Elements of Design

Grade Level:
Stagecraft (7-8 grade)

Grade Level Description: 

7th and 8th graders are full of energy and very excitable. They want to talk to their friends and they want to have some choice over the things that they participate in. They have a limited attention span and need to be guided to stay on track. They are very willing to participate and they want to be funny. They want to be successful and have their peers think highly of them.

Prior Experience Needed: 

No prior theatre experience is needed. It would be very helpful, but not mandatory, for students to have some prior experience collaborating with other students.

Big Ideas:

• Design language
• Elements of Design
• Giving feedback
• Rough draft to final draft 

Standards:

Standard L1.T.CR. 6: Apply basic research and skills to construct ideas about the visual composition of a drama/theatre work.

Standard L1.T.CR.1: Develop imagination to create artistic ideas and work.

Essential Understandings:

• Students will understand that elements of design are all around us.
• Students will understand that designing is a process.
• Students will understand that the elements of Design gives us a universal design language that we can use to better communicate our ideas. 

Essential Questions: 

• What are the elements of design? 
• What do these elements communicate? 
• What are the six elements of design?

Key Knowledge and Skills:

1. Elements of Design gives us a universal design language that we can use to better communicate our ideas. 
2. Students will practice the concept of a rough draft and then a final draft.
3. Students will learn to see the elements of design in their everyday life.

Authentic Performance Tasks:

1. Design walk: students will go on a walk around the school and identify various examples of design in architecture and clothing.
2. Elements of design notes: students will fill out and turn in their notes wheel 
3. Students will recreate a Disney costume with more accurate color choices.
4. Students will create a sticker with the various elements of design.