Unit Plan
Broadway GPS

ALADDIN: Broadway's New Musical Comedy

For Parents 5th - 9th Standards
Aladdin, Disney's Broadway musical comedy, is a magic carpet ride. Prepare your class for a field trip to the show with a study guide that is a treasure trove of activities, cultural connections, and background information.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Alicia Keys, Songs in A Minor

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Need a musical lesson for your drama or performing arts class? VH1 has put together a really neat lesson, in which learners use biographical information about Alicia Keys to write and perform a one-act musical related to her life. This...
Activity
Phantom of Opera

The Phantom of the Opera: Ideas for Research and Discussion

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
You could spend a full day discussing The Phantom of the Opera and not scratch the surface, but a set of lessons about the literary elements and themes of the musical production is a great start. Young thespians build upon the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Cinder-Eyed Cats - Storybook Theater

For Teachers K
The students listen to the story "The Cinder-Eyed Cats." The students then chose individual parts to play in a theater like production. The students move like their character, be it a fish, an octopus, a lobster, a cat, etc. Water music...
Activity
Orlando Shakes

Into The Woods: Study Guide

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Fans of musical theater may know the title tune of Into the Woods well, but do they know what the show is all about? A study guide provides information about the classic musical, including details about the characters and a summary of...
PPT
Gulf University

The Elements of Drama

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Introduce young actors to the meanings of basic drama literary, technical and performance elements with this colorful presentation.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

MTV and Othello

For Teachers 9th - 12th
After reading Acts III and IV of Othello, give your class a fun, interactive, music-related activity. Begin by asking students about songs they have heard in movies or plays. Let them look up the lyrics online and ruminate about the...
Activity
Orlando Shakes

In the Heights: Study Guide

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Before Hamilton, Lin Manuel-Miranda gained fame with In the Heights. A study guide prepares theater goers for a performance of the musical about a group of friends living in the New York City neighborhood of Washington Heights....
Activity
Orlando Shakes

Les Misérables: Study Guide

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
A writer has the responsibility to defend the less fortunate members of society. At least that was the view of Victor Hugo, author of Les Miserables. The novel is the subject of a study guide from Orlando Shakespeare Theater....
Lesson Plan
Education Closet

West Side Shifts

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
Combine math, language arts, music, and dance with an activity focused on "America" from West Side Story. After listening to the song, learners compare the film to Romeo and Juliet, analyze the song's meter, design choreography, plan...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Noh Theater

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students take a closer look at Japanese drama. In this Japanese culture lesson plan, students study the attributes of Noh theater and compare it western theater. Students conduct independent research on the art form prior to acting out a...
Lesson Plan
Mississippi Whole School Initiative

Dream Big...With Your Eyes Wide Open

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
For many people, Barack Obama's presidency was the next step in Martin Luther King, Jr's dream of America's future. Explore the dreams of Americans past and present, as well as the young Americans in your class, with a set of activities...
Lesson Plan
Tune Into English

America – West Side Story

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Anita's iconic rooftop ode to American life in West Side Story is the focus of a lesson on immigration. As class members listen to "America," they follow along with printed lyrics, and discuss whether they agree with Anita's...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Graphs of the Heart

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study Greek literature. In this Greek tragedies lesson, students explore the dance-dramas of Martha Graham. Students study the choreography that brings ancient Greek literature to life.
Lesson Plan
Busy Teacher

The Phantom of the Opera

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
It's no masquerade! If Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera is part of your curriculum, check out this three-page packet loaded with suggestions for before, during, and after reading activities.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Noh Theater

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students compare Noh drama to western drama and trace the influence of Japanese theater on modern western drama.  In this Noh drama lesson, students read the play Black Tomb (Kurozuko) defining the elements and conventions of Noh...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Noh Theater

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the roles in Noh drama and the significance of Noh masks while creating their own version of a Noh play in this High School lesson adaptable for either the Language Arts or Theater classroom.
Activity
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre

Peter Pan: Teacher Resource Guide

For Teachers 1st - 12th Standards
What are some of the pros and cons of staying young forever? With the Peter Pan resource, learners discover the magical world of Neverland. Scholars create advertisements that promote eternal youth, and then write persuasive pitches for...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Play's the Thing

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scholars describe to a partner theater experiences they have had in their lives that were memorable, and analyze why. They study about one director's original artistic choices for staging Shakespeare by reading and discussing...
Activity
Orlando Shakes

It’s a Wonderful Life: Study Guide

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
George Bailey learns that it truly is a wonderful life when he discovered how many lives he has touched—not to mention how many new generations of lives the story touches every year. A study guide on It's a Wonderful Life ...
Lesson Plan
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Star Wars in the Classroom

"Shakespeare and Star Wars": Lesson Plan Days 13 and 14

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
How important are sound effects in films? In stage plays? In radio programs? To gain an understanding of the impact of these special effects, class members watch a short video spoof of the sound in a scene from Star...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Being in the Noh: An Introduction to Japanese Noh Plays

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars read a Japanese Noh play and discuss its structure and traditional characters. They choose a short myth and write a Noh play based on it.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Being in the Noh: An Introduction to Japanese Noh Plays

For Teachers 10th - Higher Ed
Students analyze the conventions used in Noh plays and write an introduction to a Noh play of their own. In this Noh play lesson plan, students identify the conventions of the Noh form and analyze the realizations the main character...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Literature: Porgy and Bess

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students examine the various portrayals of African-Americans in literature, focusing on the opera, Porgy and Bess. They conduct Internet research on African-American culture between the two World Wars. Students write fictional or...