Introduction to Drama Grades 7-8
This class is designed to provide students with a historical and contemporary overview of drama, theatre production, and acting.
STANDARDS MET | CONTENT/SKILLS | SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES | |||
A | B | C | D | ||
Scripting | |||||
Create improvisations and scripted scenes based on personal experience and heritage, imagination, literature, and history. | |||||
4, 1, 5 | a. Individually and in groups, create characters, environments, and actions that create tension and suspense. | • Theatre sports – park bench, radio show, hitchhiker, foreign film, charades | |||
1, 2, 4, 5 | b. Refine and record dialogue and action. | • Commercials • Adapt song, short story, poem • Dictation | |||
Acting | |||||
Develop basic acting skills to portray characters who interact in improvised and scripted scenes. | |||||
1, 4 | 4, 5 | 2 | a. Analyze descriptions, dialogue, and actions to discover, articulate, and justify character motivation, and invent character behaviors based on the observation of interactions, ethical choices, and emotional responses of people. | • Re-enact movie scenes • Observe a real person and build characters based on that person • Warm ups • Character analysis | |
2-4 | b. Demonstrate acting skills (such as sensory recall, concentration, breath control, diction, body alignment, control of isolated body parts) to develop characterizations that suggest artistic choices. | • Listening/sustaining silence • Mime • Mirror mirror • Human machine | |||
1-6 | c. In an ensemble, interact as the invented characters. | • Readers' Theatre • Greek chorus | |||
Design | |||||
Develop environments for improvised and scripted scenes. | |||||
1, 4-7 | 1, 2 | a. Work collaboratively and safely to select and create elements of scenery, properties, lighting, and sound to signify environments, and costumes and makeup to suggest character. | • Diorama• Sketches• Lists of props• Face painting |
STANDARDS MET | CONTENT/SKILLS | SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES | |||
A | B | C | D | ||
Directing | |||||
Organize rehearsals for improvised and scripted scenes. | |||||
1-7 | a. Lead small groups in planning visual and aural elements and in rehearsing improvised and scripted scenes, demonstrating social, group, and consensus skills. | • Recreate existing visual material • Choose scene and cast • Create budget • Direct monologue, working in pairs | |||
Researching | |||||
Use cultural and historical information to support improvised and scripted scenes. | |||||
1, 3-7 | 1-9 | a. Apply research from print and non-print sources to script writing, acting, design, and directing choices. | • Playwrights | ||
Comparing and Incorporating Art Forms | |||||
Analyze methods of presentation and audience response for theatre, dramatic media (such as film, television, and electronic media), and other art forms. | |||||
1-5 | 4-6 | a. Describe characteristics and compare the presentation of characters, environments, and actions in theatre, musical theatre, dramatic media, dance, and visual arts. | • Watch community play and then discuss • Compare/contrast movie version of a play or play adapted from novel | ||
1, 3-6 | 1 | b. Incorporate elements of dance, music, and visual arts to express ideas and emotions in improvised and scripted scenes. | • Choreograph dance (movement) from story • Tell story without dialogue | ||
4-8 | 1-6 | 1, 2, 4-8 | c. Express and compare personal reactions to several art forms. | • Write critiques |
STANDARDS MET | CONTENT/SKILLS | SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES | |||
A | B | C | D | ||
Understanding Context | |||||
Analyze the role of theatre, film, television, and electronic media in the community and in other cultures. | |||||
1, 2, 5, 7, 8 | a. Describe and compare universal characters in drama, and discuss how theatre reflects a culture. | • Stereotype, archetypes, caricatures | |||
7 | 9 | 6 | 8 | b. Explain the knowledge, skills, and discipline needed to pursue careers and vocational opportunities in theatre, film, television, and electronic media. | • Discuss features and strengths of newscasters, tech crews |
1, 2, 4, 5 | 4, 5, 8 | 3-5 | 3 | c. Explain how concepts such as cooperation, communication, collaboration, consensus, self-esteem, risk taking, sympathy, and empathy apply in theatre and daily life. | • Cooperation games: electricity, round clap, improv • Discuss movie rating system and parental warnings |
1-4, 8 | 2 | 3, 4 | d. Ensure selection of appropriate performance material by considering the values, standards, and expectations of the community. | • Compare sit-coms and radio shows from different eras |