Teacher: N. Lee
Waters, Hereford
High School
Arts Discipline: Theater
Grade Level: High School
Team: A
Topic: Jazz & America
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to view the lesson plans of other Team A members.
Power
Point Presentation
Jazz,
the Big Communicator Lesson Overview
Big
Idea: Communication
Essential
Understandings:
-
Communication requires a form of language.
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Communication requires a form of sensual exchange.
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Communication is one of the building blocks of relationships.
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Communication can yield growth.
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Communication can build resources through which students make
appropriate choices.
Topic:
Jazz
Essential
Understandings:
-
How does Jazz help students communicate?
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What is Jazz communication?
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How does it use music to relate emotions to others?
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Is there a need for communication this way and why?
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Can an individual use Jazz communication to build knowledgeable
growth within themselves and through society? How?
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What forms does Jazz communication take?
Introductory
Questions for Communication:
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Why is communication important?
-
What
are the ways that people communicate?
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What
effect can communication have on relationships?
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Is
there a need for communication and why?
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How
is communication perceived?
Theatre
Unit Plan- Overview
Big
Idea: The Arts as Communication
Essential
Understandings:
-
Communication requires a form of language.
-
Communication
requires a form of personal exchange.
-
Communication is an essential building block.
-
Communication can be positive or negative.
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All communication can yield growth.
Topic:
Jazz
Essential
Understanding:
-
The
development of jazz was both enabled and limited by communication.
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Jazz is about challenging musical traditions and expectations.
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Jazz is a result of the influence of significant key musical figures.
Discipline:
Theater Arts
Learner
Outcomes and Expectations:
-
Students
will describe the basic elements, materials, and means of communicating
in theater and related art forms.
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The student will complete the interpretive and expressive qualities
of several art forms in a specific culture or historical period.
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The student will identify and discuss cultural and historical
sources of American theater and musical theater.
-
The student will compare the treatment of similar themes in drama
from various cultures and historical periods.
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The student will explain ways in which various disciplines outside
the arts are interrelated with theater.
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The student will rehearse and perform a variety of theatrical
activities.
-
The student will determine how dance, music, and the visual arts
enhance the expression of ideas and emotions in dramatic activities
and construction by exploring and comparing their basic elements,
principles, materials, and inherent qualities.
-
The student will demonstrate the understanding that theater requires
unity of effort and effect by applying social concepts in ensemble
building.
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The student will demonstrate knowledge of theater performance
and production skills in formal and informal presentations.
Essential
Questions:
-
Why and how does theater change?
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How does communication affect changes to theater?
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How do we learn to respond to new forms of theater?
Assessment:
What
should students understand and be able to do as a result of this unit?
-
Students should be able to explain the rationale for the type
of rhythm, mood, sound, and symbolism used in their improvisational
presentation.
-
Students should be able to justify the audience comprehension
of their improvisational presentation.
-
Students should have an insight into the concept "that an actor
does not create in a vacuum."
Theater
Lesson 2
Back
to top
Big
Idea - The Arts as Communication
Essential
Questions:
-
Why and how does theater change?
-
How does communication affect change?
-
How do we learn to respond to new forms of theater?
Lesson
Objectives:
-
The
learner will be able to express what the music feels like through
improvisation.
-
The
learner will be able to discuss with others in the class the similarities
and feelings expressed in the improvisational presentation.
-
The learner will be able to explain how improvisation is a form
of communication.
Warm
Up into Input:
Word
for the day: Improvisation- the act of inventing, composing
or reciting without preparation.
-
Students
will write down the definition of improvisation.
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The teacher will reintroduce a musical piece that was used in
Lesson 2 of this unit. Students will be asked to write down their
interpretation of the music and chalk drawing that will include
the sound, mood and symbols they chose to portray in their improvisational
presentation.
-
Students will brainstorm the theme of their improvisational piece
and come to an agreement on overall theme that fits the music
and chalk drawing.
Guided
Practice:
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Students will establish within their groups the basic setting,
characters and outcome of their two minute improvisational presentation.
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Students will have a five minute period to establish all the parameters
set in their original goals.
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Students will present in a round robin fashion their improvisations.
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After all the presentations, students will critique each others'
improvisations to establish if each group has met their goals.
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In the discussions the students should include as apart of their
discussion the inclusion or lack of the basic elements needed
to create communication through improvisation.
Final
Closure:
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Students will orally summarize the activities of the lesson and
what they learned from these activities.
Students will answer the five journal questions and write a paragraph
that explains how their improvisation communicates to their fellow students
the theme of their presentation.
Journal Questions
Answer
in brief paragraph format:
-
What type of rhythm (beat) was used in the improvisation and explain
why that particular rhythm was chosen?
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What type of mood did you try to present in your improvisation?
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If you were going to describe your improvisation as a sound, what
type of sound would it be and why would you choose that sound?
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What type of symbol would best represent your improvisation and
why did you select that particular symbol?
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Overall, how well do you think the audience understood your improvisational
concept, and why do you think you obtained that reaction?
Improvisational
Assessment