Common Planner
K–12 Standards

Theater: Grades 7, 8

Other Rhode Island Arts sets

Artistic Processes – Theater employs creative problem solving using tools, techniques, and technology in one or more disciplines in order to make the imagined tangible.

  • T1 (7-8)-1.

    Students show skill development in acting, directing, designing, and scriptwriting by…T1 (7-8)-1

    1. a.

      creating basic characters, environments, and actions that exhibit tension and suspense; creating short dramatizations in selected styles of theater (e.g., melodrama, vaudeville, and musical theater)

    2. b.

      analyzing and maintaining a rehearsal script/notebook to record directions and blocking, and design information

    3. c.

      developing a character using non-verbal techniques (e.g., dance, mime, physical comedy, stage combat (wrestling, sword play, physical confrontation); using basic improvisation in rehearsal to discover character and motivation; developing a character as part of an ensemble

    4. d.

      designing or creating, and analyzing costumes, props, music, sets, makeup, or masks that support or enhance character in formal or informal performances

  • T1 (7-8)-2.

    Students solve artistic problems by…T1 (7-8)-2

    1. a.

      researching and generating strategies, and choosing one that addresses identified challenge inherent in the story (e.g., "How do we foreshadow the antagonist's downfall?")

  • T1 (7-8)-3.

    Students make connections among the arts and other disciplines by…T1 (7-8)-3

    1. a.

      demonstrating analysis of a piece of literature or a social or scientific event by creating a short original dramatization (e.g., a musical scene from S.E. Hinton's Outsider or a video on cellular mitosis)

    2. b.

      comparing and contrasting different theatrical performances to tell a similar story (e.g., plays and poetry both built on a journey theme)

Cultural Contexts – Theater arts creatively expresses the values and ideas of human experience, community, and civilization.

  • T2 (7-8)-1.

    Students demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the role of Theater Arts in personal, cultural, and historical context by…T2 (7-8)-1

    1. a.

      analyzing and dramatizing two stories with a common theme from two historical periods or cultures (e.g., loyalty, revenge, redemption)

    2. b.

      comparing and contrasting cultural beliefs and traditions in the theater arts in two cultures and time periods (e.g., Greek theater - comedy and tragedy; Japanese Theater – Kabuki, Noh; American theater - melodrama and musical theater)

    3. c.

      interpreting and evaluating ways in which theater, television, electronic media, or film influence their thinking in positive and negative ways

    4. d.

      designing and creating masks, puppets, props, costumes, music, or sets in a selected theatrical style drawn from world cultures, such as Japanese shadow puppets or Kabuki masks

    5. e.

      analyzing the roles of the arts and artists in times of conflict and harmony to express disapproval and unity

    6. f.

      describing at least two different artistic careers and the education required

Communication – Theater communicates meaning and expression through the sharing of human experience using image, sound, movement, words, space, time and chronology.

  • T3 (7-8)-1.

    Students demonstrate the ability to communicate in the language of the Theater Arts by…T3 (7-8)-1

    1. a.

      analyzing and applying performance and design techniques to convey complex emotions, ideas, or meaning (e.g., betrayal or enlightenment or in aspects of design or writing)

  • T3 (7-8)-2.

    Students demonstrate the ability to extract meaning from Theater by…T3 (7-8)-2

    1. a.

      analyzing major and minor themes and characters and their symbolic representation (i.e., cultural references)

    2. b.

      analyzing techniques that support the story's meaning (e.g., the lighting in combination with the music foreshadowed hope)

Aesthetic Judgment – Applying knowledge and skills of Theater Arts in order to reflect on and evaluate the work of self and others.

  • T4 (7-8)-1.

    Students reflect upon, analyze and evaluate the work of self and others by…T4 (7-8)-1

    1. a.

      analyzing what is seen and heard (e.g., figurative language and imagery) in a performance or text and comparing that with things known (e.g., the playwright, time period, place, cultural identification, etc.)

    2. b.

      evaluating character's objectives and motivations based on what is seen, heard, and known to explain character's behavior

    3. c.

      analyzing technical elements of a theatrical production (e.g., playwright, dress rehearsal, run-through, cold reading, ensemble, proscenium, thrust, and arena staging)

    4. d.

      analyzing dramatic elements of a plot (e.g., recurring themes and patterns, protagonist and antagonist, foreshadowing, rising action, catharsis, and denouncement)

Frequently asked questions

What grade levels do these standards cover?
Grade 7 and Grade 8
When were these standards adopted?
2010

Keep exploring

Keep exploring Arts standards

Sibling grade bands, other subjects in this jurisdiction, and the same subject across other states.