Instructional Units
This portion of the website contains a collection of instructional units, enabling users to view how the author intended individual lesson plans and projects to be grouped together within the context of day-by-day instruction. All of these units are developed in line with the National Standards for Theatre Education, showing how all of the curriculum created here are connected to a specific academic standard for the arts. Some of the units submitted to the database have been taught and revised in actual secondary classrooms while others have been created by Theatre Education university students and have not been tested in the classroom yet. You can contribute to this portion of the website: if you have a theatre unit you want to share please contact our site administrator.
These units were submitted voluntarily by educators. BYU makes no claims for their quality or completeness. The intellectual rights to these lessons remain with their author.
Subject: Theatre History, Styles & Genres
Objective: Students will demonstrate their ability to understand the good power of theatre by experiencing and learning about different aspects of theatre this will be a “given” and writing a two-page paper (2 pg. min.) on the power of theatre in their own lives, community, and world.
Class Level: Beginning
Concepts: Social concepts application, Life skills, Power for good
Subject: Theatre History, Styles & Genres
Objective: Students will demonstrate an understanding of region performances by choosing, practicing and performing a region performance.
Class Level: Beginning
Concepts: Region, Characterization
Subject: Voice & Diction Skills
Objective: Students will demonstrate their ability to develop a character voice in addition to using a puppet by making a sock puppet and performing a puppet show using an original script they have written.
Class Level: Beginning
Concepts: vocal traits, creativity, puppet construction
Subject: Scenes & Monologues - Acting
Objective: Students will demonstrate their understanding of basic acting skills by performing a scene with a partner.
Class Level: Beginning
Concepts: Objectives, Tactics, Characterization, Motivation
Subject: Scenes & Monologues - Acting
Objective: Students will demonstrate their knowledge of scene work by implementing those techiniques into a duo scene.
Class Level: Intermediate
Concepts: Stage directions, stage positions, environment
Subject: Scenic Design, Painting, & Construction
Objective: Students will demonstrate their understanding of set construction by taking quizzes and building a flat.
Class Level: Beginning
Concepts: construction of set, materials, tools, shop safety
Subject: Scenic Design, Painting, & Construction
Objective: The students will demonstrate their understanding on how to build structurally sound set pieces by building a soft stock flat, a stock legged-up platform, and a stock step unit in groups.
Class Level: Advanced
Concepts: construction of set pieces
Subject: Scenes & Monologues - Acting
Objective: The students will demonstrate their performance and script analysis skills by preparing and performing a Shakespearean monologue.
Class Level: Beginning
Concepts: classical language, script analysis, characterization, mono acting
Subject: Theatre History, Styles & Genres
Objective: Students will demonstrate an understanding of theatre for social change by performing an adapted fairy tail that targets problems elementary students face.
Class Level: Advanced
Concepts: Children's theatre, social agendas, invisible theatre, prison theatre
Subject: Movement & Pantomime
Objective: Students will demonstrate an understanding of basic stage combat by creating their own stage combat scene with a partner.
Class Level: Beginning
Concepts: Safety, basic fighting moves
Subject: Movement & Pantomime
Objective: Students will demonstrate an understanding of stage combating by performing a choregraphed fight.
Class Level: Beginning
Concepts: Safety, stage combat moves, sound effects
Subject: Props & Makeup - Tech Theatre
Objective: Students will demonstrate their makeup skills by collecting a makeup morgue and by designing and executing Old Age, Fantasy, and Grossies & Gories makeup.
Class Level: Intermediate
Concepts: research, theatrical makeup design, creativity, imagination, attention to detail in makeup execution
Subject: Technical Theatre & Stage Management
Objective: Students will understand the role of a Stage Manager and develop the skills of organization, thoroughness, and learn how to communicate clearly by creating a Stage Manager’s Book.
Class Level: Beginning
Concepts: organization, communication, calling a show
Subject: Theatre History, Styles & Genres
Objective: Students will demonstrate their ability to tell stories and convey imagery by telling a children’s story.
Class Level: Intermediate
Concepts: facial expression, vocal expression, energy, movement
Subject: Acting Skills & Techniques
Objective: Students will demonstrate an understanding of teamwork, collaboration, and bringing scenework together to create a finished project, by performing their production for another class.
Class Level: Beginning
Concepts: Teamwork, problem solving, personal/group confidence
Subject: Technical Theatre & Stage Management
Objective: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the elements of technical theatre design by completing projects in each element, creating a group skit demonstrating technical elements, and a final written test.
Class Level: Intermediate
Concepts: Costume, set, light, sound
Subject: Technical Theatre & Stage Management
Objective: Students will demonstrate their understanding of technical theatre by participating in various projects and activities in the areas of: Lighting, Sound, Props, Publicity, Costumes
Class Level: Beginning
Concepts: technical theatre basics
Subject: Acting Skills & Techniques
Objective: Students will demonstrate their comprehension of Acting in Theatre by performing group scenes.
Class Level: Beginning
Concepts: Characterization, voice, diction, working in scenes
Subject: Sound - Tech Theatre
Objective: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the use of sound in a production by designing the sound for the production "You Can’t Take It With You".
Class Level: Beginning
Concepts: Music, Sound Effects, Sound Board Operation
Subject: Theatre History, Styles & Genres
Objective: Students will demonstrate their ability to perform theatre skills by participating in various exercises and activities.
Class Level: Beginning
Concepts: memorization, movement, getting up in front of people
Subject: Theatre History, Styles & Genres
Objective: Students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of theatre history by participating in various activities, quizzes, and a timeline.
Class Level: Beginning
Concepts: theatre history, theater spaces, director's concepts
Subject: Theatre History, Styles & Genres
Objective: Students will demonstrate understanding of theatre styles and movements by reading a play from a chosen theatre movement, presenting researched information on an assigned playwright, and taking a quiz on theatre styles and conventions.
Class Level: Advanced
Concepts: genres, theatrical conventions, playwright history, creativity
Subject: Theatre History, Styles & Genres
Objective: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the elements and positions important to creating theatre by taking a quiz on all the and by participating in various learning activities.
Class Level: Beginning
Concepts: Playwright, producer, director, designers, actors, dramaturg