Learning Goals & Products

Learning Goals

1

Students will be able to investigate real community issues through partner interviews and audience observations to identify what people need from an original puppet performance.

2

Students will be able to synthesize user research into a clear problem statement for a puppet show that connects audience needs to a meaningful message.

3

Students will be able to prototype original puppets and short scenes using materials, staging, voice, and movement choices that make the story understandable to a specific audience.

4

Students will be able to test and refine puppet performance elements such as pacing, projection, visibility, and character movement based on peer and mentor feedback.

5

Students will be able to justify script, design, and staging decisions with evidence from research, critique, and rehearsal observations.

6

Students will be able to collaborate with teammates to plan rehearsals, share leadership, and revise a puppet show through responsible feedback and decision-making.

Products

individual

Individual User Research Portfolio with Tested Puppet Scene Prototype

Each student submits a research portfolio grounded in firsthand interviews, observations, and notes from partner feedback, plus a short prototype scene or puppet study that responds to one identified user need. The work must show how research shaped at least one clear design decision and one revision.

team

Revised Community-Issue Puppet Show with Live Q&A and Design Rationale

Teams present a polished short puppet performance for a real audience, supported by a shared problem statement, rehearsal evidence, and a collaboratively refined puppet or scenic solution. The performance is followed by a Q&A in which students explain how research, testing, and iteration informed the final show.

Rubric
Competency Progression Rubric Competency-first rubric
Category
Learning Goal
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Stage 4
Deeper Learning Competencies
Collaboration
  • I can work respectfully with my group to share roles (maker/performer/storyteller/technician) and follow agreed rehearsal routines and performance etiquette during class, rehearsal, and the festival.
  • I can collaborate with my peers to plan and carry out parts of our rehearsal process, take responsibility for my assigned tasks (e.g., puppet build, staging, voice/movement trials), and communicate my ideas and concerns clearly to keep the team moving toward our performance goals.
  • I can support shared decision-making by proposing solutions during revisions (script/staging/puppet functionality), using feedback from peers and guest artists (Sally and Gloriana Theater) to adjust our work, and helping the group evaluate what is and isn’t working for our specific audience.
  • I can lead collaboration with dependability and care by coordinating the group’s creative process (research-informed choices, rehearsal plans, and staging conventions), resolving conflict using agreed norms, documenting our rehearsal/performance decisions and revisions, and applying notes after performances to strengthen future show quality.
Deeper Learning Competencies
Effective Communication
  • I can communicate clearly in rehearsals and performances for a specific audience by speaking louder, projecting my voice, and using intentional body language (posture, gestures, stillness) that supports my character and story
  • I can listen to feedback from peers and partners and respond appropriately (for example, noting what to try next).
  • I can present a scripted or devised puppet scene for a specific audience with effective communication choices—clear voice, visible puppet movement, and pacing that helps the audience follow the story
  • I can use feedback (from Gloriana Theater, Sally, and classmates) to make specific communication improvements and explain how the changes help the audience connect.
  • I can communicate my artistic and story choices in performance and Q&A by describing how my character, staging, and projection strategies are shaped for the audience I’m serving
  • I can collaborate to revise and rehearse using a planned process, demonstrating professional performance etiquette and making adjustments based on notes while documenting what changed and why.
  • I can consistently deliver a polished performance for a specific audience and sustain audience engagement through refined communication (dynamic projection, precise puppet movement, intentional timing, and expressive clarity)
  • I can lead communication in the ensemble (for example, facilitating rehearsal roles and transitions), articulate my revision decisions using research/creative perspectives, and reflect in my portfolio on how feedback and staging conventions improved the message and connection to real community issues.
Deeper Learning Competencies
Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
  • I can identify a community/global issue and generate an initial dramatic approach (story idea, character goal, or staging choice) that fits a specific audience, using simple research from class prompts and partner interviews.
  • I can compare at least two possible ways to tell the issue in my 60-second mini-scene or story segment and choose a solution based on evidence (notes, observations, and audience needs), then revise my plan using targeted feedback.
  • I can analyze how creative choices (script/staging conventions, puppet movement/visibility, voice and pacing) affect audience understanding from beginning to end, and I can justify and implement revisions grounded in research and multiple perspectives.
  • I can independently lead problem-solving for a production challenge by testing options (e.g., clarity of message, believability/sustainability of choices, audience engagement), evaluating results with data such as rehearsal observations/video, and applying feedback to shape a polished final piece for a specific audience.
Deeper Learning Competencies
Content Expertise
  • I can use research and theatre story/staging conventions to make choices for a 60-second scripted puppet scene for a specific audience, and I can explain how those choices support the story’s meaning.
  • I can develop and revise a scripted or devised puppet play for a specific audience by using evidence from partner/player feedback and my own rehearsal observations to strengthen story structure, character believability, and stageability (visibility, movement, voice, pacing).
  • I can present a production-quality puppet piece for a specific audience by applying creative and dramaturgical perspectives (playwright/director/designer) to shape sustainable staging and performance choices grounded in research and analysis of a real community/global issue.
  • I can independently lead my artistic decisions across writing, design, rehearsal, and performance by evaluating my work with multiple data sources (notes, video feedback, audience/Q&A responses) and making targeted revisions that consistently increase audience impact from the first moment to the last.
Deeper Learning Competencies
Academic Mindset
  • I can set clear personal goals for my role in the puppet show (maker/performer/storyteller) and follow the rehearsal plan with consistency, coming prepared and ready to use feedback
  • I can describe what I’m working on, why it matters for a specific audience, and what I will try next.
  • I can refine my creative choices by using peer and mentor feedback (including Gloriana Theater, Sally, and the professional puppeteer) to improve performance elements like projection, pacing, and visibility
  • I can keep track of changes in my rehearsal artifacts (drafts, notes, or reflections) and explain how those revisions make the story more believable and audience-centered.
  • I can independently analyze what’s working and what needs improvement in my performance and revise my approach using specific evidence (for example, video/video check, staging notes, or audience-response notes)
  • I can apply notes after performances, justify my revisions with reference to creative perspectives and staging conventions, and document my growth using appropriate production language.
  • I can take leadership of my learning by monitoring progress toward performance goals, proposing adjustments, and supporting teammates’ rehearsal decisions with professionalism and strong performance etiquette
  • I can synthesize research and cultural/community perspectives into my revised work and Q&A explanations, showing how my creative choices connect to the issue and to the specific audience’s experience.
Deeper Learning Competencies
Self Directed Learning
  • I can use feedback from rehearsals and partner interviews to make small revisions to my puppet play and performance (such as voice, pacing, or movement) while following a teacher-given checklist for audience connection
  • I can meet my basic rehearsal responsibilities on time and document what changed in my rehearsal notes.
  • I can set clear rehearsal and performance goals for my specific role and justify what practice strategies I will use (for example, staging checks, projection rehearsal, or reviewing video) to meet the goals
  • I can revise my choices after feedback (Sally/Gloriana/pairs) and explain how my updates improve meaning and audience engagement for a specific audience.
  • I can independently plan and manage a rehearsal process (including staging conventions and progress checkpoints) to strengthen the production for a specific audience
  • I can analyze my own and others’ performances using evidence (notes and/or video), propose next-step changes, and apply revisions that demonstrate growth in projection, clarity, and believable dramatic choices grounded in our story and theme.
  • I can direct my learning with initiative by iterating my work through research, rehearsal experimentation, and multiple revision cycles to produce a consistently engaging final performance
  • I can evaluate outcomes using professional terminology (production/dance/theatre terms), incorporate post-performance notes into future performances, and articulate my growth in a portfolio-style reflection with specific examples tied to audience impact and the community issue.