Kranick 1

Education Department
Lesson Plan
The University of Scranton Heading
Mike Kranick
Field Experience II
18 May 2016
After completing the heading, please list the following content for the plan:
Title
Subject Area(s)
Grade Level
Summary of the Lesson

Standards: (as applicable)

International Standards
National Standards
Professional Organization
Standards
PA Academic Standards
PA Core Standards
Essential Questions

Objectives

The Theater and its Stages

Theatre
8
This is the culmination of a lesson that uses
elements of direct instruction, cooperative
learning, and inquiry based learning. This
lesson will teach the students about the
different types of stages and locations in
theaters. This lesson will also teach the
students the different locations of the stage
(stage left, stage right, center, upstage and
downstage).
Standard - 9.1.12.C
Integrate and apply advanced vocabulary to
the arts forms.
Retrieved from:
http://www.pdesas.org/
What are the four types of stages we have
discussed?
What is the difference between upstage and
downstage?
1. Students will be able to identify different
types of general stages (proscenium, arena,
blackbox, thrust) by looking the stages up,
and drawing them both on paper and taping
the stages on the floor.

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2. Students will be able to identify the

different positions of the stage (stage left,
stage right, center stage, etc.) after
instruction of the different areas of the stage,
moving to the different areas of the stage, as
directed by me, and finally by
directing/being directed by their classmates
on where to move onstage.
3. Students will be able to define the term
"ground-plan" (in their own words) after
creating their ground-plans of each stage by
drawing them on their worksheets and taping
them down on the floor.

Vocabulary:

Indirect Objective: Students will be able to

define the term fourth wall after searching
information on the computers about
proscenium theaters.
Stages in Theaters:
Proscenium Stage- A theater in which the
stage is framed by a proscenium arch.
Thrust Stage- A theater, a thrust stage (also
known as a platform stage or open stage) is
one that extends into the audience on three
sides and is connected to the backstage area
by its upstage end.
Arena Theater- A theater without a
proscenium, in which the stage is at the
center of the auditorium and is surrounded
by seats. Also called theater-in-the-round.
Blackbox Theater- A black box theater (or
experimental theater) consists of a simple,
somewhat unadorned performance space,
usually a large square room with black walls
and a flat floor. It is a relatively recent

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innovation in theatre.
Fourth Wall- The space separating the
audience from the action of a theatrical
performance, traditionally conceived of as
an imaginary wall completing the enclosure
of the stage.
Ground-plan- the plan of a building at
ground level as imagined seen from above.
the general outline or basis of a plan.
Stage Left, Right Upstage, Downstage
Offstage
Estimated Time
30 Minutes
Materials Required
Computers
Blackboard/Whiteboard
Chalk/Markers
Rolls of painter's tape
Procedure
In a succinct way, describe the step by step
Each professor may choose to
format for your lesson. It is not necessary to
align this section to his/her
script the lesson. Demonstrate your
content areas.
knowledge of differentiation and
scaffolding. You will use the
This section will include
Before/During/After format. Discuss the
anticipated areas of differentiated following components:
instruction.
BEFORE:
1. Anticipatory Set
2. Activating/Assessing Prior
Knowledge
3. Prepare the learner by building prior
knowledge
4. Statement of Learning
Gain attention
1. (Before class) I will tape out
proscenium stage on the floor.
2. Good evening my children of the

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darkness. Today we will be
learning about the different types
of stages located within theaters
and the different areas of the
stage.
Inform students of objectives (write the
following on the board :)
3. Students will be able to identify
different types of general stages
(proscenium, arena, blackbox,
and thrust) by looking them up
using the internet.
4. Students will be able to identify
the different positions of the
stage (stage left, stage right,
center stage, etc.) by directing
their classmates on where to
move onstage.
1. Indirect Objective:
Students will be able to
define the term "groundplan" after creating their
ground-plans of each
stage.
Stimulate recall of prior learning
5. Movie Theatres, School Plays,
Any type of stage, Singer at a
baseball game, Political Rally,
Anyone giving a speech
6. Provide instruction of the areas of
the stage (Upstage, Downstage,
Center Stage, Stage Right, and
Stage Left)

DURING:
5. Questioning
6. Modeling
7. Checking for Understanding
Present the content
1. Before class begins, I will draw
out a proscenium stage on the

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floor with tape, write the
objectives for the day on the
board, and stimulate prior
knowledge by asking them what
they know about stages and
referring them to activities
performed in arena theaters such
as sporting events and concerts.
(Other Examples: Movie
Theatres, School Plays, Any type
of stage, Singer at a baseball
game, Sporting Events, Political
Rally, Anyone giving a speech,
etc.)
Provide learning guidance
2. I will provide instruction of the
different areas of the stage
(upstage, downstage, center
stage, stage left, and stage right)
by stepping onto the "stage" and
moving about the different areas.
After modeling the instruction
myself, I will check for
understanding by having both of
the students volunteer and move
simultaneously to the different
areas under my direction (This
will occur after the worksheet has
been completed and the ground
plans have been taped on the
floor).
Elicit performance (practice)
3. The students will then go on their
computers to search four different
types of stages in theaters.
(Proscenium, Thrust, Blackbox,
Arena/Theatre in the Round). I
will provide the names of the
stages on the board for further
guidance.
1. Note: Should the students
wish to split the work in
half (i.e.: one student
searches two stages and

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the other student
searchers for the other
two), I will ask the
students, now experts on
two of the stages, to
explain the stages they
looked up to the other
student.
4. Students will find basic ground
plans of the stages and locations
of the audience plus brief
definitions of each stage in their
searching efforts.
5. Students will draw out a rough
ground-plan and definitions of
the four types of stages on a
worksheet (attached) to use as a
guide when they actually tape
them out on the floor. We will
review the information they have
looked up and review their drawn
ground plans.
6. Students will draw the four
different types of stages on the
floor of the classroom with tape
using the ground plans they drew
on the worksheet as guides.
1. Note: Again, if the
students divided the work
evenly, I will have the
students to tape out the
ground plans for each
stage they received
information about from
their partner.

AFTER:
8. Closure
9. Extension Activities/Enrichment
10.Evaluation
11.Reflection
Provide feedback
1. After the students have

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completed their searching for the
different types of stages and have
taped down their stages, I will
ask questions about each stage:
1. What is this stage called?
2. Why is it called this
stage?
3. Where is the audience
located?
2. After each stage/each part of the
stage is explained and model why
these theaters are what they are
(i.e. explain differences in
audience location)
Assess performance
3. Group students to be directors
and actors.
4. The directors will also guide their
actors to different locations
onstage by assigning them
coordinates (i.e. stage right, stage
left, center stage, upstage, and
downstage.). The students will
then switch roles and repeat.
Enhance retention and transfer to the job
Homework: Go to the Royal Theater in The
University of Scranton McDade Center for Literary
and Performing Arts (CLP 108) and report what
kind of stage is in the theater.

Formative Assessment

1.) Students will complete the attached

worksheet by searching for information
about the four theaters.
2.) After drawing the different types of
theaters: I will ask questions about each
stage:
What is this stage called?
Why is it called this stage?
Where is the audience located?

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Student Resources

Accommodations

3.) I will direct the students to different areas

of the stage as practice before assigning
them to be directors for each other to guide
them to different areas of the stage.
Computers
Internet Access
Worksheets (attached)
Pens
Painter's tape
I will follow the standards and stipulations
drawn from the IEP.
If we are without access to a computer, I will
have students use their smart-phones.

Assessment

If the students do not have smart phones, as

a last resort, I will accommodate with direct
instruction.
1. Students will complete the attached
worksheet and review their answers with me.
2. Students will tape out the ground plans for
each stage on the floor using painters tape.
3. Group students to be directors. Each
student will be given a type of theater and
they will have to draw out the different type
of theaters with tape and explain where the
audience is located for each theater.
4. Once the different stages have been taped
out, the directors will also guide their peers
to different locations onstage by assigning
coordinates (i.e. stage right, stage left, center
stage, etc.)

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The Theater and Its Stages Worksheet
Part 1: Please perform a search on each type of stage. Define each theater by noting some
basic characteristics of them (Why is it called this? Where is the audience located? Elements
of each stage?)
1. Proscenium Stage
2. Thrust Stage
3. Black-box Stage
4. Arena Stage
Part 2: Please draw a basic outline, or ground-plan, of each stage including audience
locations and center stage. (Hint: search ____ stage ground plan)
Proscenium Stage

Thrust Stage

Black-box Stage

Arena Stage (Theater in the Round)

Once you have completed the sheet, please tell Mr. Kranick.