GRADE 6

• Use physical movement and acting skills to express a variety of emotions to an audience.
  Assign students an emotion and have them walk across a performance area portraying that emotion using physical movement. Have the other class members guess what emotion the student is trying to portray. Evaluate students based on how well they use physical movement and acting skills to express the emotion.
  
  
  
• Apply appropriate vocal elements of volume, pitch, rate, tone, and articulation and vocal expression.
  Give students a generic line of dialogue, like “What are you talking about?” and have them repeat the line using different vocal elements.  Evaluate students based on their ability to use volume, pitch, rate, tone, and articulation and vocal expression.
  
  
  
• Understand how to read and write scripts.
  Give students a sample script and explain the formatting of the text.  Then, give the students one or more prompts and have them write a short scene in which correct script formatting is used, including title page, dialogue, stage directions, etc.  Evaluate their scripts based on format compared to the example.
  
  
  
• Use improvisation and acting skills to role play various scenarios and given situations.
  Have three sets of file cards, each with different examples of “Who,” “Where,” and “What” on them, such as: Who—a clown, Where—in the desert, What—pushing a car.  Divide students into groups of 3-4 members.  Have each student pick one “Who” card, and have one member of each group pick a “Where” card and a “What” card.  Let students improvise a scene based on the prompts, experimenting with a variety of ways to use the body and voice to perform the scene.  Evaluate each scene based on improvisation and acting skills  such as spontaneity, imagination, and truthfulness.
  
  
  
• Interpret various selections of literature through formal and informal presentations.
  Assign students a project in which they act out one of Aesop's fables using their own ideas.  Evaluate presentations by asking students to explain the reasoning supporting their interpretations.
  
  
  
• Analyze plays in terms of theme, characters, conflict, and interrelationships.
  Discuss the terms theme, character, and conflict.  Provide students with a copy of a specific play, and have them read the play. After students have read the play, ask them how theme, character, and conflict can be communicated to an audience if performed onstage.  Evaluate students by having them write an analysis of the play, including a response to the play’s theme, characters, conflict, and interrelationships of those concepts within the play.
  
  
  
• Analyze informal or formal theatre productions in terms of the emotions or thoughts they evoke, characters, settings, and events.
  After viewing an episode of "The Muppets," discuss how the performance made you feel and why.  Evaluate students based on their ability to analyze their emotions or thoughts, characters, settings, and events.
  
  
  
• Understand how the major technical elements of theatre such as lights, sound, set, and costumes are used to support and enhance a theatrical production.
  Discuss the elements of set design and select a script for a fairy tale for students to read.  Give the students the example of and guidelines for set designs with emphasis on sightlines, use of space, and color.  Have the students make sketches of set designs for the selected fairy tale and evaluate their designs based on sightlines, use of space, and color.  Evaluate students based on their understanding of scenery as a major technical element.
  
  
  
• Apply costumes, props, masks, and set pieces to support formal or informal dramatic presentations.
  Discuss safety procedures and the process of building basic stage scenery.  Using set designs that students have created for a specific play, have them construct flats, platforms, and/or set pieces.  Evaluate them on their ability to apply the knowledge of technical components of the specified set pieces.
  
  
  
• Analyze theatre arts of Europe and South America.
  Discuss the attributes of three stock characters of Italian Commedia del Arte.  Evaluate students based on their ability to describe the interrelationship of these stock characters of the past and characters of today.
  
  
  
• Create theatrical works that exemplify the style and culture of society before the mid-1700’s.
  Divide students into groups.  Have groups research images and video clips of acting and live theatre during the Elizabethan era in England.  Let students perform a scene from on one of William Shakespeare’s plays.  Evaluate students based on their ability to exemplify the acting and audiences of that specific culture.
  
  
  
• Summarize the rules and purpose of audience etiquette.
  Have students make a poster of rules for appropriate audience etiquette to display in the classroom or in a theatre.  Evaluate students based on their ability to describe the rules and purpose of audience etiquette.
  
  
  
• Understand the interrelationship of the roles of actors and directors in creating performances.
  Use a graphic organizer to compare the role of actor and director.  Evaluate students based on their understanding of the roles of actors and directors.

GRADE 7

• Use physical movement and acting skill to express a variety of characters to an audience.
  Give students a stock character to portray using physical movement and have the class determine the character  Evaluate students based on how they use physical movement and acting skill to express the character.
  
  
  
• Apply appropriate vocal elements such as pitch, volume, and projection effectively in formal and informal presentations.
  Have a prepared list of topics for impromptu speeches.  Have students select a topic (Topics may only be used once.) and perform a 30-second impromptu speech chosen from the selection of topics.  Evaluate students based on such criteria as appropriate vocal elements such as pitch, volume, and projection.
  
  
  
• Use playwriting skills to communicate conflict, plot, and character.
  Provide students with various prompts, and have them write short scenes in which plot and character are effectively communicated.  After having written three or more scenes, have them to either select one scene to develop or to merge two or more of the scenes into one larger scene.  Evaluate students based on their skills to communicate conflict, plot, and character.
  
  
  
• Use acting skills, such as observation, concentration, and characterization to perform original scenes.
  Use student written scenes to cast and for students to perform.  Students should communicate plot and character according to the intentions of the scripts.  Evaluate the performances based use of acting skills, such as observation, concentration, and characterization.
  
  
  
• Interpret a character from literature through formal and informal presentations.
  Let students select a character from an Aesop fable to portray  Have a party in which all characters interact.  Ask students to describe each other's characters.  Evaluate students based on their ability to interpret the character.
  
  
  
• Analyze plays in terms of theme, characters, conflict, interrelationships, and dialogue.
  Have students read a short play and write a play analysis.  Evaluate critiques based on descriptions of the play's dialogue, theme, characters, conflict, and interrelationships.
  
  
  
• Analyze styles of informal and formal theatre productions.
  Ask students to use a graphic organizer to compare two styles of theatre.  Evaluate students based on their ability to analyze two different styles.
  
  
  
• Illustrate the major technical elements such as lights, sound, set, and costumes.
  Sketch a costume for a stock character with emphasis on line, shape, pattern, and color.  Evaluate students based on the completed costume sketch.
  
  
  
• Use costumes, props, masks, set pieces, lighting, and sound to support dramatic presentations.
  Have students sketch the setting for a specific play and participate in the construction of the scenery based on the sketches.  Evaluate students based on how well the setting supports the dramatic presentation.
  
  
  
• Analyze theatre of Africa, Asia, and Australia.
  Describe the traditions of Kabuki theatre.  Evaluate students based on their ability to analyze the interrelationships of Kabuki theatre and culture of Japan.
  
  
  
• Create theatrical works that exemplify the style and culture of society from the 1600’s to the early 1970’s.
  As a member of a group, perform a scene from a play between 1600 and 1970, such as from one of the following playwrights or styles:  Moliere, melodrama, Henrik Ibsen, G. B. Shaw, Expressionism, Noel Coward, Eugene O’Neill, and Theatre of the Absurd.  Evaluate students based on their descriptions of how their scene exemplifies the style and culture of that society.
  
  
  
• Compare the rules and expectations of audience etiquette for different venues.
  Ask students to research a specific theatre's audience etiquette expectations. Evaluate students ability to use a graphic organizer to compare audience etiquette expectations for different venues.
  
  
  
• Understand the role of the playwright in relation to scripting theatre.
  Let students watch a video clip of an interview with a playwright.  Evaluate students based on how well they understand the role of the playwright in relation to scripting theatre.

GRADE 8

• Use physical movement and acting skills to express a story for an audience.Divide students into groups and assign them a fairy tale to perform in one minute for the class. Evaluate students based on their physical movement and acting skills.
  
  
  
• Apply appropriate vocal elements such as pitch, volume, and projection effectively while portraying characters.
  Have students write and perform a monologue based on a fairy tale character's situation using vocal elements  Evaluate students based on pitch, volume, and projection.
  
  
  
• Create original works that communicate ideas and feelings.
  Ask students to write an original monologue in which the character’s internal thoughts are realistically represented.  Evaluate students based on completion of the original work.
  
  
  
• Use acting skills, such as observation, concentration, and characterization, to perform original written scene.
  Give students an original script from a previous class project, rehearse it with focus on characterization, and perform it as an informal production.  Evaluate students based on acting skills, such as observation, concentration, and characterization
  
  
  
• Interpret multiple characters from literature through formal and informal presentations.
  Have students use storytelling techniques to portray multiple characters from a fairy tale  Evaluate students based on their ability to interpret and show multiple characters.
  
  
  
• Analyze plays in terms of theme, characters, conflict, interrelationships, dialogue, and mood and atmosphere.
  Ask students to critique a live theatre performance.  Evaluate critiques based on theme, characters, conflict, interrelationships, dialogue, and mood and atmosphere
  
  
  
• Evaluate the theatrical quality of formal or informal theatre productions.
  As a class, create an evaluation form for the audience to complete based on theatrical quality of production. Evaluate students based on their ability to complete the form after seeing a production.
  
  
  
• Apply the major technical elements to informal and formal presentations.
  Divide students into technical "teams."  Have each team carry out their role for a one-act play (i.e. Sketch the set design plans).  Let groups report back to the class.  Evaluate students based on their presentation of how their technical element  applies to the play.
  
  
  
• Use costumes, props, masks, and set pieces to support formal or informal dramatic presentations.
  Have students use props to dress the performance area for a one-act play.  Evaluate students based on how well their props support the dramatic presentations.
  
  
  
• Understand the role of theatre in your state and the United States.
  Briefly discuss theatre in the United States. Evaluate students based on their ability to recall and describe the styles, themes, or topics of theatre in the United States.
  
  
  
• Create theatrical works that exemplify the style and culture of society from the 1950’s to the present.
  Briefly discuss the components in traditional musicals.  Working as a group, have students research a current production on Broadway and present a two-minute version of that production for the class (the do not have to sing, but they can if they wish). Evaluate students based on their ability to create a theatrical work within the traditional musical parameters.
  
  
  
• Use appropriate theatre etiquette as a participant in informal and formal theatre.
  Have students model appropriate theatre etiquette.  Let students self-evaluate their use of appropriate theatre etiquette.
  
  
  
• Understand the roles of technical theatre in relation to theatrical productions.
  Discuss technical theatre roles.  Let students watch a video clip of an award winning production while they make a list of all technical theatre roles involved "behind the scenes."  Evaluate students based on their lists of the roles of technical theatre in relation to the theatrical production.