| Curriculum Samples (k-12, teachers, special needs students, adults and professionals) |
Sample 1: Healing Community – Helping Students Come to
Terms with Tragedy, Violence and Loss
Lecture & Curriculum
Running Time: 1-3 hours. One day up to 20 days
Modeled after the success of his award winning one man show and created
to meet SOL objectives, this curriculum is meant to provide students with a
safe space in which to explore their feelings about loss, tragedy and
violence. This lecture and workshop is now being taught to both public
school teachers and students ages 12 and up.
Terms with Tragedy, Violence and Loss
Lecture & Curriculum
Running Time: 1-3 hours. One day up to 20 days
Modeled after the success of his award winning one man show and created
to meet SOL objectives, this curriculum is meant to provide students with a
safe space in which to explore their feelings about loss, tragedy and
violence. This lecture and workshop is now being taught to both public
school teachers and students ages 12 and up.
|
Slash Coleman, MAEd Performer/ Playwright |
Objective: Through personal monologues students will foster a strong self-image with pride in their skills and talents alongside the
necessary ability to facilitate appropriate communication between themselves, family, friends, and community members relating to
personal tragedy and loss.
Curriculum Introduction: The imagined and enacted world of theater is an art form in which students learn what it means to be a
human being in various settings and where thoughts and feelings can be safely explored and experienced. Through writing, role-
playing, theater games, and developing characters in particular circumstances, participants will create situations and actions that
allow them to make sense of their world and to understand those who are different from them.
Timeline: 50% writing, 50% performing, 1-2 public performances
Primary Goals:
Within a cooperative learning environment students will utilize playwrighting, directing, performance, and creative focus groups to
explore the following possible themes:
1. Playwrighting
Students will:
2. Performance
Students will:
3. Directing
Students will:
Have an opportunity to co-direct a peer performance
4. Creative Focus Groups
Students will form a group with 1-5 peers that will:
necessary ability to facilitate appropriate communication between themselves, family, friends, and community members relating to
personal tragedy and loss.
Curriculum Introduction: The imagined and enacted world of theater is an art form in which students learn what it means to be a
human being in various settings and where thoughts and feelings can be safely explored and experienced. Through writing, role-
playing, theater games, and developing characters in particular circumstances, participants will create situations and actions that
allow them to make sense of their world and to understand those who are different from them.
Timeline: 50% writing, 50% performing, 1-2 public performances
Primary Goals:
Within a cooperative learning environment students will utilize playwrighting, directing, performance, and creative focus groups to
explore the following possible themes:
- Primary themes: passion, trust, freedom, comfort, joy, power, God
- Secondary themes: mission, understanding, courage, safety, self-acceptance, nourishment, growth
1. Playwrighting
Students will:
- Write and draft a 1-2 minute monologue (approximately 1-2 pages) relating to a story that happened to them.
- Contain unedited content during the first draft and then be re-written 1-3 times after being read aloud as to contain:
appropriate subject matter, a beginning - middle –end, Fry tags plot curve, comedic elements.
2. Performance
Students will:
- Participate in physical and mental theater exercises in order to improve body awareness on stage.
- Memorize their monologue to improve oral communication skills.
- Learn how to block their performance to better understand body language.
3. Directing
Students will:
Have an opportunity to co-direct a peer performance
4. Creative Focus Groups
Students will form a group with 1-5 peers that will:
- Help them shape their monologue.
- Enable them make appropriate comments on others work.
- Help them become better listeners.
Sample 2: Connecting Monologues with Communication by
Creating a Writing / Thinking / Learning Community
Lecture & Curriculum
Running Time: 1-3 hours. One day up to 20 days
As a group we will create a series of monologues. The writing may proceed
to a staged reading of the work, a peer analysis of the work, a re-write of the
work, a final performance, and a final critique. I decide with the teachers,
which portions of this process are most appropriate to the current curricula
and the time constraints of the program
Creating a Writing / Thinking / Learning Community
Lecture & Curriculum
Running Time: 1-3 hours. One day up to 20 days
As a group we will create a series of monologues. The writing may proceed
to a staged reading of the work, a peer analysis of the work, a re-write of the
work, a final performance, and a final critique. I decide with the teachers,
which portions of this process are most appropriate to the current curricula
and the time constraints of the program
|
Slash Coleman, MAEd Performer/ Playwright |
Lesson Description: .
Within a cooperative learning environment, the program is designed to help students:
In addition, students will gain an increased appreciation of and additional experience with communication
using the mediums of writing and performance as a means to learn this skill.
1) Monologue Writing - Students will form writing teams and create monologues which are one and a
half to two minutes in length, by a character which must be from the student’s age range. Students will
be given free - writing prompts that will help encourage them to explore, generate, and develop feelings,
ideas, and values through the written word. Monologues may be created based on personal experience
and heritage, imagination, literature, and history. Students will outline dramatic structure and brainstorm
plot scenarios.
2) Staged reading of the work – In order to help students reveal a true understanding of both the
character and the full context of the monologue, they will be given feedback from the instructor to help
them develop better communication skills, improving upon good vocal projection, clear diction, and body
control.
3) Peer analysis of the work - Students will learn to discuss the meaning of their own work or that of
others beyond the literal level. Here, students will demonstrate skills of reflection, interpretation, and
assessment, demonstrating their understanding of connection to characters, character development, and
intention.
4) Re-write of the work - Writing teams will re-read and analyze their monologue, make drafts of the
same piece of work, show alternative ways the piece may be developed, and cite reasons for the
strongest version.
5) Final performance - Students will showcase their ability for teamwork and their cumulative efforts
in combining their written communication work with that of performing.
6) Final critique - Students will be given feedback regarding multiple interpretations of their work.
Within a cooperative learning environment, the program is designed to help students:
- creatively express themselves
- gain a sense of accomplishment
- better comprehend the world
- communicate with others in a team environment
In addition, students will gain an increased appreciation of and additional experience with communication
using the mediums of writing and performance as a means to learn this skill.
1) Monologue Writing - Students will form writing teams and create monologues which are one and a
half to two minutes in length, by a character which must be from the student’s age range. Students will
be given free - writing prompts that will help encourage them to explore, generate, and develop feelings,
ideas, and values through the written word. Monologues may be created based on personal experience
and heritage, imagination, literature, and history. Students will outline dramatic structure and brainstorm
plot scenarios.
2) Staged reading of the work – In order to help students reveal a true understanding of both the
character and the full context of the monologue, they will be given feedback from the instructor to help
them develop better communication skills, improving upon good vocal projection, clear diction, and body
control.
3) Peer analysis of the work - Students will learn to discuss the meaning of their own work or that of
others beyond the literal level. Here, students will demonstrate skills of reflection, interpretation, and
assessment, demonstrating their understanding of connection to characters, character development, and
intention.
4) Re-write of the work - Writing teams will re-read and analyze their monologue, make drafts of the
same piece of work, show alternative ways the piece may be developed, and cite reasons for the
strongest version.
5) Final performance - Students will showcase their ability for teamwork and their cumulative efforts
in combining their written communication work with that of performing.
6) Final critique - Students will be given feedback regarding multiple interpretations of their work.
| Check pricing rates to see if you qualify for a non-profit discount. |
The Virginia Commission for
the Arts may pay up to 50% of
the total fee
the Arts may pay up to 50% of
the total fee
| © Slash Coleman 2006 |
