Brainball

Mickey Kolis is the author of three books, a veteran public school science teacher, and currently a university professor. Making learning relevant is his highest professional aspiration.Benjamin H. Kolis is an actor and theatre devisor in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His show CLOCKED recently won an Audience Pick Award at the Minnesota Fringe Festival. Tara Lorence currently teaches middle school theater in Columbia Heights, MN. She graduated in 2012 with a double major in Theater and English Education from the University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire.

• ForewordAcknowledgementsIntroductionSection 1: Brainball!Chapter 1: Brainball (Theater Edition) – The Point of the Game is LearningChapter 2: The Big Ideas: Product, Process, and Community aligned with PurposeChapter 3: Brainball (TE) Beliefs (Dispositions)Chapter 4: Brainball (TE) Key Concepts (Knowledge)Chapter 5: Brainball (TE) SkillsSection 2: Five Coaching TipsChapter 6: Tip 1: Keep the End-in-MindChapter 7: Tip 2: Play the GameChapter 8: Tip 3: Competitions as EvaluationsChapter 9: Tip 4: Sequences matterChapter 10: Tip 5: Explicit CommunicationsSection 3: Day-to-Day Lesson Plans: Brainball IlluminatedLesson 1: Observations: Fitting InLesson 2: Observations: Learning to be more ObservantLesson 3: Observations: Guided TheaterLesson 4: Curiosity: I wonder statementsLesson 5: Problem StatementsLesson 6: Gathering Information: VoiceLesson 7: Gathering Information: SpaceLesson 8: Gathering Information: Writing ScriptsLesson 9: Gathering Information: CostumesLesson 10: Gathering Information: Set DesignLesson 11: Gathering Information: Feedback and FeedforwardLesson 12: Create: Pick and PlanLesson 13: Create: ComposeLesson 14: Create: ComposeLesson 15: Create: Review and ReviseLesson 16: Create: ReviewLesson 17: Create: ReviseLesson 18: Create: ConstructLesson 19: Create: TestLesson 20: Create: TestLesson 21A: Perform: In-ClassLesson 21B: Perform: External AudienceLesson 22: Analysis of the entire Inquiry ProcessLesson 23: Conclusion: What have we learnedConclusionAppendicesAppendix 1: Steps of InquiryAppendix 2: S.C.A.M.P.E.R.Appendix 3: Making the Most of ObservationsAppendix 4: Cross the Line PromptsAppendix 5: Circle of Power and RespectAppendix 6: Sample ScriptAppendix 7: Stage DirectionsAppendix 8: BlockingAppendix 9: Script WritingAppendix 10: Set RenderingAppendix 11: Scoring GuideAppendix 12: Story ArcAppendix 13: Script-Writing FormatAppendix 14: Feedback FormAppendix 15: Costume WorksheetAppendix 16: Set Design WorksheetAppendix 17: Set and Costume Planning WorksheetAppendix 18: Performance Review Worksheet

The Brainball technique and theater are a natural fit. As a collaborative art form, theater relies on effective group processes that value individuals’ strengths and contributions. This volume of the Brainball series gives the theater classroom teacher an intentional, sequenced process for creating inclusive theatre pedagogy that maximizes students’ learning. In addition, the Brainball technique offers concrete forms of meaningful assessment applicable to the theater classroom, and connects easily to our newly published national standards in theatre arts education.