Author

Lorne Cooke

Title

Teacher

Grade Level

10 – 12

Subject Area

Drama 10 – Fine Arts

Overview of unit/lessons/activities (assumptions of prior knowledge/learning)

Script writing

The assignment:

Write a 20 minute play based on a fairy tale of your choice (subject to instructor approval). Each finished project must include the following components:

1.     ACTING     (required)

In addition, your choice of ANY TWO of the following Technical Inventory components:

2.     Set Design, including floor plan, stage model, and inventory listsof furniture required, constructs needed, etc.

3.     Set Lighting and Sound, including completed sound effects dubs, music effects, lighting and electrical plot, etc.

4.     Costume Design, including one completed costume, and base design for all characters, etc.

5.     THEATRE MANAGEMENT study, incorporating aspects of stage and theatre management, production administration, and may include aspects of front-of-house operations, direction, producing, etc.

6.     OTHER areas of special interest to the student may be explored, but only with clearly stated objectives and on mutual arrangement with the instructor.

It is assumed that learners have some degree of computer literacy, and can log in to the school server, save files, use Internet applications. In addition, learners should have already read scripts and ideally seen plays performed, had an introduction to the concept of literary genre, and are able to distinguish prose from drama. They should be familiar with the following vocabulary: script, dialogue, line, actor, playwright, stage directions, character, setting, and plot. This task would be appropriately introduced by a unit on script writing and/or a unit on folktales.

Correlations to ICT and curriculum outcomes

Many exciting applications of computer technologies in the arts lend themselves well to a collaborative approach to writing. One component of the Drama 10 program, creating original scripts or theatre pieces, is especially suited to this level of technology. Not only applicable in a localized classroom context, we can virtually effortlessly apply the principles to an online collaboration across great distances, across varied cultures, across many of the social and physical barriers that separate people.

The particular Drama 10 outcomes represented in this project include:

Creative / Productive

1. will use drama to explore, formulate, and express ideas, perceptions and feelings.
2. apply research from print and non-print sources to the development of dramatic text and to acting, design, and directing choices
3. use various forms for reflection and debriefing

Critical / Responsive

1. will use drama to explore, formulate, and express ideas, perceptions and feelings.
2. make informed judgments about their own work and the work of others

Numerous applications to the principles of the curriculum integration of technology apply here. In particular, within the fine arts spectrum, and in Drama 10 in particular, a few of the overall curriculum outcomes for ICT come to the fore.

RPSD 12.5 (relates to 9.4 – 9.8) contribute to the development of criteria for selecting a research topic, and, based on those criteria, define and complete a research task efficiently

CT 12.1 (relates to 9.1) use language, in a range of aural, print, media and electronic forms to explore and express their perceptions, feelings, ideas and attitudes; refine their thinking; and interact, negotiate, and collaborate with others in order to build their understanding

CT 12.2 (relates to 9.1, 9.2) critically apply technological skills in a range of electronic, visual, and print media for formal and informal communication

CT 12.3 (relates to 9.1) design and create electronic documents to accomplish curricular tasks

CT 12.5 (relates to 9.1 – 9.3) use multimedia hardware and authoring software to develop non-linear, interactive presentation

CT 12.6 (relates to 9.3) assess the value and application of information and communication technology in personal and career-related pursuits

This range of outcomes is by no means exhaustive. There are several others applicable.

Projected timeline for preparation and for carrying out activities

Five or six weeks should be a reasonable time for completion of this as a major project. This unit may be expanded or contracted time-wise to whatever may fit within your program. The ongoing project should have opportunity for improvisation and other practice related to the development of characters and the drama.

Equipment Requirements: (computers, software, etc)

1. Highly recommended: a stage and a computer lab! Practical reality suggests, of course, at minimum a large open space for rehearsing, and one internet-connected computer per writing group.
   
   
2. Access to an online content management system (CMS). Highly recommended is the TikiWiki, however I'm sure PHPNuke, Drupal, Mambo and a host of others will serve well. It is also possible to use Moodle for this purpose; however the interface might prove very challenging for inexperienced teachers to administer! Please contact me if you wish to use this resource, or if I can assist in any way.
   
   
3. LCD projector or other means of demonstrating online activities for students.
   
   

Teaching materials provided (Blacklines, worksheets, templates, teacher materials)

Resources available for teacher/student use (websites, references, etc)

Source stories: http://geeks.ednet.ns.ca/stories/

1. These are the text only files, gleaned from http://www.gutenberg.org and derive from the compilations of Andrew Lang (1844-1912).

A valuable text and approach to the group processes involved in script development may be reviewed in Adland, David. Group Approach to Drama. Longmans, 1964. There are three books in this series. Other works may serve as well.

For an exhaustive costuming reference, have a look at http://costumes.org, also known as The Costumers Manifesto. This site is presented by Prof. Tara Maginnis of the University of Alaska – Fairbanks. WOW!!

Detailed instructions for each activity or lesson (teacher notes, activity information, learning strategies, teacher role, student roles)

1. Students each choose a story to read individually
2. Each student will be able to “tell” their story in 90 – 120 seconds
3. Each story should be broken down into eight or nine “points of action”; that is, specific actions that occur through the story. This is perhaps the first difficult hurdle for students to overcome.
4. Student teams develop each point of action into an acting sequence, using provided interactive writing tools, such as an online CMS. It is important that the improvisation of each “scene” is crucial to developing believable and good sounding script! Act first; then write!!
5. Students perform their finished products. While public performance is NOT a required component of the grade 10 drama program, every opportunity for performance should be taken. The performance of a radio type play, for example, may relieve reluctant performers from some anxiety. Stronger actors may adopt roles in other students' plays. As students' strengths grow, you will find their reluctance to appear on stage diminishes; and that's a good thing!
   
   

Student products expected

The finished product from each student group shall be a fully scripted story, and include the essential elements of a technical inventory: floor plans, stage model, costume and makeup plot, props list, etc. The development of those components is beyond the scope of the current script writing component. However, to completely address all issues of one's play, all areas of stagecraft should be well considered.

Samples (include teacher notes, assessment information, student work if available)

I offer a small rubric for your consideration below.
fairytale_rubric.rtf

Student assignment handout: drama10_assignment.rtf

Logistics (organization, grouping, management issues, access to technology)

1. Groups should be composed, drawing together common interests and abilities. While the casting requirements of students' finished work may not match the number of persons in each group, groups should be composed of four or five students wherever practical
2. Using a content management system (CMS) like TikiWiki (http://info.tikiwiki.org/tiki-index.php) learners can compose, edit each others work, and share fully in the writing process. The advantage of using an on-line CMS is that students can arrange to "meet" online, and work outside of class irrespective of distance apart. Public library CAPs, and other alternatives can be used by those without Internet access at home.
3. Using a CMS allows relatively close monitoring of both the writing process itself, as well as learners' time on task. All features of the CMS are customizable, and instructors can receive automatic notifications of changes to files they are "subscribed" to. Thus, there is immediate knowledge of who is working on what projects, how often, and when. This makes for a very handy tool for monitoring any collaborative writing process.
4. Additional information on the process of developing a group or collective creation is detailed in Appendix A of the Drama 10 and Drama 11 Curriculum Guide (1999), available in PDF format via http://educators.ednet.ns.ca/Arts/drama10_11ss.pdf (you will need your Ednet mail account login name and password to access this area).
   
   

Assessment information (e.g., rubrics for products and/or process)

See Sample Rubric   fairytale_rubric.rtf

Possible extensions

Adaptations for students requiring additional support