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Improvisation

48 Lesson Plans to help you effectively plan your workshops and classes

Accepting & Building on Offers

by Lindsay Johnson

In this first improvisation lesson, students will work with the definitions of the key vocabulary terms by adding their own offers to improvised exercises and accepting and building on peer offers. Students will also give written and verbal peer feedback on the first row (ACCEPTING AND BUILDING ON OFFERS) row of the Improvisation Rubric, using language such as “improvisation” and “offers.”

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# Improvisation # middle school friendly

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African Fable and Storytelling

by Desiree Dabney

Students will create their own improvisational piece to an African fable called “Anansi: The Spider.” This lesson explores the different ways to tell a story through storytelling improvisation, which allows students to discover different movements, voices, and listening skills. In African theatre, there are many ways to tell a story; improv is often used when learning about fables.

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Characterization and One Focus

by Anna Porter

Students explore Characterization and One Focus by participating in activities and playing Ding, Emotional Waiter and Party Quirks.

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Slide Deck Lesson 2

# Improvisation # improv # character development # games

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Confidence

by Jennine Profeta

This lesson allows students to practice and apply attributes of confidence.

# Improvisation # improv

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Conflict and Objectives

by Lindsay Johnson

In this lesson, we’ll look at multiple perspectives that can lead to a conflict. In pairs, students will improvise a short scene in which each character has an objective that conflicts with the other character’s objective.

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Conflict and Tell a Complete Story

by Anna Porter

Students explore the importance and types of conflict as well as the importance of telling a complete story. Students will demonstrate their understanding of the rules of improvisation through their final performance in Freeze as well as a written quiz.

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Slide Deck Lesson 3

# Improvisation # improv # character development # games

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Duet Improv

by Lindsay Price

Improvising in pairs is an excellent training ground to improve listening and cooperation skills, and to practice exploring character and conflict. Students will read and respond to a Duet Improv introduction sheet, then apply their knowledge through pairs Improv exercises and reflect on the experience.

# Improvisation # improv

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Failure

by Jennine Profeta

This lesson encourages students to embrace failure as a positive aspect rather than negative.

# Improvisation # improv

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Final Scene Rehearsal

by Lindsay Johnson

In this lesson, students will use a variety of methods they’ve learned so far during this unit to communicate meaning in a scene: setting, pantomime, relationship clues, objectives, stakes, and tactics. Students will complete a Rehearsal Checklist.

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Slide Deck

# Improvisation # middle school friendly

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Guideline 1: Accept the Offer

by Lindsay Price

Students are introduced to Guideline 1 “Accept the Offer” and apply their knowledge through a warm-up and improv exercise.

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Guideline 2: Make Choices

by Lindsay Price

Students are introduced to Guideline 2 “Make Choices/Bring Information to a Scene” and apply their knowledge through a warm-up and improv exercise.

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Guideline 3: Make the Active Choice

by Lindsay Price

Students are introduced to Guideline 3 “Take the Active Choice” and apply their knowledge through a warm-up and improv exercise.

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Guideline 4: Make Your Partner Look Good

by Lindsay Price

Students are introduced to Guideline 4 “Make Your Partner Look Good” and apply their knowledge through warm-up and improv exercises.

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Guideline 5: Relax, Have Fun, and Don't Force the Humor

by Lindsay Price

Students are introduced to Guideline 5 “Relax, Have fun, and Don’t Force the Humor” and apply their knowledge through warm-up and improv exercises.

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High-Stakes Objectives

by Lindsay Johnson

In this lesson, we’ll look at multiple perspectives that can lead to a conflict. Students will take an objectives quiz to demonstrate their understanding of objectives, conflict, and stakes. This could be graded as a daily work grade or an assessment, and will give you a snapshot of students’ current understanding.

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Slide Deck

# Improvisation # middle school friendly

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Improv for Character Study

by Annie Dragoo

Students will demonstrate ability to develop a character by participating in various improvisation exercises.

# Improvisation # Acting # improv # musical theatre

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Improv Test

by Lindsay Johnson

In this final lesson for this unit, students will participate in the improv game Hitchhiker as part of a peer and teacher assessment on the Improvisation Rubric.

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# Improvisation # middle school friendly

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Improv Using Sensory Awareness

by Annie Dragoo

Students will demonstrate sensory awareness by improvising an everyday activity while paying attention to as many sensory details as possible.

# Improvisation # Acting # improv # musical theatre

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Improv with Movement

by Annie Dragoo

Students will demonstrate ability to improvise movement by participating in a various activities.

# Improvisation # Acting # improv # musical theatre

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Improv with Vocal Responses

by Annie Dragoo

Students will demonstrate ability to respond vocally by participating in various improvisation activities.

# Improvisation # Acting # improv # musical theatre

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Improvisation Scenes

by Annie Dragoo

Students will demonstrate ability to use voice, body, and imagination/mind together by planning and performing an improvised scene.

# Improvisation # Acting # improv # musical theatre

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Improvisation Unit (Three Lesson Plans)

by Anna Porter

This is a three lesson plan unit on introducing Improvisation. Part One: Introduction to Improv Students will understand what improvisation is and how to use the following rules: Trust Yourself and Accept all Offers. Part Two: Characterization & One Focus Students explore Characterization and One Focus by participating in activities and playing Ding, Emotional Waiter and Party Quirks. Part Three: Conflict and Tell a Complete Story Students will understand what conflict is and how to create it. Students will also understand how to use conflict to tell an improvised story with a beginning, middle and end. Students will demonstrate their understanding of the rules of improvisation through their final performance in Freeze as well as a written quiz.

# Improvisation # improv

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Improvisation: The Gibberish Language

by Lindsay Price

Newcomers to improvisation often struggle with quick verbal responses. They get caught up with self-editing, self-judgement, and self-censorship and feel they’re failing at the exercise if they’re not fast enough. The gibberish tool allows students to practice the act of response with intention without the pressure of real words. It gives them confidence to participate in an improvised scene. Students will create a gibberish language as a group. Focus on making gibberish a language. “Yes, it sounds silly, but treat gibberish as a language.” The words don’t matter. How you say them does. Students will move to small group conversations, and finally improv scenes. Includes a list of scenarios, reflection, and assessment rubric.

# Improvisation # improv

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Improvisation: Characters

by Jennine Profeta

Characters have a lot of value in empowering your students’ improv. In this lesson, students will start to explore character in improv with the warm up game “Character Walkabout” and the improv game “Hitchhiker.”

# Improvisation # improv # character development # games

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Improvisation: The Rashomon Monologue

by Lindsay Price

Students will learn the Rashomon plot device and put it into practice through improvised character monologues. Includes scenario sheet, assignment sheet, and assessment rubric.

# Improvisation # improv # monologue

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Intro to Improv for Musical Theatre

by Annie Dragoo

Students will demonstrate an understanding of improv guidelines by using them in an exercise. This is an introductory improv lesson that is designed to build upon the actors’ tools in future lessons.

# Improvisation # Acting # Musical Theatre # improv # musical theatre

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Intro to Projection and Enunciation

by Lindsay Johnson

In this sixth improvisation lesson, students will practice in partners quick thinking, improv, and enunciation in performance. Afterward, students will give verbal feedback on the Improvisation Rubric and the ENUNCIATION section of the Vocal Clarity Rubric.

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# Improvisation # middle school friendly

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Intro to Projection and Volume

by Lindsay Johnson

In this fifth improvisation lesson, students will learn the definition of “projection.” With partners, they will practice quick thinking, improv, and volume in performance. Afterward, students will give verbal feedback on the Improvisation Rubric and the VOLUME section of the Vocal Clarity Rubric.

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Introduction to Improv

by Anna Porter

Students explore how to trust themselves and work with others in improvisation through activities as well as playing games - Story Game, What are you doing?, and Press Conference.

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Slide Deck Lesson 1

# Improvisation # improv # character development # games

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Main Idea and Story Detail Improv

by Karen Loftus

Improvisation is a great tool for storytelling and getting important concepts across to all students including struggling readers and writers. In this lesson, you’ll use the improv game “Scene Redux” to help strengthen the students’ understanding of main idea and detail as it relates to storytelling.

# Improvisation # improv # games

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Objective and Tactics

by Lindsay Johnson

In this lesson, students will use a variety of methods they’ve learned so far during this unit to communicate meaning in a scene: setting, pantomime, relationship clues, objectives, stakes, and tactics. Students will complete a Rehearsal Checklist.

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Slide Deck

# Improvisation # middle school friendly

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Performance Quiz

by Lindsay Johnson

In this fourth improvisation lesson, students will participate in a mock improv assessment in small groups. They will also give partners written feedback on the entire Improvisation Rubric. Students will learn the exercise that will be used for their final improv assessment.

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# Improvisation # middle school friendly

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Positive and Negative Speak

by Jennine Profeta

This lesson has students identify and have self-awareness of positive and negative speak.

# Improvisation # improv

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Posters

by Lindsay Johnson

7 posters for the drama classroom, designed to support the objectives of the building improvised scenes unit.

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# Improvisation # poster # middle school friendly

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Posters

by Lindsay Johnson

8 posters for the drama classroom, to support the objectives of the Improvisation Basics unit.

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# Improvisation # poster # middle school friendly

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Projection Rehearsal

by Lindsay Johnson

In this lesson, students will use a variety of methods they’ve learned so far during this unit to communicate meaning in a scene: setting, pantomime, relationship clues, objectives, stakes, and tactics. Students will complete a Rehearsal Checklist.

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Slide Deck

# Improvisation # middle school friendly

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Quick Thinking

by Lindsay Johnson

In this second improvisation lesson, students will practice accepting offers, building on offers, and thinking quickly in improvisation exercises. Students will also give written and verbal peer feedback on the second row (QUICK THINKING) of the Improvisation Rubric, using language from the Rubric.

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# Improvisation # middle school friendly

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Relationship and Setting Rehearsal

by Lindsay Johnson

In this lesson, students will use a variety of methods they’ve learned so far during this unit to communicate meaning in a scene: setting, pantomime, relationship clues, objectives, stakes, and tactics. Students will complete a Rehearsal Checklist.

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Slide Deck

# Improvisation # middle school friendly

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Relationships

by Lindsay Johnson

In this lesson we’ll look at how verbal and nonverbal clues communicate relationship to an audience. Students will improvise a short scene in pairs that shows a clear relationship between two characters using clue words and body language/expressions.

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Review for Improv Test

by Lindsay Johnson

In this seventh lesson, students will practice their skills for the Lesson 8 test using a tongue twister (from Gilbert and Sullivan) as well as the improv game. Students will self-assess, and give/receive peer feedback.

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# Improvisation # middle school friendly

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Risk-Taking

by Jennine Profeta

This lesson aims to encourage students to take risks and allay fear.

# Improvisation # improv

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Scene Assignment and Brainstorm

by Lindsay Johnson

In this lesson, students will use a variety of methods they’ve learned so far to communicate meaning in a scene: setting, pantomime, relationship clues, objectives, stakes, and tactics. Students will complete a Brainstorm Sheet to plan out their partner scene for assessment.

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Slide Deck

# Improvisation # middle school friendly

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Scene Performance Assessment

by Lindsay Johnson

In this lesson, students will use a variety of methods they’ve learned so far during this unit to communicate meaning in a scene: setting, pantomime, relationship clues, objectives, stakes, and tactics. Students will perform their final partner scene in front of the class for assessment. They will also complete an Audience Feedback Sheet in which they give their peers feedback on Rubric skills.

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# Improvisation # middle school friendly

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Setting

by Lindsay Johnson

In this lesson, we’ll look at how we use physical clues to help the audience infer a specific setting for a scene. Students will improvise a short, silent, pantomimed scene in small groups that shows a clear setting – using gestures and movements only.

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# Improvisation # middle school friendly

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Strong Offers

by Lindsay Johnson

In this third improvisation lesson, students will practice accepting offers, building on offers, thinking quickly and giving STRONG OFFERS in improvisation exercises. Students will also give written and verbal peer feedback using language from the Improvisation Rubric.

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# Improvisation # middle school friendly

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Tactics

by Lindsay Johnson

In this lesson, we’ll look at multiple perspectives that can lead to a conflict and strategies employed to resolve it. Students will improvise a scene using 2+ tactics in partner groups. Some groups will perform for the class and receiving coaching and feedback on the Tactics Rubric.

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Unit Project

by Lindsay Price

The final project will allow students to demonstrate their improv skills in a two-person scene.

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Unit Reflection (Essay)

by Annie Dragoo

Students will evaluate the value of improvisation in musical theatre by writing a five-paragraph essay.

# Improvisation # Acting # improv # musical theatre

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