Name:

____________________

Grade 8 Improvisation Test

Time allotted: 35 minutes.
The test covers these outcomes:
-I can create and tell a story spontaneously.
-I can understand and apply the essential elements of a story.
- I can recognize important techniques in improvised theatre.
Please use a pencil. If you like, you may use a highlighter or pen to help you with
the story analysis question. You have 35 minutes to complete this; you might not
need the whole time. When you finish, please flip your paper over, lie on your back
and breathe, and Ill come collect it!
Total marks:

/35

Fill in the blank

/4

1. What is the opposite of accepting an offer?

_____________________________________
2. Onstage, your improv partner
A) suggests that your characters go swimming. You reply: But I dont know to
swim This is an example of what technique? ___________________
B) asks if youd like to take their pet for a walk. You reply: Yes, lets go for a
walk and lets walk all the way to Africa!!! This is an example of what technique?
____________________
C) asks you to come to the mall with them. You reply: Yes, lets go to the mall!!
This is an example of what technique? ____________________

Matching

/5

3. Match the following descriptions with the best dramatic term. Each term may be
used only once.
A. _______________________ The storyline
B. _______________________ Where the story takes place
C. _______________________ The people in the story (protagonist, antagonist, etc.)
D. _______________________ The point of greatest tension in a story
E.________________________ A problem in the story

Terms: Beginning, Character, Climax, Conflict, Fight, Middle,

Plot, Setting
Story Analysis/Short Answer

/12

4. Use this story to answer the questions that follow. Using a pencil or
highlighter to underline key story elements may help.
Danny was an elf who lived in the city of Elfania. Every day he went to elf school, to
learn about magic. One day, on his way to school, he was kidnapped by dwarves,
who chained him in their underground cavern.
The dwarves hated the elves, and intended to take over the city of Elfania by force.
They interrogated Danny to learn the secrets of magic. Every day their
interrogations and beatings made Danny weaker. But a tiny fairy named Fru-fru
snuck through the bars in Dannys cell one night. She gave him a magic baton, and
opened the door to Dannys cell; then she disappeared with a poof.
Danny was frightened, but he snuck out of his cell, and began to search for a way
out of the dwarves cavern. He poked and prodded the cave with the magic baton,
but none of the walls had any sort of hole or secret passage. The only way out of
the cave seemed to be a small hole near the ceiling. Danny became frustrated, sat
down, and started crying.
Just then, the dwarves came back into the cave through the ceiling, carrying
another elven prisoner; the princess Rurina, who was tied up with rope. As they
descended from the ceiling, they saw Danny, and they abruptly dropped down to
the floor of the cave. They moved to attack Danny, shouting curses in dwarfish.
Danny was terrified, he didnt know how to respond to his attackers. He heard a
little voice in his head. It was Fru-Fru! Use the baton, Danny! cried the small voice
in his head.
Danny drew back his arm, and cracked the nearest dwarf on the helmet with the
baton. The weight of the baton was astonishing; it was as if it had become a lead
pipe. The helmet of the dwarf was shattered, and he went unconscious. Danny felt
his courage swell up in his heart, and faced off against the rest of the dwarves. He
beat them soundly, and within moments, unconscious dwarves covered the floor of
the cave.
Princess Rurina, exclaimed Danny, as he untied the dwarves prisoner. Verily,
that was unpleasant! exclaimed the princess. How do you suggest we escape?
she asked. Danny was stuck. He had no idea what to do, and he shame-facedly
admitted this to the princess. Oh, thats no trouble at all said Rurina. And she
picked up the smallest dwarf and laid him by the wall of the cave. A little help?
asked the princess. And they stacked the bodies of the dwarves on top of each
other, until they had a great stack of dwarves to climb up. They climbed up the pile
of unconscious dwarves, and escaped into the light of Elfania.
The princess suggested to Danny that he use his magic baton to seal the cave, and
he drew back his arm, and cracked the side of the hole. The rocks around the hole

collapsed, and covered the hole completely. All was well in Elfania. The dwarves had
been beaten back. Rurina gave Danny a little kiss on the cheek. Danny exclaimed
Ill never wash my face again! Rurina giggled and walked towards her fathers
castle. Perhaps their paths would cross again
Questions are on the next page.

Use your knowledge of essential story elements to answer these

questions.
A) Summarize the plot of the story in 3 sentences. /3

B) What is the climax of the story? /2

C) Who is the conflict in the story between? /2

D) Where is the story set? /1

E) Who are the characters in the story? /4

Please flip the page for the last two questions.

Long Answer

/4

5. Take a position on your favourite type of conflict in drama. Why is this type of
conflict so great? Make a case for your answers.
This does not have to be in proper essay form. A complete answer consists of
choosing a conflict, and giving 2 reasons explaining why you think its a great type
of conflict.
Choose one of the following: A) person vs. person, B) person vs. themselves, C)
person vs. nature

When you have finished all of the questions above, have a look at the
question below. It will be a performance test tomorrow. Youre all in a
great position to do well on this, so dont stress about it! Have a quick
read of the instructions, and well perform tomorrow.

Performance

/10

6. In groups of three, create a brief story with a beginning, middle, and end. The
story should have a plot, setting, characters, a conflict, and a climax. We will do this
in class tomorrow. I will give you a rubric for this scene after the quiz, and well go
over the rubric together.

Answer Key:
Improvisation SLO #5: Create and tell a story spontaneously.
Improvisation SLO #6: Understand and apply the essential elements of a story:
character, setting, conflict, climax, and plot.
Improvisation SLO #13: Recognize the techniques of offering, accepting, advancing,
and blocking.

Answers:
1. Blocking
2. A) Blocking, B) Advancing (or Building), C) Accepting
3. A) Plot, B) Setting, C) Characters, D) Climax, E) Conflict
4. A) Variety of possible answers. For example: Danny gets kidnapped by dwarves
on his way to school. Danny gets a magic baton from a fairy. Danny beats up the
dwarves and escapes with a princess.
B) The dwarves attack Danny, and he defeats them, using the baton.
C) Possible answers: Danny and the dwarves, Rurina and the dwarves, the elves and
the dwarves.
D) Possible answers: Elfania, the dwarves cave, on the way to school.
E) Danny, the dwarves, Fru-Fru, Rurina

5. There are a range of possible answers to this question. Full marks will be awarded
if the student chooses a type of conflict and gives two reasons for their choice of
conflict.
6. Note: as this is drama, I realize that a more valid display of this learning would
come from actually performing an improvised scene! This would be much more
time-consuming, but I think that students should form groups of 3, and we would
spend an entire class testing this. This could be the culminating activity of an
improvisation unit test.
Beginning: The status quo, and the where and who must be established: the
groups should choose a setting and name at least two characters. Conflict may be
introduced at this point, but more likely it will come in the Middle.
Middle: The what, or the conflict is introduced.
End: The how is introduced, as in how will we resolve the conflict, which is the
point of highest tension, and is called the climax. This is followed by a return to a
status quo, preferably a changed/improved status quo.

Here is the rubric that the performance will be marked on:

Performan
ce
Beginning,
Middle and
End
(Plot)
/3

Setting

/1

Characters
/2

4Fantastic
Creates a
scene with a
clearly
defined,
logical
progression
of
Beginning,
Middle, and
End.
The setting
is clearly
established
at the
beginning of
the scene.
At least 2
characters
are named.
There is a

3- Good

2- Getting There

1- Needs Work

Creates a scene
with a clear
Beginning,
Middle, and End.

Creates a scene
with clarity in two
of the three
sections
(Beginning, Middle,
and End).

The progression
from Beginning to
Middle to End lacks
clarity, and needs
better definition.

The setting is
clearly
established at
some point in
the scene.

The setting is
implied, but not
specifically
mentioned.

The setting is not

mentioned or
implied.

At least 1
character is
named.
There is a clear

At least 1 character
is named.
The relationship
between the

No characters are
named.
The relationship
between the

Conflict

Climax

/3

/1

clear
relationship
between
characters.
There is a
clear
conflict that
involves all
three
characters.

relationship
between
characters.

characters may be
unclear.

characters is
unclear.

There is a clear
conflict that
involves two of
the three
characters.

There is a conflict.

There is minimal
conflict.

There is an
exciting
climax that
clearly
follows the
main
conflict.

There is a climax
that follows the
main conflict.

There is a climax
that has some
connection to the
main conflict.

There is no climax,
or a very unclear
climax.

Each level from 1-4 will be allotted 0.25 and multiplied by the denominator of the
specific section. For instance, a score of 3 on the Conflict section will receive 2.25
marks (3 x 0.75).

Table of specifications
Content

Recognize
the
techniques
of offering,
accepting,
advancing,
and
blocking.

Rememb
er
Level 1
Question
s 1+2
4 Short
Answer
(4
marks)

Understa
nd
Level 1

Apply
Level 2

Analyze
Level 2

Evaluate
Level 3

Create
Level 3

Understand
and apply
the essential
elements of
a story:
character,
setting,
conflict,
climax, and
plot.
Create and
tell a story
spontaneous
ly

Question
3
5
Matching
(5
marks)

Question
4:
5 Short
Answer
(12
marks)*

Question
5
1 Long
Answer
question
(4 marks)

Questio
n6
Improvis
ed
Scene
(10
marks)Shared
with
Outcom
e3
Questio
n6
Improvis
ed
Scene
(10
marks)

Notes: As you can see by the relative coverage levels of each of the three
outcomes, the first outcome (accepting, advancing, and blocking) seems
underrepresented. This test would follow several in-class evaluations, where the
teacher would assess student mastery of this outcome. The inclusion of this item on
the test is, in large part, to reinforce the learning in a different way (ie: paper test,
as well as practical application).
Also, this test will follow at least one other weighted evaluation of the students
ability to create and tell a story spontaneously. Both of these outcomes are easily
assessed through observation, and this will create a balance of outcomes. It may
also be understood that being able to create and tell a story requires an
understanding of the essential elements of a story.
*I have chosen to allocate the entirety of the marks for Question 4 to Level 2, as this
question requires students to understand the essential elements of a story, and
apply these to breaking down a specific story. I had initially shared the marks for
this question between Understand and Apply, though, and I am honestly unsure
whether all parts of question 4 could be considered Apply, as Ive seen different
verbs in my research that could place this question in either Understand or Apply.