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Design Collaboration

Tenth graders learn how theatrical design — set, lighting, costume, and sound — works together to build the world of a play, and how designers collaborate with the director toward one shared vision.

Grade 10Design50 minutes1 class periodArtistic ProcessExplicit teaching4 StandardsNCAS
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Explain theatrical design.
  • ✓Know what lighting does.
  • ✓Value collaboration.
  • ✓Build a world.
Essential Question

The set, lights, costumes, and sound aren’t decoration — they tell the story too. How does design collaboration build the world of a play?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Explore · Interactive

Design Collaboration Check

Project each item and have students answer about how design serves the story.

🎨 Understand design collaborationTry it
Answer each question about theatrical design.
The Lesson · Artistic Process (Warm-Up · Explore · Rehearse · Perform · Reflect)

50 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Warm-Up — More Than Decoration

5 min

Set, lights, costumes, and sound tell the story too — how do they work together?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show a designed set.
  • Ask what it says.
  • Warm up.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Look.
  • Wonder.
  • Warm up.
2

Explore — Design Collaboration

12 min

Students explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Design Collaboration Check.
  • Note lighting’s power.
  • Note collaboration.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Answer.
  • Note it.
  • Name.
3

Rehearse — Rehearse

14 min

Students rehearse.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Sketch a set concept.
  • Describe a lighting mood.
  • Explain the vision.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sketch it.
  • Describe.
  • Explain.
4

Perform — Perform

12 min

Students perform.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Present a design concept.
  • Show how it serves the story.
  • Give critique.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Present it.
  • Show it.
  • Critique.
5

Reflect — Reflect

5 min

Students respond.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Say design’s job.
  • Explain what lighting does.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Say it.
  • Explain it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the National Core Arts Standards (Theatre, HS Accomplished).

NCAS
TH:Cr2.1.HSII

Collaborate on design.

NCAS
TH:Cr1.1.HSII

Develop design concepts.

NCAS
TH:Pr6.1.HSII

Realize a design.

NCAS
TH:Re7.1.HSII

Analyze design choices.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Design-element cards.
  • Sentence frame: “The ___ helps tell the story by ___.”
  • Use production photos.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with set and lights.
  • Use one example.
  • Name one element.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Design a full concept.
  • Explain a design metaphor.
  • Collaborate on a vision.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 🎨Production photos
  • 💻Design Collaboration Check
  • ✏️Sketch paper
  • 🖌️Art supplies
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

theatrical designbuilding the play’s worldsetthe physical stage environmentlightingstage light designcostumewhat actors wearsoundmusic and effectscollaborationworking togethervisionthe shared creative ideamoodthe feeling created
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What is the job of theatrical design?
To support the story and create the world of the play.
QUESTION 2
What can lighting design do?
Set the mood, time of day, and focus the audience’s eye.
QUESTION 3
How must designers and the director work?
Collaborate so every element serves one shared vision.

Reflect: build the world.

Have students describe one design element (set, lights, costume, or sound) for a play and how it supports the story. A printable design sheet is in the Arts library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Design CollaborationFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Design CollaborationQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Design CollaborationPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: collaboration, costume, lighting, mood, set, sound, theatrical design, vision
  1. stage light design
  2. what actors wear
  3. music and effects
  4. the feeling created
  5. building the play’s world
  6. working together
  7. the shared creative idea
  8. the physical stage environment

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is the job of theatrical design?
  2. What can lighting design do?
  3. How must designers and the director work?
Answer key — Part A: 1) lighting · 2) costume · 3) sound · 4) mood · 5) theatrical design · 6) collaboration · 7) vision · 8) set
Part B: 1) To support the story and create the world of the play. 2) Set the mood, time of day, and focus the audience’s eye. 3) Collaborate so every element serves one shared vision.