What Are Students Like at This Learning Level?
At the typical Chicago high school, theater courses are not broken out by grade level, so ninth graders may end up in an acting or playwriting class together with twelfth graders. That means teachers must accommodate learners at different levels. It’s important to understand that high school students take theater courses for many different reasons. Some are just looking for a fun, easy class within a schedule of more rigorous academic coursework. Others may see participating in theater as a way to make friends or gain a community. Still others may have the goal of beginning an eventual career in the theater. No matter what students’ reasons are, there are some cognitive, emotional, and physical characteristics common to students at the freshman and sophomore levels.- Students at this age have made the transition to more abstract thinking. They can digest and synthesize complex ideas with relative ease, and they readily connect with new concepts that relate to their lives. They are also beginning to seriously consider their future educational and career goals. They may put up a cool front, but whether they are aware of it or not, they are looking for role models. For many freshman and sophomore theater students, a gifted classroom teacher or visiting teaching artist can provide the spark that transforms a passing interest in theater to a lifetime commitment.
- Students at this age often test boundaries by challenging authority. Theater can motivate students to open up in positive ways. However, emotional and physical boundaries should be set at the start of any group session and reiterated frequently.
- Freshman and sophomore students’ bodies are still developing. They are gaining better control of fine motor skills. At the same time, they can be very self-conscious about their bodies. Girls in particular can become fixated on their weight or other aspects of their appearance. This may result in their being more physically and/or emotionally closed. Encouragement and positive feedback can help them to participate with less self-consciousness in class activities.
What Students Can Do at This Level
The learning outcomes below are based on the Scope and Sequence, which builds instruction sequentially across these levels. Keep in mind that students of different ages may be at the same level.| High School Level I Students Can… | High School Level II Students Can… | ||
|---|---|---|---|
• create a back story (biography) of a character and use it to develop a detailed characterization |
• write a two-person scene | ||
• create improvised dialogue that reveals character motivation, advances plot, provides exposition, and conveys theme |
• use improvisation as an approach to scripted material | ||
• discuss the collaborative relationships and interdependence of artists who work in the theater |
• devise an organizational chart to demonstrate the structure and flow necessary to the development and presentation of a theatrical production | ||
• understand and describe the form and structure of plays |
• evaluate personal progress through the creation and use of a portfolio of theater work | ||
• understand and relate how theater-related media and other associated areas provide occupational opportunities in the world of work |
• understand and relate how the fundamentals of different art forms relate to the study, process, and production of theater | ||