Building characters and stories
Students start the year by inventing characters and short scenes from their own lives and imaginations. Parents may hear stories about made-up people with names, voices, and problems to solve.
What does a student learn in
This is the year theatre moves from playing pretend to building a scene on purpose. Students invent characters, plan what happens, and rehearse with a partner or small group before they perform. They also start watching plays with a sharper eye, asking what the story means and how an actor's choices made them feel it. By spring, they can shape a short scene from an idea, perform it for classmates, and explain what worked.
- Acting basics
- Building a scene
- Character and story
- Rehearsal
- Watching a play
- Giving feedback
Year at a glance
How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.
- 1
- 2
Shaping scenes together
Students work in small groups to organize their ideas into scenes with a beginning, middle, and end. They try out changes, listen to classmates, and revise what is not working yet.
- 3
Practicing voice and movement
Students rehearse how to use their voice, face, and body to show what a character feels. They pick which moments to share with an audience and practice making those moments clear.
- 4
Connecting plays to real life
Students watch and act in short plays, then talk about what the story means and how it connects to their own lives or to people from other times and places. They give reasons for what worked.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 3.
Connecting
Connecting
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Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art
Students connect something from their own life to a character or story they are creating in class. That personal detail shapes the choices they make in the scene.
-
Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural
Students look at a play or performance and connect it to where, when, or why it was made. That context helps them understand what the story is really about.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art | Students connect something from their own life to a character or story they are creating in class. That personal detail shapes the choices they make in the scene. | TH:Cn10.3 |
| Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural | Students look at a play or performance and connect it to where, when, or why it was made. That context helps them understand what the story is really about. | TH:Cn11.3 |
Creating
Creating
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Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work
Students brainstorm characters, settings, and story ideas to build the foundation of a short play or scene. The focus is on coming up with original ideas, not polishing them.
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Organize and develop artistic ideas and work
Students take a rough idea for a scene or character and shape it into something ready to perform, making choices about what to say, do, and cut along the way.
-
Refine and complete artistic work
Students look back at their scenes or characters and make specific improvements before the work is done. They practice revising choices about voice, movement, or story until the piece feels finished and clear.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work | Students brainstorm characters, settings, and story ideas to build the foundation of a short play or scene. The focus is on coming up with original ideas, not polishing them. | TH:Cr1.3 |
| Organize and develop artistic ideas and work | Students take a rough idea for a scene or character and shape it into something ready to perform, making choices about what to say, do, and cut along the way. | TH:Cr2.3 |
| Refine and complete artistic work | Students look back at their scenes or characters and make specific improvements before the work is done. They practice revising choices about voice, movement, or story until the piece feels finished and clear. | TH:Cr3.3 |
Performing/Presenting/Producing
Performing/Presenting/Producing
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Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation
Students choose a character or scene to perform and explain why it fits the story they want to tell.
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Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation
Students practice and improve a scene or performance before showing it to an audience. Rehearsing, taking notes, and making changes are all part of the work.
-
Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work
Students perform a scene or character and make deliberate choices, like movement or tone of voice, so the audience understands the story's meaning.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation | Students choose a character or scene to perform and explain why it fits the story they want to tell. | TH:Pr4.3 |
| Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation | Students practice and improve a scene or performance before showing it to an audience. Rehearsing, taking notes, and making changes are all part of the work. | TH:Pr5.3 |
| Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work | Students perform a scene or character and make deliberate choices, like movement or tone of voice, so the audience understands the story's meaning. | TH:Pr6.3 |
Responding
Responding
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Perceive and analyze artistic work
Students watch a short play or scene and explain what they noticed: how the actors moved, what the story felt like, and why those choices made sense.
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Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work
Students look at a scene or performance and explain what the actor or playwright was trying to say. They back up their thinking with details from what they saw or heard.
-
Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work
Students look at a scene or performance and explain why it works or doesn't, using specific reasons like clear speaking, believable characters, or how well the story came across.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Perceive and analyze artistic work | Students watch a short play or scene and explain what they noticed: how the actors moved, what the story felt like, and why those choices made sense. | TH:Re7.3 |
| Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work | Students look at a scene or performance and explain what the actor or playwright was trying to say. They back up their thinking with details from what they saw or heard. | TH:Re8.3 |
| Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work | Students look at a scene or performance and explain why it works or doesn't, using specific reasons like clear speaking, believable characters, or how well the story came across. | TH:Re9.3 |