Unit
Aristotle's Elements
Created by Lea Marshall
12 lessons
Aristotle was a huge fan of the theatre. He philosophically believed in it and argued with other great thinkers at the time about the necessity and good results of theatrical pursuits. This makes him a great topic for a drama classroom unit.
Aristotle identified six elements that needed to be in a play for it to be worthy: plot, thought, character, diction, spectacle, and sound. This unit by Lea Marshall focuses on and offers exercises for each of Aristotle’s elements - from using fairy tales to examine plot, to re-imagining movie trailers to explore music.
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The overview provides an introduction to the big ideas of the unit, as well as a detailed lesson-by-lesson timeline and map.
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1Lesson 1Three Philosophers Walk Into a ClassroomTo introduce students to Aristotle and his connection to theatre.
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2Lesson 2It's Element(ary), My DearTo introduce students to Aristotle’s six elements.
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3Lesson 3The Plot's the ThingTo introduce the Aristotelian element of plot.
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4Lesson 4Plotting AlongTo continue applying the Aristotelian element of plot.
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5Lesson 5Thinking About ThoughtsTo introduce the Aristotelian element of Thought.
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6Lesson 6Got Thoughts?To continue applying the Aristotelian element of Thought.
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7Lesson 7Character MattersTo introduce the Aristotelian element of Character.
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8Lesson 8Speak the SpeechTo introduce the Aristotelian element of Diction.
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9Lesson 9I Got the MusicTo introduce the Aristotelian element of Music.
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10Lesson 10Spectacular, SpectacularTo introduce the Aristotelian element of Spectacle.
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11Lesson 11Final ProjectTo have students apply what they have learned.
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12Lesson 12Bonus Lesson: The Three Vs of StorytellingThis 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.
Standards Addressed
Grade 6 - Creating
- TA6.CR.1 Organize, design, and refine theatrical work.<br/>a. Identify artistic choices, utilize theatre vocabulary, and demonstrate non-verbal communication skills in the rehearsal process.<br/>b. Interpret a character’s motivation by understanding the relationship between their background and their behavior.<br/>c. Identify the variety of relationships between characters.<br/>d. Identify, define, and classify character traits.<br/>e. Recognize and demonstrate the roles, responsibilities, and skills associated with collaborative performance.<br/>f. Use resources to identify and create technical elements of theatre.
- TA6.CR.2 Develop scripts through theatrical techniques.<br/>a. Identify the elements of a story.<br/>b. Identify the theme and structure of a play.<br/>c. Articulate creative ideas in oral and written forms.<br/>d. Use the dramatic writing process to generate a script.<br/>e. Demonstrate the conventions of dialogue and stage directions.
Grade 7 - Connecting
- TA7.CN.1 Explore how theatre connects to life experience, careers, and other content.<br/>a. Compare and contrast theatre with other art forms.<br/>b. Articulate relationships between theatre and life.<br/>c. Utilize a multi-disciplinary approach to create original theatre.<br/>d. Describe the careers and professional responsibilities associated with theatre production (e.g. director, stage manager, designer, technician, playwright, actor).
- TA7.CN.2 Examine the role of theatre in a societal, cultural, and historical context.<br/>a. Examine theatre development throughout history.<br/>b. Identify and analyze cultural influences on theatre.<br/>c. Utilize multi-disciplinary research skills to obtain cultural and historical information to justify artistic choices (e.g. costuming, make-up, setting of a time period in relation to the play).<br/>d. Draw conclusions about the influence of theatre on society.
Grades 9-12 - ADVANCED DRAMA LEVELS I-IV -Creating
Grades 9-12 - FUNDAMENTALS OF THEATRE LEVELS I-IV - Responding
Grades 9-12 - FUNDAMENTALS OF THEATRE LEVELS I-IV - Connecting
Grades 9-12 - THEATRE HISTORY AND LITERATURE I AND II - Creating
Grades 9-12 - THEATRE MANAGEMENT - Creating
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