ACTING Educational Objective: The student will demonstrate their ability to understand and utilize the basic elements of acting listed below. Lesson 1 Comfort on Stage Lesson 2 Facial Expressions Lesson 3Listening and Reacting Lesson 4Movement Lesson 5Character development Lesson 6Voice Lesson 7Objectives and Tactics Lesson 8Stage Business Lesson 9Practice and Evaluation Lesson 10Performance * Although it is not mentioned specifically in the lesson plan there needs to be a time permitted for the students to rehearse 2-4 person scenes that will be used throughout the unit. This should be done before the unit is started or on the first day. Comfort on stage Educational Objective: The student will demonstrate their ability to perform in front of a group by participating in one of three different performances. Materials: a sheet, a short radio play Hook: Have the students stand in a circle (if the class is large you may have to split them up). Get in the middle and explain that what everyone is going to do is take a turn standing in the middle and, crossing their arms in front of them, allow themselves to fall back as straight as possible and be caught by the members of the circle who will then gently pass them around the circle. To break the ice and establish the trust the teacher should probably go first. When a student is very nervous about it, make sure that the others make the circle tighter so they can't fall as far. Step 1: Both during and after this activity discuss the need for trust while you were in the circle. Have a discussion on which part they liked better, being in the middle or being on the outside. Also discuss when they felt the most comfortable, when people were talking in the circle or when things were silent. etc. Relate the need for trust in this game to the need for trust in an acting class. Step 2: Following this discussion hang up a white sheet in front of light source and turn out the lights. Have two volunteers go behind the sheet (where their images will be projected onto it) and give them a scenario to act out. Do this a few more times allowing more to participate. Each time vary the way the students stand according to the scenario so that some of the characters will appear very large and some very small, etc. Have a few fun props on hand that they might be able to use (a baseball cap, a sword, etc.) Step 3: Next turn on the lights and make sure the sheet is hanging so that if someone were behind it those in the audience could see them from the knee down Have a few more pairs go behind it and act out a fairy tale of their choice, remembering that they can only be seen from the knee down. Step 4: After this assign anyone who hasn't gone in the previous activities (and if time allows anyone else who is willing) to do a radio play. Hand out a previously written script that is only a page or so (something with lots of sound effects and eerie noises). Give them a few moments to decide who is doing what and then have them perform While they perform, the rest of the class must put their heads down to give it more of a sense radio (or they can do it behind the sheet) Step 5: Briefly touch again on the issue of trust and respect in the classroom and allow some time to establish a few basic rules while others are performing. *This lesson may take two days, but it is very important because it is just getting the students comfortable with being in front of others in a completely low risk way. Facial Expressions Educational Objective: The student will demonstrate their ability to show emotion through facial expressions by utilizing at least two different emotions in an assigned scenario. Materials: video Clips of different emotional states, list of scenarios with different levels of emotion ink! act, Hook: Show students short video of different clips of different emotional states and facial expressions. Step 1: While playing the video, freeze frame after each example and discuss what emotion was shown, how the actor accomplished that, Id how the students were able to identify it. Step 2: Divide the class into groups of 8-10 and have them sit in a circle, have each student in the group pick a different facial expression and show the others. Step 3: Have one student begin by setting a beat by clapping their hands twice on their - legs and then once together (dab dab DAH) After establishing the rhythm the first student will do the facial expression he picked followed by the facial expression of another student. That student will then do his own expression flowed by a facial expression of another student, keeping in the rhythm. This will continue around the circle, allowing them to loosen up. Step 4: Discuss the game. Make sure it is clear that is was simply a warm-up, because the expressions will probably tend to be a little clichˇ. Step 5: After this break the students into groups of 2-3 and have them pick out a scenario that you have written previously. For example: 1-You are at your sixteenth birthday party and all you got was one little box, but when you open it up there are the keys to a brand new car. 2- A group just got home from winning the state championship basketball game when they found out their favorite teacher had a heart attack. 3-A group of friends are acting completely goofy when someone of the opposite sex enters the room. Step 6: Give the group time to determine the emotions present in their scene and allow time for them to practice. Step 7: Have the groups perform their scenarios with group discussion after each one. Ask the audience to point out good moments when the emotions were very clear, what moments were not as strong, etc. Listening and Reacting Educational objective: The student will demonstrate their ability to listen and react appropriately to other characters by performing a short improvisation. Materials: a piece of rolled up paper, ideas for short improvisations Hook: As students enter the classroom you will whisper greeting and as they are getting settled whisper directions to sit down and take out a piece of paper and writing utensil. You might also consider whispering some really off the wall things like: today we are going to fly to New Zealand to study the local plant life, etc. Step 1: After getting the class's full attention point out who was listening and who was not. Discuss the reason that you could tell was by who reacted to what you said. Step 2: Have the group sit on the floor On a circle and explain to them the game "the Hunter and the Hunted." This involves blindfolding two students and having them spin around in the middle of the circle. After getting sufficiently disoriented have the students drop to the floor to search for the rolled up piece of paper that was placed there. The first one to find the paper must knock it on the ground signifying that he has become the Hunter and the other one is Know the Hunted. At this point the students in the circle must become absolutely silent. The only time they can speak is one either the Hunter or Hunted approaches the edge of the circle and they whisper "Wall" to warn them. The Hunter's goal is to find the other student and the Hunted's goal is not to be found. The game ends when the student is caught. Let everyone participate and in between each turn discuss when the two people were really listening to each other and how the members in the circle could tell. Step 3: Discuss the importance of listening in acting, especially in an improvisational setting. Step 4: Pick 2-3 students to do an improv. Give them their goals in private so the only way they can discover the other persons intentions is through listening. Step 5: Go through each group of students, stressing the importance of listening. Work the improve when the listening skills aren't where they should be. Step 6: Brief review of what the students discovered about listening, etc. Movement Educational Objective: The student will demonstrate their ability to express an emotional state through movement performing a group pantomime. Materials: masks, different music, cloth Hook: When the students enter you are lying on the floor, have them join you as Hey come in. step 1: Lead the students through a series of stretches to release tension in their bodies and relax themselves. Perhaps-include some yoga positions. Step 2: Give each student a piece of cloth and put some music on. Tell them to make the cloth move in a way that they feel reflects the music. Step 3: After they had experimented with the cloth for a few different songs, give them a word and have them move according to the image that word gives them. For example: wind, fight, you are old, a truck driver, a model. Step 4: Divide the students into groups of four or five and hand out the masks. Assign them an emotional state to portray and allow them time to talk about the images that state brings. Have the other groups guess what emotion the performers were portraying. Step 5: Discuss the difference between this lesson and the previous lesson on facial expressions. Talk about the challenges they faced, etc. Character Development Educational Objective: The student will demonstrate their ability to develop a character background by writing a description of an assigned character. Materials: slips of paper with names of famous people, tape, different colored slips of paper with a famous persons name on it, slips of paper with different situations. Hook: After the students have gotten seated pass out slips of paper that they can't look at and must tape to their head. They must go around the room and ask others questions about the person until they can figure out who it is. Step 1: After wards have a brief discussion on what kind of questions revealed the most information, etc. - Step 2: Ask the students to write a paragraph about their character on the back of their piece of paper (for example Sally Cutwater, a 24 year old waitress trying to make a break in acting). Step 3: Have them get into groups according to the color of their slip of paper. In their groups they should discuss who they are? Were they came from? What their families were like? Who are there close friends? How would each character feel about the others in the group? etc. Step 4: Have the students draw a situation out of a bag (for example, on vacation in Disneyland, winning $1,000 from the lottery, being mugged, or stuck in an elevator) Step 5: In their groups discuss how they would handle that situation according to the backgrounds established. Would the leave? Would they share their money? etc.. Step 6: Have each student write a two page description of their character. The first page should describe background. The second page should describe how their character would deal with the situation he/she was placed in. Step 7: Discuss the importance of understanding the character you portray as an actor. Voice Educational objective: The student will demonstrate their ability to understand different vocal techniques by using at least three when reading a short story. Materials: slips of paper, a bag, short stories Hook: Pass out slips of paper and have the students write down as many different forms of vocalization as they can and then put them into a bag. (for example: whisper, yell whine, etc.) Step 1: Write the sentence "Hey, , get over here." on the board and inform the students that this is their line and they need to memorize it. Step 2: Take the students to as many different locations as possible (library, outside, down hallway. dark room. etc.) and at each of these places have one student start by moving far away from the group. Have that student pick a slip of paper out of the bag and instruct them to call to one of their classmates using the technique and the previously given line. Step 3: The student that was called over then draws another slip of paper and repeats the process. Do this a few times in one location and then move to another one. Make sure that different students are calling out each time. Continue until everyone has had a chance in at least one or two of the locations. Step 4: Return to class and begin to discuss what they experienced. What techniques were hardest? What kind of effect did the location have on the technique? Step 5: Pass out the short stories to each student and allow them time to read over them because they will be reciting them. Step 6: Have each student draw 3 slips out of the bag. Instruct them that they must use those three techniques at some point when they recite their short story. Step 7: Divide into groups of 4-5 and have them recite their short stories incorporating the different vocal techniques. Alter their recitation they must explain to the group why they put the techniques with the parts that they did. As they are doing this circulate about the class checking to make sure everyone is going. Step 8: Discuss the importance of the voice to an actor. Objectives and Tactics Educational Objective: The student will demonstrate the ability to understand objective by labeling the objectives in a previously assigned scene. Materials: videotapes of different scenes where actors are using tactics (bribing, seducing, flattering, guilt giving, etc.), preferably scenes where actors change their tactic once or twice Hook: Ask for two volunteers. Whisper to each one conflicting objectives and have them try to obtain them from the other person without telling them what it is they want. (for example: one is glued to the chair and the other one is exhausted and that is the only place he can sit down or one wants to sleep more than anything in the world and the other one needs to keep him awake because they had a drug overdose) Step 1: After the first group does their improv, have a few more groups go. Step 2: Discuss with the class after each one what it was that each character wanted? Determine if anyone knows that this is called an objective. Define objectives and emphasize that just like real life, a character always has one, they always want something. Step 3: Show the videotape you have prepared which shows the use of different tactics. Have the students identify what they are seeing. What ways are these characters going about getting their objectives. Explain that they are using tactics. Discuss what some different tactics are and how, just like in real life, when one tactic isn't effective a character will switch. Relate this back to the improve they did earlier. Without realizing some of them probably used different tactics. Step 4: Pass out a 1-2 page scene from a play the students are somewhat familiar with. Have them get into groups of 2-3 and identify what the characters objectives are in the scene and what tactics they use. Step 5: Discuss their decisions as a class. Discuss the fact that in a script many times the tactics used are personal choices of the actor and are not laid out exactly by the script. Step 6: Next have the students get in the group with the scene partner they have already been assigned and have them determine the objectives in their scene. Step 7: Teacher circulates through the class giving help where needed and checking off the groups on identifying their objective. Stage Business Educational Objective:- The student will demonstrate their ability to use appropriate stage business using three different props in a scene. Materials: lots and lots of props Hook: Have a table set up at the front of the class with lots of household and unusual objects. Step 1: As students enter have them grab one object off the table. Step 2: Encourage the students to use their prop in a way that it is not normally used. Step 3: Have the students get in groups of three with people they think have props that relate with their prop in some way. Step 4: Assign the students the task of coming up with the an semi-improv skit where all three of their pros are used appropriately. Step 5: Have each student perform their improv scenes. Step 6: Discuss the scenes performed - how well did the students use their objects. Step 7: Give the students time to determine if they can include any props in the scenes they have been assigned. Step 8: If times allows work assigned scenes that could incorporate props available in the room. Practice and Evaluation Educational Objective: The student will demonstrate their ability to understand the basic elements of acting of in a scene. Materials: evaluation sheet Hook: Pass out the evaluation forms. Step 1: Allow each scene group a good portion of the class time to polish their scene. (20/30 minutes at least) The teacher watches working any problems seen, answering questions, etc. Step 2: Assign each group another group to work with and instruct them to perform for each other. Each group must evaluate the others performance, giving the group any constructive criticism they can. (They may want to perform one or two times to allow the evaluators to Spot tenements) Step 3: With any time remaining the groups incorporate the advice given by working their scenes some more. Step 4: Have the students hand in their evaluations. Example Evaluation Sheet Name Scene Name of actors #1 Name of actor #2  Name of actor #3 Name of actor #4 Please evaluate your class-mates one each element-listed. Please base your ratings on their use of these elements ONLY. Comfort on lines #1 #2 #3 #4 Facial Expressions #1 #2 #3 #4 Listening #1 **2 #3 #4 Movement #1 #2 #3 #4  Character Development #1 #2 #3 #4 Voice #1 #2 #3 #4 Objective and Tactics #1 #2 #3 #4 Stage Business #1 #2 #3 #4 **4 is the highest and 1 is the lowest.