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Part of the Drama One Curriculum

Improvisation

Created by Karen Loftus

Improvisation

Students sharpen their listening and reaction skills through improv games, exercises, and scenes. They will learn five specific guidelines to apply to their improvisation: accept the offer, bring information to the scene, make active choices, make your partner look good, and don’t force the humour.
There are so many different ways to approach a unit on improvisation. Keep in mind that you will have students who are really excited about this unit and some students who dread it. It’s best to start with low-risk games and exercises and then build up to higher-risk ones. Low-risk games in this situation mean partnered interactions that aren’t shared with the whole class.

Unit Overview
The overview lays out the structure of the unit, including objectives, materials list, lesson structure and assessment and time management tools.
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1: Accept the Offer
Students apply this guidelines through the games “Yes and…” “Yes Let’s,” and Low Risk Experts.
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2: Make Choices/Bring Information
Students learn the word “endow” and apply the concept through the exercise Low Risk Endowment.
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3: Take the Active Choice
Students discuss what it means to take the active choice and apply the concept in Quiet Scenes.
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4: Make Your Partner Look Good
Students apply this guideline through the games Cars, Vans, Buses, Blocking on Purpose, Questions Only and Here Comes Charley.
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5: Relax, Have Fun and Don’t Force the Humour
Students discuss what it means to not “force” the humour. They play all the games from the unit in a high risk setting, as volunteers in front of the class.
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6: Unit Project
The final project will allow students to demonstrate their improv skills in a two-person scene.
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Standards Addressed

National Core Arts Standards

Select, analyze, and interpret artistic work for presentation - Grade 6

TH:Pr4.1.6.b - Experiment with various physical choices to communicate character in a drama/theatre work.

Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation - Grade 6

TH:Pr5.1.6.a - Recognize how acting exercises and techniques can be applied to a drama/theatre work.

Organize and develop artistic ideas and work - Grade HS Accomplished

TH:Cr2.1.HSII.b - Cooperate as a creative team to make interpretive choices for a drama/theatre work.

Refine new work through play, drama processes and theatre experiences using critical analysis and experimentation - Grade 6

TH:Cr3.1.6.b - Identify effective physical and vocal traits of characters in an improvised or scripted drama/theatre work.

Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work - Grade 6

TH:Re9.1.6.a - Use supporting evidence and criteria to evaluate

Refine new work through play, drama processes and theatre experiences using critical analysis and experimentation - Grade 7

TH:Cr3.1.7.b - Develop effective physical and vocal traits of characters in an improvised or scripted drama/theatre work

Refine new work through play, drama processes and theatre experiences using critical analysis and experimentation - Grade 8

TH:Cr3.1.8.b - Refine effective physical, vocal, and physiological traits of characters in an improvised or scripted drama/ theatre work.

Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work - Grade HS Accomplished

TH:Re9.1.HSII.c - Verify how a drama/theatre work communicates for a specific purpose and audience.

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