Drama 20 Unit 1: Light and Dark · Kayla Andre, Kandice Laurie, Matthew Ma Light and Dark Unit Plan DRAMA 20 COURSE OVERVIEW 5 Credits, 5 x 80 min classes x 19 weeks = 125 hours RATIONALE

Kayla Andre, Kandice Laurie, Matthew Ma Light and Dark Unit Plan

Drama 20

Unit 1: Light and Dark

EDSE 422Kayla Andre

Kandice LaurieMatthew Ma


DRAMA 20 COURSE OVERVIEW 5 Credits, 5 x 80 min classes x 19 weeks = 125 hours

RATIONALE FOR THE DRAMATIC ARTS

The dramatic arts are a crucial part of our education system as they allow for expression and creation in the purest sense. The arts allow students to develop a stronger sense of community and cooperation, which translates to broader society. In addition, drama specifically fosters a deeper sense of self and identity while also providing students with the tools to appreciate differing perspectives. By engaging the student as a whole – “emotionally, physically, intellectually, imaginatively, aesthetically and socially” (Alberta Education, 1989) – drama acts as a stepping stone to promoting positive life skills and experiences.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Drama 20 follows the Alberta Education Program of Studies (1989) to guide its students towards achieving specific goals and objectives. Under the umbrella of three main goals, we will be exploring the theme of “Reality” and its relevancy to the lives of students. There are often two sides to reality and the question, “what is reality?” is a driving force in the theatre community. This theme relates to students in a daily fashion as they are constantly striving for a balance between external influences and internal definitions of self.

Goal I: To acquire knowledge of self and others through participation in and reflection on dramatic experience (p. 3)

• Through daily “sharing circles”, ensemble work, and individual reflection journals, students will develop a greater breadth of understanding of themselves and their peers.

Goal II: To develop competency in communication skills through participation in and exploration of various dramatic disciplines (p. 3)

• Students will embark on a journey through the dramatic disciplines of Speech, Improvisation, Acting, Theatre Studies, Technical Theatre/Design, and Playwriting.

Goal III: To develop an appreciation of drama and theatre as a process and art form (p. 4)• Through a variety of activities and experiences, such as attending professional productions as well as

developing their own production, students will form a stronger connection with the dramatic arts.As Drama is a progressive art form, we encourage students to expand their definition of “Fine Arts” to include the vast array of technology at our finger tips. Guided by the Information and Communication Technology Program of Studies (2003), students will engage in a variety of technology-related projects throughout the semester.

COURSE TIME LINE

Getting to Know You .......................................................................................................... [First 3 classes ]We will revisit Drama 10 Orientation objectives while establishing peer relationships and classroom rituals.

Unit 1 “Light and Dark” ................................................................ [28 classes, 20% + 10% participation]Drawing from the theme of “Reality”, students will explore different perspectives and their interpretations of light and dark within the disciplines of Speech, Improvisation, and Acting. This will be accomplished through work with vocal mask, Forum Theatre development, and a character point of view monologue and video project.

Unit 2 “Hope and Despair” ......................................................... [30 classes, 20% + 10% participation]Delving in deeper to the question of “what is reality?”, students will engage in Theatre Studies through examination of the Ancient Greek play Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus, Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, as well as the Canadian Contemporary play, Fortune and Men's Eyes by John Herbert. Students will focus on script and character analysis within the Acting and Speech disciplines. Students will engage in comparative scene work, Technical Theatre/Design (Lighting and Costuming), and attend a local production of Fortune and Men's Eyes.

Unit 3 “Life and Death” ................................................................. [34 classes, 30% + 10% participation]In small groups, students will partake in Playwriting to explore the significance of life and death – and the reality that encompasses both. Students will complete the requirements for the Speech discipline, demonstrate skills and experiences accumulated in the previous two units, and incorporate their own personal dramatic and life experiences to develop this extensive and complex final project.


UNIT RATIONALE

Drawing from the theme of “Reality”, students will explore different perspectives and their interpretations of light and dark. This will be accomplished through vocal mask work, Forum Theatre development, and a character point of view monologue and video project.

Reality is an important theme to explore, as it deals with issues facing youth on a daily basis. Students are constantly questioning their identity under a barrage of political, social, psychological, and emotional ideals and expectations. It is our hope that through the exploration of the light and dark sides of reality, students will begin to discover both the literal and abstract meanings behind this concept.

The Alberta Education Program of Studies for Drama (1989) lends itself to this theme through the disciplines of Speech, Improvisation, and Acting. By approaching the course with a thematic rather than content based unit plan, we hope to engage the whole student in multiple dramatic disciplines. In addition to combining dramatic disciplines, it is our vision that students will contribute their prior learning and experiences to the greater benefit of the community of learners within the classroom. This concept is guided by the social constructivist theory because we view learning as an evolving communal experience.

This unit is considerate of varying student interests, needs, and diversity, by allowing the students variety in activities and tasks and offering students a voice in classroom decisions. Though the unit will be meticulously planned to ensure maximum student learning, there is always room for surprises, both light and dark.


UNIT LONG TERM AIMS

This unit will focus on three main goals in order to contribute to students' development as artists and members of the classroom community. In addition to achieving some of the Learning Expectations in Speech and Acting, and all the Improvisation expectations (see Teacher Checklist for extensive list), the teacher hopes that:

Students will demonstrate confidence in their vocal abilities.

Vocal abilities play an important role in the dramatic arts as well as in everyday life. Communication is enhanced through vocal training which allows for greater confidence in both performance and social situations. Vocal work is a foundation for further character development and scene work. Students' confidence is of the utmost importance to drama as it allows for a deeper exploration of other dramatic disciplines, such as Improvisation, Acting, and Playwriting.

Through various activities and exercises, students will enhance their vocal capabilities and gain the necessary techniques required to effectively use their voice. The Vocal Mask assignment, in particular, is designed to offer students choice in their performance, yet also provides a structure in which to explore their voice.

Students will develop an awareness of self and others.

Students are always searching for their identity and the drama classroom allows for a safe environment in which to explore. By using self-assessment and reflective journaling, students come to better understand themselves as a performer and as a person. Reflective practices are useful for future and continual development. Through guided reflection, students will learn how to critically assess themselves in a productive and challenging manner.

Working collaboratively is essential in the drama classroom and community. Students should not only acknowledge their peers, but should interact positively with them and learn from each other. Through peer-evaluation, classmates will develop effective evaluation skills as well as critical thinking skills. When students evaluate each other for formative growth, rather than compete with each other, a stronger sense of camaraderie and community is established.

Students will demonstrate understanding of the relevancy of important issues in society.

Taking into account the various backgrounds and the shielding effect of adolescence, it is no wonder that students are often unaware of the societal and global issues influencing their generation. As young adults, these students will be responsible for future shifts in thought and action. By introducing students to Forum Theatre, they become exposed to relevant issues plaguing society today. Students will take an active approach in navigating through the various perspectives accompanying these issues. Forum Theatre provides an open and working platform where the spectators can become the actors and the actors have the ability to work and re-work the scene to examine different angles and consequences of their actions. This exercise is an excellent environment in which to make mistakes, take risks, and test choices without permanent repercussions.


EVALUATION STRATEGY

Evaluation can be a daunting task and can often create a disconnect between teachers and students. Our goal for our evaluation strategy is to work one on one with students and ensure that they feel included in the evaluation process. Being transparent and open about what the students will be expected to achieve and how they will be evaluated is of top priority. We encourage an open and honest learning environment where both students and parents feel welcome to discuss progress. We will evaluate on three levels: individual, peer, and teacher. We feel that this strategy allows for a variety of assessment methods.

Individually, we plan to focus on journals which will promote self-reflection and self-assessment. The student journals will be used for self-reflection in the following ways: Each day of class, students will be provided with time to reflect on their experiences in class. Also, after each assignment, students will be asked to reflect on their process, progress, and performance. The student journals will be used for self-evaluation in the following ways: At the end of each week, students will be asked to respond to questions prompted by the teacher based on Orientation objectives. Each week we will choose 3 Orientation objectives which we feel correspond with the learning expectations for that week. Students will be responsible for self-assessing their level of achievement for each objective at the end of the week. For example, the question may be “Rate your commitment to working cooperatively and productively this week on a scale of 1-10 (1 being not at all committed, 10 being strongly committed) and please give a reason for your rating.” The self-assessment questions will be presented at the beginning of each week so that students will have a guided focus throughout the week. Students are encouraged and expected to be honest in their self-assessment and should be aware that discrepancies between student and teacher ratings are open to negotiation. We hope that by encouraging self-reflection and self-assessment, students will gain a sense of ownership of their learning and awareness of themselves as individuals and artists within the Drama classroom community.

Peer assessment will encompass a variety of techniques in order to strengthen students' critical thinking skills. Written peer assessments will occur twice during this unit as a means of identifying positive aspects as well as areas needing improvement. These written assessments will be structured in a way that teaches students critical thinking and constructive criticism skills (ie. the sandwich approach of offering a positive criticism, then a constructive criticism, and ending with a second positive criticism). Students will also engage in verbal feedback on a regular basis in sharing circles, after performances, and in workshop sessions. Peer assessment is an important strategy as it promotes positive student interaction and group learning opportunities.

Teacher evaluation will consist of both Formative and Summative assessments that reflect the needs and diversity of the classroom. We will incorporate a variety of informal Formative strategies, such as reading student journals on a weekly basis and providing Formative written feedback, as well as Summative marks based on a rating scale. The teacher will guide sharing circle and class discussions, using checklists to ensure learning expectations are met, and keeping anecdotal records as a means of reference. Formal Summative strategies will include rating scales and/or rubrics for all performance assignments.


UNIT EVALUATION BREAKDOWN

Drama 20 Unit 1: Light and Dark

Unit Weight: 20% + 10% participationDrawing from the theme of “Reality”, students will explore different perspectives and their interpretations of light and dark within the disciplines of Speech, Improvisation, and Acting. This will be accomplished through work with vocal mask, Forum Theatre development, and a character point of view monologue and video project.

UNIT ASSIGNMENTS

I. Vocal Mask .............................................................................................................. 15%

Students will create a 2-3 minute solo performance piece to highlight aspects of speech and movement. The Vocal Mask is a series of voice-based excerpts and sounds strung together to create a meaningful experience for both the actor and the audience. To focus on the theme of Light and Dark, students will be asked to create a shift from one to the other somewhere within their piece.

• Script Due Date: Wednesday, January 12th (All students will hand in a copy of their script)

• Performance Dates: Wednesday, January 12th and Thursday, January 13th

II. Forum Theatre ........................................................................................................ 20%

Students will work in groups to develop an engaging and thought-provoking Forum Theatre piece. Forum Theatre is a structure that focuses on relevant issues in an interactive fashion. By allowing actors and observers to stop the action at any point and negotiate the situation, Forum Theatre provides a safe environment for approaching high stakes situations. Students will explore themes they feel a personal connection to in their lives, such as bullying, drug use, social conformity, etc, and present scenes from contrasting viewpoints.

• Performance Date: Wednesday, January 19th

III. Interior Monologue ................................................................................................ 25%

Students will develop a character to explore throughout the unit and will create a 3- 4 minute monologue for this character. Working with the theme of Light and Dark, students will examine the character's life and motivations from different perspectives. The monologue will present one side of the character while the video project (see below) will explore a different side of the character. Students will have ample time to work individually, within small groups, and with the teacher, to fully develop both assignments.

• Peer Feedback Dress Rehearsal: Thursday, January 27th (The more you have done, the more feedback you can receive, and the easier it will be to fine tune and polish for the final performance.)

• Performance Dates: February 2-8 (Wednesday to Tuesday)

Students will present their monologues and video projects together. Students can choose which project they would like to present first. Since the performance dates are separated by a weekend, we will draw names from a hat on February 1 to create the order of performances.

IV. Character Point of View Video ..................................................................................... 25%

Students will integrate the use of technology to develop a 3 minute character point of view video. This video will provide a different perspective on the life of the character students have created for their monologue assignment. Students will be given time in class to storyboard, film, and edit these projects.

• Storyboard Submission Date: Thursday, January 27th (Check for completion)• Presentation Dates: February 2-7 (Wednesday to Tuesday)


(ON BACK OF HANDOUT)

UNIT ASSIGNMENTS (continued)

V. Journal Reflections ....................................................................................................... 15%

Journals will be used on a daily basis by the students to record and examine their own personal growth as well as the growth of the class as a whole. At the end of each class, students will have five minutes to write in their journal and reflect on either a specific question for that lesson, or on the weekly Orientation Objectives. The teacher will collect the students' journals on a regular basis to ensure reflections are fully developed and coherent. Journals will be due on Wednesday, February 9th and will be evaluated by the teacher based on a rating scale for completion, clarity, and self-assessments.

OVERALL CLASS PARTICIPATION

Orientation Objectives ....................................................................... 10% of final course gradeOrientation, while explicitly taught in Grade 10, is reinforced throughout Grades 11 and 12. Orientation objectives are important, as they ensure the student is meeting objectives that are not necessarily found within the Dramatic Disciplines. Students will be asked, on a weekly basis, to comment on their achievement of the three weekly objectives in their journals. They will also rate their level of achievement on a scale from 1-10. Such objectives that will be measured include: demonstrates willingness to challenge and extend oneself, concentrates on the task at hand, demonstrates effective use of and management of time, offers and accepts constructive criticism with a desire to progress, etc. The teacher will collect these journals on a weekly basis and record/evaluate the students' responses to these questions.


(*SCOPE AND SEQUENCE IN SEPARATE DOCUMENT DUE TO PAGE LAYOUT*)

SERIES OF LESSON PLANS

Grade: 11, (30 students) Subject: Drama 20

Lesson: #3Time: 80 minutes

Topic: Speech, Improvisation, ActingTitle: Dr. Seuss Strikes!

Curriculum Learning Expectations

Main:Acting #9: Demonstrate the ability to pick up cues effectivelyImprovisation #34: Demonstrate the techniques of sharing, giving, and taking focusSpeech #16: Communicate mood and emotion through voice.Supporting:Acting #6: Demonstrate a character's immediate or moment to moment objectives within a sceneSpeech #20: Apply movement and gesture to clarify and enhance spoken interpretation

(Alberta Education, 1989, http://education.alberta.ca/teachers/program/finearts/programs.aspx)

Lesson Objectives

At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to express a variety of emotions through voice and physicality.

By the end of the lesson, the students will be able to perform a movement and vocal piece inspired by a given text.

Materials - The Lorax by Dr. Seuss (for the purposes of EDSE 422, book is available in H.T. Coutts Library, PZ 8.3G31 L86, 1971) – with certain excerpts copied in order to pass out to different groups- Student Journals- White board and markers to write Student Learning Expectations on the board for reference

Opening Set15 minutes

Check-in Circle• attendance • around the circle, students and teacher give one word to describe their

moodWarm-Up

• Matthew Ma's “Voice and Movement Warm-Up” (see attached scripted warm-up)

Lesson Activities50 minutes

Emotion Party (10 minutes)• Have students set up audience and playing areas• Have one student volunteer to be the host of a party• Explain that the party will have four guests. Guests enter the party one at a time

after the teacher gives the “ding-dong!” signal.• The host will need to adopt each guest's mood as they arrive; allow time for the

mood to be established before bringing in next guest. *Ensure that the host justifies, in the context of the scene, their mood change.

• After explanation and clarification, the host leaves the room while 4 other volunteers receive their emotion for the party (ex. A: enthusiastic, B: frustration, C: hopeful, D: anxious)

• Once players have their emotions, the host is invited back into the room and the party begins.

• After all guests have arrived and the scene has reached an end point (teacher discretion), the host will guess the mood of each guest.

• Play twice with different students in each “Party”.The Lorax (40 minutes)

• Reading and Explanation (10 minutes)


◦ As a class, we will read The Lorax (each student can read 3-4 lines) going around the circle to ensure everyone reads.

◦ Teacher will randomly place students into five groups of six

◦ Each group will receive a copy of The Lorax. ◦ Groups are assigned different sections of the story to focus on.

• Group Creation (15 minutes)◦ Students will decide how they would like to interpret/present the text from their

excerpt (ie. Group chorus, narration, as a dialogue, singing, rapping, sound scape with the words, etc.)

◦ Students will also apply movement and gesture to support their interpretation of the text

◦ Students will be given 15 minutes to plan and rehearse a 3 minute piece; the teacher should monitor on task behaviour, time management (ie. “By this time, you should be rehearsing”), ensure students are “on their feet” planning and rehearsing and not spending too much time “talking about it”, and also monitor Orientation objectives detailed in Assessment section.

• Performance (15 minutes)◦ Teacher will bring attention back and have students set up audience and

playing spaces. ◦ Groups will present in order of the story.◦ Teacher will explain that each performance should flow into the next to

establish unity of the story – remind students that there will be time in the Sharing Circle to debrief the performances.

◦ After all the performances the teacher, will have students form a circle to conclude the class.

Closure15 minutes

Sharing Circle (10 minutes)• Teacher will guide the discussion, covering each performance and taking

comments from students and offering his/her own feedback

Student Journals (5 minutes)• After debriefing each performance, the teacher will ask students to reflect

in their journal about their own performance and how they achieved today's Learning Expectations (How did you apply movement and gesture to clarify and enhance how you spoke in the Lorax exercise? How did you demonstrate the ability to pick up cues effectively? How did your character demonstrate its immediate objectives within the emotion party game? How did you share, give, and take focus within the Lorax scenes?)

Assessment Informal/Formative – group discussion with oral questioning (see above) and feedback, teacher circulation and monitoring. This week's Orientation objectives for teacher and students to focus on: Work cooperatively and productively, work with abstract concepts, listen to self and others.

Reflection

How did this lesson go? What worked or didn't

work?


Lesson #3 Vocal Warm Up

We will always start with a neutral stance (feet directly under hips, pointing straight ahead, arms loose at your side).

1. Breathing – Breath in deep, using the diaphragm like you learned in Grade 10. At the same time, raise your arms outward from your sides to parallel with the ground. Bend your elbows and bring your fingertips together. Breathe out and press down with your palms. Repeat 4 or 5 times

Side Coach – breathe from deep in your diaphragm. Don’t let your shoulders move.

2. Panting – Breathe deep and pant like a dog, very quickly, for 30 seconds or longer. Reminder: Breathe from the diaphragm. Do this 3 times.

Side Coach: If you feel dizzy, sit down, but try it first.

3. Panting with breath – Same panting exercise, but with some vocal sound.

4. Neutral stance, breathe normally.

5. Class breathes in and out in unison twice. Third time sighs.

Continue sighing in unison four or five times.

6. Continue sighing, but this time sigh from high to low pitch. Do this 4 times.

Side Coach: Make sure they are not forcing the sound, just let the sound happen.


8. Articulator warm ups- Tongue.

Stick tongue out as far as it will go, and then bring it as far back. Do this 3 times Stick tongue out, move it to the left, the right, down and up. Do this 3 times. Tongue circles 2 times in both directions. Tongue trills (purring), to sound, from high pitch to low, and then back to high.

9.Articulator warm ups- Lips – Massage and pinch the lips for 15 second

Side Coach: Remind them not to hurt themselves.

Big kiss, then smile. Repeat 5 times. Blow raspberries (vibrating lips). First a few times with no voice, then progress to high to low pitch and back to high.

10. Articulator warm ups- Face – Lightly massage the jaw joint for 10-15 seconds

Side Coach: be very gentle to the jaw joint, you do not want to hurt it.

Lightly pat and slap the face all over for 10-15 seconds Lion face (open mouth, large expression) to lemon face (very small and compressed). Do this 5 times. 11. Resonator warm up – Using the tips of the fingers, deeply massage the sinuses above the eyebrows, and on the cheekbones under the eyes. Do this for 30 seconds.


Make a strong NG sound making sure to visualize the sound is coming forward in the face. Go from high to low pitch with NG sound.

Side Coach: It’s the goal to make the whole face tingle with sound.

Next exercise goes from medium pitch to high pitch during the first phase (HNGGGG), and from high to low pitch in the next (GAAAAAHH). The sound is HNGGG-GAAAAAAAAHHHH. Do this 5-6 times.

12. Consonant warm ups- BEE-WEE BEE-WEE BEE-WEE, BAY-WAY BAY-WAY BAY-WAY, BAH-WAH BAH-WAH BAH-WAH. (And so on through P, D, T, G, K, S, J, Y, Z, L)

Side Coach: make sure to speak your consonants very clearly.

13. Tongue twisters – Start slow and increase speed.

Side Coach: make sure to speak your consonants very clearly.

Teach them 4-6, and each day they do 2. Toy Boat, Red Leather Yellow Leather, Swiss Wrist Watch, Expert Text Work, Unique New York, Mrs. Smith’s Fish Sauce Shop, Three Free Throws, Greek Grapes.


Lesson #3 Warm Up “The Coin”

Students mingle around the room passing a coin from one person to the other.

One student is observing and trying to determine where the coin is.

The observing student can touch other students on the arm. When this occurs the student must open his or her hands.

If they have the coin they become the next observer, if not, the game continues until the coin is found.

(Taken from Stages pg. 14)


Grade: 11 (30 students) Subject: Drama 20


Topic: Speech and Information and Communications TechnologyTitle: Brainstorm Time


Main:ICT C.1 – 4.1: Students will plan and perform complex searches using more than one electronic sourceICT C.1 – 4.2: Students will select information from appropriate sources, including primary and secondary sources

Supporting:Speech #16: Communicate mood and emotion through voice.Speech #18: Demonstrate that spoken interpretation is affected by characterization.Speech #20: Apply movement and gesture to clarify and enhance spoken interpretation.Speech #21: Students will be able to apply previously learned speech skills to characterization and presentation (#10: demonstrate safe and appropriate projection, #13: speak spontaneously within a given context)(Alberta Education, 1989, http://education.alberta.ca/teachers/program/finearts/programs.aspx)

Lesson Objectives

At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to perform one minute of their Vocal Mask, as a work in progress, for their peers.

At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to evaluate their peers, critically and productively, in a positive way.

Materials Media Outlets:- Television (2 if possible), with DVD player, various appropriate DVDS- Classroom computer connected to projector/screen (so everything students do on the computer can be easily seen), one other computer (if possible)- CD or MP3 player with speakers, various audio media- various scripts, novels, other books and print resources- Student Journals- White board and markers for writing today's Learning Expectations

Opening Set10 minutes

Check-in Circle (5 minutes)• attendance• around the circle, teacher and students will briefly share one thing that

they are currently frustrated with – reminding students to be respectful and considerate of people's feelings – venting frustrations is a good way to release some tension. Finish this “check-in” with a big group breath released on a sigh (giving students a coping strategy for stress etc.)

Warm-Up (5 minutes)• Yee-Haw (see attached details)


Assignment Details (5 minutes)• After warm-up game, students will sit in circle and teacher will hand out

assignment sheet for Vocal Mask (see attached)• As a class, we will discuss assignment and teacher will inform students that at the

end of today's Brainstorm session, they will be presenting a 1 minute rough draft in small groups

Individual Brainstorm (10 minutes)• Students will be given 10 minutes to brainstorm which criteria they would like to

include and any initial ideas for their Vocal Mask• While this is happening, the teacher will set up the media stations (these should be

ready to go, but not in the way at beginning of class)Interacting with Media Outlets (20 minutes)

• Students will navigate through each media station ensuring to visit each station at least once

• Students are asked to take notes of any ideas they have while exploring the different outlets (this will be done in their journals)


• Teacher will monitor on task behaviour/time management and remind students to go to all stations (ie. “if one station is crowded move on and come back to it”)

• If students have visited each station, they can begin to work on their rough draft, individually

Individual Creation (10 minutes)• Students will have time to work on sequencing their ideas into a 1 minute rough

draft of their Vocal Mask based on today's research.• Pieces do not need to be memorised, this is a workshop opportunity

Group Workshops (10 minutes)• Teacher will number students off 1-10 to create 10 groups of 3. • In these groups, students will present their rough draft and their peers will give one

piece of positive feedback and one piece of constructive criticism. Teacher will establish this form for feedback after creating groups.

• Each student will have 3 minutes (teacher should call out when to switch it up so that every student has a chance to present)

Closure15 minutes

Sharing Circle (10 minutes)• Teacher will have students form a circle. Teacher will ask students how

their current level of vocal abilities helped them participate in the peer feedback session and ask if anyone has any questions or concerns about the assignment

Student Journals (5 minutes)• After debriefing the workshop session, students will be asked to reflect on

this process (Did the media influence/inform their decisions? How? What searches did you perform to find inspiration for your vocal mask?)

• Students will also be asked to briefly reflect on this week's Orientation objectives.

Assessment Formative: peer evaluation, teacher circulation and monitoring, group discussion with verbal questioning (see above) and self reflection.

This week's Orientation objectives for teacher and students to focus on: Work cooperatively and productively, work with abstract concepts, listen to self and others.

ReflectionHow did this lesson go? What worked or didn't

work?

(continue on back)


Lesson #4Warm-Up: YEE-HAW!

The players stand in a circle, sending a "Yee-Haw!" (in their best “cowboy” voice) around

the circle, using arm swing to indicate direction. Players change the game with the

following commands:

1. “Hoedown!”: Players make a fist pumping motion above the head (like pulling a train

whistle). This command reverses the direction of the “Yee-Haw!”

2. “Hay Barn!”: Players make arms into a letter A above the head. The “Yee-Haw!”

continues the same direction, but skips the person immediately next to the player

who did the hay barn action.

3. Cow Tipping: All players become cows on all four legs, enter the circle, tip over and

roll over, then find a new place in the circle – all while “moo-ing” like cows. Once

everyone has a new spot, they stand up again and the person who called “Cow

Tipping” continues with another action.

4. “Bang Bang!”: Players make two guns and fire the energy to someone across the

circle. The person receiving can continue with a “Yee-Haw! in either direction,

another “Bang Bang!” or Cow Tipping, no Hoedown or Hay Barn. (eye contact and

sharp points are key to ensuring everyone knows who the energy is being sent to)

*If a player drops the energy (makes a mistake), everybody slaps their knee and in

their cowboy voices call "Aww Shucks!". After the “Aww Shucks”, the last person to have

the energy before it was dropped picks it up and starts a new round.

(This warm up was first learned by Kandice and Kayla in Drama 454 at University of Alberta)


Grade: 11 (30 students) Subject: Drama 20


Topic: SpeechTitle: Vocal Mask Performance


Main:Speech #16: Communicate mood and emotion through voiceSpeech #18: Demonstrate that spoken interpretation is affected by characterizationSpeech #20: Apply movement and gesture to clarify and enhance spoken interpretationSpeech #21: Students will be able to apply previously learned speech skills to characterization and presentation (#10: demonstrate safe and appropriate projection, #13: speak spontaneously within a given context)(Alberta Education, 1989, http://education.alberta.ca/teachers/program/finearts/programs.aspx)

Lesson Objectives

At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to positively support their peers and contribute productively to group discussion.

By the end of the lesson, the students will be able to confidently perform for an audience and accept constructive criticism.

Materials Student JournalsVocal Mask rubricPeer Evaluation forms

Anticipatory Set15 minutes

Check-in Circle (5 minutes)• Around the circle, the teacher and students will express …

Warm-Up (10 minutes)• Body Parts (see attached)• Vocal Warm-Up (see attached)


Vocal Mask Performance • Goal is to see 16 performances today (Order of performances and peer-

evaluators would have been determined in Lesson #7)• After Vocal Warm-Up, students and teacher will create audience space and

the performances will begin. • Teacher will remind students that there will be time to debrief the

performances in the Sharing Circle at the end of class.• Students who are not doing the peer evaluation sheets are encouraged to

take notes of aspects they like, questions, and comments about the performances

• Before each performance, the teacher will call out the name of the person who is performing next to keep the flow from one student to the next.

Closure15 minutes

Sharing Circle (10 minutes)• Debrief the performances from today (guiding questions based on the

SLE's for this assignment: How did you communicate mood and emotion through your voice? How did you demonstrate that spoken interpretation is affected by characterization? How did movement and gesture enhance your Vocal Mask? How did your previous vocal skills contribute to your performance?)

• Teacher will offer feedback and take 2-3 comments from the class for each performance.

Student Journals (5 minutes)• Students are asked to first complete their self-assessment of their level of

achievement of this week's Orientation objectives on a scale of 1-10• Next, students are asked to reflect on their creation process, their progress

on the project and their own performance (if they performed today)


Assessment Formal/Summative: Teacher rubric, peer assessment (both attached)

Informal/Formative: verbal feedback from peers and teacher, self-reflection based on performance (if applicable)

Reflection


Lesson #8Warm-Up: Body Parts

• Players pick a partner and spread out in the room

• They decide between them to be Person A or Person B.

• Person A runs from B and Person B chases A around the room.

• Anytime player A stops, s/he places a hand out and calls A BODY PART (ex. Right

Elbow! Top of your head! Left Pinky Toe!)

• Player B must touch A hands with the body part called.

• Once B touches the hand with their body part, Person A runs away again.

• Person A should use various levels and move in random patterns – really give Person

B “a run for their money”!

• The instructor calls “Switch!” at any time and the roles reverse (now B runs away

from A and B calls out the body parts)

Variation 1: The same as the original version, but with varying speeds – slow motion

(kinetic movement), speed walking, double speed, etc.

Variation 2: The instructor adds different ways to walk or run; for example, with one eye

closed, with one arm behind your back, with one leg straight, and so on making the game

more complicated.

Variation 3: The instructor divides the players into groups of three, four or five players,

and they play within them. One person running and calling body parts and each other

group member touches their body part to the hand. The person calling body parts can call

a different part for each hand if they want to make things complicated for their group

members.

(This warm up was first learned by Kandice and Kayla from Mike Kennard, University of Alberta, Drama 150

and Drama 454, respectively)


Lesson #8 Vocal Warm Up

Begin:• Find own space in the room, plant feet, feel connected, strong• Start with a couple deep breaths in• Continue deep breathing while massaging face with open palm (jaw, cheeks, forehead, ears,

nose, temples)• Turn the breath into a sigh, expelling the air with a light sound. Keep the sound soft and

relaxed (x2).• Turn the sigh into a hum (x2).• Now, take a breath in and release on a “shh” sound (5 counts x2). Then take breath in and

release on a soft “z” sound (5 counts x2).• Open your mouth as wide as you can and then scrunch it up as small as you can (x4) add

sound effects (wide: aaahhh, scrunch: eeeee) for extra fun/vocal warming• Stick out your tongue, reach it up to your nose, then down to your chin, then to your left ear,

and to your right ear. • Clasp hands together in front of face, relax jaw, shake it out

Moving On:• Walking around the room, repeat each two or three times, adding in different intentions,

volumes, pitch, etc

Lolly lolly lolly Pop pop pop Bam bam bamLilly lilly lilly Pow pow pow Shoo shoo shooLulee lulee lulee Tip top tip top Coo coo cooLinga linga linga Boo boo boo Zoom zoom zoom

The lips the teeth the tip of the tongue

• Come to stillness. • Now do blubber lips• Now chew an imaginary big piece of gum, use your whole face to chew• Stick out your tongue, say the alphabet – slowly, for articulation, not to see how fast you can get

through the letters. Tongue in, say the alphabet again quickly.• Now have students walk around the room reciting their Vocal Mask to themselves as an “Italian

Run”, or focussing on tricky lines, or focussing on the beginning and end, however they want to use the next minute or so for rehearsal/preparation.

Come to an End:• Do a nice slow roll down and a nice slow roll up, taking care along the way (head is last to come

up). Once everyone is up, take three group breaths, gathering the positive energy in with the arms on the inhale, circling up from sides and above the head, and expelling the negative/anxious energy out on the exhale as you bring your hands down, palms together to the centre (sun salutation breath).


Unit: Light and Dark Drama 20 Name:

Vocal Mask AssignmentIn this assignment, students will work individually to create a three minute Vocal Mask. A Vocal Mask is interpreted as a “mask of sound,” and/or a “vocal montage.” In the theme of Light and Dark, Student will create their Vocal Mask using

their own Reality to influence choices. Students will have two full class periods to develop their Vocal Masks, plus 30 minutes of in-class rehearsal time, but additional time outside of class is recommended.

Due Date: January 12th Weighting: 15%Instructions:

• Start brainstorming ideas for your Vocal Mask. As you brainstorm, think about the many media-related influences in your life and how they could be shaped into a narrative Vocal Mask. In a sense, you are creating a Vocal Story.

• Once your brainstorming is complete, start building your Vocal Mask by jotting down your ideas into a script format. (Is it a going to be story? News segments? Radio Play? Following a theme such as Love or Discovery, etc)

• Choose your desired elements from the list below to guide your creation of your Vocal Mask. Be sure to include the 5 required elements listed.

• Add characterization to your Vocal Mask, as well as mood and emotion shifts, to affect the meaning of the lines.

• Add movement and gesture to enhance your vocal interpretation.• Type script for your Vocal Mask

• Rehearse until you have fully memorized your script. It must be memorized!• Hand in your script and perform!

The bold criterion below are required for this assignment. You must choose 8 more from the remaining below for a total of 13.

Volume

Mood and Emotion

Tone

Pitch

Characterization

Poetry

Gibberish

Singing

Repetition

Sound Effects

Foreign Languages

Alliteration

Headlines

Rhyming

Dictator Speech

Rhythm

Tongue Twisters

Accents

Students will be marked as follows:

Student Expectations 4 3 2 1

Communicates mood and emotion through voice

Demonstrates that spoken interpretation is affected by characterization

Applies movement and gesture to clarify and enhance spoken interpretation

Number of vocal criteria / 13

Script complete and handed in / 1

Total / 30

Teacher Comments:

(continued on back)

* Keep this sheet for the Teacher to use during Vocal Mask Performance *


Peer Assessment Form

Performer: Peer-Assessor:

One thing I found effective about your performance was ...

Something I would suggest to make your performance more effective is ...

I really enjoyed the moment when ...

....................................................................................................................................................................................

Peer Assessment Form

Performer: Peer-Assessor:

One thing I liked about your performance was ...

Something I would suggest to make your performance more effective is ...

I really enjoyed the moment when ...


GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Alliteration – the commencement of two or more words of a word group with the same letter, as in apt alliteration's artful aid. (www.dictionary.com)

Articulation – Clarity, intelligibility and distinctness of speech. (TRM p. 55)

Body language – communication through gesture, body movement and posture; varies from culture to culture. (TRM p. 65)

Character's point of view – The character's view of life as opposed to the actor's. (TRM p. 73)

Characterization – The process of interpreting and portraying character. (TRM p. 55)

Critique – Evaluating or assessing the effectiveness of the work and/or the appropriateness of the choices made by creator(s) or performer(s); constructive criticism. (TRM p. 65)

Focus – The means; eg. Location, body position, level, used to direction the attention of the audience to a particular point, character, line or gesture, that is most important at a given moment.

a) “Giving” focus – the process whereby one actor takes a less dominant position in order to give more emphasis to another character. b) “Taking” focus – the process of attracting the attention of the audience at the appropriate moment. c) “Sharing” focus – the process whereby the attention is shared. (TRM p. 65)

Forum Theatre - a structure that focuses on relevant issues in an interactive fashion by allowing actors and observers to stop the action at any point and negotiate the situation. (Neelands & Goode p. 59)

Gesture – A movement of the head, limbs or body that intentionally expresses or emphasizes an idea, emotion, or attitude. (TRM p. 73)

Gibberish – a made up language. Sounds resembling a specific language. (Pura p. 181)

Interior monologue – the thoughts of the character; what the character is honestly thinking or feeling in each moment. (TRM p 73)

Levels – An aspect of space dealing with height from the floor. (TRM p. 65)

Objective – The character's purpose; what it is the character wants. a) An overall objective is operative throughout the play. b) The character's main objective is operative for individual scenes of the play. c) The character's immediate or moment-to-moment objectives within the scene.(TRM p. 65)

Pitch – Highness and lowness of tone or sound. (TRM p. 55)

Planes – Imaginary lines that run across the stage horizontal to the downstage edge. “To stand on different planes” refers to actors places themselves up or downstage of each other. (TRM p. 65)

Projection – Audibility of speech. (TRM p. 55)

Rhythm – An ordered, recurrent alteration of strong and weak elements in the flow of sound or sound alternating with silence. (TRM p. 55)

http://www.dictionary.com/


Storyboard – to visually document the arc of the story and/or the action (think of it as a comic strip for your video).

Tone – the style or manner of voice often used to express differences in meaning (Merriam-Webster Dictionary 11th ed.)

Vocal Mask/Masque – A masque is an entertainment. It blends poetry, music, song, dance, drama and spectacle. Vocal Masque is an exercise for an actor working solo, resulting in an original theatre piece. (http://wyldeproject.com/courses/vocal-masque.html)

Vocal qualities – the texture of a sound or tone that individualizes the voice. (TRM p. 56)

Vocal sound effects – sound effects made with the voice. (TRM p. 56)

Vocal variety – expressiveness of the voice reflecting pitch level, vocal movement from pitch to pitch, rate of speaking, phrasing emphasis and contrast. (TRM p. 56)

Volume – the degree of loudness or softness. (TRM p. 56)

http://wyldeproject.com/courses/vocal-masque.html


Journal Questions (Based on Learner Expectations for each lesson)

Lesson #1 How did you apply movement and gesture to clarify and enhance spoken interpretation during gibberish conversations?How did you use and practice levels of pitch during emotional orchestra? (previously learned skills)

Lesson #2How did you apply movement and gesture to clarify and enhance spoken interpretation during the animal characteristics exercise?How did you create an experience through imagining, visualising, and fantasising during the game, What are you doing?

Lesson #3How did you apply movement and gesture to clarify and enhance how you spoke in the Lorax exercise? How did you demonstrate the ability to pick up cues effectively? How did you share, give, and take focus within the Lorax scenes?

Lesson #4Did the media influence/inform their decisions? How? What searches did you perform to find inspiration for your vocal mask?

Lesson #5Give an example of how you applied movement and gesture to enhance your vocal expression during the exaggeration circle?Include some feedback from the peer feedback session you gave to peers in your journal and the feedback you received as well.

Lesson #6Explain how your own feelings contributed to the forum theatre discussions.

Lesson #7How did you, in the forum theatre mish mash, demonstrate that your character made decisions based on their past, present and anticipated future events?Include some feedback from the forum theatre exercise you gave to peers in your journal and the feedback you received as well.

Lesson #8Reflect on your creation process, your progress on the project and your own performance (if you performed today)

Lesson #9Reflect on your creation process, your progress on the project and your own performance (if you performed today). Also take the time to reflect on progress you see in your peers.

Lesson #10How will you accomplish “the illusion of the first time” in your forum theatre project?Give and example of a specific moment where playing the character from the character's point of view was most effective to you.

Lesson #11Give an example of how you shared, gave, or took focus during the tableau exercise?Describe how different levels and planes focused your stage picture during body positions.Lesson #12Describe how playing a character from the character's point of view enhances your understanding of the issue you're exploring in your forum theatre project.


Lesson #13How did you, in the forum theatre presentation, demonstrate that your character made decisions based on their past, present and anticipated future events?Describe how playing a character from the character's point of view enhances your understanding of the issue you're exploring in your forum theatre project. Consider also, the audience suggestions and how they effected your character.

Lesson #14Give and example of one of your character's immediate objectives during one of the games we played today.

Lesson #15How has your ability to pick up cues effectively improved since the Lorax exercise?What were some actions you took to help sustain your character during the Character Exercise?

Lesson #16How did the People Pictures exercise help you continue to develop and sustain your character throughout the class?Describe a discovery you made about your character while you were in character during the exercises.

Lesson #17What were your motivations during Secret to Tell and how did they affect your character?How did the imagery walk change for you when seen from your character's point of view?

Lesson #18How did creating the opposite perspective in your storyboard help to influence your interior monologue?

Lesson #19How did the monologue workshop help develop your piece? Give two examples of peer feedback.

Lesson #20How are you using sound or music to enhance your video project?Describe how using multimedia helped to present a different perspective of your character?

Lesson #21Describe the methods your are using to edit your video and how editing helps communicate your final project.

Lesson #22Describe your feelings about the process for these assignments – What worked well, What didn't work and how you solved that problem, What surprised you?

Lesson #23 - #27On the day you perform: What were some techniques you used to memorise your text? Provide one piece of positive reflection on your performance as well as one area to work on and how you will do this.If you didn't perform: Provide two examples of the critique you gave to your peers and how you could use this advice for yourself.


REFERENCES

Alberta Education. (1989). Drama 10-20-30 (Senior High). Retrieved from http://education.alberta.ca/teachers/program/finearts/programs.aspx

Alberta Education. (1989). Curriculum support: Teacher resource manual, drama.

Mish, F. (ed.). (2004). The Merriam-Webster Dictionary. USA: Merriam-Webster Inc.

Neelands, J., Goode, T. (2000). Structuring Drama Works: A handbook of available forms in theatre and drama (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Pura, Talia. (2008). Stages: Creative ideas for teaching drama (6th ed.). Winnipeg, MB: J. Gordon Shillingford Publishing.

Seuss, Dr. (1971). The Lorax. New York: Random House.

Websites

www.dictionary.com

www.wyldeproject.com

www.creativedrama.com

Personal References

Drama courses at University of Alberta and University of Saskatchewan as well as accumulated knowledge in the dramatic arts through experience.

http://www.creativedrama.com/

http://www.wyldeproject.com/

http://www.dictionary.com/

http://education.alberta.ca/teachers/program/finearts/programs.aspx

Documents

Drama 20 Unit 1: Light and Dark · Kayla Andre, Kandice Laurie, Matthew Ma Light and Dark Unit Plan DRAMA 20 COURSE OVERVIEW 5 Credits, 5 x 80 min classes x 19 weeks = 125 hours RATIONALE