introduction - office of superintendent of public instruction web vieweach student must also respond...

AssessmentOSPI-Developed Performance

Office of Superintendent of Public InstructionSeptember 2015

A Component of the Washington State Assessment System

TheatreThe Arts

Thinking on Your Feet Grade 8

Office of Superintendent of Public InstructionOld Capitol Building

P.O. Box 47200Olympia, WA 98504-7200

For more information about the contents of this document, please contact:

Anne Banks, The Arts Program SupervisorPhone: (360) 725-4966, TTY (360) 664-3631

OSPI provides equal access to all programs and services without discrimination based on sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability. Questions and complaints of alleged discrimination should be directed to the Equity and Civil Rights Director at (360) 725-6162 or P.O. Box 47200 Olympia, WA 98504-7200.

This work is licensed as a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike product by the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. For more information on this license, please visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/.

Table of ContentsIntroduction...................................................................................................................................................ii

Overview.........................................................................................................................................................1

Test Administration: Expectations......................................................................................................1

Description of the Performance Assessment..................................................................................2

Learning Standards....................................................................................................................................2

Assessment Task.........................................................................................................................................3

Teacher’s Instructions to Students.................................................................................................3

Accommodations....................................................................................................................................3

Student’s Task..........................................................................................................................................4

Supporting Materials and Resources for Teachers...................................................................10

Preparation for Administering the Assessment....................................................................10

Recommendations for Time Management...............................................................................12

Glossary....................................................................................................................................................13

Thinking on Your Feet: Arts Assessment for Theatre, Grade 8 Page i

OSPI-DOSPI-D EVELOPEDEVELOPED P P ERFORM ANCEERFORM ANCE A A SSESSM ENTSSSESSM ENTS FORFOR THETHE A A RTSRTS

IntroductionTo Washington educators who teach theatre:

Welcome to one of our OSPI-developed performance assessments and this implementation and scoring guide. This document is part of the Washington assessment system at the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI).

The assessments have been developed by Washington State teachers and are designed to measure learning for selected components of the Washington State Learning Standards. They have been developed for students at the elementary and secondary levels. Teachers from across the state in small, medium, and large districts and in urban, suburban, and rural settings piloted these assessments in their classrooms. These assessments provide an opportunity for teachers to measure student skills; they can both help teachers determine if learning goals have been met, and influence how teachers organize their curricula. They also provide an opportunity for students to demonstrate the knowledge and skills they have gained.

These assessments:

Provide immediate information to teachers regarding how well their students have acquired the expected knowledge and skills in their subject areas.

Inform future teaching practices.

Provide resources that enable students to participate in measuring their achievements as part of the learning experience.

Included in this document are:▪ directions for administration

▪ assessment task

▪ scoring rubrics

▪ additional resources

Our hope is that this assessment will be used as an integral part of your instruction to advance our common goal of ensuring quality instruction for all students.

If you have questions about these assessments or suggestions for improvements, please contact:

Anne Banks, Program Supervisor, The Arts (360) 725-4966, [email protected]

Thinking on Your Feet: Arts Assessment for Theatre, Grade 8 Page ii

THINKING ON YOUR FEET TheatreGrade 8

An OSPI-Developed Performance Assessment

OverviewThis document contains information essential to the administration of Thinking on Your Feet, an OSPI-developed arts performance assessment for theatre (Grade 8). Prior to administration of this assessment, all students should have received instruction in the skills and concepts being assessed. Please read this information carefully before administering the performance assessment.

This classroom-based performance assessment may be used in several ways:

As an integral part of instruction.

As a benchmark, interim, or summative assessment.

As a culminating project.

As an integral part of a unit of study.

As a means of accumulating student learning data.

As an individual student portfolio item.

Test Administration: Expectations The skills assessed by this task should be authentically incorporated into

classroom instruction.

This assessment task is to be administered in a safe, appropriately supervised classroom environment following district policy and procedures.

All industry and district safety policies and standards should be followed in the preparation and administration of OSPI-developed performance assessments in dance, music, theatre, and visual arts.

Thinking on Your Feet: Arts Assessment for Theatre, Grade 8 Page 1

Synopsis ofThinking on Your Feet

Each student works with a partner to prepare an improv-isational scene in which they establish setting, conflict, character, and objective; they must attempt an exciting beginning and a surprise ending. They’ll perform first in front of peers and use the feedback to refine the performance. The teacher records the final perfor-mance. Each student must also respond to questions about his/her performance and the dramatic structure of the improvisation.

Accommodations based upon a student’s individualized education program (IEP) or 504 Plan may require additional modifications to this assessment.

Additional modifications to the administration of this assessment may be required to accommodate cultural differences, diversity, and religious mores/rules.

Description of the Performance Assessment Performance prompts ask each student to work with a partner to create and

perform an improvisation based on the criteria outlined in the prompt. The teacher should record (film) the students’ performance both to document it and to facilitate scoring.

Although the improvisation is performed with a partner, each student is assessed separately.

Students must also respond to short-answer questions and instructions. Their answers may be written (in the form of words, numbers, and/or pictures/diagrams) or verbal. All written work must be completed on the response sheets provided. All verbal responses must be recorded to facilitate scoring and to document each student’s performance.

Learning StandardsThis assessment addresses Washington State Learning Standards for Theatre, including the GLEs from the Options for Implementing the Arts Standards through Theatre by Grade Level document.

GLE 1.1.1Grades 7–8

Applies knowledge of the elements of theatre (character, plot, setting, conflict, dialogue, and theme) to scripts and/or performances.


Applies his/her understanding of given circumstances in a script to create a character’s facial expressions, gestures, body movements/stances, stage positions, blocking, and business in a performance.


Applies a responding process to a theatrical performance and/or presentation.


Depending on how individual teachers build their lesson units, additional Washington State Learning Standards can be addressed.

Assessment TaskTeacher’s Instructions to Students1. Say: “Today you will take the Grade-8 Washington OSPI-developed arts

performance assessment for theatre. This assessment is called Thinking on Your Feet.”

2. Provide the class with copies of the student’s section of the assessment (which may include the student’s task, response sheets, rubrics, templates, and glossary), along with any other required materials.

3. Tell the students that they may highlight and write on these materials during the assessment.

4. Have the students read the directions to themselves as you read them aloud. We also encourage you to review the glossary and scoring rubrics with the students.

5. Answer any clarifying questions the students may have before you instruct them to begin.

6. If this assessment is used for reporting purposes, circle the scoring points on the first page of each student’s response sheets.

AccommodationsThe following accommodations can be made for students with special needs or whose English language skills are limited:

To complete the response sheets, students may dictate their answers to an instructional aide, who will write them down.

The student may give the written and/or recorded responses in their first language. We request a written and/or verbal English translation for consistency (validity/reliability) in scoring the rubric.

Refer also to the student’s individualized education program (IEP) or 504 Plan.


Student’s TaskThe following section contains these materials for students:

The student’s task: Thinking on Your Feet (Grade 8)

Assessment rubric

Response sheets


Student’s Task

Thinking on Your FeetThinking on Your FeetYou are a camper at a summer theatre camp. Every camper gets a chance to do an improvisational scene with a partner around the campfire. Your acting coach has told you that tonight will be your night to do your improvisation. As you prepare your improvisation, you should establish the setting, conflict, character, and objective. Attempt an exciting beginning and a surprise ending. You will be performing with an assigned partner.

You will receive feedback from another set of partners (assigned by your teacher), and you will refine your performance based on their feedback.

Your teacher will record your final performance. You will then be asked to prepare a response about your final performance and the dramatic structure of your improvisation.

Your Task

First, create your performance—

Your acting coach explains that you must meet the following requirements when you create your improvisation:

Clearly establish the setting.

Create effective dialogue.

Create an effective character using movement and vocal choices that demonstrate objectives.

Use ensemble work appropriately.

Develop a dramatic structure that:

o Creates a clear beginning.

o Creates a clear middle.

o Includes a central conflict.

o Creates a clear resolution to that conflict (ending).

Maintain focus throughout the entire performance.


Second, rehearse; then give your final performance—

Your acting coach explains that you must meet the following requirements when developing and presenting your performance:

Work with your partner to develop your performance. Perform your improvisation for the pair of partners assigned by your teacher. Refine and rehearse your performance based on the feedback that they provide.

Begin and end your performance with a three-second neutral pause to indicate a clear beginning and a clear ending. You may end “off stage” or “off camera.”

Your final performance will be recorded.

Third, explain how you fulfilled your acting coach’s requirements —

Your acting coach explains that you must also respond to questions about your performance and the process you went through to create it:

You must respond in writing or verbally following the final performance (see the response sheets).

You must use the vocabulary of theatre correctly in your responses.


Assessment Rubric

Thinking on Your Feet4 points 3 points 2 points 1 point No Score

Crea

ting

& P

erfo

rmin

g

The student meets all four of the following requirements, thereby demonstrating a thorough under-standing of how to establish character and dramatic structure in an improvisation: Clearly establishes the setting. Creates an effective character

using movement and vocal choices that demonstrate objectives.

Creates dialogue effectively to sustain the performance.

Uses ensemble work appropriately.

The student meets three of the four require-ments listed at left, demon-strating an adequate understanding of how to establish character and dramatic structure in an improvisation.

The student meets two of the four require-ments listed at left, demon-strating a partial understanding of how to est-ablish character and dramatic structure in an improvisation.

The student meets one of the four re-quirements listed at left, demonstrating a minimal un-derstanding of how to est-ablish character and dramatic structure in an improvisation.

The student meets none of the four re-quirements listed at left, demonstrating no under-standing of how to es-tablish charac-ter and dra-matic structure in an improvi-sation.

Crea

ting

(sto

ry)

The student meets all four of the following requirements, thereby demonstrating a thorough under-standing of how to create the structure of a story: Creates a clear beginning. Creates a clear middle. Includes a central conflict. Creates a clear resolution to that

conflict (ending).

The student meets three of the four require-ments listed at left, demon-strating an adequate un-derstanding of how to create the structure of a story.

The student meets two of the four require-ments listed at left, demon-strating a partial understanding of how to create the structure of a story.

The student meets one of the four re-quirements listed at left, demonstrating a minimal un-derstanding of how to create the structure of a story.

The student meets none of the four re-quirements listed at left, demonstrating no under-standing of how to create the structure of a story.

Perf

orm

ing

The student sustains character with zero interruptions and lapses in the performance.

The student sustains charac-ter with one interruption or lapse in the performance.

The student sustains charac-ter with two interruptions or lapses in the performance.

The student sustains character with three inter-ruptions or lapses in the performance.

The student sustains char-acter with four or more inter-ruptions or lapses in the performance.


Resp

ondi

ngIn the response, the student demon-strates a thorough understanding of the creative process by meeting all four of the following requirements: Clearly describes the process used

to create the improvisation. Clearly describes the dramatic

structure used. Appropriately describes how

she/he maintained focus throughout the performance.

Uses the vocabulary of theatre correctly.

In the response, the student de-monstrates an adequate understanding of the creative process by meeting three of the four re-quirements listed at left.

In the response, the student demonstrates a partial under-standing of the creative process by meeting two of the four requirements listed at left.

In the re-sponse, the student de-monstrates a minimal under-standing of the creative pro-cess by meeting one of the four re-quirements listed at left.

In the re-sponse, the student de-monstrates no understanding of the creative process, having met none of the four re-quirements listed at left.

Response SheetsStudent’s Name/ID# _____________________________________________ Grade Level _________

(circle number) Creating & Performing Score 4 3 2 1 NS

Creating Score (structure of story) 4 3 2 1 NS

Performing Score (sustaining character) 4 3 2 1 NS

Responding Score 4 3 2 1 NS

Responses

Respond to the following prompts and questions to explain how you met the requirements. Remember to use the vocabulary of theatre.

1. Describe the process that you and your partner used to develop your improvisation. (For example: Why are you creating this improvisation? Who are you creating it for? Where did you gather information to create your character, the setting, and/or the story? How did you develop ideas throughout the creation of the improvisation? When you did your improvisation for the other pair of partners, how did you think it went? Why? How did you change things based on the feedback that you received? When you gave your final performance for the audience, how did you think it went? Why?)

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2. Fully describe your dramatic structure, including the beginning, conflict, and resolution (end).

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3. How did you sustain your focus throughout the entire performance?

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Supporting Materials and Resources for Teachers

Preparation for Administering the Assessment

Tools & Materials

Teachers will need the following materials and resources to administer this performance assessment:

copies of the task, including the glossary of terms (one set for each student)

copies of the student-response sheets (one set for each student)

a marked performance space

one pencil per student

an audio/video recording device

Guidelines

This assessment is an individual performance.

Copy the student’s task, glossary of terms, and response sheets. Make one set of copies for each student.

Props and costumes should not be used in this assessment; however, students may use chairs, tables, blocks, and/or benches in the performance.

Assign a partner to each student; the two students should work together to create and perform an improvisation.

Assign to each set of partners another set of partners; each pair will watch the other’s performance and provide feedback.


Students should obtain your approval of their storylines prior to creating their performances.

Each student’s performance must be recorded for this assessment.

Recording setup must be in a defined space where the performer can be seen at all times. The camera should be placed so as to record the scene from the audience’s perspective.

Students should be prompted to state their names/numbers and current grade level into the recording device before they begin performing.

Coach the students to face the audience while performing. (The performer’s face must be seen so that facial expression can be assessed.)

Each performer must include a three-second neutral pause at the beginning and at the ending of his/her performance to indicate a clear start and a clear ending. The student may end off stage or off camera.

Students who respond in writing must include their names/numbers on their response sheets.

As an alternative to a written response:

You may permit video or audio recording. Coach the students who are being recorded to face the recording device when responding. Students must have a copy of the response sheet when being recorded. The teacher’s role during recording is to read questions. Students may use resources that are visible in the testing classroom, but you may not prompt or coach students during the assessment.

A student may dictate her/his response-sheet answers as necessary to meet her/his needs. Students may use resources that are visible in the testing classroom, but you may not prompt or coach students during the assessment.

When you are administering the assessment, students may ask questions to clarify the process. You should encourage students to ask questions at any time throughout the administration of the assessment.


Recommendations for Time ManagementStudents may have as much time as they need to complete the task. The timeframes suggested here are meant only as a guide, and you may shorten or lengthen them to suit the individual circumstances of the class and students.

The following is a three-day suggested timeframe:

DAY 1

15 minutes: The teacher provides the class with the task and reads it aloud. The students may ask questions. The teacher answers questions.

20 minutes: The teacher assigns partners to the students; the partners create and develop their improvisations.

20 minutes: Each pair of students performs their improvisation for another pair (assigned by the teacher), who provide feedback.

DAY 2

15 minutes: The partners review and refine their performances, incorporating the feedback that they received.

40 minutes: The students perform their improvisations for the teacher, who records each performance.

DAY 3

5 minutes: The teacher distributes response sheets to the students.

15 minutes: The students prepare their verbal or written responses.

5 minutes: The teacher collects the response sheets of the students who responded in writing.

20 minutes: The teacher records the responses of the students who need to respond verbally.

All students who remain productively engaged in the task should be allowed to finish their work. In some cases, a few students may require considerably more time to complete the task than most students; therefore, you may wish to move these students to a new location to finish. In other cases, the teacher’s knowledge of some students’ work habits or special needs may suggest that students who work very slowly should be tested separately or grouped with similar students for the test.


Glossary acting skills—the use of voice, movement, improvisation, and characterization.

action—events within the play that move the plot along.

aesthetics—an idea of what is beautiful or artistic; a set of criteria for judging something to be beautiful or artistic.

articulation—the use of all of the articulators (lips, teeth, tongue, soft and hard palettes, larynx, and glottis)to deliver speech or language clearly.

audition—a tryout for a theatrical role.

balance—the arrangement of design elements and actors to create visual stability on stage.

blocking—an actor’s traffic pattern on stage.

business—movements that mime or make use of props, costumes, and make-up to strengthen the personality of a character that the actor is portraying.

character—a person, animal, or thing in a scene, story, or play.

character development—creating from a text a character who uses tactics to overcome obstacles to achieve objectives; portraying this character by choosing physical actions, vocal qualities, and believable emotions that are sustained throughout the performance

conflict—a struggle between two or more opposing forces, events, ideas, or characters in a scene or play.

costumes—the clothing an actor wears to create a character.

creative dramatics—a teacher-led dramatic enactment of story, setting, and/or characters; an experiential process-based activity, not a performance for an audience. The teacher may assume a role.

cue—1. a signal for a performer or technician to perform an action or say a line; 2. a signal from a side-coach to perform an action or say a line.

design—a purposeful plan for the spectacle of a play (such as costumes, set, props, lighting, sound) based on an overall concept.

design concept—the overall visual theme for a combined theatrical design in which features such as lights, sets, costumes, make-up, props, and sound work


together to tell the story. A design concept is a visual way of expressing how the technical elements will illuminate the central theme of the play.

dialogue—a conversation between two characters in a theatrical performance.

diaphragmatic breathing—using the diaphragm muscle to support the breath.

diction—choice and use of words.

drama—a literary composition (a play) intended for a performance before an audience.

dramatic structure—the composition of a theatrical work (such as a play, scene, or improvisation) that includes exposition, inciting incident, rising action, conflict, climax, falling action, and resolution.

elements of theatre—setting, character, conflict, dialogue, plot, and theme.

ensemble—a group of actors working together cooperatively and responsibly to achieve the group’s goal by means of problem solving and creativity.

enunciation—saying the vowels and consonants correctly.

event—something that happens at a certain place and time.

expression—the way the character says words to convey meaning and emotion.

facial expression—movements of the face that show feelings or ideas

focus—1. the intended point of interest on stage; 2. the actor’s ability to concentrate and keep attention fixed on the matter at hand.

genre—a type or category of theatrical work that is defined by a particular style, form, or set of characteristics and is often associated with a specific historical period or culture.

given circumstance—in the text of a play, the information that the playwright gives concerning character, setting, and relationships.

haiku—an unrhymed Japanese verse that consists of three lines, the first containing five syllables, the second containing seven syllables, and the third containing five syllables.

improvisation—a spontaneous performance during which the actors establish a story (including objectives, setting, character, and relationships) with minimal preparation.

improvisational blocking—refusing/denying/ignoring/rejecting an offering.


improvisational theatre—a structured, yet non-scripted scene or play.

inflection/pitch—the use of high and low sounds in speech to convey meaning and emotion.

levels—1. the placement of an object or person on the stage from upstage to downstage; 2. the vertical height of an actor or set piece from the stage floor.

lighting—using a variety of instruments to illuminate both the actors and sets on stage.

make-up—cosmetics applied to the face and body to enhance character.

mime—to act out a movement or the use of an object without words or props (totally silent).

monologue—a speech within a play delivered by a single actor alone on stage.

movement—physical action used to establish meaning and emotion to create character, including:

blocking—an actor’s traffic pattern on stage.

business—movements that mime or make use of props, costumes, and make-up to strengthen characterization.

facial expression—movements of the face that show emotions and/or ideas.

gestures—movement of a body part (arm, leg, hand, etc.) which is used to communicate.

posture/stance—the position of the limbs and the carriage of the body as a whole that communicate character.

whole-body movements—locomotive and non-locomotive uses of the body that communicate character.

nursery rhyme—a short song or poem for young children.

objective—the character’s wants, needs, and desires.

obstacle—what stands in the way of the character achieving his/her objectives.

offering (offer)—a suggestion (conveyed verbally or by means of movement) that is given by one actor to another to initiate or further an improvisation.

open—maintaining a body position in which the character’s face/frontal body can be seen by the audience in a proscenium or thrust-stage setting.


pantomime—conveying a story by use of expressive body and facial movements without speech, props, costumes, or sounds (instrumental music can be used as background).

pause—the moment of silence within a speech; used to show meaning or emotion and/or to develop character.

performance—a structured presentation of a theatrical work in front of an audience.

phrasing—the use of punctuation, pause, and word- or phrase-emphasis to create meaning and emotion.

play—a form of writing intended for live performance.

plot—a storyline that includes exposition, inciting incident, rising action, climax, and resolution of a conflict.

production—a structured performance created and presented for an audience.

props/properties—objects used by an actor on stage.

projection/volume—the appropriate use of loud and soft sounds to convey meaning and emotion to the entire audience.

pronunciation—the correct way to speak or articulate a word.

rate/cadence—the speed with which words are spoken to convey meaning and emotion.

readers’ theatre—an orchestrated reading that relies primarily on vocal characterization and does not include the elements of visual theatre (such as costuming, sets, or blocking).

rehearsal—the period of time used to prepare a play for performance in front of an audience.

resonance—fullness of voice created by vocal vibrations.

scene—a subdivision of a play, characterized by a single situation or unit of dialogue.

set—the on-stage space and its structures (scenery), within which the actors perform and that represent the setting of the play.

setting—the time, place, and atmosphere in which the scene or play occurs.


side-coaching—comments made by the teacher during an activity that affirm or correct students in the achievement of objectives, especially in creative dramatics.

sound—the process of using music, audio effects, and reinforcement to enhance setting and mood.

stage—the place where the actors perform.

status—the importance (or lack thereof) of a character or object on the stage.

subtext—an implied meaning or unspoken complication that generally runs concurrently with the main plot.

sustainability—an actor’s sustained portrayal of a character—with no noticeable break or lapse—throughout a performance.

stage geography—physical areas of the stage labeled center stage, down center, up center, stage right, stage left, up stage left, down stage left, up stage right, and down stage right.

stage picture—a visual image created by using any combination of set, costume, props, lighting, and character placement.

style—the distinctive characteristics or techniques of an individual artist, group, or period as seen in a work of theatre.

tactics—the possible ways the character can overcome obstacles.

technical design—the plan (based on an overall concept) for costumes, set, props, lighting, sound, make-up, and special effects in a production.

text analysis (script)—the examination of the theatrical elements of a text to gain greater understanding both of the theme and of the character which the actor portrays.

theatre (or theater)—1. the place where plays are presented to an audience; 2. the art of creating performances.

theatre etiquette—appropriate behavior of audience, performers, or technicians in a variety of theatrical settings.

theatre text (script)—any written text used as a script.

theme—the central idea of a play.

three-dimensional character (round)—a character that is developed emotionally, psychologically, and physically.


venue—a place where a performance is held.

vocal placement—resonating the voice in different parts of the body, such as chest, head, nose, throat.

voice—vocal qualities that are used to convey meaning and emotion in order to create character; these include:

articulation—the clear delivery of speech or language utilizing all of the articulators (lips, teeth, tongue, soft and hard palettes, larynx, and glottis.)

breath support—the use of the diaphragm in correct breathing.

enunciation—saying vowels and consonants correctly.

expression—the way the character delivers words to convey meaning and emotion.

inflection/pitch—the use of high and low sounds in speech to convey meaning and emotion.

projection/volume— the appropriate use of loud and soft sounds to convey meaning and emotion to the entire audience.

rate/cadence—the speed with which words are spoken to convey meaning and emotion.

pause—the moment of silence within a speech; used to show meaning or emotion and/or to develop character.

pronunciation—the correct way to speak or articulate a word.

word emphasis—selection of the most important word or words in each phrase or sentence to create meaning, show emotion, and convey character (pointing up the word).

Note: The entire glossary for theatre is included here as a resource for teachers and students.


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