Unit Summary

Title: Writing Project - Writing a Play

Grade Level: High School, grades 9 - 12

Decription: This is a writing project that asks students to write a short play that includes the various elements of the play. Students will be asked to do an Inspiration literary web outlining the plays as well as write the play using the brainstorming elements from their literary web. In some cases, students will be asked to practice and perform the play.

Goals: The goal of this project is to provide students with a project that will both provide them with technology compentencies as well as an opportunity to enhance their literacy skills and their overall ability to improve their confidence and their verbal and presention skills. The technical goals will be for students to learn formating skills needed to layout a play using MS Word. This includes such elements as Increasing text size for the titles and subheadings of the play, inserting tables with two columns and multiple rows for the listing characters, and creating macros for repeated elements such as typing in the character's names in bold everytime a character speaks. Students will also learn how to create and navigate directories and manipulate files within those directories for such activities and copying, saving, and exporting files.

Management: Sequence of Activities and Lessons.

1. Practice Inspirations Web of a Geographical Location. The purpose of this lesson is to learn skill related to creating an Inspiration Web.
   
   
2. Have students read a passage from a play as an examle of setting dialog. Discuss the various elements of a play and begin to demonstate the these elements by the beginning of a teacher literary web.
   
   
3. Play Web. This is a literary web of the play. Use the Literary Web Template in Inspiration. This is where students brainstorm the various elements of the play including, the main idea, characters, themes, conflicts, characters, and a Things that Happen category. Suggested time, 2 to 5 classes.
   
   
4. Export the Inspiration Play Webs of Students that are ahead of the others and use these as examples of what the different elements of the play are. For example, if a student that is working on a play asks what Theme is in the web, show them examples of other student's themes, or conflicts, or setting.
   
   
5. Creating of MS Word doc that will be the main document for writing the play. 5 to 10 classes.
   • Demonstrate a teacher word doc of a play.
   • Re-inforce the meaning of the various elements such as setting, characters.
   • Add the elemnent of stage direction and describe how stage direction can be included in parenthesis near the dialog of a play.
   • Go over the various formatting elements of such as bold and large titles, statement of author, inserting a table for the listing of characters.
   • Introduce the concept of the advantages of creating Macros for typing each character's name in bold when they are ready to start writing the dialog.
   
   
6. Teach in Smaller Groups of 4 or 5 and individually how to create character Macros.
   
   
7. Once they have their macros created they can begin writing the play using their Play webs as a reference for the characters, setting, and things that happen.
   
   
8. When they believe that they have completed the play, have them check for completeness of story, beginning, middle, and ending, and flow of dialog.
   
   
9. Have students do a spelling and grammar check.
   
   
10. Print out 2 or 3 copies of play and practice reading through the play. Take photos and video of practice sessions for the web site and for enhancing interest and excitement.
    
    
11. Make plans for students who would like to do a performance of their plays. Carry out performance practice.
    
    
12. Take photos and film of practice and performances. View footage of performances.

Materials and Resources:

• Inspiration 6 for Webs
• Sample Books of Plays and Play Collections
• Scans of Sample Pages of from the plays that show setting, characters, dialog, character directions, etc.
• Web Pages to Display Information about Plays, Samples, and Student Work.
• Digital Camera to take photos of various activities.
• Digital Video Camera to take Videos of Practice and Performances.
• Additional On Line Resources Such as Literary Web Sites and Sites for Playwrites and Authors.

Assessment:

• Observation of classroom work, attentativeness, on task time.
• Reading and viewing of Inspiration Webs, MS Word docs checking for formatting elements and literary content.
• Observation of use of resources for creating their webs and their word docs such as going to the web site for examples of formating of play, meaning of such terms as conflict, theme, and setting.
• Creating of exports of Inspiration Webs and MS Word docs to be placed on class web site.
• Print outs of webs and plays for keeping in their port folio folders.
• Creation of beginnings of Electronic Port folio.