Lesson plan
Putting a Play Together!
Learning Objectives
- Students will be able to define terminology related to the genre of plays and drama.
- Students will be able to compare and contrast dramas with other types of literature such as chapter books and poetry.
- Students will be able to analyze text and determine components of plays and drama.
The adjustment to the whole group lesson is a modification to differentiate for children who are English learners.
Introduction
(5 minutes)
- Pass or bring around the “grab bag” of books and have each student quickly choose a book. In order to make this go faster, you might consider having them close their eyes and take a book so that it is random and moves quickly.
- Give the students a minute to browse their book and look for characteristics or features.
- Ask students to get up and mix and mingle with their classmates, comparing and contrasting features of their books.
- Once students have returned to their seats remind the students that genres have unique characteristics.
- Demonstrate with a chapter book, showing them the table of contents and chapters and compare a chapter book with a book of poetry that contains stanzas.
- Tell the students that they will be learning about a new genre called drama, which includes plays.
Explicit Instruction/Teacher modeling
(10 minutes)- Using chart paper create a word bank with the title, “Drama: Plays.” Write the following words on the word bank as you read them: Scene, act, characters, script, parenthesis, colon, dialogue.
- Tell the students that these words are parts of plays and that we can find them when we read a play.
- Using a suggested play or a play that you select, show the students how they can find each part of the play. As you point to each part, explain that purpose. If desired, you can draw a symbol or quick illustration next to each word to give students an additional reference for support.
- Explain that there are also parts of a play that include characters or objects.
- Continuing your word bank, add the following words to your list: actress/actor, playwright, star, audience, costumes, rehearsal.
- As before, demonstrate the parts that these individuals have within a play and if desired, draw a symbol or quick picture next to each word.
Guided Practice
(10 minutes)- Distribute supplemental vocabulary word cards, giving one to each student.
- Using a play of choice, invite students to find parts of the play that match their vocabulary word cards.
- Guide students through the process of identifying the parts of the play and explaining each vocabulary word that is related to drama and plays.
Independent working time
(15 minutes)- Ask students to complete the What’s in a Play? worksheet. (Students will tell why certain play components are important and give an example.)
- Circulate around the room and provide support, as needed.
Differentiation
Enrichment:
- Have students use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast dramas and plays with other types of literature. (Refer back to lesson introduction.)
- Invite students to create a comic strip sequence with visuals that could be used to write a play.
Support:
- Provide students with a sample of labeled dramas.
- As students are completing the worksheet, provide a word bank of ideas that students could use for examples.
- For beginning English language learners, allow them to illustrate examples.
Technology Integration
- Use digital cameras to take pictures of students showing various poses or actions. Use the photographs to brainstorm topics for different plays.
- Use an interactive whiteboard and a play template to introduce students to play terminology.
- Use software that goes along with an interactive whiteboard to have the students play a matching game with the play vocabulary.
Assessment
(10 minutes)- Have students complete the Acting 101: Learning the Parts of a Script! worksheet as an assessment.
- Check to see that students understand the parts of a play and the different components.
Review and closing
(5 minutes)- Have students synthesize what they learned in the lesson.
- Give students a sentence starter: At first I thought , but now I know .
- Invite students to think about plays and how their thinking has changed since the beginning of the lesson. Have students write their responses in their journals.
- Invite students to share their responses.
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