts to embody as an actor. It takes focusing on the reality of your character and not on your own.
  • An actor partner is ALWAYS a character.
  • Tactics are the strategies of human communication; they are the active ingredients of dynamic interactions.
  • All dynamic strategy means finding a goal and playing to win that goal by changing strategies when obstacles occur.
  • Effective communication on stage as in life combines physical as well as verbal types of communications.
  • Words are not enough alone to perform a scene effectively.
  • Circumstances of relationships greatly affect how actors act within a scene.