Home›Lesson Plans›The Arts›Directing · Grade 7

Blocking & Movement

Seventh-grade actors learn blocking — the planned movement and positioning of actors on stage. Good blocking keeps the key action visible and tells the story clearly. They check the ideas, then block a short scene.

Grade 7Blocking & Movement50 minutes1 class periodArtistic ProcessExplicit teaching4 StandardsNCAS
Start the Lesson
Assign or share this lesson
Share to Google Classroom Share to Microsoft Teams

Copy link works with Canvas, Schoology, Moodle and any other LMS — paste it in as a resource or assignment.

Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Define blocking.
  • ✓Keep action visible.
  • ✓Avoid upstaging.
  • ✓Block a scene.
Essential Question

How do actors and directors plan where to move on stage?

0
Lesson Phases
0
Vocabulary Terms
0
Standards Aligned
0
Interactive Task
Check It · Interactive

Blocking & Movement

Project each one and have students answer about blocking.

🎯 Understand blocking and stage movementTry it
Answer each question about blocking.
The Lesson · Explicit teaching

50 minutes, five moves

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

1

Warm-Up — Where Do I Stand?

5 min

In a scene, how do actors know where to move and when?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Pose a scene.
  • Ask the question.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Think.
  • Wonder.
  • Get ready.
2

Explore — Blocking

12 min

Students explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Blocking & Movement.
  • Note keep action visible.
  • Note avoid upstaging.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Answer.
  • Note it.
  • Note it.
3

Rehearse — Block It

16 min

Students rehearse.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Plan 3 moves for a scene.
  • Keep faces to the audience.
  • Mark your positions.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Plan.
  • Face out.
  • Mark.
4

Perform — Perform

12 min

Students perform.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Perform with your blocking.
  • Hold your positions.
  • Stay visible.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Perform.
  • Hold.
  • Show.
5

Reflect — Reflect

5 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • What is blocking?
  • Why keep action visible?
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

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

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the National Core Arts Standards (Theatre).

NCAS
TH:Pr5.1.7

Use directing and acting techniques like blocking.

NCAS
TH:Pr4.1.7

Make staging choices in rehearsal.

NCAS
TH:Re8.1.7

Explain how staging choices shape meaning.

NCAS
TH:Cr3.1.7

Refine a scene through rehearsal.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Stage-map with positions.
  • Frame: "I move from ___ to ___."
  • Walk it slowly.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Plan 2 moves.
  • Use floor marks.
  • Model each move.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Add levels (sit/stand).
  • Block for a bigger cast.
  • Direct the blocking.
Materials

What to gather

  • 🎯Stage map
  • 📍Floor marks / tape
  • 💻Blocking & Movement
  • 📜Short scene
  • 📓Notebooks
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

blockingplanned actor movementstage positionwhere an actor standsupstagetoward the back of the stagedownstagetoward the audiencecrossto move across the stagefocuswhere the audience looksupstagingstealing focus unfairlylevelsitting, standing, or raised
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 blocking?
The planned movement and positioning of actors on stage.
QUESTION 2
Why does blocking matter?
It keeps the important action visible and clear.
QUESTION 3
What does upstaging do?
Pulls focus, often making the other actor turn away from the audience.

Reflect: blocking & movement.

Have students block a short scene keeping the action visible. A printable stage map 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.

🃏 Blocking & MovementFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
0

Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

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

📝 Blocking & MovementQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
0%

Nice work!

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.

🖨️ Blocking & MovementPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: blocking, cross, downstage, focus, level, stage position, upstage, upstaging
  1. toward the audience
  2. planned actor movement
  3. sitting, standing, or raised
  4. toward the back of the stage
  5. where the audience looks
  6. where an actor stands
  7. to move across the stage
  8. stealing focus unfairly

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is blocking?
  2. Why does blocking matter?
  3. What does upstaging do?
Answer key — Part A: 1) downstage · 2) blocking · 3) level · 4) upstage · 5) focus · 6) stage position · 7) cross · 8) upstaging
Part B: 1) The planned movement and positioning of actors on stage. 2) It keeps the important action visible and clear. 3) Pulls focus, often making the other actor turn away from the audience.