LESSON 4-Tactics and Objectives
Educational Objective: Students will demonstrate their understanding of objectives and tactics by identifying an objective (I want to ) and choosing 3 tactics they will use for their character in their assigned scenes.
Supplies Needed:
- Bag of candy
- Tactic list Lesson 4.Tactics List
- School room scene clip from Anne of Green Gables
- Objectives/ Tactics homework sheet Lesson 4.Objectives and Tactics Worksheet
Hook: Have a large bowl or bag of candy sitting on the table as they walk in. (They should naturally be excited to see a treat!) Take one piece of candy in your hand and explain that one student may have the chance to get this from you. Pick a student and tell them to try to get it from you. Their first natural tactic may be to ask for it, or grab it from your hand. YOU CANNOT LET THEM GET IT ON THE FIRST TRY. After each try, say “try again” or “that way didn’t work, so pick a new way”. Let them do 3 different things to try and get it and then finally give in.
Step 1: Explain that the student’s objective or desired action (outcome) could be stated like, “I want to give me the candy bar.” The different ways in which the student tried to get that to happen are called tactics. Make sure they understand that objectives and tactics are used in everyday life. Whenever we have a goal, we also decide on a tactic to help us accomplish it.
Step 2: Help them identify objectives and tactics in their own life by asking them the following: What are some objectives you see at school? Home? What are some things you want frequently? (as they share ideas, make a list of objectives on the board) Ask them: What are some tactics that people at home or at school use or could use to get what they want?
Step 3: Explain that tactics are often described as things we do to the other person; like to flatter or shame. Hand out a tactic list and have them skim through looking for tactics that they have seen used at school, home, etc. see Supplements
Step 4: If our tactic does not work the first time, then we naturally try another. Our goal as actors is to make sure that our characters use multiple tactics to keep the scene interesting. Ask them to write down the objective and at least 2 tactics that are used in the clip from Anne of Green Gables. We want to find what kind of tactics he uses.
Step 4: Discuss what tactics and objectives they saw in the scene. How did you know when he switched tactics? (his were mostly physical tactics, so it’s easier to see when he changed)
Step 5: Have the students play “Very Serious Matter”. This is where everyone sits in a circle and one person stands inside. The person in the center must pick one person sitting in the circle and say to them “this is a very serious matter” using different tactics until the person they’re speaking to begins to laugh. In essence, the Objective of anyone standing inside the circle is “I want to break into laughter”. Allow them to have their tactic lists with them to get ideas before it’s their turn. If they can break the other person they can get a piece of candy.
Step 6: Explain that they have now heard the same line (“this is a very serious matter”) said with many different tactics and in many different ways. Not all the tactics that were used in the circle may be appropriate for their scene, but this should help them get ideas of tactics they could use. Instruct them to work with their scene partners and decide what each character wants from the other. Have them also work together to brainstorm at least 3 different tactics each person will use in the scene to get what they want. (about 10 minutes?) They will turn in this paper for points as an assessment. The objective should be stated as “I want to ”.
----The objective and tactics chosen should be written on their character Facebook profile page and also on the objective/ tactics sheet that they will turn in. this allows all their character work to be on one page
Step 8: If any of them do not finish this in class, then their homework is to finish the homework sheet see Supplements. And all of them should be practicing their tactics at home as they rehearse. Send with them home with the tactic list that you introduced before and the brainstorming one they made so they can use it at home if they need to reference it or change a tactic.
Step: 9 Ask them how memorization is coming and give them time to work on it. Remember that these are students who are largely untrained and usually distracted while at home. They need all the time they can get in order to memorize.