Unit 1 — Characters—Dramatic Essentials

• Improvisation: participate in group games and individual improvisation scenario practice in preparation for performance.
• Scene writing: write and perform original scenes created collaboratively in small groups.
• Monologues: read aloud informal monologues and other public speaking in response to informal topics in preparation for writing.
• Peer review and informal observations during rehearsal and collaborative work.
• Quick writes and self-assessments reflecting on the creative process.

Monologue performances and play festival in which students celebrate the class' work and reflect on the process of dramatic development.

A short scene analysis task in which students identify a character's objective, given circumstances, and physical or vocal choices from a brief scripted scene excerpt. This assesses understanding of character fundamentals and story structure covered in Unit 1.

Students may demonstrate character understanding through physical movement, gesture, or tableau in place of spoken monologue. Visual aids such as character trait charts, emotion scales, or costume pieces may support character analysis and choice-making during improvisation and scene work.

Students with IEPs may benefit from additional processing time and structured support when making vocal and physical character choices, as embodying a character's objectives and emotional circumstances requires both expressive and analytical skills. Providing visual or graphic organizers that break down story structure elements—such as character wants, conflict, and resolution—can help students organize their thinking before writing or performing. For output, offer flexible alternatives such as oral responses, recorded performances, or dictated scene writing in place of written tasks when appropriate. During rehearsal and collaborative work, brief check-ins and clearly sequenced task steps will support students in staying oriented within the creative process.

Students with 504 plans should be given extended time during scene writing and monologue preparation to ensure they can fully develop and rehearse their work without undue pressure. Preferential seating or a reduced-distraction space during collaborative rehearsal periods can help students maintain focus when the classroom environment becomes active or loud. Clear, printed copies of any directions or prompts related to character work, writing tasks, or design elements should be made available so students can reference instructions independently.

Multilingual learners benefit from visual supports that connect dramatic vocabulary—such as objective, conflict, given circumstances, and design elements—to images or short demonstrations, helping build the content-specific language needed to participate in character and story work. Directions for improvisation, scene writing, and design tasks should be given in clear, simple language with the opportunity for students to restate instructions in their own words before beginning. Partnering multilingual learners with a trusted peer during collaborative rehearsal and play festival preparation can provide ongoing linguistic support, and students should be encouraged to draw on their home language when generating character ideas or mapping out story structure.

Students who need additional support should be offered accessible entry points into character work, such as beginning with familiar scenarios or emotions before moving into more abstract storytelling concepts like conflict and resolution. Connecting character objectives and given circumstances to students' personal experiences can lower the barrier to engagement and help them find authenticity in their choices. Scene writing tasks may be shortened or scaffolded with sentence starters or structural prompts so students can demonstrate understanding of story elements without becoming overwhelmed by the length or complexity of the writing demand. Frequent, low-stakes feedback during rehearsal will help at-risk students build confidence as performers and collaborators.

Students who demonstrate strong command of the unit's foundational concepts—such as character objectives, conflict development, and story structure—should be encouraged to explore these ideas with greater complexity and nuance, for example by layering competing character motivations or experimenting with non-linear storytelling in their scenes. Gifted students may take on expanded creative leadership within the play festival process, such as considering how multiple design elements work together to deepen a character's truth, or analyzing how directorial choices shape an audience's interpretation of a scene. Connecting their dramatic work to broader questions about how theatre reflects and challenges human experience can push thinking into meaningful interdisciplinary territory.