This comprehensive, guided lesson packet is designed for Drama, Theater, or English Language Arts (ELA) classes starting a playwriting or script analysis unit. Before students can begin writing their own one-act plays, they need to master the professional formatting rules.

This resource provides guided notes and clear visual examples to ensure students correctly apply all the essential elements of a live play script.

What is Included in this Editable Listing?

• Presentation: "How to write a script" Slide Presentation with video link.
• Differentiated Guided Worksheets (2 Versions):
• Version 1 (Detailed Notes): Students fill out the titles and descriptions for all 7 essential script elements.
• Version 2 (Title Only): A less scaffolded worksheet where students only fill out the titles for the 7 script elements.

• Google Slide Outline (Teacher Template): A ready-to-use digital outline teachers can send to students to help them start typing their scripts immediately.

Key Learning & 7 Formatting Elements

Students will be able to identify and correctly apply the following seven essential formatting elements of a live play script:

1. Title/Subtitle: Correct capitalization rules.
2. Act: How to divide the play (often separated by intermission).
3. Character List: Italicizing the character description.
4. Setting: Italicizing the setting description and bolding characters mentioned.
5. Scene: Used to break acts into smaller sections.
6. Lines/Dialogue: Character names are fully capitalized and bold, followed by a colon.
7. Stage Directions: Non-spoken words are enclosed in Parentheses & Italicized.

Slides Listed in Instructions

This resource is designed to be taught using the included presentation:

• Introduction: Video on script writing for a live play.
• Title/Subtitle: Slide 3.
• Act: Slide 4.
• Character List: Slide 5.
• Setting: Slide 6.
• Scene: Slide 7.
• Dialogue/Lines & Stage Directions: Slides 8 and 9.

Learning Objectives

• The student will be able to analyze and correctly apply the seven essential formatting elements of a live play script (Title, Act, Character List, Setting Scene, Dialogue, and Stage Directions) to prepare for the scriptwriting phase.

Check out my YouTube channel made for drama teachers to make life a little easier.

https://www.youtube.com/@LetsGetDramatic

My website about how I teach these units is

https://www.letsgetdramatic.com

If you like this check out my other units.

Drama 1: Beginning Movement (Stage Directions, Body Positions, & Levels)

Drama 2: Intermediate Movement (Anne Bogart's Viewpoints)

Drama 3: Advanced Movement (Laban Movement Method)

Drama 1: Beginning Voice (Terms, Mechanisms, & Qualities)

Drama 2: Intermediate Voice (Projection, Articulation, & Expression)

Drama 3: Advanced Voice (Anne Bogart's Viewpoints)

Script Memorization

Performance Units

Puppet Show with Beginning Voice

Puppet Shows (no voice lessons)

Pantomime with Beginning Movement

Pantomime (no movement lesson)

Podcast (Story Telling Or Vocal Performances)

Radio Drama Unit with Intermediate Voice

Radio Drama Unit (no voice lessons)

Lip Sync / Choreography with Laban Movement Method

Lip Sync / Choreography (No Movement)

Auditions

Stage Management Bundle - 1 month unit