MYP/Instructional unit planner

Unit Title Techniques of the Actor

Teacher(s) van der Hoek and Swafford

Subject and Grade Level Drama One 9th and 10th grade

Time frame and Duration 6 weeks

Stage 1: Integrate significant concept, area of interaction and unit question, and ensure
it can be assessed

Global Context Significant Concept(s)

What are the big ideas? What do I want my
students to retain for years into the future?

Personal and Cultural Expression Key Concept: Creativity

An actor must implement all tools of
the actor, body, voice, and
imagination, in order to play a role.

MYP Unit Question/Essential Question

What are the tools of the actor?

What is the appropriate criteria by which to judge a
performance?
How are imagination, voice, and body keystones in
believably creating and expressing characterization?

Assessment
What task(s) will allow students the opportunity to respond to the unit question?
What will constitute acceptable evidence of understanding? How will students show what they have understood?

Diagnostic: 1. Initial warm up peformance, acting skills activities in small and large groups
2. Initial scene work using pantomime and focusing on the whole body as an instument for communication
3. Incital scene work using vocal techniques focusing on pitch and rhythm as instruments for communication.

Formative: 1. Continuous teacher feedback on physical techniques, scenes and characters created.
2. Class discussion and evaluation of work presented in class.
3. Tests evaluating acting technique terms learned and used correctly.
4. Tests evaluating line memorization for scene work.

Summative: 1. Short scripted scenes chosen by and presented by students.

Which specific MYP objectives will be addressed during this unit?

1. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of acting techniques in relation to societal, cultural, historical
and personal contexts.
2. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of acting including terminology, concepts and processes
3. Communicate a meaningful understanding of drama in the context of their own skill level
Which MYP assessment criteria will be used?

Criteria A: Knowledge and Understanding

Stage 2: Backward planning: from the assessment to the learning activities through
inquiry
Content
What knowledge and/or skills (from my course overview) are going to be used to enable the student to respond to the guiding question?
What (if any) state, provincial, district, or local standards/skills are to be addressed?

Students will learn the basic starting skills (9th grade) needed to be an effective communicator on and off stage. This will
entail knowledge of vocabulary, implementing vocal and physical skills on stage and in warm ups.
TAHSAI.3 Acting by developing, communicating, and sustaining roles within a variety of situations and environments.
TAHSAI.10 Critiquing various aspects of theatre and other media using appropriate supporting evidence

Approaches to Learning
How will this unit contribute to the overall development of subject-specific and general AtL skills?

Critical Thinking: Students will learn a new language to apply in future projects—terms, concepts and skills—that will carry over into all their work
as a theatre artist. They will have to determine through critical thinking which terms and which skills apply to each new activity.
Organization: Learning acting techniques will provide a framework for organizing and communicating future ideas.

Learning Experiences Teaching Strategies

How will we use formative assessment to give students feedback
How will students know what is expected of them? Will they see
examples, rubrics, templates, etc.? during the unit?

How will students acquire the knowledge and practise the skills What different teaching methodologies will we employ?
required? How will they practise applying these? How are we differentiating teaching and learning for all? Have we
Do the students have enough prior knowledge? considered those learning in a language other than their mother
tongue? Have we considered those with special educational needs?

Students will see rubrics for scene work and tests Teacher will introduce and model new techniques and
terminology such as:
Students will have rehearsal time and direct Creative risk taking
feedback from the teacher and classmates
Developing imagination
Students will participate in activities designed to Building ensemble
highlight and practice each new concept/term.
Basic stage movement
Students will apply new concepts through
Audience ettiquiette
formative assessments: commercial and open
scenes.
Teacher will scaffold skills through formative
Students will recieve feedback throughout the assessments.
process of both formative assessments and the
Teacher and classmate feedback.
creation of the summative assessment.
Small and large group discussions
Students will apply feedback to each assesment in
order to improve skills and to prepare for Teacher will group students according to experience level
and the students’ desire to take on a specific role
summative assessment.

Feedback/Communication:
Students will receive direct feedback during rehearsals and during assessments. My course team will
meet weekly to discuss planning, progress, and student achievement. We will post grades in a timely
manner and will communicate with parents through our web presence and through email.

Resources
What resources are available to us?
How will our classroom environment, local environment and/or the community be used to facilitate students’ experiences during the unit?

Text book: Basic Drama Projects

The classroom environment is safe, warm and close knit. A positive environment is created by always
critiquing work in a professional safe manner, starting always with the positive remarks first. This allows
students to be true risk takers with their creative work in drama. The classroom is configured in a way that
allows plenty of space for rehearsal, warm ups, lecture and performance. We have special lighting for
performance days that help with focus and concentration.

Ongoing reflections and evaluation

In keeping an ongoing record, consider the following questions. There are further stimulus questions in the
unit planning section of MYP: from principles into practice.
Students and Teachers
What did we find compelling? Was our disciplinary knowledge/skills challenged in any way?
What inquiries arose during the learning? What, if any, extension activities arose?
How did we reflect – both on the unit and on our own learning?
Were there any attributes of the learner profile that were encouraged through this unit? Were there any opportunities for action?

Possible connections
How successful was the collaboration with other teachers within my subject group and from other subject groups?
What interdisciplinary understandings were or could be forged through collaboration with other subjects?
Assessment
Were students able to demonstrate their learning?
Did the assessment tasks allow students to demonstrate the learning objectives identified for this unit? Did I make sure students were invited to
achieve at all levels of the criteria descriptors?
Are we prepared for the next stage?

Data collection
How did I decide on the data to collect? Was it useful?