Unit 2 — History of the Arts and Culture
Description
This unit explores the cultural and historical context of dramatic works, the purposes of theater in various eras and cultures, and how theater reflects society and culture. Students investigate how to identify the historical environment of a theatrical work using scene, costumes, and props.
Essential Questions
- How can you recognize the cultural and historical context of a dramatic work?
- How can you identify the historical environment of a theatrical work using scene, costumes and props?
Learning Objectives
- Identify and understand the purposes of theater in various eras and cultures.
- Understand the role of theater in various communities.
- Identify major historical periods of theater.
- Recognize that theater has a distinct history reflecting the society and culture of its time.
- Describe what can be deduced about a society/community's values based on a representative play from that culture.
- Demonstrate how art communicates ideas about personal and social values and is inspired by an individual's imagination and frame of reference (e.g., personal, social, political, historical context).
- Describe the culture in the world of a play and compare it to the world that produced the play.
- Recognize works of dance, music, theatre, and visual art as a reflection of societal values and beliefs.
- Articulate cultural, historical and social context of their original work.
Supplemental Resources
- Create a Timeline: Theatre Lesson
- History of Musical Theatre: Lesson
- Glossary of Terms
- Kids Musical Theater Anthology by Lisa DeSpain
- A Chronological Outline of World Theatre by Walter J. Meserve and Molly Ann Meserve
Visual Arts - Creating
Visual Arts - Presenting
Visual Arts - Responding
Students engage in conversations and collaborative discussions with diverse partners, integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media formats, analyze how individuals and events develop over time, interpret words and phrases in texts, and write routinely for various tasks and purposes to support theatre learning and analysis.
Students explore how cultures express themselves through behavior and traditions, recognize how languages and cultural development shape society, and understand the importance of multiple perspectives in an interconnected world.
Formative Assessments
- Teacher observation: Use a variety of vocal tones and breath control to create a character's feelings and mood.
- Teacher observation: Use basic analysis skills to perform a character within a scene.
- Performance rubrics
- Performance task checklist
- Self reflection - Mapping ones journey
- Critique a performance of script using predeveloped criteria.
- Pair-share
- Peer evaluation and observation
- Analyzing primary source documents on the history of theatre in various cultures.
- Conduct short research projects on the cultural origins of theatre to support analysis, reflection, and research.
- Use technology to create a presentation
- Evaluate informal in class performances and video evidence of student performances using observation, discussions, drawings, video, and simple student-created rubrics.
Summative Assessment
Students create and perform a short scene from a historical time period studied in the unit, using appropriate costumes, props, and scenery to demonstrate how theater reflected the culture and purposes of that era. The performance is assessed on accurate historical context, use of vocal expression to convey character, and identification of theatrical elements that reveal the historical setting.
Benchmark Assessment
A brief performance or visual presentation task in which students identify and explain the historical period of a short scene based on its costumes, props, and setting, demonstrating understanding of how theater reflects culture across different eras.
Alternative Assessment
Students may demonstrate understanding through a teacher-led discussion or verbal explanation of how costumes and props reflect a specific historical period, with the option to point to or arrange visual images instead of writing descriptive labels.
IEP (Individualized Education Program)
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Section 504
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ELL / MLL
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At Risk (RTI)
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Gifted & Talented
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