PD Courses
The Dilemma Project
by Claire Broome
Moral dilemmas are not only faced by characters in gripping plays, but are also faced by our students. The project outlined in this course will help students develop their critical thinking skills through the use of one of the dilemma questions to shape a student written production.
If you had the choice to press a button and earn $25,000,000... but a species (not of your choosing) would become extinct, what would you do? More importantly, what would your character do?
Join drama teacher and playwright Claire Broome through this course which includes role-playing, Stanislavski’s Magic If, character creation, playwriting and staging.
Building a Tradition of Excellence in Your Theatre Program
by Annie Dragoo
When we think of a tradition, we think of a belief or behavior that is passed down within a group for special significance. And we know that excellence is the quality of being outstanding or extremely good.
If you could pass down anything to the next generation of theatre students, wouldn’t you like to pass down the tradition of excellence? Learn from instructor Annie Dragoo, how building a tradition of excellence is the creation of values, behaviors and routines that help us establish the quality of excellence in our theatre program.
Creating a Blended Learning Environment: Flipping Your Classroom
by Annie Dragoo
Annie Dragoo leads this course in learning how to create a flipped classroom where students will complete the majority of coursework online at home or outside of school, and then attend school for required face-to-face learning sessions.
Module One discusses the types of online learning - the advantages and disadvantages. Module Two, covers the first step: the online instruction. Module Three covers the face-to-face time and putting it all together. You will walk away from these modules with a prepared unit of study
Latest PLC
Classroom Management in the Digital Era
Hosted by Matt Webster, Lindsay Price, Jessica McGettrick, Allison Green
Checklist for teaching in the digital era: Technology Training - Check! Lesson Planning - Check! Classroom Management - Ummm...? Of all the teaching fundamentals that need reassessment in the digital era, classroom management might be the hardest to get your head around. Do you have to follow school rules when no one is at school? How do you discipline students who are sitting at home? Can you have classroom management without an actual classroom?? Join us for a discussion of how to manage your virtual classroom in the real world.
Curriculum Units
Lesson Plans
Close Reading Analysis of Monologue: Not Again
by Quincy Young
Close reading requires students to analyze a text more thoroughly then they might naturally be inclined to, and because of this, students will be required to read the text three times. The first reading focuses on what the text says, the second reading focuses on how the text works, and the third engages students in evaluating the text, comparing it with other texts, or thinking about its implications in their lives in relation to the text.
This lesson applies the close reading technique to analyze a BIPOC-centred theatrical text.
The History of Blackface in Theatre
by Quincy Young
Students will read an article about the history of blackface in American Theatre and use critical thinking skills to annotate the article. Students will then produce a written reflection on why the use of blackface was and continues to be a problematic issue in American Theatre.
Resources
Masterclass with Vincent Terrell Durham: Playwriting
Masterclass is a series of one-on-one interviews with experts, creators and innovators in the world of Theatre that you can study in-depth, or share with your classes. Think of this series as ‘Inside the Actor’s Studio’ for Drama Teachers.
This masterclass is with Vincent Terrell Durham, a playwright who first honed his storytelling skills as a standup comic in comedy clubs across the country. Matt Webster chats with him about his journey in becoming a playwright.
Public Domain BIPOC Plays
This resource is a of plays in the Public Domain by BIPOC writers, including links as to where you can find the texts. Any translations included are also in the Public Domain. Not all texts are available in an English translation but we have included them in their original language. We have included cautions, but as always, please make sure you read/review the scripts before sharing with your students.
Public Domain BIPOC Short Stories
This resource is a list of poems and short stories in the Public Domain by BIPOC writers including links as to where you can find the texts. Any translations included are also in the Public Domain. Not all texts are available in an English translation but we have included them in their original language. Please make sure you read/review the texts before sharing with your students.
Virtual Body Language
The goal of this distance learning exercise is to help students become more aware of their body language in the virtual classroom (both conscious and unconscious) and how it makes others perceive them. Students have to turn their cameras on to participate, but it is fairly low-risk as they will complete the movement portion as a group, and they don’t need to have their microphones on.
The Distance Learning Resource eBook
Teachers, we know you’ve got so much to think about right now. Your brain is full! Take a break and use The Distance Learning Resource for warm-ups, exercises, and articles specific to teaching in a virtual environment.
Distance learning is a new experience for so many teachers and students. But any experience can be used to challenge students to think creatively and problem solve theatrically. Just remember to not compare what you’re doing in a virtual environment to what you did in a traditional classroom. Treat the virtual classroom as its own thing with its own challenges and learning opportunities. You can do it!
Posters: Quotes from Black Voices
A set of posters with quotes from Black voices. Use these to inspire your students in the drama classroom and beyond.
Bringing Black and Latinx Plays & Playwrights into the Drama Classroom
Every year we see top ten lists containing the most popular plays performed by students and studied in the drama classroom. Shakespeare makes the list every year. So does Arthur Miller. Some say that Our Town is performed every day of the year.
What is decidedly lacking from these lists are Black and Latinx plays and playwrights. These playwrights are writing and have been writing plays for years tackling the same themes as those on these top ten lists. The Theatrefolk Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Panel has assembled suggestions to include on your list for production and classroom study.
Do's and Don'ts for Producing BIPOC Plays
Use this list as a discussion starter for your students, or as a point of reference for your next production.
BIPOC Streaming Shows
In these times, it’s important to know if the BIPOC play you want to do can be livestreamed, recorded, or performed virtually. We’ve put together a list of plays and playwrights with all that information.
As with all classroom material, it is incumbent on the instructor to familiarize themselves with the material before introducing it to their classes. Read the plays first to make sure they fit within any district guidelines with regard to language and subject matter.