ART DEPARTMENT

LESSON PLAN

 

NAME            Beth Reardon

SCHOOL       BHS

GRADE          ALL LEVELS

 

 

ENDURING UNDERSTANDING:

Students will understand the varied and infinite nature of tactics and objectives

Students will know that tactics and objectives are the driving force in any conflict or scene

One always has an objective and employs tactics

Tactics are directly tied to motives, needs, and desires

Tactics are strategies

Tactics can be devised or instinctive

 

CONTENT OBJECTIVES:

Students will be able to brainstorm a variety of tactics as problem solving skills for problems posed to them

Students will demonstrate the ability to create and implement scenes using strong, clear tactics

 

LITERACY OBJECTIVES:

 

SPEAKING:   To convey one’s thinking in complete sentences

To participate in class discussion or a public forum

To make an oral presentation to one’s class, one’s peers, one’s community

To respond to what one has read, viewed or heard

To communicate in a manner that allows one to be heard and understood

 

REASONING: To explain the logic of an argument or solution

 

MISCELLANEOUS: To compare and contrast

                                    To explain one’s thinking (Visually, through action)

 

AGENDA:

 

Warm Up Activity—“Paper Race”

Game—“Keys to the Kingdom”

Discussion—Tactics & Objectives “Popcorn” method; “Stranded on a deserted island…”

Performance Task—In small groups create, rehearse and perform “Objective Re-wind” scenes: Same objective, three separate and different tactics.

 

VISUAL RESOURCES:

Discussion with suggestions and ideas written out on the board, categories established, connections made visually

 

ASSESSMENT:

Warm-up and Game are assessed on participation, effort, and commitment to group dynamic and teamwork.

 

In addition to the PERFORMANCE RUBRIC, students were also evaluated on the following for this challenge:

Variety and strength of tactics, commitment to pursuing the given objective, strategic use of tableau freezing, contribution to the group and to the action of the scenes

 

 

 

 

Paper Chase: Tactics, Strategy, Problem Solving, Teamwork, Physical Warm-up

 

The class is divided into two large (equal) teams and made to stand behind a masking taped line on the floor.

 

Their objective: get all of the members of the team to the other side of the room and behind the other masking taped line.

 

The rules: they cannot step on the floor!  The only thing they are allowed to walk on are two pieces of normal 8 ½” X 11” paper.  They must not interfere with the other team’s efforts.  No other rules are given- the idea is for them to problem solve, work as a team and try out a variety of tactics and strategies in order to achieve their goal.  The first team to get all their members across successfully wins!

 

Note: If they accidentally “fall into the lava” they must go back and try crossing again- don’t let them get away with “oops, I slipped”!

The tape lines should be far enough apart that a student would be unable to simply jump across.

 

 

Keys to the Kingdom:  Tactics, Strategy, Problem Solving, Physical Variety, Creative Thinking, sensory awareness

 

The class sits in a large circle- they are the castle ramparts.

One student sits on a low stool in the center, blindfolded—they are The Keeper of the keys. They possess a fun noodle or a long paper tube with which to defend their keys.

Another student seeks to sneak up and steal the keys without getting tagged by the fun noodle—they are the dragon.

 

The instructor jingles the keys after the Knight is armed and blindfolded- and then drops the keys on the floor somewhere in the knight’s vicinity (to be fair).

 

The dragon must then try to find a way to sneak up and steal the keys.  The dragon is only safe from ‘tagging’ while outside the circle or between seated “ramparts”.

The knight may swing their sword in any manner- the only rule for the knight is that they must remain seated on the stool at all times (this is for safety as well as for all the other educational purposes!).

 

They way I run it is if the dragon is successful he\she gets to be the knight if they want to- if not they can choose a willing volunteer.  If the knight is successful they become like an undefeated champion that volunteers must challenge (unless this goes on too long in which case I congratulate them and say “we need to give someone else a chance to try”).

 

Keep in mind that not everybody will be comfortable with blindfolding or with the more physically demanding dragon role, so this should always be run on a volunteer basis.  Following up with discussion will engage those students who sat as ramparts and observed—they are leaning even if they do not get up and try it.