INSTRUCTOR: Kristin Richins

DATE: 3/24/2012

COURSE TITLE: Theatre Methods

LESSON #: 7

UNIT: History in Plays and Musicals

SPECIFIC TOPIC:
Scene Design

INSTRUCTIONAL GOAL: (Goals for the entire unit)

-Students will see that history and theatre are intertwined.
-Students will understand how historical topics impact plays.
-Students will gain a greater understanding of history and theatre
based on their play project.
-Students will understand how to develop a thumbnails and a theme
for a set design.
PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE:
-Present projects that demonstrate their understanding of history and
a specific time period.
-Research the details within the time period and how it relates to
set design.
-Present set design and theme for the set design and play project.
LESSON CONTENT:
Day 1:
Step 1: Instruction Explain that all the concepts weve learned up to
this point will help the students as they decide how they want to
portray the mood and spirit of the play through their scenic design.
Ask students to describe another concept that might be used to
describe the mood and feeling of The Scarlet Pimpernel. Explain that
students are not limited to one idea, but that they may choose the
feel of their scene based on how they want their audiences to

understand the play. Write their ideas on the board.

Step 2: Checking for Understanding Display a visual of a set design.
Ask students to name some objects, words, or types of music that
may have been the inspiration for that particular design. Again, write
their ideas on the board.
Step 3: Instruction Place a generic object, such as an apple, in front
of the class. Have them begin to write how that apple might be a
design statement for their particular scene.
Step 4: Checking for Understanding Have at least one student from
each scene share their statement with the class.
Step 5: Guided Practice Have students begin to work on their
written statements for their own design concept.
Day 2:
Step 1: Transition Explain that we are able to understand a great
deal from that one picture. Explain how in set design, we have that
one image to portray all we want to say. Discuss how rough sketches
can help portray how we want our set to look and what we want it to
say. They can also help other designers get an idea and a feel for the
style and mood we want people to understand through the design.
Step 2: Instruction Display the examples of thumbnail sketches.
Note that they are rough drawings, usually made in pencil, that show
the general composition of the set, but very little detail.
Check for Understanding Ask students what the purpose of
thumbnail sketches are. (To provide a rough visualization of various
scenic concepts. To see how ideas about a scenic design look on
paper. To have a rough outline to start the design from.)
Step 3: Guided Practice Pass out the plain paper and give students
the remaining class time to draw a thumbnail sketch of their scenic
design based off of their design concept.
EVALUATION PROCEDURES: (How you will measure outcomes to

determine if the material has been learned?)

-On the following day, students will turn in a half page written
statement accompanying a picture, object, or audio representation of
their design concept for their assigned scene.
-Students will turn in their thumbnail sketches.
-Application of set design in presented projects
MATERIALS AND AIDS:
Pictures of sets
Examples of thumbnail sketches
Blocks for practical set design.