Hi Laura:
Thank you for sharing your applications.
For Step 1, I think it might be more challenging if you prompt the students to choose a specific number of elements which are the MOST ESSENTIAL part of any theatre performance. For example, ask them to choose the "three most essential elements to any theatre performance" or ask them to RANK the elements in order of what is most essential to any theatre performance. Making them choose a SPECIFIC number requires them to choose which elements are more important than the others and requires more discrimination and judgment, making it a higher order activity.
Step 2 is very good.
Step 3 looks like an excellent application which would require synthesis of a great deal of knowledge.
These look great!!PLease let us know how these turn out!! (and afterwards, please consider contributing them to the Team Based Learning Collaborative case bank!!)
Ruth
Ruth E. Levine MD
Clarence Ross Miller Professor of Psychiatry
The University of Texas Medical Branch
301 University Blvd, Route 0193
Galveston, Texas 77555-0193
409-747-9675 (Phone) 409-747-9677 (Fax)
[log in to unmask]
________________________________________
From: Team-Based Learning [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Laura Bird [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Monday, January 17, 2011 6:21 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Team Activities
I have a favor to ask. Is anybody willing to critique the following Team Activities that I am considering using in my Introduction to Theatre course? Any suggestions for improvement would be most welcome. Thank you for your time and advice.
Team Activity
Developing and Applying a Definition of Theatre
(15-20 minutes)
Step 1: Break it down to essentials
Take a look at this list of elements that are a part of many theatrical performances. As a team, decide which elements are essential. The easiest way to do this is to cross off the items that are non-essential. For example, can you have theatre without sets? If the answer is yes, cross it off the list.
action actors costumes director
imitation lights live audience *script
sets space to perform theatre building *story
(*The difference between script and story in this context is that a script is written down but a story may or may not be.)
Step 2: Given your analysis of the essentials, choose which one of the following definitions (taken from various Intro to Theatre texts) is the best. If you don’t like any of them you may construct your own.
Decide as a team which definition is best. Report by holding up a card with the matching letter or by writing your own definition on the board. Be prepared to explain why you made the choice you did.
Theatre is:
a) “a community of artists gather[ed] to present a performance for a community audience.” The Creative Spirit: An Introduction to Theatre, Arnold
b) “the imitation of human actions” The Theatrical Imagination, Huberman, Ludwig, Pope
c) “that body of artistic work in which actors impersonate characters in a live performance of a play” Theatre, Cohen
d) “a performance art that places human experience before . . . an audience in the present moment.” Theatre: A Way of Seeing, Barranger
e) “Without these elements [audience, dramatic action embodied in a script, performers, director, theatre space, design elements] an event ceases to be theatre.” Theater: The Lively Art Wilson and Goldfarb
f) Your own definition:
Team Activity
Exploring Historical Theatrical Conventions
(30-40 minutes)
You will be shown 4 clips of theatrical productions, one for each type of historical theatre we have studied so far: Classical Greek Theatre, Medieval Theatre, Renaissance Theatre and Beijing Opera. As a team, choose which of the production best follows the historical conventions of the script’s time period as described by your text.
To report hold up a card with the letter that matches the production you choose. Be ready to explain why your choice is the best.
a) Classical Greek Theatre
b) Medieval Theatre
c) Renaissance Theatre
d) Beijing Opera
|
