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 RATIONALE
Drama in general allows students to grow by gaining confidence in their abilities. In the drama
room students have a safe place to perform and by expressing themselves and their skills their
gained confidence can be translated to day to day life. Within the speech unit students can take
what they have learned in the drama classroom and apply it to other modules. For example, the
expression of voice and how to appropriately use it, can translate to speaking clearly and
effectively communicating as well as giving more effective oral presentations. Learning how to
appropriately use one's voice is also important for social interaction. Students will be able to
accurately express their ideas, tone and message while speaking in a social setting. Each lesson
focuses on a new concept of speech and should lend itself well to student engagement. Students
will be able to express themselves in a variety of ways and participate in various techniques to
keep their minds on developing their voice.
 UNIT OBJECTIVE AND
SKILLS SLO’S
GLO’S 1.) Speaking Spontaneously
2.) Use vocal relaxation and warm up techniques.
3.) Use effective breathing techniques.
Level I - Beginner
Speech is the exploration of talking and 4.) Use techniques of storytelling.
speaking to meet the demands of verbal
communication. It examines interpretation,
5.) Recognize the need to control and protect the
the mechanisms of control of vocal delivery, voice
and acknowledges the importance of
listening critically. The focus of speech 6.) Use volume appropriate to situation
instruction in junior high is on the effective
communication of ideas, rather than on the 7.) Create vocal sound effects to explore voice.
technical aspects of speech.
8.) Understand volume, articulation, projection,
rate, pause, phrasing, pitch, and intonation
 V E RV I E W
U N I TO
 LESSON 1
Main objective: 3.)Use Effective Breathing Techniques

Click here for

Lesson Plan
Purpose:
Teaching breathing exercises that leads to better control of voice, projection, storytelling, and volume.
Basic foundation of speech is breath. Students are also being introduced to the concept of speech and
where it can lead you (storytelling).

Activities
1.) Vocal relaxation and breathing technique, taught theory through
actively breathing from the diaphragm.
2.) Boom Chicka Boom

Formative Assessment: Teacher Observation, Exit Slip, and Four Corners

Summative: Student Participation/ Journal Entry
 LESSON 2
Main objective: 2.) Use vocal Warm up and Relaxation Techniques
Purpose:
During this lesson students will learn how to warm up their voices and how to prepare for delivering speech. By participating in
this lesson students will have the necessary tool kit to warm up their voice when they need to deliver any kind of oral
presentation. Student will be able to speak more clearly and have more control over their voice since they know how to warm
it up first.

Activities
1.) Tongue Twister Game: instructions
2.) Relaxation Techniques (Box Breathing)
3.) Vocals Warm Ups
- For example yawns, stressing vowels, tongue/ jaw relaxation, raspberries, and
learning about the part of the mouth that control sound.

Formative Assessment: Teacher observation, Four corners, Exit Slip

Summative: Student Participation/ Journal Entry
 LESSON 3
Main objective: 5.) Recognize the need to control and protect the voice
Purpose:
Students will experiment with the limits of their voice. They will also be given the opportunity to put the breathing exercises
they learned last class to the test. by speaking from the diaphragm student will recognize the difference between projecting
and yelling and how it protects our voice. They will also recognize how through visualization students can control their voice to
fill various spaces.

Activities
1.) Visualization Techniques
- ex. Breathing from the diaphragm and imagining you are speaking to the far
corners of the room. Source
2.) Who can sustain and hold the note the longest, competition
3.) Saying tongue twisters while plugging your nose with force than releasing your
fingers/ experimenting with humming. Source

Formative Assessment: Teacher Observation, Exit Slip, Think Pair Share

Summative: Student Participation, Final Performance, Journal Entry
 LESSON 4
Main objective: 6.) Use volume appropriate to situation
Purpose:
Students will participate in two games that allows them to experiment with volume and the limits of their voice. This lesson
also lends itself well to storytelling and how the volume of voice can convey urgency or a laid back tone. Students will also
respond to how certain volumes exerts energy on their actions. By experimenting with different energy levels students will
understand appropriate levels of voice within different contexts.

Activities
1.) Acting out scenes from 1-10 energy level
- They speech should be reflected in the energy level.

2.) Voice Activated game

- Set out supplies to look like a relay race. One person uses their voice to control
their peer’s movement throughout the relay race. Like this video

Formative Assessment: Teacher observation, Exit Slip, Four Corners

Summative Assessment: Student Participation, Final Performance, Journal Entries
 LESSON 5
Main objective: 8.) Understand volume, articulation, projection, rate, pause,
phrasing, pitch and intonation
Purpose:
Students will focus on articulation and rate in this lesson. It is important to speak clearly and at the right pace. If we do not all
our hard effort could be lost on an audience that does not understand what we are saying. Therefore, it is important to learn
how to be heard and further warm up our voices and tell our stories clearly.

Activities
1.) Mouth Exercises
- Tongue circles, face massages, Practicing Vowel Sounds ex. Pataka, Badaga, etc…
- Source (Has some great ideas and tongue twisters)
-
2.) Tongue Twister Stories
- Students create their own story from a tongue twister than perform them at various rates
(speeds).

Formative Assessment: Teacher observation, Think Pair Share, Exit Slip

Summative: Student Participation, Final Performance, Journal Entry
 LESSON 6
Main objective: 8.) Understand volume, articulation, projection, rate, pause,
phrasing, pitch and intonation

Purpose: Students how to further learn expression in their voice by identifying pause, phrasing, pitch and intonation.
They will learn how expression in the voice is key to understand a scenario that is being acted out.

Activities
1.) Charades with Gibberish
- Students will get a charade prompt and have to act out a scene only using gibberish. The audience
then guesses what the scene was about.

2.) Tone Of Voice Journaling

- Give students a prompt and have them write their response. Have students close their eyes and
allow students to share their answer. Have a conversation about how their voice changes based on
the scenario. Have them quote, pause, phrasing, pitch and intonation Source

Formative Assessment: Four corners, Exit Slip

Summative: Student Participation/ Journal Entry
 LESSON 7
Main objective: 1.) Speaking Spontaneously
Purpose: Students will learn how to speak with little preparation and on the spot. This will help students speak more
confidently and clearly. These are the beginning steps to speaking fluidly even when there are no prompts to follow. This
should help students in situation such as improv or even just talking within their daily lives.

Activities
1.) Debate
- Students will participate in a spontaneous debate without time to prepare. Each team must work
together to defend their side of the argument.
2.) Image Description
- Have students write about an image that is displayed. Then have them share what they have
written.
3.) Listen Repeat
- With a partner students repeat part of writing back in exactly the way they told it to them. Source

Formative Assessment: Teacher Observation, Four Corner, Exit Slip

Summative Assessment: Student Participation, Journal Entry
 LESSON 8
Main objective: 7.) Create vocal sound effects to explore voice.
Purpose:
The voice can be more than language. Learning about how the voice can be spoken in terms of sound effects opens the door
for more unique ways of storytelling. It also is a freeing skill to learn in a sense that one does not need to rely on language to
tell their story or communicate.

Activities
1.) Dark Room, Vocal Freedom
- Turn light off or down and allow students free range of their voices. Allow them to experiment with sounds and language
and see what comes from allowing their voices to run wild (appropriately).
2.) Theory and Learning about the types of sound effect you can make with your voice. Video for Reference
3.) Sound Effect Scene Creation
- Creating a 15 second scene only using sound effects with your voice.

Formative Assessment: Teacher Observation, Four Corner, Exit Slip

Summative Assessment: Student Participation Final Performance, Journal Entry
 LESSON 9
Main objective: 4.) Use techniques of storytelling.
Incorporating Indigenous Perspective of Storytelling

Click here for

Lesson Plan
Purpose:
By using the speech skills that students have developed so far they should effectively be able to tell a story. Having
stories engage in story telling activities gives them practice to use their voice and develop another important form of
communication which is an integral part of Indigenous culture.

Activities
1.) Video
2.) Story Stones
3.) Meditative story creation

Formative Assessment: Teacher observation, Exit slip, Think-Pair-Share,

Summative Assessment: Student Participation, Final Performance and Journal Entries
 LESSON 10
Main objective: 4.) Use techniques of storytelling.
Purpose: Students will have time to work on their projects. They must create a story in groups that they have come up
with on their own. Last class we worked on generating stories through a time experienced in nature with influence from
Indigenous culture. Students are encouraged to share and use these stories. Students should try to incorporate all the skills
they have used in the last 9 classes. The outcomes that will be looked for will be included on a rubric and performance task (to
be made).

Work Period
Activities
1.) Project Overview and Check in
2.) Work Period
- To encourage students to do their work, observe and actively take part in their creation process.
- Ask questions and take interest in their work to motivate them to be engaged and to use their time wisely.

Formative assessment: Teacher observation

Summative Assessment: Student Participation, Final Performance
 LESSON 11
Main objective: 4.) Use techniques of storytelling.
Purpose: Students will have time to work on their projects. They must create a story in groups that they have come up
with on their own. Last class we worked on generating stories through a time experienced in nature with influence from
Indigenous culture. Students are encouraged to share and use these stories. Students should try to incorporate all the skills
they have used in the last 9 classes. The outcomes that will be looked for will be included on a rubric and performance task (to
be made).

Work Period
Activities
1.) Project Overview and Check in
2.) Work Period
- To encourage students to do their work, observe and actively take part in their creation process.
- Ask questions and take interest in their work to motivate them to be engaged and to use their time wisely.

Formative assessment: Teacher observation

Summative Assessment: Student Participation, Final Performance
 LESSON 12
Main objective: 4.) Use techniques of storytelling.
Purpose: Performance day!

Activities
1.) Brief Check In
2.) Presentations
3.) Journal Entry during Presentations
- As opposed to a 100 word journal entry students will have to provide feedback on each of their peers presentations. This
could be a one sentence piece of feedback with the sentence stem “Don’t take for granted…..”
- the feedback will be given to the groups as part of their assessment.

Formative assessment: Teacher observation

Summative Assessment: Student Participation, Final Performance, Journal Entry
UNIT
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 INCLUSION
Strategies For Including All Students
One-on-one Meetings
- Make yourself accessible to students to talk through concerns they may have
about the unit. This is especially helpful during their work periods leading up to
their final presentations.
- It is also important to approach students who may be feeling shy or overwhelmed
by the concept of speaking or showing confidence in performing. Establish a
relationship with them and make them feel seen by reaching out to them.

Strategies For Shy Students

- Allow for group work and ensemble building so that student does not feel singled out.
- Allow the student choice by picking the topic they want to talk about and the energy
level that feels right for them at the time. (Try to challenge them in some cases)
- Get them laughing and enjoying the atmosphere.
- Make them feel welcomed. Use encouraging words and celebrate little achievements.
 RESOURCES
“A Simple Breath Control Exercise for Actors & Singers”. Theatrefolk. Accessed February 9th, 2024.
ttps://www.theatrefolk.com/blog/a-simple-breath-control-exercise-for-actors-singers/
“The Tongue Twister Game”. TeachingEnglish. British Council. Accessed February 9th, 2024.
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/teaching-resources/teaching-secondary/activities/pre-intermediate-a2/tongue-t
wister-game
“Breath Control and Projection”. Theatrefolk. Accessed February 9th, 2024
https://www.theatrefolk.com/blog/projecting-your-voice-without-yelling/
“Voice Projections Tips & Games: for Students, Parents & Teachers”. Kellyville. Accessed February 9th, 2024.
https://kellyville.aia.nsw.edu.au/images/downloads/Voice-tip-sheet.pdf
“Articulation Exercises for Actors (How to Improve Articulation & Diction). Youtube, Uploaded by StageMilk,
March 27th, 2020. Accessed February 9th, 2024 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sQoYa8TptI
“Practical Tone of voice Activities for Enhanced Communication Skills”. EverydaySpeech. Accessed February 9th
2024
https://everydayspeech.com/sel-implementation/practical-tone-of-voice-activities-for-enhanced-communication-ski
lls/
h
 RESOURCES
“Indigenous Story Stones”. CleverPatch. Accessed February 9th, 2024
tps://www.cleverpatch.com.au/ideas/by-occasion/naidoc-week/story-stones#:~:text=Indigenous%20Story%20St
ones,-Download%20Activity%20Guide&text=Draw%20symbols%20on%20the%20stones,symbols%2C%20while
%20teaching%20creative%20thinking.
“The Learning Circle: Classroom Activities on First Nations in Canada - Ages 4-7”. rcaana. Government of Canada.
Accessed February 9th 2024 (not a part of my unit plan but a great source)
https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1316530132377/1535460393645
“8 Theatre Vocal Warm Ups for New and Old Actors”. Dearing Acting Studio. Accessed February 9th 2024
https://www.dearingstudio.com/theater-vocal-warmups-for-actors/
“Bringing Sky Students out of their Shells in the Drama Classroom”. Theatrefolk. Accessed February 9th 2024
https://www.theatrefolk.com/blog/bringing-shy-students-shells-drama-classroom