Lesson Plan: Improv Basics

Subject: Drama
Grade Level: 9

Unit Topic: Improvisation

Lesson Topic: Improv Basics

PLANNING:
Academic Foundations/Standards or Benchmarks
TH.3.CR3.HS1: Students will explore physical, vocal and physiological choices to
develop a performance that is believable, authentic, and relevant to a
drama/theatre work.
- TH.4.PR1.HS1: Students will examine how character relationships assist in
telling the story of a drama/theatre work.
- TH.5.PR2.HS3: Students will use and justify a collection of acting exercises from
reliable resources to prepare a believable and sustainable performance.
Lesson Goal:
By the end of this class students will be able to identify Character, Relationship,
Objective, and Location in any theatrical scene.
Learning Objectives (include domain and level)
-Students will understand improv ground rules and answer accurately when
verbally asked what a rule means. (Domain: Cognitive 2)
-Students will participate in games designed to help them act on their impulses,
understanding that this is an essential skill of improvisation. (Domain: Affective 2)
-Students will demonstrate the basic rules of improv by playing the game Yes and
in front of the class. (Domain: Affective 2)
Prior Learning & Pre-planning
-Students will have possibly played basic improv based games in their past theatre
experience, but will all be treated as beginners for the purposes of this lesson.

Academic Language
Vocabulary (with definition):
Improv- Short for "Improvisation". This is a type of theatrical performance in which
performers create the story without the use of a script.
Complete Scene- An improvised scene containing characters, a relationship,
objectives, and a location.

Impulse- The first word or action that comes to mind in an improvised scene.
Objective- What a character wants in a scene.
Yes And- The act of accepting what a person has added to the scene and adding
your own piece of information.
Denying- The act of negating a piece of information added to the scene by your
scene partner.
Gift- A piece of information given to your scene partner to help create and further a
scene.
Language Function: The language in this lesson serves to allow students to discuss
and analyze improv scenes and their own performance.
Discourse: Students will use language to discuss scenes with each other and the
instructor.
Integrated Standards:
-None
Integration of other subject areas
English Language Arts may be somewhat integrated when we talk about character,
setting, and objectives because these are also literary elements.

Differentiation Strategies:
Student
1

Students Need
Vision impaired
(504 plan)

Attention Deficit
Disorder

Accommodation
Always seated
closest to any
video or
presentation.
Allowed an item to
fidget with
throughout class.

Modification

Assessment (include at least one type in each lesson)

Informal: Students will all play the game Yes and in pairs in front of the class and
I will assess whether they are understanding the basic rules of improv.

Safety considerations:
-All safety guidelines laid out in the Wilson High School safety manual will be
followed.

List of Equipment, Materials & Resources: (APA format)

-PowerPoint presentation on Improv Basics
-20 copies of scene evaluation assessment

Preparation for Lesson Implementation: (Remove for submission to edTPA)

PowerPoint will need to be prepared at loaded on to classroom computer. Video clips
should be prepped in separate tabs and ready to play.

IMPLEMENTATION
Motivator: _5__ minutes
Explained in-depth here
I.

Game: 3 Things
a. Instructor will teach the game Three Things to show students that
they are naturally capable of thinking quickly, a vital skill for
improvisation.
i. The game involves students standing in a circle and all saying
together Three things!
ii. Then the first person (In this case the instructor) will turn to the
person next to them and give a prompt of three things for the
next person to list (i.e. Three things you wouldnt want to find
under your pillow or Three things dogs should never do). The
person they turned to then lists these three things as quickly as
possible and then the whole group shouts, Three things! once
again and the game moves on.
iii. After the whole circle has completed Three things the game
starts over with Two things! then One thing, rounding the
circle three times total.

Procedures: __45_ minutes

Explained in-depth here
I.

Improv Ground Rules (15 minutes)

a. Instructor will explain that before we do any actual improv, it is
important to know some basic ground rules to follow when improvising.
The rules to be explained are as follows:
i. Say Yes And- Instructor will explain that this means not
denying what your scene partner is bringing to the scene (by
saying yes) and always trying to add more to the scene (and).

ii. Dont try to be funny- Instructor will explain that the humor of
a scene does not come from actors intentionally going for jokes
or funny words, but from creating a believable reality and
sticking to it.
iii. Stay Away from Questions- Instructor will explain that openended questions can stop a scene cold. They put the
responsibility on your scene partner to come up with something
on the spot. Which leads to the next rule.
iv. Be GENEROUS to your scene partner- Instructor will explain
that the goal in an improvised scene is to make your partner
look good, not yourself. Good improvisers give gifts to their
scene partner. Instructor will explain the concept of gifts.
v. Tell a Story- Instructor will explain that improv scenes dont
work unless there is a story being told. Something has to happen
in other words.
II.

III.

One Word Story (15 minutes)

a. Instructor will explain that one of the best games to practice rules 1, 2,
4, and 5 is called One Word Story.
i. Instructor will get class into a circle and explain that they are
going to tell a story one word at a time. Things for students to
bear in mind as we play this game are:
1. Say yes to everything added to the story.
2. Listen to each other.
3. Dont try to be funny.
4. We will end the story with The moral of the story is
ii. The instructor will play the game with the students, adding
chapter headings and guiding the story when needed.
iii. After each complete story, instructor will debrief that story with
the class talking about what did or didnt work and why.
Yes And (15 minutes)
a. Instructor will explain that our next game focuses mainly on the first
rule of improv, saying yes.
i. Instructor will explain that everyone will take turns standing in
front of the class with a partner and playing this game. The
game works by person A volunteering a piece of information (i.e.
It sure is cold out at sea). Then person B must answer starting
with Yes, and (i.e. Yes and these waves are enormous). Then
person A follows that up with another yes and statement.
ii. Pairs of two will have a chance to practice the game on their
own for 5 minutes.
iii. Each pair in the class will get at least one chance to perform.
After every group the instructor will lead a quick discussion on
what went right or wrong with the scene.
iv. Instructor will follow up the exercise by explaining that obviously
improv scenes will not look or sound like this, but we must
remember to accept what our scene partner adds to the scene
and then add more ourselves.

Closure: _5__ minutes

Explained in-depth here

IV.

Review
a. We will review all of the rules of improv one more time.
b. Homework will be assigned, due tomorrow.
i. Every student is to write a paragraph response to the following
prompt.
1. Pick one of the five rules of improv and explain why it is
a good general rule to follow in life
c. Instructor will tell class that next class we will be talking about what
goes into a good improvised scene.