Objectives: To develop an understanding of the pre-production preparations that go into creating theatre. To establish a means for students to document their learning. 

Pre-production is a film and theatre term that refers to the earliest preparations for a production. This involves a great deal of planning to ensure the later stages of production go smoothly. Money must be raised to fund the production. A cast and crew need to be hired. A place to practice and put on the theatre production must be found and scheduled. The script needs to be developed or chosen. A time line is delineated for when certain activities are accomplished. In other words, pre-production lays the groundwork for the workings of many people to come together to put on a theatre production. 

However, in this unit students do not need to find funding for their production, find a stage or hire a cast and crew. Instead, pre-production is laying the groundwork for learning as students begin a theatrical journey — a journey that culminates with the creation of a distinctive dramatic production of their own in the context of a medieval festival. 

Not all students find meaning in the same way. The following pre-production experiences prepare students for learning by introducing them to this unit in a unique and compelling way, capturing students’ attention and engaging them in ways that make use of students’ multiple intelligences:

1. To heighten students’ interest in the upcoming unit, a mysterious suitcase (or box or envelope) is delivered to the classroom. Inside are some objects or photographs that suggest medieval times, along with a riddle. Students use the clues and try to guess the answer to the riddle to discover what journey they will be embarking on. (Interpersonal Learning)
2. Medieval history is used as a vehicle for students’ learning about theatre. Students consider what they already know about the Middle Ages and are prompted to ask their own questions about what they would like to learn. This way, the teacher can gauge students’ current understanding of the Middle Ages and learners shared responses are used to spark additional thoughts from classmates. (Interpersonal Learning) 
3. Some students’ interests in character or story development may be ignited in a read-aloud book experience from children’s literature. (Verbal/linguistic intelligence) Books can be a deeply enriching and enchanting experience for children. They bring lessons in history, society and culture to life while providing excellent examples of character and story development. 
4. Students create their own versions of a medieval journal (Book of Days) that will chronicle their learning throughout the unit. This provides a tool for assessment and a means for self-expression. When students are engaged in creating, the process of documentation can help them reflect on experiences in a more compelling and personally salient way. (Intrapersonal learning) 
5. Students design and build their own version of medieval coins. (Visual/spatial learning) These coins will be used as a motivation tool toward becoming a knight (earning the title of sir or dame) and will be used as a theatrical prop to purchase food at the medieval feast that will occur on the last day of this unit. 
6. Learners join in a game that encourages them to consider medieval character options for their final festival performance. (Bodily/kinesthetic learning) Through this playful and nonthreatening guessing game, students learn about class structure and medieval occupations that are important in developing their character. 

English/Language Arts Standard 1 – Reading: Word Recognition, Fluency and Vocabulary Development
Social Studies Standard 2 – Civics and Government
Visual Arts Standard 1 - Responding to Art: History

English/Language Arts Standard 1 – Reading: Word Recognition, Fluency and Vocabulary Development
Social Studies Standard 2 – Civics and Government
Visual Arts Standard 1 - Responding to Art: History