Cooperative learning Lesson Plan

I. Class Description

The class is a high school theatre I class. There are 32 students in the class. Two have mild

autism, one is an ESL student, and two are gifted.

II. Subject/Skill

Theatre I / Improv

III. Objectives

(1) The students will be able to, in small groups, demonstrate and teach to the class one new

improv game they looked up using their phones and learned the rules for with no error.

(2) the students will be able to form and share their own opinion of why they believe improv is

important to theatre.

IV. Procedure

1. Let the students know that the objectives for today are to learn and teach the class a new

improv game in groups and to formulate their own opinion on why they think improv is important

to theatre based on what we learned about the origins and basics of theatre in the previous lesson.

2. In the previous lesson students learned about the origins of theatre and that the base of theatre

is improv. They learned what improv is. This knowledge will be used to formulate their own

opinions of why they think improv is important to theatre.

3. Before the students get started I will teach them a simple and short improv game that we will

play as a class.

4. The students will do a think-pair-share. They will be asked why they think improv might be

such an important part of theatre and then will get together with their groups for the day to think

about and discuss the question. A few groups will be called on to give an answer.

5. Students will begin working with their groups of four or five, there will be about seven groups

total, to look up improv games on their devices. Once they find one they want to learn they will
 verify with me that it hasn’t already been taken and start to learn and practice it together. After

about 20 minutes the class will come back together and one group at a time will start teaching the

class their game.

V. Materials

- Class notes

- mobile devices

VI. Grouping Structure

Students will be put in groups of four or five. There will be about seven groups total.

VII. Modifications

The Two students with mild autism will be put in groups with students who will be able to help

them focus and stay on track. They will also be allowed a couple errors in the presentation of

their game with no penalty.

The ESL will be placed in a group with one of the students who speaks both their native language

and english. They may choose to participate in demonstrating and teaching the game if they are

comfortable with doing so or they may choose to write a one page paper on improv, including

what it is, the basics of it, and why they think it’s important to theatre, instead.

VIII. Assessment

For homework students will write down in their class notebooks at least three reasons why they

believe improv is important to theatre. We will likely have to finish having the groups teach their

games the next day.