Drama 6
How can we use drama to engage with and explore important events and issues in our lives?
How is improvisation relevant to every day life?
How does teamwork contribute to a successful production?
What relevant life skills can be learned by doing a production?
What is comedy?
How can we bring a comic character to life?
Improvisation skills - Students learn about improvisation through a variety of exercises and games
Basic Script Writing - Students create a comic sketch applying the structure of The Hero’s Journey to the 6th grader’s experience entering the middle school.
Basic Public Performance - Students perform their episode of "The Sixth Grade Hero's Journey"
Introduction to Puppetry - Students build basic characters using 'found-object' puppets.
Introduction to Mask Work - Working with masks, students explore building a physical character.
Introduction to Clowning - Students create their own clown character and work together to perform classic clown "lazzis" (comedy sketches)
Build and create a supportive ensemble
Discover confidence to take chances in the group.
Support and cooperate with classmate.
Experiment with roles as leader and follower.
Learn and demonstrate attentive audience behavior.
Make mistakes with freedom and see them as creative opportunities.
Collaborate and negotiate with a group to write a script.
Physical and vocal character work.
Basic performance techniques including vocal diction and projection, stage presence and characterization.
The Sixth Grade Hero's Journey sketch is a class-bonding, tone setting and self-confidence building project. It is not graded.
Directorial notes
Self Assessment
Theatre Games for the Classroom - Violin Spolin
The Second City Guide to Improv in the Classroom: Using Improvisation to Teach Skills and Boost Learning - McKnight and Scruggs
101 Improv Games for Children and Adults - Bob Bedore
At Play: Teaching Teenagers Theatre - Elizabeth Swados
Theatre Games for Young Performers: Improvisations and Exercises for Developing Acting Skills - Maria C. Novelly
How to be Really Funny - Mark Stolzenberg
Be a Clown: The Complete Guide to Instant Clowning - Turk Pipkin
Pixar Short Films Collection - Volume 1 (2004)
The Regard of Flight and The Clown Bagatelles (1983) - Bill Irwin
Sing a Song of Six Pants (1947) - The Three Stooges
This class integrates with the Sixth grade English/Language Arts unit: The Heroic Journey / Fantasy & Mythology Genres Literature Circles / Water / Ancient Creation-Flood-Utopian Stories: www.catlin.edu/curriculum/unit/mythology-lit-circles-unit-ancient-creation-flood-utopian-stories-water