6-12 Theatre Arts Curriculum
In theatre arts classes, students apply the National Core Arts standards to performance and production work. They’ll learn how creativity, communication, innovative problem-solving, and collaboration can create a cohesive outcome. Similar to speech courses, students will take risks as learners in a safe community to discover trust in themselves and the stories they have to tell as actors, playwrights, designers, technicians, and beyond.
Middle School Theatre Arts (Grades 6-8)
Sixth and seventh graders take exploratory, nine-week courses that combine elements of speech and theatre arts curriculum. Participants explore plot details and characters in guided drama experiences while creating roles, imagined worlds, and improvised stories. The students collaborate to create original dialogue and contribute ideas for costumes, props, and technical elements. Additionally, these young creators refine their performances through repetition, adapting their physical and vocal traits to enhance character development and engage the audience.
High School Theatre Arts (Grades 9-12)
High school students can take a wide variety of courses. After an introductory class, students may pursue advanced coursework in acting and directing, theatrical literature and playwriting, and theatre history. Students interested in design and production take hands-on lab courses in scenery and properties, lighting and sound, and costumes and make-up. Those who complete all three technical theatre courses can pursue the USITT Backstage Exam, a universal screener for technical theatre knowledge. The curriculum excludes theatre arts courses at the 9th-grade level.
Related Activity Offerings
Students interested in theatre arts can work onstage or backstage starting in 6th grade. They can participate in a 6th-grade play, a 7th and 8th-grade musical, a 9th-grade play, a 10th-12th-grade fall play, and a high school musical open to all 9th-12th graders in the feeder. Students may perform or take on technical roles in scenery, props, lighting, sound, costumes, hair and make-up, publicity, stage management, and assistant direction or choreography. Each middle school also offers a Drama Club.
High school students in grades 9-12 who contribute to the Theatre Arts Department with high engagement may be invited to join their chapter of the International Thespian Society, an honor society for theatre students. Thespian events include staged readings, Friday Night Live student-directed one-acts, improv shows, and musical theatre cabarets. These, along with the Iowa Thespian Festival, are open to any 9th-12th grade student. The Iowa High School Speech Association (IHSSA) Speech team also offers theatrical events.
