Fine Arts · Grades 9 to 12
Theatre 1 SEL activities
36 ready to use activities that teach Theatre 1 content and build one Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) skill, about 20 minutes each.
Self-awareness · 7 Self-management · 7 Social awareness · 8 Relationship skills · 8 Responsible decision-making · 6
Matched to textbook chapters: Basic Drama Projects.
Ensemble and Trust
- Me on Stage Self-awareness · Week 1Students share one meaningful object and a short story about it and name what excites and worries them about performing.
- Building the Ensemble Relationship skills · Week 2Through name and rhythm games, students build ensemble and agree on norms for a supportive theatre space.
- Consent and Contact Responsible decision-making · Week 3Students learn check in and opt out signals for physical scenes and practice asking before any contact.
- Stage Fright Is Normal Self-management · Week 4Students identify how nerves show up in their bodies and practice breathing, grounding, and vocal warmups to manage them.
- Yes, And Social awareness · Week 5Through short improv scenes, students practice accepting and building on a partner's offer.
- Failing Forward in Improv Self-management · Week 6Students play games designed to fail, celebrate the flops, and reflect on how mistakes free up creative ideas.
Voice, Body, and Character
- Voice and Emotion Self-awareness · Week 7Students read one neutral line with different emotions and notice how breath, pitch, and pace carry feeling.
- Body Language Self-awareness · Week 8Students explore how posture and gesture communicate status and emotion and notice what their own body says without words.
- Walking in Someone Else's Shoes Social awareness · Week 9Students shape a character from given circumstances and write a short diary entry from that character's point of view.
- Making Choices as an Actor Responsible decision-making · Week 10Using script analysis, students choose objectives and tactics for a character and justify their choices with evidence.
- Listening on Stage Social awareness · Week 11Partners perform an open scene twice and respond the second time only to what they truly hear.
- Respectful Audience Relationship skills · Week 12Students watch classmates' scenes, respond to what they saw, felt, and heard, and practice being a supportive audience.
Story, Culture, and Devising
- Stories From Our Families Social awareness · Week 13Students gather a family, community, or imagined story and explore how personal beliefs shape the way it might be staged.
- Día de los Muertos Tableaux Relationship skills · Week 14Groups create tableaux that honor the meaning of Día de los Muertos and discuss what respectful representation looks like.
- Who Tells the Story Responsible decision-making · Week 15Students compare productions that adapt stories across cultures and discuss when it is appreciation and when it is appropriation.
- Devising Together Relationship skills · Week 16Groups devise a short scene from a shared theme and divide roles so every voice is included.
- Theatre and Social Change Social awareness · Week 17Students research how El Teatro Campesino used theatre to give voice to California farmworkers and consider what stories need telling now.
- Semester Reflection Self-awareness · Week 18Students reflect in writing on their growth as performers and ensemble members and name a moment they are proud of.
Scene Work and Rehearsal
- Rehearsal Habits Self-management · Week 19Students set rehearsal goals for a scripted scene, track progress, and revise staging after each run.
- Memorization and Stress Self-management · Week 20Students try memorization techniques and build a plan that keeps learning lines from becoming overwhelming.
- Character Relationships Social awareness · Week 21Students map relationships between characters and connect what those characters need from each other to real relationships.
- Notes From the Director Relationship skills · Week 22Students practice giving and receiving director notes in a respectful format and rehearse a scene after the notes.
- Playing Conflict Safely Self-management · Week 23Students stage an argument scene and practice a routine for stepping out of the character's intense emotion when the scene ends.
- Design Choices Responsible decision-making · Week 24Students sketch a set or costume concept and explain how their design choices create a mood for the audience.
Theatre and Community
- Theatre for Our Community Social awareness · Week 25Students adapt a short scene for a specific audience, such as younger students, and adjust their choices to meet that audience's needs.
- Valley Stories on Stage Social awareness · Week 26Students use a sample interview, or interview a person they know or imagine, about life in the Coachella Valley and turn a moment into a short monologue.
- Speaking Up With Integrity Responsible decision-making · Week 27Students analyze a play that challenges its audience and decide how to stage a message that persuades without preaching.
- Backstage Teamwork Relationship skills · Week 28Students explore how actors, directors, designers, and crew depend on each other and practice clear communication during a scene change.
- Critiquing a Performance Responsible decision-making · Week 29Students watch a live or recorded performance and evaluate it with evidence and criteria rather than likes and dislikes alone.
- Careers in Theatre Self-management · Week 30Students research careers on and off stage, from stage management to lighting design, and identify one skill to build.
Production and Reflection
- Auditions and Courage Self-management · Week 31Students prepare a short audition piece and practice a routine for handling nerves and rejection.
- Final Rehearsals Relationship skills · Week 32Ensembles run their final scenes, check in about stress, and repair any tension before performance.
- Performance Day Self-awareness · Week 33Students perform for an audience and journal about their emotions before, during, and after.
- Talkback Self-awareness · Week 34Students lead a talkback with audience members, listen to their responses, and reflect on what landed.
- Looking Back Self-awareness · Week 35Students revisit their week one object story and describe how theatre has changed the way they see themselves and others.
- Curtain Call Gratitude Relationship skills · Week 36Students write thanks to ensemble members and crew for specific contributions and celebrate the ensemble's journey together.
RoseThread Connect activities are drafted with the help of AI and shaped by educators. Students never have to share anything personal. Our five SEL skills are informed by CASEL's SEL Framework; RoseThread Learning is not affiliated with or endorsed by CASEL.