Writing Lesson Plans For The Drama Classroom

WRITING LESSON PLANS FOR THE DRAMA CLASSROOM
T O O L K I T
Drama Teacher ACADEMY
by Matt Webster

Writing Lesson Plans for the Drama Classroom by Matt Webster Copyright © 2019 Theatrefolk Inc. CAUTION: This book is fully protected under the copyright laws of Canada and all other countries of the Universal Copyright Convention. No part of this book covered by the copyrights hereon may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means - graphic, electronic or mechanical - without the prior written permission of the author. Published by: Theatrefolk Inc. e-mail: [email protected] website: www.theatrefolk.com Photocopying / Multiple Copies The sole owner of this book may copy the Toolkit for his or her class for educational purposes. All other purposes for duplication and/or distribution are prohibited.

OVERVIEW AND TABLE OF CONTENTS
Lesson planning is the foundation of teaching. Lesson plans are maps, mission statements, launching pads, and contracts. Lesson plans help keep everyone working together toward the common goals of learning and understanding. When lesson plans are well crafted and executed, the classroom functions smoothly. When lesson plans fall short, learning comes to a grinding halt. In this toolkit, you will learn the structure and terminology of a standard lesson plan and how that lesson plan can be adapted in the theatre classroom. You will learn how to identify and utilize Bloom’s Taxonomy in the creation of your lesson plans and explore the National Standards for Theatre with an eye toward including specific state standards in your completed plans. TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. What Goes in a Lesson Plan?.................................................................4 2. Lesson Plan Example.............................................................................9 3. Introduction to Bloom’s Taxonomy......................................................12 4. Aligning Standards to Lesson Plans.....................................................16 5. Culminating Activity.............................................................................20

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Teacher Methods Toolkit: Lesson Planning
WHAT GOES IN A LESSON PLAN?
There is no universally accepted template for lesson plans. Each school, and school district, will have different requirements, structures, and formats for what they expect to see in a standard lesson plan. The expectation of lesson plan content will vary based on such things as general state requirements, a particular administrative regime, or how long a teacher has been in the classroom. Some schools will require lesson plans with great detail while others will accept a general outline. However, you can expect to include the following information in any lesson plan you write.
NAME/CLASS/DATE (OPTIONAL)
As a beginning teacher, you will be expected to submit samples of your lessons to administrators for periodic review. It will be helpful to the people observing your lessons to easily identify the creator of the lesson. After a few years of teaching, it may no longer be necessary to include your name, but the class information and date will be useful for future organization and reference.
SUBJECT/TOPIC
As much as this seems obvious, this is a valuable heading for organizing your lessons, for both you and your administration. Your subject is always theatre or drama, but the topic changes based on the specific material you are covering with this lesson plan. For example, your Subject/Topic can read Theatre/Pantomime or Technical Theatre/Color Wheel. Be as specific as possible. The more precise you are, the more focused the lesson for both you and your students. This will allow you to file your lesson plans according to the specific topics covered in the lesson and will allow your administrators to quickly reference your work.
OBJECTIVE
This is where you articulate the educational outcomes you are defining for yourself and your students. Usually these objectives are framed by the phrase “Students will be able to” followed by a detailed description of what students should demonstrate when the lesson is successful. This is also where you will apply Bloom’s Taxonomy to your stated outcomes. For example, “Students will be able to identify the locations of the stage (upstage, downstage, etc.)” or “Students will develop a short monologue and perform it from memory.” As you articulate your objectives, utilizing Bloom’s terminology will give structure to your lesson and provide insight into what the final outcome of your lesson will look like.
STANDARDS ADDRESSED
Most school districts requires that lesson plans be aligned with state standards of education. Theatre is no exception. You must identify what standards your lessons cover and document them here. To do this, you will need to be familiar with your state’s Theatre Education standards, and if your state does not have specific standards for theatre, you can align your lessons to the National Theatre Arts Standards (nationalartsstandards.org/). However, when you reference the applicable standards,

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Teacher Methods Toolkit: Lesson Planning
you do not need to copy down the standard in its entirety. You can simply reference the standard(s) addressed in this lesson by their alphanumeric heading and add a short description. For example, in North Carolina, a “standards addressed” statement for a Beginning Theatre lesson on improv would look something like this: NCES B.C.2.1 and B.CU.2.1 – Students will perform short improvised scenes for their peers. It will be helpful to come back and fill this section out AFTER you have articulated the details of your lesson. Use the standards to justify the work, not the other way around.
MATERIALS
This is a list of the materials required to execute this lesson. Do students need printed scenes? Monologues? Vocabulary sheets or other handouts? Do you need scenery boxes? Costume pieces? Furniture? Large sheets of butcher paper and colored markers? List these items in this section. Being prepared will save time and keep discipline on track.
PRE-CLASS PREPARATIONS
What planning or set up do you need to complete before teaching this lesson plan? How do you need to prepare? What needs to happen to your space? Do you need to cue up any technology? Planning now will prevent chaos and disruption in your class.
VOCABULARY
If there is any new vocabulary being introduced in the lesson, it is advisable to include those words or phrases separately under this heading. This allows you to emphasize these words and provide specific context and usage. It is also valuable when you are reviewing content and creating assessments for the lesson.
INSTRUCTION
This is the instructional interaction with your students. Under this heading is where you detail your instructions step-by-step, writing out the information and instructional details you will provide to your students, as well as providing a general timeline. This section can be broken down into various sub-sections including:
•  Bell Work/Check-In This is the standard, everyday activity that begins your class. It can be journal writing, responding to a question to recall information from the previous class, responding to a prompt as an introduction to the lesson coming up. It could be a circle check-in moment where students identify how they’re feeling that day.
•  Warm-up A quick game or task that focuses your students and introduces them to the concepts of the lesson. Always choose a warm-up with purpose.

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Teacher Methods Toolkit: Lesson Planning
•  Teacher Input/Lecture/Introduction This is where you provide content information to the students. If this is a lecture-based class, put your notes in this section. This will also be where you identify for students the Objective. What is being covered in the lesson and what are they doing in class?
•  Guided Practice: Group Work, Application, Activities, or Exercises Guided practice is where students apply the concepts of the lesson. This may be through group work, handouts, rehearsal, independent work, research, or any other activity that students practice under your supervision.
•  Closure/Check-Out How will you close out the lesson? Some options include an exit slip response, a check-out circle where students identify one thing they’ve learned or one question they have, or a recap of the lesson concepts and a teaser for the next class.
•  Independent Practice Also known as homework! If there is additional after-class work that students will be accountable for, make sure to document it here.
You may know these sections under different titles. The titles themselves don’t matter, so long as your instruction is organized, easy to read, and, most importantly, easy to follow. You want to be as detailed and specific as possible when writing out this information. A good standard to follow is to write your instructions so clearly that a substitute could teach the lesson exactly as you would. The general content structure of a standard lesson plan typically follows this format:
JUGGLING LESSON
•  BELL WORK: Write in journals from the following prompt. (5 minutes) ○ What is the best juggling you have ever seen?
•  WARM-UP: (5–10 minutes) ○ Scarf Juggling: A detailed description of the warm-up, including how it is executed and any variations to the activity that might be utilized.
•  TEACHER INPUT: Lecture on “A History of Juggling” (15 minutes) ○ Your notes on this lecture/topic ○ Prompts for any visuals such as PowerPoints, slides, or video ○ Highlighted vocabulary words ■ Throw ● Explain ■ Catch ● Explain ■ Drop ● Explain

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Teacher Methods Toolkit: Lesson Planning

● GUIDED PRACTICE: Group Work – Learning to Juggle (30 minutes)
○ Students will work together to practice juggling skills. ■ Details on the specific steps students will need to follow in order to successfully juggle
● Step 1 ● Step 2 ● Step 3
○ Students will attempt 3 different throws. ■ Standard ● Step 1 ● Step 2 ● Step 3
■ One-handed ● Step 1 ● Step 2 ● Step 3
■ Partners ● Step 1 ● Step 2 ● Step 3
○ Sharing (10 minutes) ■ Students will show their progress at the end of class.
● CLOSURE: (5 minutes)
○ Students are given an exit slip where they rate their effort from 1 to 5 and explain their ratings.
● INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: Homework
○ Students will continue to practice juggling at home and will be ready to demonstrate at least two different throws by the next class period.

ASSESSMENT
Assessment allows you to measure your students’ understanding of the lesson. In this section of your lesson plan, you will describe the assessment tool(s) you will use to gauge the success of your lesson. There are a variety of ways to assess the success of the lesson for yourself and your students, but there are three main assessment tools used in drama:
1. Rubric ○ The rubric is a scoring sheet that measures the level of success for a number of different features of the lesson. This type of assessment can be used for a grade or to help students focus on areas that need improvement. Rubrics also provide data as to how well your class understands concepts or expectations and allows you to loop back and provide additional instruction as needed.

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Teacher Methods Toolkit: Lesson Planning
2. Reflection ○ In a reflection, students write down, with specific guidance from you, their thoughts and ideas of the lesson to articulate their understanding of the materials.
3. Exit Slips ○ These are simple one- or two-line answers to a topic-specific question you present students at the end of class. As they exit class, they literally hand you the slip of paper with their answer on it.
ADDITIONAL LESSON PLAN SECTIONS
Depending on your state or district, you may be required to include additional information in your lesson plans. These may include the following:
•  Differentiations/Accommodations: How will you alter the lesson to accommodate students outside of the mainstream? These may include students with special needs, non-native speakers, students with a targeted educational plan (a 504 plan), and students with physical challenges.
•  Self-reflection: Some states and districts require new teachers to provide a section on self reflection during the first three years of their teaching careers. This section allows new teachers to reflect on their lessons and teaching strategies and provide documentation in annual reviews.
•  Pre-assessment: Pre-assessment is important when beginning a new topic or unit. Pre-assessment allows teachers to gauge the existing level of knowledge in their classes and adjust their lessons accordingly.

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Teacher Methods Toolkit: Lesson Planning

LESSON PLAN EXAMPLE

Name: Angel Borths Class: Grade 6 Drama Subject/Topic: Defining Pantomime: Day One

Date: March 15, 2016

Objective Standards
Materials
Pre-Class Preparations Vocabulary

•  To define pantomime, build a working class definition, and introduce the pantomime
concept through class games
•  TH:Cr1.1: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work •  TH:Cr2.1: Organize and develop artistic ideas and work •  TH:Pr6.1: Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work
•  Drama notebook and writing utensil •  Comfortable clothing for ease of movement •  Game Log (to be collected at the end of the unit)
•  Write the bell work prompt on the board. •  Photocopy Game Log handouts.
Pantomime: a way of expressing information or telling a story without words by using body movements and facial expressions

Instruction

Bell Work

Students respond in their journals: How would you define pantomime?

Time: 5 minutes Warm-up
Time: 20 minutes

Magic Clay
•  Have students stand in a circle. •  Reach into your pocket and pull out a ball of magic clay (just air). •  Walk around the circle and ask each student to describe its color, shape, texture, etc.
When you move to another student, encourage them to change the colour, shape, and texture.
•  Explain to students that they are going to turn this clay into an everyday object they
can actually use.
•  Model the activity by molding the clay into an everyday object. For example, mold
the clay into a sink and then wash your hands.
•  When the task is achieved, return the clay to a ball and pass it to the student beside
you in the circle. Identify that it’s their turn to turn the clay into an everyday object and then use that object.
•  Encourage students not to yell out during the activity (“it’s a sink!”). Instead, let them
focus on the detail of the task. Can they see the object? What actions help to see the object?

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Teacher Input Time: 5 minutes
Guided Practice Time: 20 minutes

•  Side coach students during the activity to be specific with the details. The more
details, the easier it is to see the object.
•  Go around the circle so that each student has the opportunity to take the clay, make
an object, and use it.
•  Discuss afterward. What was easy about the exercise? What was challenging? Which
object was most believable? Why?
•  Discuss: Come up with a working class definition of pantomime. Share the vocabulary
definition.
•  Introduce the Game Log: After each activity and game, students will describe the
steps in the activity and their experience with the activity. The completed log will be due along with their final showing.
Guided Pantomime ● Have students stand in a circle. ● Ask them to pantomime brushing their teeth. Tell them they have thirty seconds. ● Guide them through the game again, only this time, break down the activity into
much smaller steps.
Guided Pantomime Script ● Imagine your bathroom sink at home. Point on your body to the area where the
counter would hit you—how high is it? ● Look at the faucet. How does it work? Are there separate taps for the hot and cold
water? Turn the sink off and on. ● Where do you keep your toothbrush? Look at it. Is it on the counter? Is it at eye level?
Pick it up. ● How long is your toothbrush? Feel the bristles. ● Where is your toothpaste? What kind is it? How does it open? Does it have a flip top
or a screw cap? ● Put some toothpaste on your toothbrush. Close the toothpaste. Put it down. ● Start brushing—make sure you don’t brush too hard. ● Turn on the sink again and rinse your toothbrush. Put the toothbrush back where it
belongs. ● Spit, then rinse your mouth. ● Turn off the faucet. ● Find your towel—where is it? Wipe your face and return the towel to the rack. ● Check out your teeth in the mirror. ● Option: You can keep going (add flossing, finding a blemish, plucking a hair, etc.).
Discussion: At the end of the activity, have students describe their experiences. ● Ask them to describe how their pantomime was different the second time. Hopefully,
students will identify the specificity of the second time and the length of time it actually took. ● Ask students why this is important when learning pantomime.

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