Sample course syllabus, Unit Plans, and lesson plans

High school

Course syllabus, CUrriculum, AND PERFORMANCE SEASON

This curriculum and performance season is designed for a high school theater class in a performing arts school called The Actor’s Role in Contemporary American Theater.  Over the course of the year students will engage in four units—Longform Improvisation, Contemporary Theater, Technique and Scene Study, and Workshop, while participating in productions tied to their coursework. 

DEVising by improvising Unit Plan

This unit is designed for a high school theater class. Students use physical exploration to create characters and structured improvisation to devise and revise a script. Students continuously compare and contrast the devising process to traditional playwriting techniques. The unit culminates in a performance of the new work.

You’re Always Making It UP Unit Plan

This unit is designed for a high school theater class. Students engage in longform improv exercises to identify skills that can be applied to scripted scene work. The unit culminates with student performances of scripted scenes in which they pay special attention to applying the improv skills.

DRama with Special populations UNIT OUTLINE

This unit is designed for a high school theater class. The unit explores the basics of improvisation, with special attention paid to accessibility and universal design.

spring awakening dramaturgy lesson plan

This lesson is designed for a high school theater class that is working on Spring Awakening by Frank Wedekind. In groups, students create a devised performance that explores an aspect of 19th-century German life. Students share their performances with each other and complete a research project to extend the work from class. Students are pushed to articulate ways that their research can deepen their performance of the play.

Middle School

Agree to disagree unit plan

This unit is designed for a middle school theater or history class. Harnessing Vgotsky’s Play Theory, students engage in a process drama to learn how to engage in substantive political debate. Special attention is paid to identifying reliable sources to use as evidence. The unit culminates in a political debate where students play a candidate they have created.

Arts as activism Lesson plan

This lesson is designed for a middle school theater class and is intended to be enacted remotely. Through a process drama, students explore how to assess the efficacy of an arts as activism work as they develop their own production proposal. This lesson is based on an idea created with Elise Baum, Anna Gundersen, Shelby Kirby, Alex Pagnozzi, Marissa Russo, and Luke Weyand.

elementary school

SAMPLE parent letter

This is a letter sent at the beginning of the year to parents of students in a 5th Grade theater class. The letter outlines the curricular goals of the class and expectations for students.

it’s alive! unit plan

This unit is designed for a remote elementary school theater class. In the unit, students explore how to create a “Living Cartoon” by using voiceover work and foley sound effects. The assessment strategies in this unit were designed to support the culture of the classroom in which it was implemented, but the unit could easily be extended to include an additional class session in which students will view a recording of their performance. After watching the recording, students will engage in a group discussion in order to outline ways in which they performed successfully and ways in which they still have room to grow.

A cOntinuing Revolution Unit plan

This unit is designed for an elementary school class. Based on the story told by the main exhibit of The Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, PA, students explore how the ideals of the American Revolution continue to play out today. Using dramatic activities, students explore the causes of the revolution as well as how representation affects the way we understand our history. The unit culminates in a mock “Continental Congress” in which students debate supporting a revolution of their own. This unit was co-authored with Marissa Russo and Camryn Pillay.

SEEing Things from a different angle lesson plan

This lesson is designed for a remote elementary school theater class. In the lesson, students explore different ways that they can use their devices’ cameras to enhance their storytelling. Students then apply this exploration through dramatizing a myth and linking their suggestions to different camera shots and angles.