GENERIC LESSON PLAN (Liberal Studies Level)

INSTRUCTIONAL UNIT:
TEACHER
Amanda Lockwood

COURSE
EDUC 349
DAY
T (11/19/13)
CAMPUS
ULV-Main

GRADE
6
SUBJECT
Visual & Performing Arts
(Drama)

LESSON TITLE
Drama Across Cultures
LENGTH OF LESSON
2-1/2 hours (split among
3 50 minutes sessions)

CONTENT STANDARDS AND CONTENT OBJECTIVES

SUBJECT STANDARD
Drama
3.1 Create scripts that reflect particular periods or
cultures.
3.2 Differentiate the theatrical traditions of cultures
throughout the world, such as those in Ancient Greece,
Egypt, China, and West Africa.
MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCE ADDRESSED
Visual/Spatial, Kinesthetic, Interpersonal,
Verbal/Linguistic

GOAL OF UNIT
Students will be able to recognize and evaluate visual
and performing arts across multiple genres and cultures.
OBJECTIVE OF LESSON
Students will create a short skit as it would be
performed within one of four specific cultures (Ancient
Greece, Rome, India, or Egypt)

ASSESSMENT
STRATEGY FOR ASSESSMENT
Informal assessment will be conducted while students prepare lesson to confirm their understanding of the basic
elements of theater within their chosen culture/genre. Additional assessment will be done to confirm that all
elements provided to each group on their handout have been met (see attached rubric).

LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
STRATEGIES TO MEET DIVERSIFIED LEARNERS
Visually impaired students can receive an enlarged copy of printouts if necessary and sit where they can see the
teachers instruction. Additional personal assistance or braille copies of work can be arranged as necessary.
Hearing impaired students can sit as close to the teacher as necessary and/or be provided additional student or
instructional aid assistance as necessary.
Movement impaired students can stand or sit depending on their abilities to act out their part.
Gate students will be dispersed in groups with below basic, ELL and other diverse learners to assist in promoting
higher level thinking for them while providing additional support and instruction to the divers e learners.
MATERIALS, EQUIPMENT, and TECHNOLOGY NEEDED
Teacher List: Drama Across Cultures Handouts, Colored Construction Paper, Poster Board, Markers, Crayons,
Scissors, Computer, Internet Access, Projector, Theater style grab bag, PowerPoint Picture Gallery, Theater
Videos/Sites
Greek: http://youtu.be/OkB3sv6_JfU
Roman: http://youtu.be/-NTbGawBvc4
Indian: http://narasimhan.com/SK/Culture/Art/thtr_sanskrit%20drama.htm
Chinese: http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/nadrama/content/review/shorthistory/antiquity18c/chinese.aspx
Student List: Ruled Paper, Pens/Pencils, Journals

STEPS THROUGH THE LESSON

INTO (Orientation)
Instant Activity
The teacher makes a happy face and asks the class what
emotion she is portraying. The teacher repeats with sad
and angry faces. Ask the students to make their own
happy, angry, and sad faces to show the students and
show their classmates.
Anticipatory Set

RATIONALE
Having students recall and review different types of
dance will help to put them in the mindset to see
multicultural dances and create their own dance.

Ask the students how they knew what the emotion was
the teacher and their fellow students were trying to
express. Allow for input and discussion by calling on
students.
Ask the students if and how the same emotions may be
expressed differently in another culture. Allow for input
and discussion.
THROUGH (Presentation, Structured Practice, Guided Practice)
Demonstration/Lesson Modeling
Teacher will pass out Drama Across Cultures Handout to
give a synopsis and build upon knowledge learned from
their social studies/history lessons on the Ancient Greek,
Roman, Chinese, and Indian cultures. Review with
students using images of handouts on projector and
allowing students to follow along. Call on students to
read from different segments of the handout.
Show the videos and websites for Ancient Greek, Roman,
Indian, and Chinese Theater and then picture galleries
saved on PowerPoint.
Ask students for examples of how the different cultures
used theater and how they were the same or different
from each other. Topics for discussion should include
who, what, when, where, and why.
Breaking students into groups of 3-4, advise them that
they will be creating their own short plays to perform for
the rest of the class using the elements from one of the
ancient cultures.
Have one member from each group draw from the grab
bag to determine which of the four cultures theyll be
focusing on.
Inform students that they will not only create a skit that
is approximately 3-4 minutes in length, but one member
will give a 60 second preview (out of character)
describing who would typically be performing their skit
during ancient times as well as where they would have
been performed and for whom. The topic can be
anything related to their chose culture or school life
today. Pass out rubric.
Practice
Students will work in their groups to create a skit and skit
preview along with masks and any necessary props using
the construction paper, poster board, markers, crayons,
and scissors provided.
Teacher will check in with each group repeatedly to assist
in their process, answer questions, and check for
understanding of the assignment and cooperation
between group members.
Activity
Groups will take turns in front of the class giving their skit
preview and then performing their 3-4 minute skits.
Students in audience should sit quietly and be attentive
to those performing.

RATIONALE
Building on prior knowledge, reviewing, and discussing
theater/drama of multiple cultures will help prepare
students to create their own skits based around a
specific ancient culture.

BEYOND (Independent Practice)

Closure
Give positive feedback to the class and provide some
specific highlights from the planning and performances
and how although some of the cultures may use theater
and drama to express different things or for a different
purpose, they are all equally fun and interesting to
observe and perform.
The teacher will have the students write a journal entry
about their experience including what they enjoyed,
what was the most difficult, and how it felt to perform in
front of the class. Students should compare this to how
they felt from previous performances given in front of
the class.
Application
Have the students tell their parents about the skits they
performed today and which cultural skit they found most
interesting and why.

POWERPOINT SLIDES:

RATIONALE

Providing closure and allowing students to reflect on

their experience helps to show the teacher what they
took away from their experience while also helping to
further expand on the lesson for the students.

Ancient Theater Key Elements Handout

Ancient Greek Theater

Performed for special occasions (festivals)

Competitive Prizes were awarded
Choral singing and music were important parts
Chorus of between 3-50 men would sing
Some believe the chorus sang, moved, and danced
Closely associated with religion stories were based on myth or history
Comedies and Tragedies
Three-actor rule (only three actors were in most tragedies)
Men played all of the parts
Large masks used to help audience see actors better and openings that allowed for sound to travel well
Additional Resources:
http://www.ancientgreece.com/s/Theatre/

https://www.theatrefolk.com/spotlights/the-greek-theatre

NOTES:

Ancient Roman Theater

Borrowed Greek ideas

Less philosophical
Encompassed more than drama : acrobatics, gladiators, jugglers, athletics, chariots races, naumachia (sea battles), boxing,
venationes (animal fights)
Entertainment tended to be grandiose, sentimental, diversionary
Short improvised farces, with stock characters, similar costumes and masks based on domestic life or mythology
burlesqued, parodied
Stock characters
Bucco: braggart, boisterous
Pappas: foolish old man
Dossenus: swindler, drunk, hunchback
Additional Resources:
http://novaonline.nvcc.edu/eli/spd130et/roman.htm
http://www.theatrehistory.com/ancient/bellinger002.html

NOTES:

Ancient Indian Theater (Sanskrit Drama)

It is meant for an audience that is well-versed in the performance tradition.

It is performed by members of the highest rank in the caste system, i.e., priests.
It requires special knowledge and skill to execute. A complete
Understanding of dance, music, recitation and ritual language is a must.
Training is a hereditary process descending directly from God, and passed down from father to son.
It must be performed on consecrated ground.
It serves a dual purpose -- to educate as well as entertain.
Additional Resources:
http://narasimhan.com/SK/Culture/Art/thtr_sanskrit%20drama.htm
http://www.yavanika.org/theatreinindia/?page_id=280

NOTES:

Ancient Chinese Drama (now known as Chinese Opera)

Early plays combined mine, stylized movement, and chorus

Chorus described actions which was enacted by dancer-actors
Based in religion
Fight scenes simulated martial arts
Baixi or A Hundred Entertainments were large-scale variety shows that featured performances of mimes, magicians,
acrobats, jugglers, music, martial arts demonstrations, and dancing girls
Evolved into Chinese Opera
Additional Resources:
http://www.xip.fi/atd/china/facts-about-china.html

http://www.theatrehistory.com/asian/chinese002.html

NOTES:

Ancient Culture Dramatic Presentation Rubric

4

3
The skit had a
moderate degree of
organization.

Organization

The skit had a high

degree of organization.

Performance

The students are

dramatic and do an
excellent job of
presenting their
material; students have
their lines memorized
and there are no long
pauses.

Creativity

The skit is the students

own creation.

Props/Music/
Costumes/Masks

The students used 8 or

more props/music/
costumes/masks.

The students used 6-7

props/music/
costumes/masks.

Group
Participation

Every member
contributed to writing
the skit; All member
participated in the
presentation of the skit;
Every member
contributed in a
positive way to the
group.

Theme

The students did an

exemplary job of
integrating their chosen
culture into their skit
and there are no errors
relating the skit to their
chosen culture.

All but one member

contributed to writing
the skit; All members
participated in the
presentation of the skit;
Every member of the
group contributed in a
positive way to the
group.
The students do a fairly
good job relating their
skit to their chosen
culture and/or there
are 1-2 errors relating
the skit to their chosen
culture.

The skit had a minimal

degree of organization.

The skit is not

organized.

The students are

The students are
somewhat dramatic
dramatic but a fair job
and do a fair job of
of presenting their
presenting their
material; students have
materials; students
almost all of their lines
have most of their lines
memorized and/or
memorized and/or
there are no long
there are 1-2 long
pauses.
pauses.
The skit contains most The skits contains some
of the students own
of the students own
ideas.
ideas.
The students used 3-5
props/music/
costumes/masks.

The students are not

dramatic and do a poor
job of presenting their
material; the students
do not have their lines
memorized and/or
there are several long
pauses.
The skit contains few or
none of the students
own ideas.
The students used less
than 3 props/music/
costumes/masks; or
props/masks were not
decorated.

Not all members

contributed to writing
and/or performing the
skit; Every member of
the group contributed
in a positive way to the
group.

Not all members

contributed to writing
and/or performing the
skit; Members of the
group did not
contribute in a positive
way to the group.

The students do a poor

job relating their skit to
their chosen culture
and/or there are three
errors relating the skit
to their chosen culture.

The students to not

relate their skit to their
chosen culture and/or
there are 4 or more
errors relating the skit
to their chosen culture.