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Being able to control how much air comes out as you speak allows you to speak loudly without damaging your voice. It also lets you choose where to pause. This lesson teaches students the basics of breath support and exercises to practice controlling the breath. Students will demonstrate their ability to control their breath support by participating in a series of exercises, culminating with an attempt to say all fifty states of the union in one breath.

The objective of the lesson is for students to learn what iambic pentameter is and to have the opportunity to create their own monologues using iambic pentameter. This lesson is a useful complement towards studying classical works by playwrights such as William Shakespeare.

Students will play a drama game and participate in an exercise to explore how conflict affects their active tactics. Students apply conflict to a scene for performance.

In this lesson, students will explore different methods of gathering ideas.

In this lesson, students will read and analyze Act One of Our Town within the theme of the ordinary versus universality. The lesson format encourages students to explore text themes and concepts through scene work before they read, participate in a small group discussion post read, and then take on an activity to apply knowledge through a theatrical expression of the text.

In this lesson, students will create and perform their own “Nigerian Praise Poem.” Students will be able to express physically, verbally, and emotionally and think critically about who they are and what makes them unique.

To apply memorization techniques as part of the goal of a staged scene with specific, dynamic blocking and three-dimensional characters. This lesson will focus on practicing a variety of memorization techniques.

This lesson is a straight up rehearsal period. Students will have 30 minutes to rehearse and decide on a section they’re going to show the class. They will perform their section without scripts.

What should go on and what should stay off of an acting resume? What is an auditioner looking for? Students will discuss the purpose of an acting resume, review a model, create their own and reflect on the process.

In this lesson, students will be introduced to lazzi. Lazzi are solo comic beats to show off a character and their needs. Students will then create and perform a solo lazzi.

The objective of this lesson is for your current students to reflect upon their experiences and new knowledge at the end of a school/class production. Then they will use that information to create a useful document for future drama students, such as a “drama transition manual” or a “what to expect during your production” document.

In this lesson, students will work on a conflict profile and apply the details to a monologue. Student will also begin writing their first draft.

Students will read the provided text that explores a playwriting “non-truth.” Students will summarize the main idea of the text and share their personal opinions of the concept by answering questions. They will then complete a theatrical response to the text. Do they agree with the text? Disagree? Do they theatricalize the concept? This could be a scene, monologue, performance poem, costume, or set design, anything that can be put on paper and submitted.

Students will discuss and participate in exercises that apply subtext in a conversation. The assignment for the lesson is a one minute scene - two people at a restaurant, preparing to order. Each pair chooses one of the provided subtexts to play in the scene. Their job is to present the scene so that the subtext is clear. Includes two assessment rubrics.

The objective of the lesson is for students to create and perform a spoken word poetry piece. Spoken word is poetry that is meant to be performed for an audience, rather than just read on a page. It allows students the opportunity to share their thoughts, and provides a platform for them to do so. It also builds on important performance skills taught in the drama classroom, including memorization and rehearsal, vocal projection, enunciation, tone, gestures and facial expressions, and confidence.

Students will explore the details associated with objects through a “Magic Box” activity. Students will then explore the importance of consistency in pantomime by preparing a simple action for performance. They will practice ensemble work and consistency by preparing a group task pantomime, then performing it in synchronized form.

In this culminating lesson, students will apply what they have learned with a capstone performance featuring their original characters.

The objective of this lesson is for students to think quickly and creatively by demonstrating a common rule or concept in an unusual way, using various theatrical techniques.

In this second lesson, students continue to practice classroom norms and interact with a second element of the Weekly Ensemble Rubric: SAY YES. Students will role-play a column of the SAY YES category of the Weekly Ensemble Rubric in small groups via a performance task.