The Basics
68 Lesson Plans to help you effectively plan your workshops and classes
LESSON PLAN
A World Which No Longer Makes Sense
by Lindsay Price
In this lesson, students will be introduced to a Black writer who explores racism through the absurdist form: Adrienne Kennedy.
Attachments
LESSON PLAN
Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely
by Lindsay Price
In this lesson, students will move beyond the traditional origins of Theatre of the Absurd through two different playwrights: Vaclav Havel (Audience) and Issam Abdel-Masih Mahfouz (The Dictator), both of whom write about environments where power has created a distorted reality. Students will be introduced to these playwrights and then write their own version of a distorted reality.
Attachments
LESSON PLAN
Absurdism and Other Isms
by Lindsay Price
In this lesson, students will define the different eras of the beginning to the middle of the 20th century and apply their knowledge in exercises.
Attachments
LESSON PLAN
Audience Etiquette
by Lindsay Price
In a drama class there is often a focus on onstage activities: performance skills, staging a scene, ensemble building. But the audience plays a vital and necessary role in the process. Theatre does not happen without an audience. It’s important for students to be aware of and apply audience etiquette.
In this lesson, students will explore the different ways an audience behaves depending on the event, what is bad audience behaviour, establish the rules, practice critical thinking as an audience member and complete an exit slip to demonstrate comprehension.
LESSON PLAN
Audience Etiquette
by Kerry Hishon
Theatre does not happen without an audience. It’s important for students to be aware of and apply audience etiquette. In this lesson, students will explore the different ways an audience behaves depending on the event, what is bad audience behaviour, establish the rules, practice critical thinking as an audience member, and complete an exit slip to demonstrate comprehension.
LESSON PLAN
Audition Etiquette
by Kerry Hishon
Students will explore the elements of the audition process, discuss the necessary guidelines of audition etiquette, and practice applying those guidelines.
LESSON PLAN
Basic Marketing
by Karen Loftus
Students continue their exploration by learning about elements of a marketing poster and applying that information by designing a poster.
Attachments
LESSON PLAN
Bonus Lesson: The Three Vs of Storytelling
by Lea Marshall
This can be a standalone lesson, or an add-on to the unit. It introduces the concept of the 3 V's: VIEWERS are looking for a VICARIOUS, VULNERABLE, and/or VISCERAL experience.
LESSON PLAN
LESSON PLAN
Copyright and the Theatre
by Craig Mason
Copyright and the Theatre go hand in hand, especially if you’re doing plays, but a topic about which many students (and even teachers) lack knowledge. Students will read about the aspects of Copyright and the Theatre, reflect on making changes to scripts, and complete a Copyright and the Theatre Quiz.
LESSON PLAN
Copyright Hyperdoc
by Lindsay Price
The purpose of this unit is to give students an introduction to independent learning as well as an overview of Copyright. Students will apply their knowledge throughout, and the unit culminates in a final activity.
Attachments
LESSON PLAN
Copyright Introduction
by Craig Mason
Copyright and the Theatre go hand in hand, especially if you’re doing plays. But a topic about which many students (and even teachers) lack knowledge. Students will reflect upon and discuss four questions introducing the topic of copyright. They will then improvise scenarios -- two of which establish copyright correctly, two of which establish copyright incorrectly.
The lesson ends with students deciding which scenarios are correct.
LESSON PLAN
Creating Forum Theatre Scenarios
by Lindsay Johnson
In groups, students will begin by briefly bringing to life the tableaux from Lesson 5. They will then create the skeleton of a scene for each tableau, indicating the protagonist, antagonist, and method of oppression in each scenario. Finally, students will review their peer’s work and rank the scenes that they are most interested in bringing to life.
Attachments
LESSON PLAN
Ensemble Building
by Lindsay Johnson
In this first lesson at the start of a new year, students learn daily classroom routines, participate in a name game, and complete a successful journal entry reflecting on circle discussion. They will begin to interact with the Weekly Ensemble Rubric through the journal element.
Attachments
LESSON PLAN
Feedback Continued
by Lindsay Johnson
In this fifth lesson, students continue to practice classroom norms and continue to practice giving strong feedback. In the performance task, students will practice giving strong feedback by giving a specific suggestion for improvement.
Attachments
LESSON PLAN
Feedback Continued and Feedback Quiz
by Lindsay Johnson
In this sixth lesson, students continue to practice classroom norms and continue to practice giving strong feedback. In the performance task, students will give peers strong feedback through using body language and vocal tone to encourage and show eagerness for peers to improve.
Attachments
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LESSON PLAN
How to Create a Budget When You've Never Done it Before
by Kerry Hishon
In this lesson plan, students will take on the role of a producer. They have had their show approved, but, before they get started, they must create a budget to track the money coming and going. Budgeting is a job that must be completed by the producer for every show. What’s involved? What does a budget look like?
LESSON PLAN
