Curriculum and Instruction

							                                        Curriculum and Instruction
                                             Lesson Plan Form
Name: Stephanie Unertl                          Date: March 5, 2007

Grade Level: 12th grade – AP English            School: Memorial High School

Lesson: King Lear (and other Shakespearian Tragedies) from the Actor’s Perspective

Section I (to be completed BEFORE teaching the lesson!):

Instructional Objectives:
         By the end of this lesson, students will be able to identify 5 different types of lighting
instruments on sight. They will be able to point out a light’s multiple parts and describe each parts
function in the working of the light. The students will be able to explain through description or through
drawing the beam spread of each of the 5 lighting instruments they will be able to identify on sight.
Lastly, students will be able to correctly and safely hang an ERS/Source 4 lighting instrument and
explain some of the most basic lighting safety techniques/rules and why they are important to follow.
The students will show their understanding of the instructional objectives by producing a short film
about the objectives.
Wisconsin Model Academic Standard (WMAS) Connection:
Theatre Standards:
       A note on theatre standards. In order to complete these two larger model academic standards,
smaller steps must be taken. Learning about the functions of lighting instruments and how to properly
hang them are a part of the following two standards, despite the theatrical standards lack of break down
and despite this lesson’s final goal NOT being the design of lighting.

        E.12.3 Analyze a play and determine appropriate setting, lighting, sound, costume, and
        make-up requirements

        E.12.4 Research and design at least one element of a play (sets, costumes, make-up,
        lights, and/or sound)

Technology Standards:

        A.12.1 Use common media and technology terminology and equipment
        · use a camcorder, VCR, multimedia computer, or editing equipment to produce
        a short video program

        A.12.2 Identify and use common media formats
        · demonstrate how to import and export text, graphic, and sound files
        · edit, import, and export movie or video files

        A.12.5 Use media and technology to create and present information
        · use draw, paint, graphics, or presentation software to visually communicate
        ideas or concepts
        · produce a multimedia program using text, graphics, moving images, and sound
How does this lesson fit within the UNIT of Instruction?
        Students in this unit will be learning various types of stage design expression including make-up
techniques, costume techniques, lighting techniques, sound techniques, and set techniques in order to
create their own designs for a one-act play of their choice. This lesson in an introduction to lighting
design and includes the basic information needed in order to effectively design lighting for a show; in
order to design for the theatre, one must have an understanding of the processes behind the big picture.
In the case of lighting design, and understanding of the lighting instruments and their capabilities is
extremely important to the overall design. For a design to be realized, students must know how to hang
lighting instruments according to design.

Advance Preparation: (gathering materials, previews, technology setup, etc)
          -    Various lighting instruments of varying degrees/lens sizes: PARcans (narrow, medium, and
               wide), ERSs/Source 4s (19, 24, 36, and 50 degree), Scoops, Fresnels (6” and 8”), Cyc
               lights/strip lights
          -    Stage pin to standard ground socket converter or an electric system on fly lines or drop boxes
               with a connected board to provide power to the lights for an in class demonstration
          -    A theatre where it is possible to hang lights on a pipe (the easiest way to hang a light), and
               where an arbor system is in place for an explanation of re-weighting safety and basic line
               safety (a part of lighting safety) as well as correct hanging procedure
          -    Lighting wrenches and an ERS/Source 4 for each student (or for a pair of students if not
               enough are available)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
 Planned Provisions for Diverse Learners:
        Students in need of extra help when understanding concepts can successfully complete this
lesson by being placed in a pair with a student who is patient and has the knowledge needed to complete
the task and aid their partner in the understanding. For students with physical limitations, the height of
the pipe on which the light is hung can be changed, or the basic size of the light can be changed.
Partners can also provide help in this area, and the possibility of expressing the process in words or in
drawings with some basic labels would also be available.
Extension: (specific ideas for groups or individuals who are ready for more complex ideas)
        For students who are ready to move beyond the basic hanging of one lighting instrument, a
challenge can be had by asking them to correctly hang more than one form of light or to go beyond the
basic understanding of the lights they have learned about and add gobos, spinners, irises, donuts, barn
doors, etc. to the lighting fixtures after hanging them.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Classroom Management: (distributing materials; setting up groups, other anticipated issues…)
        Class will take place in a theatre with the appropriate materials/setup needed to hang lights and
run a light board. After a demonstration as a group on the lights, their parts and their functions, some
basic lighting safety, and how to hang the light correctly and safely, each student/each student pair will
grab an ERS/Source 4 and move to their pre-assigned place on the pipe(s) being used for the hang.
Section II (to be completed BEFORE teaching the lesson!):
Introduction of Lesson: (capturing students’ interests; identifying the purpose of this lesson; links to previous knowledge/experiences)
                    3-5 Minutes
        - Show the students a 3-5 minute example of an “interesting and amazing” lighting design in
action and talk about how the lights that they’ll be learning about were used to create the “show” they
watched.
Body (Learning Activities – at least 2!): include time estimates and how you will ASSESS their learning
     I.        Begin with the introduction to the basic parts of a lighting instrument and each parts function
               for the light, pointing out each part on the different light instruments as you go along,
               allowing the class to take notes and to do some basic drawings
               a. C-clamp: C-shaped clamp that attaches the lighting instrument to the pipe/boom or grid that it’s
                  hanging on
               b. Yoke: A u-shaped piece of metal that attaches to both the light and the c-clamp that allows the
                  light to pivot and tilt into different angles and positions
               c. Safety cable: a cable that ensures that should the light’s c-clamp become loose and detach from
                  the pipe, that the light will not fall from the ceiling
               d. Shutters: allows a lights beam to be cut at an angle/into a shape needed for the stage (like shutters
                  on a home, they shut out light)
               e. Lamp housing: where the “bulb” or lamp as theatre people call it resides
               f. Barrel: on an ERS, this allows the light to be blurred or sharply focused
               g. Lens: the piece of glass through which the light passes to achieve a desired beam spread of the
                  light, like the lens in a magnifying glass, it allows the light to bend and spread through it, or it
                  allows the light to have a very narrow, very tight beam of bright light
                       i. Think magnifying glass either (1) at a position to burn where all of the light is being
                            focused into a very powerful strong beam or (2) at a position where the light diffuses
                            through the glass and covers the entire surface of the object to be burned.
               h. Gel frame holder: holds in gels within a gel frame that color the light
               i. Power cable: supplies power to the lamp, and therefore the light
               j. Reflector: helps to focus and intensify the beam of light projected from a lighting
                  instrument

     II.       Show and describe the different types of lighting instruments and what their beam spreads
               look like on the floor or on the wall
               a. ERS (ellipsoidal reflector spotlight)/Source 4: beam is very bright and circular, can be
                  focused to have a very sharp, crisp edge with little diffusion, will throw well over long
                  distances, and the beam can be shuttered to have cut edges
               b. Fresnel: beam is soft and extremely diffused, usually used as luminescent light, not
                  extremely bright
               c. PARcan: intense light beam with a soft edge, the beam spread is oval/elliptical in shape
               d. Scoop: high intensity beam with a HUGE spread and a lot of diffusion
               e. Striplight/Cyc Light: creates a smooth wash beam with diffused light, wide beam spread

     III.      Cover some of the basic lighting safety rules for the lines before you have a demonstration
               about how to hang a light
               a. Weighting rules: When hanging lights, the lights go on the pipe before the bricks/weights go on
                  the arbor side of the lights, when taking lighting instruments off the pipe, the weight on the arbor
                  needs to come of first. Ensure that you re-weight in this fashion makes sure that you don’t have a
                  (1) crashing arbor with, quite possible, a literal ton of weight crashing into your stage floor or (2)
                  a pipe that flies up into the ceiling quickly… quite possibly with people attached to the pipe.
         When the arbor is being weighted in the air, NO ONE should stand beneath the weighting
         platform/catwalk.
      b. Tying off a line: When moving a LARGE amount of weight, the lines of the fly system should be
         tied off by inserting a pin between the front and back lines and twisting them together to prevent
         the line from moving.
      c. “Suicide” bolts: This is the bolt that attaches the c-clamp to the yoke of the light. Double
         check that these are tight. If this bolt is loose, the light might come crashing down onto
         the stage floor (especially if someone forgot to safety cable the light). This is why it’s
         called the suicide bolt.
      d. Safety cables: these should be on EVERY light at EVERY moment the light is in the air.
         In case the yoke or c-clamp on the light fail, this steel cable loop will prevent the light
         from crashing onto the head of the nearest actor
      e. Gloves: After being on for a few minutes, the lights get hot. If the lights are hot, put on a pair of
         fire/heat resistant gloves to prevent your hands from being burned
      f. Putting things (like tape and wrenches) on top of an electric is A BAD THING! If you
         forget your tape or wrench on the electric, they can fall off and hit some unsuspecting
         person on the head as the pipe/electric flies in and out. NEVER PUT YOUR TOOLS OR
         YOUR TAPE ON TOP OF AN ELECTRIC!

IV.   Cover the steps of correctly hanging an ERS/Source 4 as these are some of the most difficult
      lights to hang and focus, and the theory on this light can be applied to others
      a. C-clamp to pipe first with hand tightening
      b. DOUBLE CHECK the placement of the power cable and gel clip – are they facing the
          right direction (gel clip on FRONT [or up side] of the light, power cable out the BACK
          [or down side] of the light)
      c. Wrench tighten c-clamp to pipe with a ¼ turn or a ½ turn. Check the tightness by giving
          the light a tug
      d. Safety cable around the pipe and through the yoke of the instrument (depending on the
          safety cable’s attachment to light, on an ERS, the safety cable might be attached to the
          yoke and gets clipped to the back of the instrument itself after going around the pipe)
      e. Place a gel frame into the light’s gel frame holder (release the gel clip, insert gel in frame
          into the holder, and close the gel clip)
      f. Position the light using the yoke screw and the c-clamp screw in order to reposition the
          light to the appropriate angle. Tighten these screws when the light is in the correct
          position. Give it a tug to check for tightness.
      g. Pull out the shutters of the light completely. (I constantly forget this!)
      h. Finally, “plug in” or circuit the light to a dimmer and use tie-line to tie up the cord of the
          light and dimmer so that they don’t melt against the heat of the lighting instrument.

V.    Break students up into groups or in individual sections and have them hang their own
      ERSs/Source 4s. Allow them to complete this task with little correction or instruction. Once
      finished, have the students call you over to check their light: if hung correctly, allow the
      students to either hang another light (if time permits) or have them makes some notes in their
      notebooks about the process of hanging a light. If hung incorrectly, have the figure out what
      they’ve done wrong by comparing their light to the example light or to the light of a partner
      pair that correctly has hung theirs. Check the light again and repeat the process if still hung
      incorrectly.
Closure: (summary of learning by the students: relate to objectives; link to future lessons)
        Assign homework: The students are to create a short film either by themselves or in groups of no
more than 3 students that shows the correct and safe hanging of a ERS/Source 4 lighting unit and
touches on some basic lighting hang safety. This video will be used as an assessment of whether or not
the student understands how to hang the light safely, which is the key step before teaching anything as
complicated as design.
        Future lessons: after working with the lights more throughout the unit, test students on their
knowledge of the individual types of lights and their beam spreads by giving them a practical exam,
asking them to correctly hang a series of instruments on a pipe based off of verbal or written instructions
with the type of light, the lens or beam type, etc. available to the students. Practical examination allows
the teacher to know whether or not the students can identify lights, can hang them correctly on their
own, as well as whether or not they are ready to be set off on their own with directions when hanging the
lights for a show.