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Acting With Dramatic Literature

Course Name:     Acting with Dramatic Literature

Course # H1512   

Grades: 9-12     Level: 0    Semester: 5x Credits: 2.5

 

Course Description:

 

Acting with Dramatic Literature is a semester course that includes instruction in critical reading and written analysis of a one-act play as well as lessons in acting through physical and vocal exercises. Students will study the fundamentals of dramatic literature, including the structure of the one-act play, focusing on the importance of plot, conflict, setting, and characterization. In addition, students will be assigned specific characters to analyze in writing, paying strict attention to motivation and subtext. Students will be required to participate in theatre games, improvisational work, and group rehearsal dynamics to discover and develop basic acting skills. Students will handle props, learn the basics of direction, and critically evaluate other actors’ work as well as their own orally and in writing. The final assessment of the course will be a performance of the one-act play.

 

Course Proficiencies:  

 

The following is a list of proficiencies that describes what the students are expected to know and be able to do as a result of successfully completing this course. The proficiencies are the basis of the assessment of student achievement. The learner will demonstrate the ability to:

 

  •  Demonstrate command of the system and structure of the English language when writing or speaking. (NJSLS.LSS.9–10.1.) 
  • Apply knowledge of language to make effective choices for meaning, or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading, writing, speaking or listening. (NJSLS.LKL.9–10.2.) 
  • Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 9–10 reading and content, including technical meanings, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. (NJSLS.LVL.9–10.3.) 
  • Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings, including connotative meanings. (NJSLS.LVI.9–10.4.)  
  • Cite a range of thorough textual evidence and make relevant connections to strongly support analysis of multiple aspects of what a literary text says explicitly and inferentially, as well as including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain. (NJSLS.RL.CR.9–10.1. ). 
  • Determine one or more themes of a literary text and analyze how it is developed and refined over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text. (NJSLS.RL.CI.9–10.2.) 
  • Analyze how an author unfolds and develops ideas throughout a text, including how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme. (NJSLS.RL.IT.9–10.3.) 
  • Analyze how an author’s choices concerning the structure of a text, order of the events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulation of time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create specific effects (e.g., mystery, tension, or surprise). (NJSLS.RL.TS.9–10.4.) 
  • Determine an author’s lens in a text (including cultural experience reflected in a work of literature from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature) and analyze how an author uses rhetorical devices to advance a point of view. (NJSLS.RL.PP. 9–10.5.) 
  • Analyze integrate, and evaluate multiple interpretations (e.g., recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry) of a single text or text/s presented in different formats (visually, quantitatively). (NJSLS.RL.MF.9–10.6.) 
  • Analyze and reflect on (e.g., practical knowledge, historical/cultural context, and background knowledge) how an author draws on, develops, or transforms source material historical and literary significance (e.g., how a modern author treats a theme or topic from mythology or a religious text) and how they relate in terms of themes and significant concepts. (NJSLS.RL.CT.9–10.8.) 
  • Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient textual and non-textual evidence. (NJSLS.W.AW.9–10.1.) 
  • Write informative/explanatory texts (including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical processes) to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content. (NJSLS.W.IW.9–10.2.) 
  • Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.  (NJSLS.W.NW.9–10.3.) 
  • Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, trying a new approach; sustaining effort to complete complex writing tasks; seeking out feedback and reflecting on personal writing progress; consulting a style manual (NJSLS.Such as MLA or APA Style), focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. (NJSLS.W.WP.9–10.4.) 
  • Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation. (NJSLS.W.SE.9–10.6.)
  • Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences. (NJSLS.W.RW.9–10.7.) 
  • Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with peers on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. (NJSLS.SL.PE.9–10.1.) 
  • Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, qualitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source. (NJSLS.SL.II.9–10.2.) 
  • Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, identifying any false reasoning or distorted evidence. (NJSLS.SL.ES.9–10.3.) 
  • Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically. The content, organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (NJSLS.SL.PI.9–10.4.) 
  • Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest. (NJSLS.SL.UM.9–10.5.) 
  • Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English. (NJSLS.SL.AS.9–10.6.) 

 

Assessment:  

 

The evaluation of student achievement in this course is based on the following:

  • Written analyses in essay form of the one-act play, including a character analysis 
  • In-class reading and discussion 
  • Scene work, including character interpretation, physical portrayal, verbal delivery, blocking effectiveness, preparation, and performance
  • Written and/or self-reflection
  • Class participation