I   Orientation

The orientation of students should be the first priority in any drama class. During orientation, students and teacher get to know one another, and together they create an environment in which meaningful work can take place. Orientation is especially important in Drama 10, as many of the students may be new to the work and strangers to each other.

In Drama 10, students will:

• follow classroom routines and procedures
• feel secure in the classroom
• co-operate with others
• develop a sense of responsibility to other members of the class
• concentrate during drama experiences
• develop sensory awareness
• develop their imaginations.

II   Group Process Abilities

Because all drama is a collective experience, it requires students to work co-operatively with others. By planning and participating in drama experiences, students will have many opportunities to practice working in groups of various sizes and will develop valuable understandings and abilities in group processes.

In Drama 10, students will:

• contribute to group discussions
• listen to the ideas of others
• co-operate with others in groups to plan and participate in drama experiences
• volunteer to start or join activities
• begin to practice group decision-making and problem-solving
• reach consensus.

Teacher Information The learning objectives listed throughout this section are taken from the Foundational Objectives Development Chart.

III   Dramatic Understandings and Abilities

Creating works of dramatic art involves the use of specific understandings and abilities. Through their work in Drama 10, students will understand the requirements of the dramatic process and will begin to develop and use acting skills in creating works of dramatic art. Students will develop understandings and abilities in the following areas:

1. Improvisation

   Students who have participated in the Arts Education program in elementary and middle years will have experience working in role, which is the basic ingredient of improvisation. In Drama 10, students will develop their improvisational abilities and their understanding of the theatre elements in order to become better able to use improvisation as a means of exploring their world, other people and themselves.

   In Drama 10, students will:

   • assume and sustain roles
   • accept and respond to others in role
   • develop increasing commitment to their own roles and the roles of others
   • work with others to structure prepared improvisations
   • offer ideas in spontaneous improvisations
   • accept ideas in spontaneous improvisations
   • learn to maintain the focus of an improvisation
   • understand the importance of tension in improvisations
   • understand the use of contrast in improvisations
   • understand the use of symbol in improvisations
   • understand the importance of the elements of focus, tension, contrast and symbol to all works of dramatic art.

2. Movement

   Flexibility and control of body movement are abilities which students will develop through their drama experiences. Students who have participated in the Arts Education program in elementary and middle years will also have explored the use of movement in dance. In Drama 10, students will have experiences involving various types of dramatic movement, including introductions to tableau, mime, dance drama and stage movement.

   In Drama 10, students will:

   • express themselves confidently through movement and gesture
   • understand that all movement must be motivated
   • display clarity of movement and gesture
   • keep movement open to the audience
   • use movement to communicate non-verbally
   • demonstrate an ability to move isolated body parts
   • demonstrate an ability to freeze movement to create an image
   • plan, repeat and combine movement patterns
   • apply their knowledge of dance elements and structures to their drama experiences.

3. Speech

   Through their drama experiences, students will develop abilities in the use of speech. In Drama 10, students will have experiences using speech in a variety of drama situations.

   In Drama 10, students will:

   • express themselves confidently through speech
   • begin to develop a poised, controlled posture
   • begin to develop breath control
   • begin to develop resonance in speaking
   • begin to articulate clearly
   • begin to develop voice projection
   • demonstrate an ability to participate in group speaking.

IV   Theatre Study

Students who have participated in the Arts Education program in elementary and middle years will have begun to develop an understanding of the contribution of drama to various cultures and societies. In Drama 10, students will discuss their own drama, the work of contemporary dramatic artists and the drama of various cultures and societies, past and present. Through these discussions, students will understand that drama has both reflected and influenced societies and that it continues to do so. Also, they will begin to understand how the drama of the past has influenced the drama of the present.

In Drama 10, students will develop understandings and abilities in the following areas:

1. Analysis of Drama Experienced as Audience

   Students will have opportunities to experience, as audience, the work of their classmates and that of other dramatic artists in the community and on video. By using procedures such as those outlined in "Looking at Plays", students will begin to become informed audience members.

   In Drama 10, students will:

   • develop an understanding of how plays are made
   • develop an understanding of the contribution of various dramatic artists to a theatrical production
   • develop an understanding that theatre is a synthesis of the arts
   • develop an understanding of how the theatre elements of focus, tension, contrast and symbol contribute to a play
   • develop an understanding of how the artistic purpose of each of the artists is served by the use of theatre elements
   • understand the historical and cultural influences on a play
   • begin to use a process such as "Looking at Plays" in oral and written responses to dramatic presentations.

2. Theatre History

   Some universal themes, characters and situations have recurred through history, and all theatre is influenced by the theatre that comes before it. By discussing their own work and that of others in historical and cultural contexts, students will begin to understand the role of drama in cultures and societies, past and present.

   In Drama 10, students will:

   • understand that drama, past and present, can teach us about ourselves
   • understand that today's dramatic artists are influenced by various theatre traditions
   • understand that theatre reflects the society that creates it
   • understand that theatre can influence the society in which it is created
   • understand the universality of certain themes, characters and situations in dramatic expression through the ages
   • understand that, through theatre history, they can discover various presentational styles (e.g., storytelling, reader's theatre, mask work)
   • understand that, through theatre history, they can discover various acting styles (e.g., Greek, Shakespearean, Commedia Dell'Arte)
   • understand that, through theatre history, they can discover various staging possibilities (e.g., lights, set and costume design, stage type).

The Theatre History learning objectives are adapted from Weaver, "How Everyman Changed My Life" (See References section).