Lesson Plan 4 for the Highwayman

Teacher: Eva Krebs

Subject Area: English

Grade Level: 8th grade (13-14 yrs.)

Unit Title: Drama

Lesson Title: Lights, Camera, and Action

Performance Objectives:

            Upon completion of this lesson, the student will be able to use a book to create a drama play. Students will be introduced to theater life by rehearsing, creating costumes, painting a mural and acting-out a play.

            By the end of this activity students will be able to:

·         Understand Theater Drama

·         Paint a Mural

·         Creative writing

·         Live performance of "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes

Materials:

• Book- "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes
• Color construction paper (24" x 36")
• Color markers/crayons/color pencils
• Mural with paper roll (36" x 1000")

References:

Noyes, Alfred. (1990). The Highwayman. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

Preparation:

• Present lesson to audience through open discussion on what is Drama and the skills required to perform a play
• Read "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes
• Importance of lesson:

◦     Understand Drama

◦     Creative writing

◦     Live performance

• Introduce activities to the audience in an orderly fashion:

◦     Open discussion on Theater Drama

◦     Read "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes

◦     Rewrite "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes

◦     Divide class into four groups (muralists, costume designers, handbill makers and play cast)

◦     Mural painting, handbill making, costume designing and play rehearsal

◦     Set up play

◦     Carry out play

Presentation:

• Students will read "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes
• As a whole class, students will rewrite parts of "The Highwayman" in order to make it into a theater play

Application:

• Break off into three groups (muralists, costume designers and play cast)
• Muralist will be in charge of background scenery for the play
• Costume designers will create costumes for play cast out of construction paper
• Handbill makers will create a handbill to give to each child with the following items:

◦     Class grade

◦     Play name

◦     Play 1-Actors' names

◦     Play 2-Actors' names

◦     Mural painters' names

• Play cast will rehearse, dress up for play, and do a live performance of play

Note: Play cast will be divided into two groups, thus play will be performed twice

Evaluation:

• Set up background scenery for the play
• Set up classroom and place on handbill each chair
• Two live performance of play

Closure:

• Open discussion on how the play developed
• Ask students what can be changed, added, or taken-off for future plays

Assigned Student Work:

• Students will be asked create a short play:

◦     Write play

◦     Handbill (one page)

▪     Brief play summary

▪     Play characters

◦     Background scenery (8 1/2" x11"paper)

Next Lesson Topic:

• Biography Journal

◦     Creative writing

◦     Interview

◦     Art