1. Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Book Synopsis
Wonder tells the story of August "Auggie" Pullman, a 10-year-old boy with a severe facial difference who has been homeschooled his entire life. The novel follows his transition to a mainstream middle school, Beecher Prep, and the challenges he faces with bullying, friendship, and acceptance. Told from multiple perspectives—Auggie's, his sister Via's, and several of his classmates'—the book offers a nuanced look at the impact one person can have on an entire community. It is a powerful story about empathy, courage, and choosing kindness.
Unit Outline: The Mask and the Face
Central Drama Concepts: Character development, ensemble work, physical embodiment, subtext, and empathetic acting.
Unit Synopsis: This unit uses the book's multiple perspectives to teach students about character from both an internal and external viewpoint. Students will explore how a character's physical presence (their "mask") can be both a source of strength and a barrier to connection, and how their internal monologue (their "face") drives their actions.
Unit Breakdown:
Week 1: The Mask We Wear: Students will explore Auggie's character through a series of physical theatre exercises. Using scarves or masks, they will practice embodying a character whose face is a source of both pain and identity. We will also explore the physical posture and status of his classmates, such as Julian and Summer.
Week 2: Scenes from Multiple Angles: The class will be divided into small groups to rehearse and perform key scenes from the book. Each group will be assigned a different character's perspective to focus on. For instance, a group working on the Halloween party scene from Auggie’s perspective will contrast with a group focusing on Julian's motivation. This highlights how an actor's internal life shapes their dialogue and actions.
Week 3: Finding the Kind: Students will improvise scenes that address the themes of bullying and kindness. We will work on exercises that explore the "what-if" scenarios not explicitly in the book. For example, what if a different classmate stood up for Auggie? What if Via had a different reaction to her parents' focus on her brother? This encourages creative problem-solving and moral exploration through performance.
Week 4: The Monologue of Empathy: Students will select a character from the book and write a short monologue from their point of view, focusing on a moment not explicitly described in the text. This final project encourages deep character research and personal expression, culminating in a short performance and peer reflection.
2. The Giver by Lois Lowry
Book Synopsis
In a seemingly utopian society known as the Community, a boy named Jonas lives in a world without pain, choice, color, or deep emotion. At the annual Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas is selected to become the next Receiver of Memory, a role that places him under the guidance of the Giver. As Jonas receives the memories of the past, he discovers the darker truths about his community and the price of their perfect, sterile world. The book explores themes of individuality, memory, and the importance of both joy and pain.
Unit Outline: The Memory and the Moment
Central Drama Concepts: Abstract concepts (dystopia vs. utopia), physical and emotional memory, staging of non-realistic settings, and moral dilemmas.
Unit Synopsis: This unit challenges students to move beyond realistic acting and to embody abstract concepts. The lack of color and emotion in the Community provides a fascinating framework for exploring physicality and subtext, while the memories offer a chance for powerful, sensory performance.
Unit Breakdown:
Week 1: A World Without Feeling: The class will engage in exercises designed to strip away emotion and spontaneity. We will work on "neutral" physical states and monotonic vocal delivery, establishing the sterile world of the Community. Improvised scenes will be set in this world, forcing students to communicate through precise movement and minimal facial expression.
Week 2: The Gift of Memory: Students will explore the "memories" given to Jonas through physical and sensory-based improvisation. Groups will be assigned a memory—such as snow, war, or the feeling of love—and tasked with creating a short, non-verbal piece to convey its essence. This builds skills in pantomime and emotional storytelling.
Week 3: The Weight of Knowledge: The class will stage the key scenes where the Giver transmits memories to Jonas. Students will experiment with sound and lighting to create a sense of the overwhelming emotions Jonas experiences. We will analyze the dialogue to uncover the deep moral conflict between the Giver's wisdom and the Community's ignorance.
Week 4: The Final Choice: Students will work on a culminating performance that focuses on the moral dilemma of the book's ending. They will create a short "found text" performance using lines from the book to explore Jonas’s final choice to leave. We will discuss the theatrical implications of the ambiguous ending and the power of a final, unscripted moment.
3. Holes by Louis Sachar
Book Synopsis
Stanley Yelnats IV is a boy who is wrongly convicted of stealing a pair of sneakers and sent to a juvenile detention camp in the middle of a dried-up lake in Texas. Camp Green Lake has no lake and no green, and the boys are forced to dig a large hole every day. Stanley soon realizes that the warden is not just building character, but looking for something buried beneath the ground. The narrative weaves together Stanley's story with the history of his family's curse and the legend of the outlaw Kissin' Kate Barlow.
Unit Outline: The Intertwined Timeline
Central Drama Concepts: Parallel narratives, physical comedy, ensemble storytelling, and playing multiple characters.
Unit Synopsis: This unit uses the book's dual timelines to teach students how to create a cohesive performance with a fractured narrative. The physical demands of the setting provide excellent opportunities for physical theatre and comic timing.
Unit Breakdown:
Week 1: The Rhythmic Dig: The class will focus on the physical reality of Camp Green Lake. Students will engage in physical theatre exercises to simulate the act of digging, developing a group rhythm and understanding the physical demands of the setting. They will create a "soundscape" of the camp using percussive sounds and vocalizations.
Week 2: A Cast of Characters: Students will be assigned to small groups, with each group exploring one of the book's distinct timelines: Stanley's time at the camp, the story of Zero's family, and the legend of Kissin' Kate Barlow. They will practice switching characters and timelines, building skills in quick-change performance and characterization.
Week 3: Finding the Connection: The class will work on scenes that explicitly link the two timelines, such as the discovery of the lipstick container. Students will explore how to transition between the two worlds seamlessly through movement and sound. We will use tableau to freeze key moments from each timeline and see how they relate to each other.
Week 4: The Final Performance: Groups will create a short, non-linear performance piece that tells a part of the story, using a mix of dialogue, physical theatre, and pantomime. The focus will be on the interconnectedness of the characters' fates and how the past informs the present.
4. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Book Synopsis
Percy Jackson is a 12-year-old boy who has always felt out of place. He has ADHD and dyslexia and is constantly getting into trouble. After a series of bizarre events, he discovers that he is actually the son of the Greek god Poseidon. Percy is sent to Camp Half-Blood, a training ground for demigods, where he learns about his heritage and is tasked with a dangerous quest: to find Zeus's stolen lightning bolt before a war breaks out between the gods. The book is filled with mythology, action, and humor.
Unit Outline: The Epic Journey
Central Drama Concepts: High-stakes improvisation, creating and embodying a mythological world, ensemble combat, and character arcs.
Unit Synopsis: This unit uses the book's mythological world and high-stakes adventure to teach students about character in motion. The dramatic structure of the hero's journey provides a clear framework for building and performing a narrative.
Unit Breakdown:
Week 1: The Gods and Their Children: Students will be assigned a character from Greek mythology (a god, a demigod, or a monster) and will create a physical and vocal profile for them. We will use a "status walk" to explore the power dynamics of the Olympians and their relationship with humans.
Week 2: The Quest: The class will work in groups to improvise the scenes of Percy's quest. We will focus on improvisational skills, such as saying "yes, and" and building on a partner's ideas. Students will create short scenes based on the "Diner of Doom" or the Medusa encounter, working to create clear character choices under pressure.
Week 3: Theatrical Combat and Stage Safety: With a focus on safety and stage combat principles, students will learn to choreograph simple, non-contact fight scenes based on the battles in the book. We will work with a partner to create a short sequence that is both visually exciting and safe to perform.
Week 4: The Big Finale: The groups will perform their choreographed scenes and present a short devised piece that imagines a different outcome to the quest. The unit will culminate in a discussion of how a character's journey shapes their identity and how a story's ending can be both surprising and inevitable.
5. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Book Synopsis
Meg Murry is a misfit teenager who feels out of place at school and in her family. Her brilliant scientist father has been missing for several years, and Meg, her younger brother Charles Wallace, and her friend Calvin are visited by three strange, supernatural beings: Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which. The three children are taken on a journey through space and time, or "tesseract," to rescue Meg's father from a dark, evil force known as the Black Thing. The book explores themes of individuality, courage, and the power of love.
Unit Outline: Embodied Abstraction
Central Drama Concepts: Character journey, abstract staging, vocal texture, and the relationship between physical and emotional states.
Unit Synopsis: This unit uses the book's fantastic world and complex themes to challenge students to move beyond literal representation. The characters' journey through space and time provides a rich canvas for exploring vocal and physical theatre techniques.
Unit Breakdown:
Week 1: The Physicality of a Misfit: Students will explore the characters of Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin through a series of physical exercises. We will use a "status walk" to explore Meg's feelings of being low-status, and then switch to a high-status walk to embody Charles Wallace's extraordinary intelligence.
Week 2: The Tesseract: The class will work on creating a physical and vocal representation of the tesseract. Students will experiment with movement, sound, and light to create a sense of traveling through space and time. We will use tableau to freeze moments from the journey, such as the visit to the planet Uriel, and explore how a single, still image can convey a wealth of information.
Week 3: Facing the Black Thing: Students will create a devised piece that embodies the force of the Black Thing. They will use a combination of physical theatre, soundscape, and vocal techniques to create a collective monster that preys on conformity and fear. This is an excellent exercise in ensemble work and collaborative storytelling.
Week 4: The Power of Love: The unit culminates in a performance of the climactic scene where Meg must face IT and save her brother. The focus will be on the power of her character's internal journey, and how her emotional transformation leads to her ultimate triumph. Students will reflect on how they can use their own voices and bodies to convey a message of love and hope.
6. El Deafo by Cece Bell
Book Synopsis
El Deafo is a graphic novel memoir by Cece Bell that chronicles her experience as a young girl who becomes profoundly deaf after contracting meningitis. The book follows her as she learns to navigate the world with a powerful hearing aid, which she calls the Phonic Ear. Feeling isolated and different, Cece imagines herself as the superhero "El Deafo," a hero with special hearing powers. The book is a poignant, humorous, and relatable story about finding one's place and embracing one's unique identity.
Unit Outline: The Voice and the Silence
Central Drama Concepts: Physical comedy, visual storytelling (graphic novel to stage), sound design, and non-verbal communication.
Unit Synopsis: This unit uses the unique format of the graphic novel to teach students about the relationship between image, text, and sound in performance. The themes of communication and isolation provide a rich foundation for exploring both verbal and non-verbal expression.
Unit Breakdown:
Week 1: Bringing the Frame to Life: The class will explore how to translate the panels of a graphic novel to the stage. Students will use tableau and slow-motion movement to recreate key moments from the book. We will work on creating a "soundscape" of Cece's world, including the muffled sounds she hears through her hearing aid.
Week 2: Finding a New Voice: Students will work on communicating without relying solely on speech. They will create short scenes in which a character has trouble hearing, and they must rely on body language, facial expressions, and sign language to get their message across. This builds a deeper understanding of non-verbal communication and physical expression.
Week 3: The Hero Within: Students will create an original character for the superhero "El Deafo," giving them a backstory and a unique superpower. They will work in small groups to create a short, devised performance that showcases their superhero's journey. This is a great exercise in creative writing and imaginative play.
Week 4: The Monologue of a Friendship: The unit culminates in a performance of a key scene from the book, such as the one where Cece and Ginny have a falling out. Students will explore the subtext and emotional weight of the dialogue, and they will use physical theatre to convey the characters' feelings of isolation and connection.
7. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Book Synopsis
Narrated by Death, The Book Thief tells the story of Liesel Meminger, a young girl living in Nazi Germany during World War II. Liesel is a foster child who is sent to live with a family on Himmel Street. She discovers a passion for books, and she begins to steal them, even though she cannot yet read. With the help of her foster father, Liesel learns to read and begins to share the power of words with others. The novel explores themes of love, loss, and the power of language in the darkest of times.
Unit Outline: The Narrative and the Narrator
Central Drama Concepts: Non-linear storytelling, ensemble narration, staging of emotional truth, and found object theatre.
Unit Synopsis: This unit uses the book's unique narrative voice to teach students about the role of the narrator in a performance. The themes of hope and resilience provide a powerful foundation for exploring character and emotional truth.
Unit Breakdown:
Week 1: Speaking with Death: The class will focus on the role of the narrator. Students will be divided into groups and will practice delivering passages from the book in a collective, ensemble voice. They will experiment with vocal texture, rhythm, and intonation to create a sense of a shared, powerful voice.
Week 2: The Power of Words: Students will explore the central theme of the power of language by using "found text" from the book. They will create a short, devised performance that uses only the words from a single passage. We will use a variety of techniques, such as repetition, rhythm, and physical theatre, to convey the emotional weight of the words.
Week 3: A Stage of Junk: The class will explore the concept of "found object theatre." Students will use simple props, such as a suitcase, a scarf, or a piece of rope, to create a stage world that represents the poverty and resilience of Liesel's world. This is an excellent exercise in imaginative play and minimalist staging.
Week 4: The Final Act: The unit will culminate in a performance of a key scene from the book, such as the one where Liesel reads to the people in the bomb shelter. The focus will be on the emotional truth of the moment and how a single act of kindness can bring hope in the darkest of times. Students will reflect on how they can use their own voices to inspire others.
