COURSE TITLE

Theatre

LENGTH

Full Year

Grades 9, 10, 11, and/or 12

DEPARTMENT

Fine, Practical and Performing Arts

Brian Ersalesi, Supervisor of English and Arts

SCHOOL

Rutherford High School

DATE

Primary Content - Visual and Performing Arts

Initial Approval: May 10, 2021

Revised: June 27, 2022

Embedded Content - Career Readiness, Life Literacies and Key Skills

Initial Approval: May 10, 2021

Embedded Content - Computer Science and Design Thinking

Initial Approval: May 10, 2021

Theatre

I.        Introduction/Overview/Philosophy

There is a universal need for expressive communication.  The world today will open for one able to express himself while one without expressive skill will be left behind.  Theatre helps students to become multidimensional communicators by imitating and symbolizing human action in order to explore thought, feeling and behavior.  The course shows that theatre is a metaphoric representation of human behavior.  It is a collaborative, artistic creation that allows man to understand and communicate with his fellow man in a meaningful way.  It encourages students to share spirit.  The mastery of basic theatrical skills leads the student to a basic understanding of the human condition that is studied in all other areas and lived every day.

The course is designed to help students interpret emotions, analyze situations and create responses.  Students are asked to open themselves to new experiences, identify the feelings and reactions that are produced and integrate that information into character portrayal.  Beginning with basic improvisation, students acquire skill in observation, concentration, sense recall, emotional response, improvisation, pantomime, imagination and self-discipline.  Movement in the form of stage direction, motivated movement and stage movement is added.  Vocal diction, projection and interpretation are used to show emotion.  Character analysis leads to informed opinions regarding emotional response.  Through scene study, understanding and empathy for another are developed.  In addition, decorum of rehearsal and production is developed, as well as a beginning appreciation of the elements of production design.

Theatre fulfills the state requirement of one year of arts.  It is open to all four levels of the student population and may be followed up by other theatre courses if students wish to pursue further work in this creative area.  By the end of the course, students will have developed basic internal and external resources, explored basic creative potential, investigated basic social, cultural and historical contexts in which they live and expanded their basic critical acumen.  The curriculum adheres to the Student Learning Standards in the area of Visual and Performing Arts.

Throughout time, the arts have served as a distinctive vehicle for self-discovery and a means of understanding the world in which we live. The Rutherford Public School understands this and will continue to foster the arts as the state of New Jersey continues to transform public education to meet the needs of a changing world and the 21st century workforce, capitalizing on the unique ability of the arts to develop creativity, critical thinking, and innovation skills is critical to the success of our students.

The arts infuse our lives with meaning on nearly all levels—generating significant creative and intellectual capital. They inspire creative and critical thinking and encourage acceptance of diversity. A well-designed sequential arts program promotes responsible decision making, enhances self-awareness, builds self-esteem and self-management skills, and helps students build relationship and collaboration skills; all of which is essential to prepare Rutherford Public Schools’ students for post-secondary success.

This course adheres to The New Jersey Student Learning Standards – Visual and Performing Arts which are designed to promote lifelong artistic literacy and fluency and are guided by the mission and vision statements that follow.

Mission: To empower students to develop creative and critical thinking, social-emotional competencies, and intellectual and expressive abilities that will allow them to become active, contributing members of a global society.

Vision: All students will have equitable access to a quality, arts education that leads to artistic literacy and fluency in the artistic practices of the five art disciplines as a mechanism for:

• Performing, presenting or producing, as artistically literate individuals, by expressing and realizing creative ideas and implementing essential technical skills and cognitive abilities significant to many aspects of life and work in the 21st century;
• Responding to artistic ideas and work with personal meaning and cognizance of the ability of the arts to address universal themes, including climate change;
• Creating new artistic work reflective of a variety of different ethnic, racial, and cultural perspectives;
• Connecting and evaluating how the arts convey meaning through all arts and non-arts disciplines and contexts of our global society.

The development of artistic literacy is dependent on creating an environment in which students are encouraged to independently and collaboratively imagine, investigate, construct, and reflect. Philosophically speaking, the arts serve to communicate ideas, as an opportunity for creative personal realization, to connect and reflect culture and history, and as a means to well-being and mechanism for problem solving universal, global issues including climate change.

Within the broad lifetime goal of preparing artistically literate individuals, learning experiences that engage students with a variety of artistic media, symbols, and metaphors for the purpose of creating and performing in ways that express and communicate their own ideas are essential. Additionally, to become artistically literate, students need opportunities to respond to the arts through analyzing and interpreting the artistic communications of others.

All lessons in this course will follow the NJSLS that allow students to CREATE by:

• Imagining
• Envisioning
• Planning
• Constructing
• Evaluating
• Clarifying
• Realizing

All lessons in this course will follow the NJSLS that allow students to PERFORM by:

• Choosing
• Rehearsing
• Establishing
• Analyzing
• Sharing

All lessons in this course will follow the NJSLS that allow students to RESPOND by:

• Examining
• Discerning
• Interpreting
• Critiquing

All lessons in this course will follow the NJSLS that allow students to CONNECT by:

• Incorporating
• Affecting
• Expanding

II.        Objectives

Course Outline:

• What Is Theatre?

• Terms for theatre interior
• Types of theatre spaces
• Stage Directions

• Theatre History

• Greek, Roman, Medieval Theatre
• Renaissance and Reformation
• Elizabethan and Shakespeare
• Restoration
• Eighteenth Century
• Nineteenth Century
• Twentieth Century
• Theatre Today

• Varieties of Drama

• Comedy vs. Tragedy
• Aristotle and Modern Tragedy
• Comic Devices -- exaggeration, incongruity, anticipation, incompletion, ambiguity, recognition, protection, and relief
• Types of Comedy -- Low (farce, burlesque, parody); High (comedy of manners, satire)
• Other Types of Drama -- fantasy, romantic comedy, sentimental comedy, melodrama, play of ideas or social drama, psychological drama, the whodunit, allegory.

• Creating a Character

• Objective
• Superobjective
• Spine
• Intentions
• Back-story
• Scoring a Role

• Vocal Instrument

• Tongue Twisters
• Accents (including our own!)
• Speaking on stage
• The four processes of speech
• Four properties of Tone

• Improvisation

• Character centered vs. Situation Centered
• The Motivated Sequence
• Establishing a Character
• Group vs. Individual

• Drama Structure

• Essential Parts of Drama
• Aristotle and key elements of the play
• Plot Structure

• Monologue Performances

• Scoring a role
• Memorization
• Rehearsal process
• Reading the monologue
• Writing the monologue
• Performing the monologue

• Scene Performances

• Scoring role
• Memorization
• Rehearsal process
• Stage Movement
• Props & Costumes
• Expectations of working with partners

• Set Design and Construction

• Set pieces and names
• Tool names and functions
• Cut lists
• Painting techniques
• Set dressing and props

• Lighting and Sound

• Types of lights
• Types of soundboards
• Types of microphones
• Properties of light
• Properties of sound

• Resume Writing and Audition Ideas

• What casting directors look for
• Writing resumes
• Headshots
• Preparing an audition piece

• Stand Up Comedy

• Types of comedy – observational vs. joke based
• Delivery methods
• Watching examples
• Performance

• Television and Radio Acting

• Soap Opera
• Sitcom
• Drama

Student Outcomes:

After successfully completing this course, the student will be able to:

• Assess theatrical activity within an historical perspective
• Locate appropriate information and/or resources in the discipline of theatre
• Analyze and/or research a theatrical text
• Apply critical thinking skills to the discipline of theatre
• Apply appropriate theatrical protocol
• Prepare a resume, audition piece, or portfolio appropriate to the profession
• Read and analyze a broad range of dramatic literature
• Research various career choices within the profession  

Career Readiness, Life Literacies, and Key Skills Practices

CRLLKSP 1                Act as a responsible and contributing community member and employee.

Students understand the obligations and responsibilities of being a member of a community, and they demonstrate this understanding every day through their interactions with others. They are conscientious of the impacts of their decisions on others and the environment around them. They think about the near-term and long-term consequences of their actions and seek to act in ways that contribute to the betterment of their teams, families, community and workplace. They are reliable and consistent in going beyond the minimum expectation and in participating in activities that serve the greater good.

CRLLKSP 2                Attend to financial well-being.

Students take regular action to contribute to their personal financial well-being, understanding that personal financial security provides the peace of mind required to contribute more fully to their own career success.

CRLLKSP 3                Consider the environmental, social and economic impacts of decisions.

Students understand the interrelated nature of their actions and regularly make decisions that positively impact and/or mitigate negative impact on other people, organization, and the environment. They are aware of and utilize new technologies, understandings, procedures, materials, and regulations affecting the nature of their work as it relates to the impact on the social condition, the environment and the profitability of the organization.

CRLLKSP 4                Demonstrate creativity and innovation.

Students regularly think of ideas that solve problems in new and different ways, and they contribute those ideas in a useful and productive manner to improve their organization. They can consider unconventional ideas and suggestions as solutions to issues, tasks or problems, and they discern which ideas and suggestions will add greatest value. They seek new methods, practices, and ideas from a variety of sources and seek to apply those ideas to their own workplace. They take action on their ideas and understand how to bring innovation to an organization.

CRLLKSP 5                Utilize critical thinking to make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

Students readily recognize problems in the workplace, understand the nature of the problem, and devise effective plans to solve the problem. They are aware of problems when they occur and take action quickly to address the problem; they thoughtfully investigate the root cause of the problem prior to introducing solutions. They carefully consider the options to solve the problem. Once a solution is agreed upon, they follow through to ensure the problem is solved, whether through their own actions or the actions of others.

CRLLKSP 6                Model integrity, ethical leadership and effective management.

Students consistently act in ways that align personal and community-held ideals and principles while employing strategies to positively influence others in the workplace. They have a clear understanding of integrity and act on this understanding in every decision. They use a variety of means to positively impact the directions and actions of a team or organization, and they apply insights into human behavior to change others’ action, attitudes and/or beliefs. They recognize the near-term and long-term effects that management’s actions and attitudes can have on productivity, morals and organizational culture.

 CRLLKSP 7                Plan education and career paths aligned to personal goals.

Students take personal ownership of their own education and career goals, and they regularly act on a plan to attain these goals. They understand their own career interests, preferences, goals, and requirements. They have perspective regarding the pathways available to them and the time, effort, experience and other requirements to pursue each, including a path of entrepreneurship. They recognize the value of each step in the education and experiential process, and they recognize that nearly all career paths require ongoing education and experience. They seek counselors, mentors, and other experts to assist in the planning and execution of career and personal goals.

CRLLKSP 8                Use technology to enhance productivity, increase collaboration and communicate effectively.

Students find and maximize the productive value of existing and new technology to accomplish workplace tasks and solve workplace problems. They are flexible and adaptive in acquiring new technology. They are proficient with ubiquitous technology applications. They understand the inherent risks-personal and organizational-of technology applications, and they take actions to prevent or mitigate these risks.

CRLLKSP 9                Work productively in teams while using cultural/global competence.

Students positively contribute to every team, whether formal or informal. They apply an awareness of cultural difference to avoid barriers to productive and positive interaction. They find ways to increase the engagement and contribution of all team members. They plan and facilitate effective team meetings.

III.         Proficiency Levels

This is an elective course and is open to all students in Grades 9 - 12. There is no prerequisite.  

IV.        Methods of Assessment

Student Assessment

• A variety of assessments will be provided including, but not limited to, the following items:

• Tests
• Quizzes
• Homework
• Classwork
• Class Participation
• Writing Assignments
• Oral Presentations
• Individual Projects, Presentations and Reports
• Group Projects, Presentations and Reports
• Technology Projects
• Journals
• Rubrics for peer, self, and teacher evaluation
• Written and oral self evaluation
• Written or oral play reviews
• Written and oral character analyses
• Written and oral play analyses
• Performance evaluations

Curriculum/Teacher Assessment

The teacher will provide the subject area supervisor with suggestions for changes on an ongoing basis.

V.        Grouping

Theatre is designed for heterogeneously grouped students in grades 9 –12.

VI.        Articulation/Scope & Sequence/Time Frame

Theatre is a full year elective course.

VII.        Resources

Texts/Supplemental Reading/References

• Internet articles and various websites

• Students are encouraged to use print materials from the Internet on various topics related to theatrical selections that can enhance the curriculum with the approval of the administration.

• Technology

• Students are also encouraged to make full use of technological resources for research-based projects and to supplement the literature and articles read in class.
• Use of technology will conform to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards.

• Supplies/Materials

• Students must have abundant access to print media, electronic media and the Internet.  DVDs on various aspects of sports and writers of books about theatre are to be used with teacher discretion.

• Texts

• Various scene books from RHS Media Center
• Various scripts from RHS Media Center

• Supplemental Readings/Materials

• Supplemental readings and/or materials must be relevant and appropriate and related to the course content.  Any supplemental readings/materials will be used with teacher discretion and/or supervisor/administrator approval.

Mandates

Classroom instruction and activities will include, where appropriate, activities on climate change. The New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS) are designed to prepare students to understand how and why climate change happens, the impact it has on our local and global communities and to act in informed and sustainable ways. Where possible, activities are infused to foster an interdisciplinary approach to climate change education that is evidence-based, action-oriented and inclusive.

Classroom instruction and activities will include, where appropriate, activities on Asian American and Pacific Islander Education. As per, P.L.2021, c.416, the instruction will include inclusive materials that portray the cultural diversity of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Classroom instruction and activities will include, where appropriate, curricula on diversity and inclusion. As per 18A:35-4.36a (2021), the instruction shall:

• apply to grades Kindergarten through 12
• highlight and promote diversity
• examine the impact that unconscious bias and economic disparities have
• encourage safe, welcoming, and inclusive environments for all students

The following websites may also be used to infuse activities into diversity and inclusion into lessons. They are current as of the publication/approval of this document.

Diversity and Inclusion

• https://newsela.com/
• https://www.learningforjustice.org/
• https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plans/teaching-content/multiculturalism-and-diversity/
• https://diversebooks.org
• https://newsela.com/
• https://www.glsen.org/educator-resources
• https://youth.gov/youth-topics/lgbtq-youth/school-experiences
• https://learninglab.si.edu/collections/lgbt-rights-and-history/5BHAnX8dNsdAEfGU 

Individuals with with Disabilities

• https://newsela.com/
• https://www.disabilitymuseum.org/dhm/index.html
• https://americanhistory.si.edu/disabilityrights/welcome.html
• https://getintoit.specialolympics.org/educators/

The Bergen County Curriculum Consortium has curated resources designed to work in tandem with existing curricula. These tools highlight the contributions of diverse groups and align to New Jersey Student Learning Standards. This resource was approved by the Rutherford Board of Education on August 23, 2021.

• https://sites.google.com/wwrsd.org/njsa1835-435to436/k-12-curriculum-toolkits 

Additionally, middle school and high school instruction and activities will include, where appropriate, curricula on the history of disabled and LGBT persons.  As per 18A:35-4.35 (2021), the instruction shall include instruction on the political, economic, and social contributions of persons with disabilities and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, in an appropriate place in the curriculum of middle school and high school students as part of the district’s implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards.

Interdisciplinary Connections Mandated by the NJDOE

This will apply where applicable to literary selections and informational texts in this curriculum document as referenced in the pacing guides below.

VIII.        Suggested Activities

The instructor will include a variety of activities for learning, both teacher- and learner-based, including:

• Exercises of relaxation and focus
• Block scenes
• Character analysis
• Performance of at least two (2) two-character scenes
• Performance of at least two (1) monologues
• Perform weekly improvisations
• Creation of a set design
• Creation of a costume plot/design
• Creation of a lighting plot/design

IX.        Methodologies

Career Readiness, Life Literacies, and Key Skills Mission:  Career readiness, life literacies, and key skills education provides students with the necessary skills to make informed career and financial decisions, engage as responsible community members in a digital society, and successfully meet challenges and opportunities in an interconnected global economy.

Vision: An education in career readiness, life literacies and key skills fosters a population that:

• Continually self-reflects and seeks to improve the essential life and career practices that lead to success
• Uses effective communication and collaboration skills and resources to interact with a global society
• Possesses financial literacy and responsibility at home and in the broader community
• Plans, executes, and alters career goals in response to changing societal and economic conditions
• Seeks to attain skill and content mastery to achieve success in a chosen career path

Career Readiness, Life Literacies, and Key Skills are intended to:

• Promote the development of curricula and learning experiences that reflect the vision and mission of Career Readiness, Life Literacies, and Key Skills
• Foster greater coherence and appropriate progressions across grade bands
• Establish meaning connections among the major areas of study
• Prioritize the important ideas and core processes that are central and have lasting value beyond the classroom
• Reflect the habits of mind central to Career Readiness, Life Literacies, and Key skills that lead to post-secondary success

A wide variety of methodologies in this course will be used.  The following are suggestions, not limitations, as to how the program may be implemented and facilitated while paying special attention to the skills.  Codes refer to the 2020 New Jersey Student Learning Standards – Career Readiness, Life Literacies, and Key Skills.

• Cooperative learning groups CRLLKSP1, CRLLKSP4, CRLLKSP5, CRLLKSP6, CRLLKSP8, CRLLKSP9
• Differentiated instruction methods CRLLKSP2, CRLLKSP6, CRLLKSP8
• Workshop approach CRLLKSP1, CRLLKSP4, CRLLKSP5, CRLLKSP6, CRLLKSP8, CRLLKSP9
• Individual assignments CRLLKSP2, CRLLKSP4
• Whole class instruction CRLLKSP2, CRLLKSP4
• Small group instruction CRLLKSP1, CRLLKSP4, CRLLKSP5, CRLLKSP6, CRLLKSP8, CRLLKSP9
• Technology-aided instruction CRLLKSP2, CRLLKSP4, CRLLKSP8
• Peer-to-peer instruction CRLLKSP1, CRLLKSP4, CRLLKSP9

X.        Interdisciplinary Connections

Interdisciplinary curriculum coordination will be done with other departments on a regular basis.

The nature of the theatre discipline demands varied access to any of the following areas: art, English Language Arts, social studies/history, science, mathematics, business, physical education and/or technology.

This theatre course may reinforce concepts taught in:

• Social Studies/History
• English Language Arts - RL.9-10.9. Analyze and reflect on (e.g. practical knowledge, historical/cultural context, and background knowledge) how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work (e.g., how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from mythology or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play by Shakespeare). RL.11-12.7. Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g., recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how each version interprets the source text. (e.g., Shakespeare and other authors.)
• Humanities
• Mathematics
• Psychology
• Science
• Physical Education
• Technology
• Appropriate and competent use of relevant websites and digital software and equipment
• Recording student performances/projects using appropriate audio, video, and /or photographic means to facilitate classroom critique of student growth and progress
• Presentation and exploration of related career possibilities
• Working in teams to create group based learning activities and projects CRLLKSP1
• Application of skills learned in class to project based activities CRLLKSP2

XI.         Differentiating Instruction for Students with Special Needs: Students with Disabilities, Students at Risk, Students with 504 Plans, English Language Learners, and Gifted & Talented Students

Differentiating instruction is a flexible process that includes the planning and design of instruction, how that instruction is delivered, and how student progress is measured. Teachers recognize that students can learn in multiple ways as they celebrate students’ prior knowledge. By providing appropriately challenging learning, teachers can maximize success for all students.

Differentiating in this course includes but is not limited to:

Differentiation for Support (ELL, Special Education, Students at Risk and Students with 504 Plans)

• Peer mentoring on problems
• Differentiated teacher feedback on assignments
• Visual aids as we project problems on whiteboard
• Study guides
• Tiered assignments
• Scaffolding of materials and assignments
• Re-teaching and review
• Guided note taking
• Exemplars of varied performance levels
• Multi-media approach to accommodating various learning styles
• Use of visual and multi-sensory formats
• Use of assisted technology
• Use of prompts
• Modification of content and student products
• Testing accommodations
• Authentic assessments
• Pre-teaching of vocabulary and concepts
• Visual learning, including graphic organizers
• Use of cognates to increase comprehension
• Teacher modeling
• Pairing students with beginning English language skills with students who have more advanced English language skills
• Scaffolding

• word walls
• sentence frames
• think-pair-share
• cooperative learning groups
• teacher think-alouds

• Supplemental reading material for independent study
• Flexible grouping
• Tiered assignments
• Topic selection by interest
• Enhanced expectations for independent study
• Elevated questioning techniques using Webb's Depth of Knowledge matrix
• Adjusting the pace of lessons
• Curriculum compacting
• Inquiry-based instruction
• Independent study
• Higher-order thinking skills
• Interest-based content
• Student-driven
• Real-world problems and scenarios

XII.        Professional Development

The teacher will continue to improve expertise through participation in a variety of professional development opportunities.

XIII.        Curriculum Map/Pacing Guide