GREEK TRAGEDYBy Camee Faulk

Unit Objective: Students will demonstrate their understanding of Greek theatre practices and style by participating in various exercises and culminating in a performance in the Greek style.

National Core Arts Theatre Standards:TH:Cn11.1.HSI a. Explore how cultural, global, and historic belief systems affect creative choices in a drama/theatre work. TH:Cn11.2.HSI a. Research how other theatre artists apply creative processes to tell stories in a devised or scripted drama/theatre work, using theatre research methods.TH:Re9.1.HSI a. Examine a drama/ theatre work using supporting evidence and criteria, while considering art forms, history, culture, and other disciplines.TH:Re7.1.HSI a. Respond to what is seen, felt, and heard in a drama/theatre work to develop criteria for artistic choices.TH:Pr6.1.HSI a. Perform a scripted drama/theatre work for a specific audience.TH:Cr3.1.HSI a. Practice and revise a devised or scripted drama/theatre work using theatrical staging conventions.

Class Level: Beginning Theatre; lessons prepared for daily 47-minute instruction periods

Prior Experience: None needed

Lesson Outline:Lesson 1 –Myths and the Festival DionysusEDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVEStudents will gain a basic knowledge of the cultural context surrounding the Greek theatre and the festival of Dionysus by creating their own myths.

Lesson 2 – The Greek AmphitheaterEDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVEStudents will be able to identify the different parts of the Greek amphitheatre and their purposes by assessing the pros and cons of the Greek amphitheatre.

Lesson 3—The Aristotelian Plot Structure Part 1EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVEStudents will be able to identify and explain the Aristotelian plot structure by performing a scene which is missing a plot element.

Lesson 4—Aristotelian Plot Structure Part 2EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE:

Students will show their mastery of the Aristotelian plot structure through performing a fairy tale with a missing plot element. (This lesson is a continuation of the lesson from the day before because time ran out.)

Lesson 5—Elements of Greek TragedyEDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE:Students will demonstrate their knowledge of the tragic hero, hamartia and catharsis through a self-teaching activity.

Lesson 6—Test Day! EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE: Students will demonstrate their knowledge of Greek theatre history by taking a formal test.

Lesson 7—Presentational Greek ActingEDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE: Students will be able to explain the techniques involved in presentational Greek acting by discussing examples and practicing gestures, exaggerated movement, exaggerated speech, and Greek chorus techniques as a class.

Lesson 8—Shape, Gesture, and the Greek ChorusEDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE: Students will show their mastery of the viewpoint of gesture and shape by performing a brief exercise in the manner of the Greek chorus.

Lesson 9—Three Greek TragediesEDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE: Students will show their grasp of the basic understanding of the plots of three Greek tragedies by creating the stories with their bodies.

Lesson 10—Crying on Stage Part 1EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE:Students will demonstrate their ability to cry in a scene by performing crying techniques in pairs.

Lesson 10.5—Crying on Stage Part 2EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE: Students will demonstrate their ability to cry realistically on stage by applying crying techniques to their final assessment scenes.

Lesson 11—Dying on StageEDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE: Students will demonstrate their ability to die convincingly on stage by playing a game of death tag.

Lesson 12—Review of Greek Chorus Work

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE: Students will review the ideas of shape, gesture, and exaggerated voice in relation to acting as the Greek Chorus by practicing and applying these elements to their final assessment scenes.

Lesson 13—Final Assessment PracticeEDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE: Students will prepare for their final assessment by practicing in their groups and taking turns workshopping their scene in front of the teacher.

Lesson 14—Final AssessmentEDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE:Students will demonstrate their cumulative knowledge over the course of the unit through a final performance.

Lesson 1 –Myths and the Festival Dionysus

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVEStudents will gain a basic knowledge of the cultural context surrounding the Greek theatre and the festival of Dionysus by creating their own myths.

TEXTS AND LITERACIES:Texts: MythsLiteracies: Enacting an example of a myth, letting them create their own myth.

MATERIALS NEEDED:o Large sheet of butcher papero Markerso Name tags (“Zeus”, “Prometheus”, 3 “humans”)o Lightning bolt, stick, fireo “Create-A-Myth” handout

HOOK: (5 mins)Play the “I like” game.

STEP 1: TransitionNow that we’ve gotten to know each other, we’re going to move along to discussing theatre for the people of another culture and time period: the Greeks.

STEP 2: Check for Understanding/Pre-assessment (5 mins) Butcher papers “What We Know About Greek Theatre” What do you already know about the Greeks or Greek Theatre? Write answers down in

one color to indicate pre-assessmento It’s possible that they won’t have any prior knowledge of Greek history or theatre.

In this case bring it back to storytelling. What do we know about storytelling? How do we tell stories? Do you

think people have always told stories this way? Do you have any knowledge from a history or English class about storytelling in another culture or time period?

Put answers relevant to Greek mythology and tragedy on the graffiti board.

Explain that this will be a running convention throughout the unit where we will keep all the important information you need to know about the Greek Theatre

STEP 3: Transition

Now we are adding more information to what you already know. In particular we are going to talk about how the Greeks told stories.

STEP 4: Instruction (7 minutes) The Greeks, as well as many other ancient peoples, told stories through things called

myths. What is a myth?o A myth is a story people create to explain the world around them. (ex. Why does

snow fall? Or Why is the sky blue?) We are going to now tell some of the myths that the Greeks told. Ask for 5 (“Prometheus”, “Zeus”, “3 humans”) student volunteers to be actors as we

narrate the story of “Prometheus Giving Fire to Man”. Have the class sit in an arena style around the front of the class room and have one teacher direct the students where and how to move as the other narrates the myth.

o “Thousands of years ago there was a god named Prometheus. Prometheus was a titan, which meant that he was an enormous powerful god. Titans once ruled the earth until Zeus, an Olympian, used his firebolt to take over the earth as ruler and supreme god. For a long time the earth was dark. The sun would set and there was no light except the moon and the stars. The humans on earth could not cook their food or light their houses at night. They would have to eat their meat raw and would get sick from it. Prometheus was the wisest and kindest of the titans and when he saw how sick the people were getting and how they were in darkness he took pity on them. Zeus was the god of thunder and lightning and fire, so one night when Zeus was sleeping Prometheus took a branch of a tree and lit it on fire and hurried down to the earth. He gave the people fire and showed them how to make it so they could cook their food, and warm themselves and have light in the darkness. And that’s how mankind discovered fire.”

ASSESSMENT: How did this myth explain something about the world? Do you think this is a true myth? Do you think it has to be true to be a myth or can it be something made up?

STEP 5: Transition (5 mins)How do we explain the world today? Do we use myths still or something else? A myth is nothing more than a story people tell. Even though we don’t use myths anymore, do we still tell stories? Why?

STEP 6: InstructionWe learned in the myth we just learned that the Greeks believed there were many gods ruling over the earth, each with a specific purpose. Zeus was the god of thunder and lightning. Apollo was the god of the sun. Demeter was the goddess of the harvest. Dionysus was the god of parties, storytelling and theatre.

STEP 7: Transition (2-3 minutes)The god Dionysus was very important for the Greeks. They Greeks felt he was so important that they held a huge festival celebration in his honor. Why do you think the Greeks felt it was so important to tell stories that they celebrated it in a festival?

STEP 8: Instruction (5 minutes) Structure of the Festival

o 4 times a year; largest was City Dionysia or Great Dionysia held from late March to early April

o The theatre competition was the most important part of the festival.o Three playwrights were allowed per competition and each playwright presented a

trilogy of tragic plays and one comedic play called a satyr play.o The contest lasted 3 days, one day for each playwright.o The contest went all day until sundown and at the end of the 3 days, the audience

was allowed to vote on the best playwright.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE/ASSESSMENTHomework Assignment: Go home and write your own myth to explain something that happens in nature. Ex: Why it rains, why clouds are white, why the ocean has waves, etc. Write the myth down in no more than 10 sentences and include an illustration of the myth on the given handout.

CLOSUREBefore the class leaves, challenge them, as they do the myth assignment, to think about how myths and stories in general affect their everyday lives. Are they important? Why or why not?

NAME:__________________________

Create-A-Myth (15 pts)

Create an original myth explaining something that happens in natures. It can be about anything. In 10-sentences or less write down the myth. Be as creative as you can in explaining it. (10 pts)

Now illustrate your myth on the BACK OF THIS PAPER. You may draw one picture that tells the whole story or several pictures that explain the myth step-by-step. The more detailed you can be, the better! (5 pts)

Lesson 2 – The Greek Amphitheater

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVEStudents will be able to identify the different parts of the Greek amphitheatre and their purposes by assessing the pros and cons of the Greek amphitheatre.

TEXTS AND LITERACIES:Texts: Their bodies as text

MATERIALS NEEDED: Markers for graffiti board “Festival of Knowledge: Greek Amphitheatre” handout (see SUPPLEMENTS 2) Name tags for each piece of the Greek amphitheatre

HOOKBreak students into groups of 3 and have them each share their myths with each other. Give each student 60 seconds to share their myth with the group. After 3 mins bring the class back together. What was your favorite part of creating your own original myth?—TAKE 5 COMMENTS ONLY

STEP 1: Transition/Check for UnderstandingThe Greeks not only used myths to explain the world, but they also staged them and created plays around them. Myths were often featured in the plays at WHAT FESTIVAL (Have students shout City Dionysia). And HOW LONG did the festival last? (Have students shout a month). And they did three tragedies and WHAT OTHER KIND OF PLAY? (Have students shout out satyr play.

STEP 2: TransitionNow that we know what was in the plays that the Greeks wrote. Let’s figure out where they performed these plays. Ask the students “When we do a play today, what do we need inside the theatre building?” (i.e. lights, sets, stage, curtain, special effects, etc) Write answers down on the board. The Greeks needed all these things to, but they were a little different. Tell the students:

1. You have two options for this next activity. The first option is to create the Greek amphitheater out of our bodies on stage. The second is to take this quiz (show quiz) on what we learned about the Festival yesterday. All in favor of option 1, raise your hands. All in favor of option 2 raise your hands. Most likely the students will pick the first option.

2. Tell the students that today we are dressed as wizards. This means we have magical powers. With these magical powers, we are going to turn all of the students into stones. We are going to use the stones to build the Greek amphitheater. There is one big difference between humans and stones. STONES DON’T TALK.

3. This is the major rule of option 1. If the teacher has to say “Stones don’t talk” three times, we will automatically go to option 2. Do we have a deal?

4. When I wave my wand, you are all stones. WAVE WAND.5. Stones, please follow us onto the stage. Move the class into the stage area.

STEP 3: Instruction/ModelingBuild the following on the stage using the students.

Theatrono Have all students sit in a semi-circle. Hand three students the signs that say

“Theatron.”o Info: the semicircular seating area in the amphitheatre; it was usually carved into

a hillside; root word for the contemporary word “theatre” Skene

o Have six of the students come downstage, split into partners, and put their hands up, side by side to create a house-like structure. Give one of them the “Skene” sign.

o Info: the palace or scene house at the back of the amphitheatre; had up to 3 doors used for entrances and exits and it hid the machine

Orchestrao Ask four students to lay in a circle center stage. Give one of them a sign that says

“Orchestra.”o Info: the circular acting area in front of the skene where the chorus danced and the

three actors performed. Thymele (altar)

o Have one student get on their hands and needs in the middle of the orchestra circle to become the altar. Give him/her the “Thymele” sign.

o Info: in the center of the orchestra; was not used as part of the acting; used for special sacrifices and libations in honor of Dionysus

Paradoso Have four students come out of the semicircle (two on each side) and have them

create a hallway just downstage of the theatron, but above the Skene. Have one of them on each side hold a sign that says “Parados.”

o Info: the passageway between the theatron and the skene leading to the orchestra; used for entrances and exits when characters were coming from faraway places

Machinao Have one student stand on a chair far downstage left holding the “Machina” sign

like a crane.o Info: a large crane house in or behind the skene; used to fly the gods or other

mythical characters into the scene; used in dues ex machinao Dues ex machina – “god is the machine”; where the gods or a supernatural power

comes and resolves all the problems in the play so it ends neatly. We will see examples of this later.

STEP 4: Instruction/ModelingRemind the students (they are still quiet stones) of the important parts of a theater we mentioned before (stage, set, curtain, lights, special effects, etc.). Ask them to point where they think each one of these elements would be in the Greek amphitheater they have created.

Stage—OrchestraSet—SkeneCurtain—Trick question. There was no curtain.Lights—Used the daylight.Special Effects—Machina

**At this point, take a photo of the Greek amphitheater the students have created. Tell them we will print it out and put it on our Greek graffiti board.**

STEP 5: TransitionTell the students we will return to the classroom and once we wave the wand again, they will no longer be stones. Once they are back in the classroom and have returned to humans, do the following steps:

Step 6: Independent Practice1. Pass out the Greek amphitheater handout to the class.2. Ask for a student scribe to write on the Greek graffiti board.3. Ask the students to name the terms of the Greek amphitheater we just learned about and

say their purpose. Tell them to individually put them on the Greek amphitheater diagram as we go over them.

4. Remind them that this is for them to be able to study and they are responsible for this information for a future Festival of Knowledge.

5. Ask the student scribe to return to their seat.

Step 7: TransitionNow we are going to compare the Greek’s theater space to the typical theater spaces we use today.

CLOSURE/ASSESSMENT:1. Have the class divide into two groups based on their desks. Have them push the tables

back a bit to make room in the front of the classroom for them to sit in the two groups.2. Tell the students we are going to make a pro/con list on the board. Ask someone to be a

scribe.3. Ask a student to tell us what a “pro” is. Have another student tell the class what a “con”

is.

4. In the two groups, one for pros and one for cons, help the students come up with 3 pros or cons of the model of the Greek amphitheater as compared to the theaters we use today.

5. Make sure to bring up any major pros or cons the class might have left out.6. If there is time, open up the question: “Which is better? Why?” to the class.

NAME:_______________________

Festival of Knowledge: Greek Amphitheatre

Label the following parts of the Greek Amphitheatre. Be able to explain what their purpose was.

Theatron Machina Parados (HINT: there are two)Skene ThymeleOrchestra Deus ex machina

Lesson 3—The Aristotelian Plot Structure

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVEStudents will be able to identify and explain the Aristotelian plot structure by performing a scene which is missing a plot element.

TEXTS AND LITERACIES:Texts: The Aristotelian Plot StructureLiteracies: Accessing the plot structure through storytelling and performance.

MATERIALS: 5 Fairytales written on slips of paper

HOOK (3 mins)Have the students in groups of three (at their tables) answer this question: “What makes a good story?” (What does a story need to be “good”? Not just what do you like in stories) While there are many possible answers, each group should choose just one. Give the students 60 seconds to decide on their answer and have them write it down. Each table will share their answer and we will write these on the board.

STEP 1: Instruction/Modeling (10 mins)These are all great answers. The Greeks asked themselves the same question of “What makes a good story?” There was on Greek in particular named Aristotle who answered the question. Aristotle was a philosopher who loved theatre and thought it was very important for society. He came up with a specific structure for what a good play should look like. Draw the Aristotelian model on the board. Explain the following 5 plot elements in terms of “Little Red Riding Hood” and label them on the model. Have the students take out a piece of paper for notes and do the same.

Exposition: the background; information we need to know about what happens before the story begins.

Inciting Incident: The moment that starts the action. Rising Action: What happens after the inciting incident leading towards the climax. Climax: The point at which the main character in the story will succeed or fail. Falling Action/denouement: The consequences of the outcome of the climax. Ties things

up neatly and ends the story.

STEP 2: TransitionSo this is the model the Greeks came up with and used. Compare our list to Aristotle’s. Do we still use these criteria when we create stories? Think of your favorite play, movie or story. Does it have an exposition? Inciting incident? Etc.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE/ASSESSMENT (27 mins)

1) Break the students into groups of 5 (7 students each) and have them pick a random fairytale out of a hat. They are to act out the fairy tale in 2 minutes or less.

2) Students need to take out a piece of paper as a group and write down the 5 elements and describe briefly what each part is in their particular fairy tale. Give them 3 minutes to prepare.

3) Now assign each group a particular plot element and tell them that they must prepare their scene to be performed without that element.

4) Give the students 10 minutes to prepare.5) Students will perform their fairytales. (1-2-3 ACTION!)6) After each scene ask 1 student to identify the missing element, then (like the Greeks) put

it up to a vote. If there is dissention or disagreement, resolve until all are in agreement, then move on to the next scene.

7) Students will turn in the piece of paper where they identified the different parts of their story after they perform and will be graded on its completion. 15 points

8) Students will be graded on their performance in 3 categories:a. Time limit (between 1-3 minutes) 5 pointsb. Participations (all students actively involved) 5 pointsc. Plot element (assigned plot element is clearly missing) 5 points

NOTE: This may carry over into the next lesson in order to finish. Adjust future lessons accordingly.

NAME:______________________________

Festival of Knowledge: Plot Structure

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.Lesson 4—Aristotelian Plot Structure Part 2

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE:

Students will show their mastery of the Aristotelian plot structure through performing a fairy tale with a missing plot element. (This lesson is a continuation of the lesson from the day before because time ran out.)

TEXTS AND LITERACIES:Texts: The Aristotelian Plot StructureLiteracies: Accessing the plot structure through storytelling and performance.

HOOK:Draw the plot model on the board. Have student volunteers review each of the elements and what they mean for the story.

NOTE: Some students may have been absent the day before. Use this time to place them into groups and give them the plot-structure “Festival of Knowledge” from the day before.

STEP 1: TransitionWe are now going to give you 10 more minutes to practice your fairy tales from yesterday and get everyone up to speed.

STEP 2: TransitionAfter the ten minutes are up, bring all the students back together in the cafetorium space and have them sit on the stairs.

STEP 3: InstructionExplain that whenever we perform here we will do something called “1-2-3-ACTION!” to start each performance.

1) Designate a student to lead the “1-2-3-ACTION!”2) Have that student lead the rest of the class in unison shouting “1-2-3-ACTION!” and then

pointing at the group that is about to perform.3) The performing group then begins their performance.

a. Remind students that while this is meant to animate and support each other, if it gets out of hand or too wild we will no longer use it.

STEP 4: AssessmentHave each group perform their fairy tale they have practiced. After each scene ask 1 student to identify the missing element, then (like the Greeks) put it up to a vote. If there is dissention or disagreement, resolve until all are in agreement, then move on to the next scene.

GRADING:9) Students will turn in the piece of paper where they identified the different parts of their

story after they perform and will be graded on its completion. 15 points

10) Students will be graded on their performance in 3 categories:a. Time limit (between 1-3 minutes) 5 pointsb. Participation (all students actively involved) 5 pointsc. Plot element (assigned plot element is clearly missing) 5 points

CLOSURE:Discuss with the class questions like these: Is this the only way to tell a story? Is there another way, or even a better way? Examples? Can we tell a story without all the elements? Why do you think that this is a model that works?

Lesson 5—Elements of Greek Tragedy

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE:Students will demonstrate their knowledge of the tragic hero, hamartia and catharsis through a self-teaching activity.

TEXTS AND LITERACIES:Texts: Elements of Greek TragedyLiteracies: Giving students the opportunity to teach

MATERIALS: Copies of the Tragic Hero, Hamartia/Tragic Flaw, and Catharsis Notes for the class. A Festival of Knowledge: Tragedy sheet for each student.

HOOK:Allow the students to finish the performances left over from the previous day.

STEP 1: TransitionNow that we’ve looked at story structure and how to create a story, let’s specifically talk about tragedy!

STEP 2: InstructionFor the Greeks tragedy was very important. Aristotle, the philosopher, explained that tragedy needs some very specific information.

Explain that THEY are going to be the teachers for a minute. They are responsible for this information. They will be tested on it, so ask questions of the person who is teaching.

In groups of three give each student a different part of tragedy. Give them 3 minutes to look over the sheet and be able to teach it to other people in the

group. Have the students turn their papers over. They each get 2 minutes to teach their term to the group and 30 seconds at the end to

check their papers to see if they’ve missed anything. The other 2 students should be copying down notes on their “Festival of Knowledge:

Tragedy” sheet. Switch until all have taught.

ASSESSMENT: Ask the class “Who has the BEST definition of _______?” Choose a student to come up and explain it to the class. “Did they forget anything? If so, what?”

CLOSURE:ANNOUNCE THAT THERE’S A TEST TOMORROW! Have them write 1 question they have about what we’ve learned (graffiti board, etc) on a half sheet and turn it in before they leave.

Tragic Hero

The tragic hero is the main character (or protagonist) of a tragedy.

According to Aristotle a tragic hero must be noble or royal. A tragic hero is better-than-average, but not perfect.

In a tragedy the tragic hero always experiences a misfortune as a result of a tragic flaw.

A tragic hero is often punished greater than his crime.

To be a tragic hero, the character must learn or discover something very important as a result of their misfortune or fall.

Tragic Hero

The tragic hero is the main character (or protagonist) of a tragedy.

According to Aristotle a tragic hero must be noble or royal. A tragic hero is better-than-average, but not perfect.

In a tragedy the tragic hero always experiences a misfortune as a result of a tragic flaw.

A tragic hero is often punished greater than his crime.

To be a tragic hero, the character must learn or discover something very important as a result of their misfortune or fall.

“Hamartia”, or Tragic Flaw

Pronounced : “hah – mar – TEE – uh”

The hamartia is the tragic flaw that causes the tragic hero’s downfall.

Tragic heroes all have tragic flaws to make them more like us.

One common tragic flaw is “hubris” (pronounced: hew-bris) and means “great pride” or “arrogance”.

The hamartia is usually caused by bad choice the tragic hero makes and not by fate.

“Hamartia”, or Tragic Flaw

Pronounced : “hah – mar – TEE – uh”

The hamartia is the tragic flaw that causes the tragic hero’s downfall.

Tragic heroes all have tragic flaws to make them more like us.

One common tragic flaw is “hubris” (pronounced: hew-bris) and means “great pride” or “arrogance”.

The hamartia is usually caused by bad choice the tragic hero makes and not by fate.

Catharsis

Pronounced: “cuh – THAR– siss”

Aristotle did not want tragedy to leave people depressed by the story. Catharsis cleanses the audience of sad emotions like pity and fear that come from the play.

Catharsis means a cleansing or purging of emotion.

Catharsis is what the audience feels after the tragic hero has learned the important lesson from his downfall.

Catharsis

Pronounced: “cuh – THAR– siss”

Aristotle did not want tragedy to leave people depressed by the story. Catharsis cleanses the audience of sad emotions like pity and fear that come from the play.

Catharsis means a cleansing or purging of emotion.

Catharsis is what the audience feels after the tragic hero has learned the important lesson from his downfall.

Festival of Knowledge: Tragedy

Take notes and explain the following:

TRAGIC HERO

HAMARTIA, or TRAGIC FLAW

CATHARSIS

Lesson 6—Test Day!

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE: Students will demonstrate their knowledge of Greek theatre history by taking a formal test.

TEXTS AND LITERACIES:Text: The Formal TestLiteracies: The previous 5 lessons, the slips of paper with their questions, allowing them to ask any remaining questions, etc.

MATERIALS: Greek History test

HOOK: Have the students warm up their bodies/get their energy out by doing the 8-6-4-2-1-1-1-1 shaking game.

TEACHING PRESENTATION:

Step 1: Check for UnderstandingAnswer the students’ questions that they wrote on pieces of paper at the end of the

previous lesson. Try to come prepared with similar questions already grouped together to maximize time. Ask students for any remaining questions or uncertainties.

Step 2: TransitionHand out the test and tell the class they have about 15 minutes to take the test.

CLOSURE AND ASSESSMENT:Students will take a formal test covering the material that has been taught in the last four

lessons. Students will turn in the test at the end of class.

IF YOU HAVE TIME: Learn and play any theatre game you wish.

NAME:______________________________

Greek Festival of Knowledge

Fill in the blank from the following words. Each word is only used once. Some words may not be used. (2 pts each)

City Dionysia theatron catharsis thymeleHamartia climax Aristotle inciting incident

1) In the Greek amphitheatre the audience sat in the ____________________.

2) ________________________ came up with the plot structure.

3) The altar in the middle of the Greek stage was called the _________________.

4) The most important theatre festival of the year was called _________________ ____________________.

5) ________________________ is the purging or cleansing of emotion at the end of a tragedy.

True or False Circle the correct answer. (2 pts each)

6) TRUE / FALSE A tragic hero has to be noble or royal.

7) TRUE / FALSE The inciting incident starts the action of a story in motion.

8) TRUE / FALSE Hubris is NOT an example of a tragic flaw.

9) TRUE / FALSE Exposition is the ending of the story that ties up all the loose ends.

Answer the following questions in 2-3 sentences. (5 pts each).

10) What is deus ex machina?

11) Explain what a myth is and why they were important to the Greeks.

Lesson 7—Presentational Greek Acting

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE: Students will be able to explain the techniques involved in presentational Greek acting by discussing examples and practicing gestures, exaggerated movement, exaggerated speech, and Greek chorus techniques as a class.

TEXTS AND LITERACIES:Texts:

1. The Youtube video2. Their bodies

Literacies: 1. Giving them focused questions before watching the video with things to look for while

they’re watching the video.2. Exploring communication through gestures.

MATERIALS: YouTube Video demonstrating presentational Greek-style acting, found at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFT_w7RTsnM

HOOK: Have the students warm up their bodies by doing the 8-6-4-2-1-1-1-1 shaking activity.

TEACHING PRESENTATION:

Step 1—Transition: Now that our bodies are warmed up, we’re going to start exploring movement in the context of Greek theatre and tragedy.

Step 2—Instruction/Modeling: 1. Tell students that we are going to watch a video clip. Inform them that

everyone needs to be looking for what they are doing with their bodies and with their voices. Costume is not important. Makeup and hair are not important for the sake of this exercise. They need to focus on what their bodies and voices are doing.

2. Tell the students that everyone needs to think of something they see in relation to voice and something they see in relation to body/movement. We will not be asking for volunteers. We will be calling on students.

3. Show students a video clip of a performance of Greek-style presentational acting. It should include gestural acting, exaggerated movement and voice, and possibly the Greek chorus. The one we have chosen is the first few minutes of a video entitled “Sophocles Antigone: Eros Chorus and ‘Farewell Aria’” on YouTube (see “Materials” for web address).

4. Ask the students what they see in the video. Help them draw up a list of characteristics of presentational acting. Think about adding some of the terms to the Greek Graffiti Board. (5 minutes)

Step 3—Transition: This is a list of characteristics of what we call presentational acting. This is an acting style used by the Greeks in their theatre.

Step 4—Instruction: When the Greeks performed tragedy, there were very specific rules for actors on the stage. There were only 3 actors allowed to be in the same scene. The rest of the actors were all in the Greek chorus, which was a large group that all sang and danced their lines, like we just saw in the video clip. All actors used these presentational acting techniques, but the chorus was the most dance-like. Ask the students what is different about these characteristics from other styles of acting they have seen or studied.

Step 5—Transition: Tell the students we will now apply these presentational acting techniques to an actual Greek text.

Step 6—Modeling: 1. Move the students into the larger cafeteria space.2. The major rule of this activity is no talking until instructed to do so, and no touching

each other. This is an individual activity.3. Walk around the room as yourself.4. Stop. Walk around the room as a tragic hero. Ask for a student volunteer to give

characteristics of a tragic hero (noble, royal).5. Side coaching: Make your body really exaggerated. How can we know exactly who

you are without you using words. Use your face, your arms, all different parts of your body.

6. Stop. Turn to the person nearest you. You should each have a partner. Wave at your partner as you would normally. Now, take a step back from each other and get back into your tragic hero physicality and wave as a tragic hero. How big and exaggerated can you make that waving? Remind them that waving is a gesture.

7. If they are getting silly, remind them that this is exaggerated, not goofy.8. Walk around the room as a tragic hero and wave at five people. Once you’ve waved

to five people, stop and stand in a tragic hero pose. 9. Side coaching: Are you doing the same things as a tragic hero? Try something new.

What other ways can you express this character?10. Everyone repeat after me: “He spilled his father’s blood.” This is a line from the

Greek tragedy Oedipus. 11. Now, say the line as you would normally, as yourself.12. Now, stand like a tragic hero. Think about how you are going to exaggerate your

voice to say this line like a tragic hero. One the count of three, everyone say the line as a tragic hero.

13. Now, think of a gesture or movement that goes with this line as your character, a tragic hero.

14. Walk around the room and whenever I count to three, do the line with your gesture. Do this a few times.

15. Ask them to add another gesture. They should gesture on the word spilled and on the word blood. Do this several times as they walk around the room., and as time permits.

CLOSURE/ASSESSMENT: How is this different from what you’ve normally done? Do you think this is a good way to act? Why? Do you like it?

Lesson 8—Shape, Gesture, and the Greek Chorus

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE: Students will show their mastery of the viewpoint of gesture and shape by performing a brief exercise in the manner of the Greek chorus.

TEXTS AND LITERACIES:Texts:

1. Their bodies2. Lines from Greek texts

Literacies:1. exploring communication through shape.2. Using shape and gesture to access a text with difficult language.

MATERIALS: Slips of paper with lines from Greek choruses

HOOK: Warm up/stretch in the cafeteria space to music as we move through the space. Instruct the students that as they move through the space they should not move just in a circle. They should vary whether they go fast or slow, and stretch and move as they go. They should move in straight lines and in curve patterns, go to the corners and the edges as well as the middle. Don’t walk with anyone or next to anyone, this is an individual activity.

STEP 1: Transition/InstructionYesterday we explored gestures and body movement; now we are going to explore something called shape. Shape refers to the shape your body makes when you move. A shape does not have to be literal. It can express anything, an idea, a feeling, an emotion or a concrete image. We are going to use shape and explore, using our bodies, how we can show different things.

STEP 2: Individual PracticeHave the students space themselves out in the room at arms distance.

1) Tell the students that they are going to individually create different shapes based on words and images we give them.

2) Remind the students that this is an individual activity, requires no talking and is not the time to be silly. If anyone makes fun of anyone or says something hurtful they will have to sit out on the side and will not be allowed to participate and Ms. Holley will get involved.

3) Have the students close their eyes.4) Instruct the students that you will say a word and then count to 3. On the count of three

the students need to make a shape or strike a pose with their bodies that expresses that word.

a. Be sure to start with more concrete images and as the activity continues become more and more abstract.

b. If time permits allow students to call out words or ideas to express and embody.

STEP 3: TransitionNow we are going to apply what we’ve learned to the Greek chorus. What were some of the things we saw yesterday with the Greek chorus? As we do the next activity, keep those things in mind and think of ideas of how to apply what we just did to the chorus.

STEP 4: Group Practice/Instruction1) Divide the class in half.2) Tell the students that this is no longer an individual activity but a group activity. As a

group they are going to create a group sculpture. They should build off of each other. They still cannot touch one another, but they should find ways to connect as a group. This does not mean that you should just repeat and imitate other people. Rather you should add onto what the other people do and make it more expressive.

3) Give the students a word or phrase and count down from 5. As you count the students should be moving into the group sculpture focusing on the shape their bodies are making in relation to the group.

4) Do this several times then switch groups.

STEP 5: TransitionNow we are adding the final step: dialogue. You are all going to perform as a Greek chorus.

STEP 6: Instruction/Group Practice1) Break the class into 4 groups. 2) Assign each group a line from a Greek tragedy. They are now the Greek chorus for that

play.3) As a group they should come up with a series of shapes and gestures that express the line.

Each group should prepare to repeat the line and the series of movements 3 times like the chorus.

STEP 7: ModelingDemonstrate an example of gestures and movements that could be done for one of the unused Greek chorus lines.

CLOSURE/ASSESSMENT:Have the students perform their movement sections they have created. Afterwards, discuss the following questions: What was the hardest part about this? Why was it so hard? Do you think that this is something we could do in a play today? Could we maybe adapt this kind of activity to work better for a contemporary play?

SUPPLEMENT—Lesson 8 – Lines from Greek Plays

Destiny guide me always,

Destiny find me filled with reverence_____________________________________________This passion of hers moves to something great._____________________________________________Through the gloomy salt straights to the gatewayOf the salty unlimited sea._____________________________________________When love is in excessIt brings a man no honor_____________________________________________

O your heart must have been made of rock or steel._____________________________________________If a man can spread his handsAnd show they are clean_____________________________________________

Lesson 9—Three Greek Tragedies

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE: Students will show their grasp of the basic understanding of the plots of three Greek tragedies by creating the stories with their bodies.

TEXTS AND LITERACIES:Texts: Their bodies, Greek storiesLiteracies: Telling the stories in simplified versions, letting the students enact the plots by using their bodies, asking questions that allow the students to analyze the texts.

MATERIALS: A copy of the Festival of Knowledge: The Tragedies for each student A list of who will be in what group for the final assessment scenes. 3 Scripts (Medea, Agamemnon, Oedipus) and enough copies of each script for all

the groups A copy of the final assessment rubric for each student

HOOK (5 Minutes):Have the students walk around the room and get moving. Review the individual shape word association activity from lesson 8.

STEP 1: TransitionNow is when we talk about some of the actual plays that the Greeks performed. While there are many, we are going to focus on 3 important ones. Explain that they will be performing a scene from one of these three plays next week so they must participate and pay attention. Hand out “Festival of Knowledge: The Tragedies”. Tell the students that all these names are important, but we can’t write them all on the graffiti board, so we have given you this Festival of Knowledge to remember the names and the plots of these three plays. Instruct the students to write down notes as they watch student volunteers act out these three stories.

STEP 2: Instruction (5 Minutes)After they are moving tell them that they are going to use shape, gesture, and exaggerated physicality to act out the different roles we tell them. Have them space out in the room at arm’s length and to individually create shapes and gestures to portray these characters and the plot as we talk about them. Begin with Oedipus Rex.

Pick a boy to be Oedipus, King of Thebes; Pick a girl to be Jocasta, queen of Thebes, Oedipus’ wife. Tell them: You are both the most powerful rulers in the world. Oedipus is the strongest and most amazing king ever. Jocasta the most beautiful and elegant queen ever. You are both very proud and very egotistical.

Oedipus, you learn that your kingdom is suddenly cursed. The kingdom is cursed because someone murdered the old king, Jocasta’s dead husband Laius. How do you respond?

You begin to interrogate and question all your subjects until you come to a blind prophet named Teiresias (pick a student to be Teiresias).

Teiresias, tell Oedipus that he is the murderer from many years ago! Jocasta, you remember that years ago you received a prophecy that your son would kill

his father and marry you, his mother. So to prevent it, you abandoned your son and thought he was dead.

Oedipus, you were found by strangers and adopted and never knew your real parents. One day in your travels you fought an old man and murdered him and then when you arrived in Thebes married the queen Jocasta because her husband was dead. Do you think that you are maybe Jocasta’s son? How do you react?

Oedipus and Jocasta, you realize that this is true. Jocasta, Oedipus is your son and he murdered his father. Oedipus, you killed your father and married your mother. How do each of you feel?

Jocasta, you are so distraught that you hang yourself and die. Oedipus, you are so upset when you find your wife/mother dead that you gauge out your own eyes and are thrown out of the city.

STEP 3: Check for Understanding (5 Minutes)Talk with the students about the text they just explored through their bodies. What was Oedipus’ tragic flaw? What were the major themes in the story? Can you think of any other plays you’ve seen or heard of with similar themes? Are these themes relevant in our everyday lives?

STEP 4: Transition/Instruction (5 Minutes)Now we are going to tell the story of Medea. We need 6 volunteers. As you read the story of Medea have the other teacher direct the students as they act out the story.

Medea by Euripedes (6 actors; Medea, Jason, Glauke, Creon, 2 sons)

Medea was the wife of the war-hero Jason. Medea was also a half-goddess, meaning her father was a god and her mother a human. At the beginning of the play, Jason has left Medea and has married a new woman: Glauke, princess of Corinth and Medea is banished by Glauke’s father Creon. Medea swears bloody revenge and swiftly sets about finding a way to kill them all.

First, she makes Jason believe that she approves of his new marriage. Medea gives Jason a beautiful gown and a golden crown as a gift for Glauke. Jason takes the gifts and his children back into the palace, not knowing that Medea has placed a curse on the gifts.

When the Princess puts on the gown and crown, she received a rather nasty surprise. Her entire body caught fire and the flesh melted from her bones. When Creon saw his daughter's flaming corpse, he was so distraught that he threw his body onto hers and died as well. The final part of Medea’s revenge is to hurt Jason by killing their children.

The murder of her children isn't easy for Medea. She struggles, but in the end her revenge is more important. Medea drags the boys inside the house and kills them with a sword. Jason arrives too late to save his sons. Just as he's banging on the door to stop his wife, Medea erupts into the sky in a chariot drawn by dragons. Jason curses his wife, and she curses him back. He begs to have the children's bodies so that he can bury them. She refuses him even this, and takes their corpses away with her as she flies away triumphant.

STEP 5: Check for Understanding (5 Minutes)Who is the tragic hero in this story? What is his/her tragic flaw? What were the themes in this story? How were they similar or different to those in Oedipus? What are other pieces of art that have similar themes? Movies? Plays? Are these themes relevant to us? Why or why not?

STEP 6: Transition/Instruction (5 Minutes)Ask for 5 student volunteers:Agamemnon by Aeschylus (5 actors; Agamemnon, Clytemnestra, Cassandra, Aegisthus, Orestes)

Agamemnon is part of a three part story called The Oresteia.

Agamemnon is the king of Argos and is married to Clytemnestra. Agamemnon has been gone for 10 years at war with the Trojans and finally returns. Beside him in the chariot is Cassandra, a Trojan princess whom he has taken prisoner. Clytemnestra greets her husband and escorts him into the palace, leaving Cassandra alone.

Cassandra, who has prophetic powers, reveals the past and the future. What she sees of the past is a gruesome crime committed by Agamemnon's father, Atreus. When Atreus was angry at his brother Thyestes for stealing his wife, he butchered Thyestes's children and fed them to him. This, Cassandra says, has brought a curse upon the house.

Next Cassandra looks into the future: she says that she and Agamemnon are about to be murdered; she drops hints that the murderer will be Clytemnestra, but the Chorus doesn't pick up on it. Finally, Cassandra says that she accepts her death, and heads inside the palace.

Soon after, the door of the palace opens, revealing Clytemnestra standing over the dead bodies of Agamemnon and Cassandra. Clytemnestra boasts that she killed Agamemnon to avenge their daughter Iphigenia who Agamemnon had murdered years earlier. At the same time, she says that she is not responsible for the killing because she was just carrying out the curse that had been placed on the family by Thyestes, a generation ago.

Finally Agamemnon’s cousin Aegisthus appears. While Agamemnon was away at war, Aegisthus became Clytemnestra's lover and he plotted with her to kill Agamemnon in

revenge. Clytemnestra leads Aegisthus into the palace, saying that they will be joint rulers in Argos.

STEP 7: Check for Understanding (5 Minutes)Who was the tragic hero here and what was his/her tragic flaw? What can we learn from this story? Is this story relevant to us today? What can we learn from it?

CLOSURE/ASSESSMENT (5 Minutes):Ask: Was this a good way to tell a story? Can you relate to the characters at all? Why or why not? Did using your bodies help you to better understand the story and the characters? How?

Assign groups (4-5 students per group) and hand out the scripts (see SUPPLEMENTS for this lesson) and the rubric for the final assessment (see SUPPLEMENTS).

FINAL GREEK TRAGEDY ASSESSMENT RUBRIC

Category 5 3 1Memorization -Everyone fully

memorized (no scripts)

-Some members are fully memorized, but not all of them (1-2 scripts)

-More than two members have their scripts/are not memorized

Character -Everyone in the group is in character-no one breaks character or is silly

-some members of the group are in character and some are not-1 or 2 actors break character or act silly

-Most or all members of the group break character or act silly

Crying and/or Dying -crying and/or dying is in the scene in an appropriate place-believable

-crying and/or dying is included but is not believable

-crying and/or dying is not included in the scene

Chorus -Chorus performs with the three key elements: -unison -shape/gesture -exaggerated voice

-chorus is missing 1 of the three elements

-chorus is missing 2 or more of the three elements

Festival of Knowledge: The Tragedies

Oedipus Rex by Sophocles

Main Characters: Oedipus Jocasta

Teiresias, the blind prophet Chorus

3 sentence summary:

Media by Euripedes

Main Characters: Medea Jason Glauke Creon Chorus

3 sentence summary:

Agamemnon by Aeschylus (from The Oresteia)

Main Characters: Agamemnon Clytemnestra Cassandra Aegisthus Orestes Chorus

3 sentence summary:

Other thoughts or experiences you had today:

Oedipus Rex

(TEIRESIAS, the blind prophet, enters to speak with OEDIPUS)

CHORUS: Here is the one who will convict him, look, they bring him on at last, the seer, the man of god. The truth lives inside him alone.

OEDIPUS: O Teiresias, master of all the mysteries of our life. Blind as you are you can feel what sickness haunts our city.

TEIRESIAS: I will never reveal my dreadful secrets. I’d rather not cause pain for you.

OEDIPUS: What? You know and you won’t tell? You’re bent on betraying us, destroying Thebes?

TEIRESIAS: You are the curse, the corruptions of this land. You are the murderer you hunt.

(TEIRESIAS exits) OEDIPUS: (weeping) I stand revealed at last—cursed in my birth, cursed in marriage, cursed in the lives I cut down with these hands!

CHORUS: Time as dragged you to the light, judged your marriage monstrous from the start—the son and the father both in one man.

Medea

(MEDEA enters to stab her TWO CHILDREN)

(CHILD #1 screams)

CHORUS: Do you hear the cry, do you hear the children’s cry? O you hard heart, O woman fated for evil!

CHILD #1: What can I do and how escape my mother’s hands?

CHILD #2: Oh my dear brother, I cannot tell. We are lost.

CHORUS: Shall I enter the house? Oh, surely I should defend the children from murder.

CHILD #1: Oh help us, for now we need your help.

CHILD #2: Now we are close to it. We are trapped by the sword!

CHORUS: O your heart must have been made of rock or steel, you who can kill with your own hands your children.

(MEDEA stabs her children. They die.)

MEDEA: (weeping) Ah I have suffered bitterly. I hate you, children of a hateful mother. I curse you and your father. Let the whole house crash.

Agamemnon

CHORUS: Cassandra knows that she will be murdered. She must go in now, mourning Agamemnon’s death and her own. Now he must pay for the blood his father’s shed, and die for the deaths he brought to pass.

(CLYTEMNESTRA enters and stabs AGAMEMNON and CASSANDRA weeps)

AGAMEMNON: Aaah! Struck deep—the death blow—deep—

CHORUS: He cries, but who? Someone’s stabbed!

AGAMEMNON: Aaaaah! Again—second blow—struck home.

(AGAMEMNON dies. CLYTEMNESTRA stabs CASSANDRA. She dies.)

CHORUS: The work is done, you can feel it.

CLYTEMNESTRA: Now it makes me proud to tell the truth. How else prepare a death for a deadly man who doesn’t love you? Here my work is done. I don’t deny it.

Lesson 10—Crying on Stage Part 1

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE:Students will demonstrate their ability to cry in a scene by performing crying techniques in pairs.

TEXTS AND LITERACIES:Texts: Their bodies as text

MATERIALS: None

HOOK:

Have the students warm up by moving through the space. Play music that evokes sobriety or sadness. Have their movement reflect and be informed by the music. How is this movement different? Move how the music makes you feel.

STEP 1: TransitionHow is this music affecting how you move? What are you doing differently that you don’t normally do when we warm up? What do you feel when you listen to this music? Music is one way we can access our emotions. It is a tool. Today we are going to teach you several tools to use in order to cry realistically on stage.

STEP 2: InstructionIn real life, why do you cry? What reasons cause you to cry (possible: anger, devastation, frustration, happiness, exhaustion/stress, etc). What things do you physically feel in your body? (heavy breathing, shaking, closed eyes, closed body shape, tension) Let’s practice re-creating these things.

Breathing: start by taking slow deep breaths. Now make your breath shorter and faster. Breathe with your stomach and not with your chest. Make them more and more emotional. Try doing a little yawn as you breath shallowly. This can help tears to come and help with the believability of your voice. Try sniffling and snorting.

Tension: tense the muscles in your body bit-by-bit. Toes > feet > legs > thighs > bum > back > abs > chest > shoulders > arms > hands > fingers > neck > face. Now build all of those together and make the tension in your body. When you cry does tension go through your whole body or just parts? Try tensing the different parts of your body in a different order?

Closed body shape: make a body shape that makes you feel closed. How tense and sad can you make it? How many different ways can you make tense, closed shapes?

Now let’s try and combine each of these things together. Start with breathing. Then add muscle tension in your body. Now create a closed, sad body shape. Try adding on other layers like sobbing, sniffling, shaking or try and get tears out.

STEP 3: TransitionDo you feel like you are approximating crying? Does this look like or feel like you are actually crying? What makes for believable crying? What makes it unbelievable? Now let’s try adding a line.

STEP 4: Instruction/Guided Practice/AssessmentRepeat the following line from Medea (“O wretched woman/man that I am). Now say they line with exaggerated sadness in your voice. How do you sound when you are sad? Turn to a partner. Add the 3 technical steps that we’ve learned and say your line to your partner. Then switch. Give your partner feedback. Are they being believable? How can they improve?

TEACHING NOTE: Watch and find students doing an exceptional job. Point them out and ask them if they are willing to perform for the class as an example.

CLOSURE: Ask for three student volunteers to each lead a short activity tomorrow (one will do a breathing activity, one will do a tension activity, and one will do a shape activity—all related to crying). Explain to them that they would just have to do a simple activity like the ones we did today as a review of what we learned today. If there is time, have the class get into three groups (each with one of the volunteers) and have the group help the volunteer come up with an activity to practice their assigned element.

Lesson 10.5—Crying on Stage Part 2

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE: Students will demonstrate their ability to cry realistically on stage by applying crying techniques to their final assessment scenes.

TEXTS AND LITERACIES: Texts: Their bodies, the Greek tragedy scriptsLiteracies: Using crying techniques to access the Greek text.

MATERIALS: None

HOOK: Have the three student volunteers from the previous lesson do the activities they have planned on breathing, tension, and shape in relation to crying on stage. Ask the class what techniques they have learned so far seem to help them the most. Which ones work for them? So they have any other ideas for techniques to cry realistically on stage?

TEACHING PRESENTATION:

STEP 1: TransitionNow it’s time to add this into your group scenes for your final performance. Get in your groups and identify who should cry in your scene and where they should cry?

STEP 2: Guided PracticeGive the students most of the class period to apply what they have learned to the crying portions in their final assessment scenes. Characters who do not have to cry should be helping their peers who do have to cry create realistic crying scenes. Walk around the room and help where needed to make the dying and crying in their scenes as realistic as possible.

STEP 3: Guided PracticeAllow a few groups to workshop the crying part of their scene in front of the class. Allow the class to give the groups “wins” (things they did well) and “opportunities” (things they could keep working on). Remind the students that they should all be applying the comments these groups are getting to their own scenes.

CLOSURE/ASSESSMENT: Give the students time at the end of class, if possible, to ask any remaining questions they have about crying or the final assessment in general. The assessments for this lesson are informal and are in the form of checks for understanding throughout the activities. A good check will be watching how they are applying the crying techniques to their scenes at the end of class.

Lesson 11—Dying on Stage

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE: Students will demonstrate their ability to die convincingly on stage by playing a game of death tag.

TEXTS AND LITERACIES:Texts: Their bodies, two video clipsLiteracies: Letting the students analyze the video clips and form lists to extract meaning from the clips.

MATERIALS: The clip entitled “SPOILER!!!!!! The Death of Satine” from Youtube

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVpyYXkBM1Y) The clip entitled “Best Death Scene Ever” from Youtube

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EvPvfVOUV8)

HOOK: First show the students the clip “Best Death Scene Ever” as an introduction to what they will be learning today. Note that this is a funny example of a bad death scene. Ask the students if this is a good or bad death scene and why or why not. Then, show them the clip entitled, “SPOILER!!! The Death of Satine” from the movie Moulin Rouge. Talk about what made this a good death scene and what they felt when watching it.

TEACHING PRESENTATION:

STEP 1—Transition: Now that we’ve seen examples of good and bad death scenes, let’s figure out what we can do as actors to make a death scene great.

STEP 2—Instruction: Ask the class what they think the actor needs to do or know in order to make a good death scene. Write their answers up on the board. Some good answers would be:

-Stay in control and not actually try to die on stage-Know what the cause of their death is-Research how the body dies in that way-Determine if the death is supposed to be fast, slow, funny, or sad-Watch many good death scenes and learn from them-Practice, practice, practice-Determine what the character is thinking right before they die and how that is shown on their face.-Decide what is at stake if the character dies.

Determine as a class what the top 5 most important of these are and have them on the board.

STEP 3—Modeling: Ask for a student volunteer willing to die in front of the class. Ask for suggestions from the class for how he/she will die. Then, ask/do each of the 5 things the class came up with in Step 2 with the student volunteer. Have the student volunteer apply these 5 things and perform their death.

STEP 4—Transition: Now, everybody gets to practice applying these 5 things to on-stage dying.

STEP 5—Guided Practice: Lead the students in a game of death tag. Choose one student to be “it.” Tell the students that if they are tagged, they must immediately die a death that applies all 5 things determined in Step 2. Everyone else will freeze as soon as someone has been tagged and is dying. After the death, the students will quickly vote on whether the death was realistic or not (and if it applied the 5 things), and if the class determined that the death was not realistic and specific, that person is out and the game continues with the teacher calling someone else to be “it.”

STEP 6—Transition: Now that we’ve learned the basics to dying realistically on stage, we need to apply it to our final assessment scenes. Have the students divide up into their final assessment groups.

STEP 7—Guided Practice: Give the students the rest of the class period to apply what they have learned to the deaths in their final assessment scenes. If they have crying and not death in their scene, they can continue practicing crying from the previous lesson. Walk around the room and help where needed to make the dying and crying in their scenes as realistic as possible.

CLOSURE/ASSESSMENT: Give the students time at the end of class, if possible, to ask any remaining questions they have about dying or the final assessment in general. The assessments for this lesson are informal and are in the form of checks for understanding throughout the activities. A good check will be watching how they are applying the dying techniques to their scenes at the end of class.

Lesson 12—Review of Greek Chorus Work

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE: Students will review the ideas of shape, gesture, and exaggerated voice in relation to acting as the Greek Chorus by practicing and applying these elements to their final assessment scenes.

TEXTS AND LITERACIES:Texts: Their bodies, Greek texts for final assessment scenesLiteracies: Using shape, gesture, exaggerated voice to extract meaning from the final assessment scenes.

MATERIALS: A music-playing device Soothing music for the hook/warm-up 5 slips of paper with a line from of the scenes in Lesson 9 (see Lesson 9

supplements)

HOOK: Have the students warm up their bodies by lying on the floor with soothing music in the background. Tell them we are going to stretch each part of our bodies on the floor. When I say, you will squeeze each part as hard as you can as I count down from 5, and then you will release the tension and relax. Have the students do this for the following body parts: right foot, left foot, right leg, left leg, butt, stomach, ribs, right hand, left hand, right arm, left arm, neck, face.

TEACHING PRESENTATION:

STEP 1—Transition: Now that our bodies are warmed up, we can use them to practice the Greek Chorus acting we learned how to do several lessons ago.

STEP 2—Check for Understanding: Ask for student volunteers to remind the class of the major characteristics of Greek Chorus acting. Help the students focus on these three: shape, gesture, and exaggerated voice.

STEP 3—Transition: We need to see all of these elements in your final assessment scene, so we will practice them now.

STEP 4—Instruction/Modeling: Take a Greek Chorus line from one of the group’s final scenes (see lesson 9 supplements for these scenes).

1. Ask for five volunteers to come up to be the Greek Chorus. 2. Give them each a slip of paper with the line on it. 3. Ask them to read the line aloud as a group. 4. Divide the line up into chunks, and ask for a student volunteer to give a suggestion for

what the shape or gesture could be for this first chunk.5. Have the Chorus do this gesture with the line.6. Repeat this until the class has helped construct the movements for the entire line.7. Ask the class if they have any suggestions for adding more shape to the chorus, whether

through individual gestures or if the Chorus as the whole can make shapes throughout the script (i.e. stand in a circle vs. a line).

8. Ask the class for suggestions on how to improve the exaggerated voice of the chorus.9. Have the chorus perform the whole line to the class.10. Have the entire class stand up and perform the line as they have constructed it.11. Side coaching: Throughout this activity, make sure to encourage the students to go big

their gestures. Remind them what the word ‘exaggerated’ means. Encourage them to take risks and be creative. Give them opportunities to think in the abstract rather than literally.

STEP 5—Transition: Remind the students that these are the types of things we will expect to see in their final assessment scenes. Tell the students to get into their final assessment groups.

STEP 6—Guided Practice: Allow the students to practice their scenes for their final assessment with the things in mind that they have just reviewed. Ask them to spend some time practicing the Greek Chorus parts of their scenes and apply what they learned today to their scene to make it even better.

STEP 7—Check for Understanding: At the end of class, allow time for the students to ask any questions they have about the final assessment and to express concerns they may have about the Greek Chorus aspect of their scenes or about any other aspect of the final assessment.

CLOSURE/ASSESSMENT: The assessments for this lesson are informal and are manifest through the modeling activity as well as through the teacher’s observations of the guided practice for the final assessment scenes. The teacher should be aware of major gaps in the students’ understanding of what their final scenes should look like or in any individual element of the scenes (crying/dying, Greek Chorus, memorization, etc.)

Lesson 13—Final Assessment Practice

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE: Students will prepare for their final assessment by practicing in their groups and taking turns workshopping their scene in front of the teacher.

TEXTS AND LITERACIES: Texts: Their bodies, Greek texts for final assessment scenes.Literacies: Helping them analyze and evaluate their scenes in relation to the ideas on the rubric.

MATERIALS: None

HOOK: Students will warm up their bodies by doing the 8-6-4-2-1-1-1-1 shaking game. Do this twice if the students need to.

TEACHING PRESENTATION:

STEP 1—Transition: Now that our bodies are warmed up, we are ready to practice for your final scenes that will be performed over the next two days in class. Tell them they will have the opportunity today to workshop whatever part of their scene they are having the most difficulty with in front of the teacher to get feedback. Give the students as much space as possible to spread out into their groups and start rehearsing their scenes.

STEP 2—Guided Practice: After the students have separated into their groups, call on one group at a time to come workshop whatever part of their scene they are having the most difficulty with in front of the teacher. Coach them on how they could improve that element or if you see other elements that need immediate attention, give the students suggestions to improve those elements. If you have about 7 groups of about 5 students each, you should take no more than 5 minutes per group.

STEP 3—Check for Understanding: At the end of class, give the students one last opportunity to ask any questions about how the performances will be run, what order they will be presented in, etc. Clear up any misunderstandings and get a general feel for the class’s preparedness. Suggest anything they might be able to practice over the weekend to make their scenes as good as they can possibly be.

CLOSURE/ASSESSMENT: The assessment for this lesson will be in the guided practice as the different groups workshop their scene in front of the teacher. This will give the teacher the opportunity to assess the level of understanding the students have about their final scene and what it is supposed to look like. The teacher will give feedback during this guided practice to prepare the students for their final assessment performances. Lesson 14—Final Assessment Part 1

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE:Students will demonstrate their cumulative knowledge over the course of the unit through a final performance.

TEXTS AND LITERACIES:Texts: Performances of the final assessments.Literacies: Using wins and opportunities to critically analyze the performances

MATERIALS: None

HOOK:Get up and move around the performance space. Get their bodies moving and stretched and moving freely through the space. Give them 10 minutes as a group to prepare and go over their

scenes. This can also be an opportunity to remind students of the requirements on the rubric they were given and clarify any last-minute questions about how they will be graded.

As the students are getting together, use tape to tape out a round “orchestra” and a square “skene” for the students to act in on the floor.

STEP 1: Assessment Have the students sit on the stairs and create a playing space for the students. Have the

audience sit in the “theatron” and tell those performing to perform in the “orchestra” space.

Begin each scene with a “1-2-3-ACTION!” lead by an audience member. Allow each group to perform. After each group we will lead a brief discussion of what we saw concerning the items on

the rubric. Explain that this discussion model is one of “wins and opportunities” A “win” is something that the students did really well. Have the audience list off some “wins” from the performance of what went well based on the rubric. Then have them list “opportunities”. “Opportunities” are opportunities for them to improve the next time they perform. What could have been better or worked better?

Add onto the discussion, if necessary, specific questions from the rubric?o Was the crying/dying believable?o Did the chorus use gesture, shape and exaggeration?o Were they memorized?

STEP 2: ClosureAll the groups should have finished performing. Return to the classroom and put the “Greek Graffiti Board” on the whiteboard. Look at everything we have done this unit. Indicate the amount of information gathered during the pre-assessment compared to the graffiti board now. Do you think that the things we have learned in this unit will help you in the future? How? Do you want to continue to do things like this? How do you think we can use Greek performance techniques in contemporary plays? What other things have we learned that you didn’t expect that you would enjoy or be useful?