Lesson Plan "Formula"

Rather than stick to a specific lesson plan format, we've come up with a formula that we'll use to create our in class lessons. Though the literature, activities, and goals will change - hopefully this will help organize our efforts. In addition, because these lessons use books as a template, they can improve skills in literacy development in an incredible way. Feel free to take any information from the drama workshops and connect it to writing, reading, spelling, social studies, math and science. Students can illustrate, sing, dance, complete worksheets, or give oral presentations about their work in these lessons, don't feel as if the suggestions we've made are limited to theatrical work!

1. Identify the kind of story. (i.e. fantasy, "The Sad Unicorn")
2. Do a form of kinesthetic/bodily-involved/movement based activity to engage with the feelings of the characters/themes/plot/emotions being discussed. (i.e. mirror a partner demonstrating what the unicorn feels at the beginning of the story)
3. Do an activity specific to the book that involves some large-scale dimension of theater. (i.e. in groups of 3-4 create a short scene that shows how the unicorn felt happier. How could she have felt happy in a different way?)
4. Relate it to the classroom and real-life experiences. (i.e. How did the wolves treat the unicorn? Why did they do this? What can be done so that we do not treat our classmates like the wolves treated the unicorn?)
5. Assessment Assessment Assessment - It is essential that students measurably gain something from these lessons, they aren't a deviation from curriculum. Assessment is sometimes facilitated by a discussion, the taking on of a class project, or an extension to a content area related to the issue.