Author

Overview of Theatrical -Isms

Bailey Sorrel

Grade
Level

9-12

Integrated
disciplines
Content
Standards

(Theatre, Art, History)

Writing
Standards
NETS-S

Objectives
:

Assessme
nt:

1. Create
2. Perform
3. Critically Respond
2. Reading for All Purposes
3. Writing and composition
4. Research and reasoning
1. Creativity and innovation
2. Communication and collaboration
3. Research and information fluency
6. Technology operation and concepts
Students will be able visually communicate the differences
between theatrical isms by working in groups to create a
ToonDoo
Students will be able to describe different theatrical isms by
presenting their ToonDoo in groups and justifying their
cartoon choices.
Rubric and Vocabulary Quiz

Materials:

ToonDoo;

Anticipato
ry Set:

Students will be presented a scene they are familiar with in

popular culture, such as Scrooge from The Christmas Carol.
The teacher will then offer alternative interpretations and
presentations of the scene based off of various isms.
Students will use ToonDoo to organize their knowledge about
theatrical isms. By using an online visual format prior to
having students create performance scenes, students can
build upon previous knowledge and have a reference point
where they connect their understanding. Students will know
that after creating a ToonDoo, they will pick a specific ism to
perform, and therefore will link together all their activities to
understand how various isms manifest themselves in
theatrical works.
Students:
Teacher:
1. Students take notes while
1. Teacher presents isms
working together as a class
through an analysis of

Technolog
y
Integratio
n

Procedure
s and
Learning

Activities

Closure

with the teacher to analyze

the various isms as
presented in The Christmas
Carol.
2. Students work individually
reading selected sections
from The Cambridge Guide
to Theatre to provide further
understanding of theatrical
isms.
3. Students work in groups to
create a ToonDoo that
visually represents at least 3
different theatrical isms.
4. Students present
ToonDoos to class, justifying
and explaining their choices.
5. While watching
presentations, students write
peer critiques on how they
believe these visual choices
support or do not support the
chosen ism.
6. In their groups students
choose one ism to create a
short scene.
7. Students present scenes,
explaining choices and peer
critiquing as above with
ToonDoos.
8. Students take short
vocabulary test matching
each ism to its definition.
DIFFERENTIATION: Students
may be provided with guided
notes during the opening
analysis to aid in their
understanding of isms.
Students may be given a
wordbank of isms on the
short vocabulary test.

Scrooge in The Christmas

Carol.
2. Teacher provides students
with select reading.
3.Teacher introduces ToonDoo
by modeling the basic
features. When students are
working, teacher moves
between groups to answer
questions about content or
technology.
4. Teacher provides feedback
to groups on their choices
immediately following their
presentations.
5. Teacher collects peer
critiques to use as an
informal assessment on
students understanding of
isms.
6. Teacher sidecoaches as
students create ism scenes.
7. Teacher provides feedback
to groups on their choices
immediately following their
presentations.
8. Teacher administers and
collects vocabulary quiz to
use as a formal assessment
of students understanding of
isms.

I will present students with videos of different scenes that fit

into different isms and ask students to determine where
they fall on the spectrum. I will also present samples from art

Reference
s:

and literature throughout the 20th century that represent

these isms to connect the relevancy of isms to other
subject areas. Students will then be asked to reflect on how
different theorists we have studied (Hagen, Stanislavski) fit
into these isms.
Banham, Martin. The Cambridge Guide to Theatre. New York,
Cambridge University Press, 1995.
A Christmas Carol. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, Walt Disney
Pictures, 2009.
ToonDoo. Accessed 24 Oct. 2016.