Teen Acting Class Lesson Plans
Lesson Plans for: Acting/Improv Program for Teens
Class/ages: Acting/Improv – 4th-8th grade
Week One: • Introductions (TV news interviews-one student interviews another as a reporter) • Explain rules and objectives for class • Review main aspects of improv: o Imagination – “When stories clash”-Huck Finn meets Harry Potter o Play – Kids at play-1st graders at playground, babies in crib o Trust – Gibberish o Observation – Whisper/Normal/Shout o Listening – “One line each” scene o Focus/Concentration – “No questions” scene o Impulse – “Surprise prop” scene – prop of unknown origin suddenly appears in scene
Week Two: • Warm-up exercises • Sense Memory/awareness o Lie on back, eyes closed, and sense being at different locations (park, movies, etc.) o Dive through it – walking in circle, imaging swimming through various things (pudding, salsa, etc.) o Play ball – pretend to play “catch”, but ball changes sizes, weights, etc. at various points • Fun exercise – Surprise prop
Week Three: • Warm-up exercises • Sense Memory/awareness o Students walk around in a circle, with different physical traits (limp, just woke-up, etc.) • Emotion memory o Overdone faces, hands, bodies, feet, and voices to express various emotions o Emotion jump – scene starts as normal, but then each actor is assigned a specific emotional state in which he/she needs to immediate take on
Week Four: • Warm-up exercises • Who, what, where, when, why, and how exercises
Week Five: • Warm-up exercises • Voice work • “Sound effects” scenes-students act out scenes, while others on sideline make the necessary sound effects • “Japanese movies” scenes-students act out scenes, while others on sideline do the necessary voice-overs • Fun exercises • Surprise prop • Add-a-person – 2 students start a scene, and a
Class/ages: Acting/Improv – 4th-8th grade
Week One: • Introductions (TV news interviews-one student interviews another as a reporter) • Explain rules and objectives for class • Review main aspects of improv: o Imagination – “When stories clash”-Huck Finn meets Harry Potter o Play – Kids at play-1st graders at playground, babies in crib o Trust – Gibberish o Observation – Whisper/Normal/Shout o Listening – “One line each” scene o Focus/Concentration – “No questions” scene o Impulse – “Surprise prop” scene – prop of unknown origin suddenly appears in scene
Week Two: • Warm-up exercises • Sense Memory/awareness o Lie on back, eyes closed, and sense being at different locations (park, movies, etc.) o Dive through it – walking in circle, imaging swimming through various things (pudding, salsa, etc.) o Play ball – pretend to play “catch”, but ball changes sizes, weights, etc. at various points • Fun exercise – Surprise prop
Week Three: • Warm-up exercises • Sense Memory/awareness o Students walk around in a circle, with different physical traits (limp, just woke-up, etc.) • Emotion memory o Overdone faces, hands, bodies, feet, and voices to express various emotions o Emotion jump – scene starts as normal, but then each actor is assigned a specific emotional state in which he/she needs to immediate take on
Week Four: • Warm-up exercises • Who, what, where, when, why, and how exercises
Week Five: • Warm-up exercises • Voice work • “Sound effects” scenes-students act out scenes, while others on sideline make the necessary sound effects • “Japanese movies” scenes-students act out scenes, while others on sideline do the necessary voice-overs • Fun exercises • Surprise prop • Add-a-person – 2 students start a scene, and a