Learning Goals

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to …

  • Participate in vocal warm-ups to enhance breath control and vocal resonance.
  • Understand and practice safe and efficient voice production techniques.
  • Explore how breath supports vocal expression.
  • Practice articulation exercises to improve clarity of speech.
  • Explore the expressive elements of inflection, pace, and pause.
  • Apply vocal techniques to suggest different character voices.
  • Collaboratively or individually prepare and present a short vocal performance piece.
  • Provide constructive feedback on vocal performance.
Materials
  • Open space
  • Various stimuli for vocal performance challenge (e.g., short, evocative poems; excerpts of famous speeches; short, dramatic monologue excerpts; abstractions like "Whispers," "Shout," "Echo")
  • Music player (optional, for background mood music)
  • Tongue twisters (written on board or handouts)
  • Short, character-neutral sentences for inflection practice (e.g., "I saw the dog today," "This is my pencil")
  • Whiteboard or chart paper
  • Comfortable clothing
  • Yoga mats or blankets (optional, for floor work)
  • Small, lightweight objects (e.g., feathers, paper strips) for breath exercises
  • Appendix 1 Commonly Used Drama Terms
  • PDF #1 General Teacher Anecdotal Recording Tool
  • PDF #2 General Creative Process Anecdotal Recording Tool 
  • PDF #3 General Drama Peer and Self-Assessment Tool
  • PDF #5 Creative Process Rubric
Terminology

Minds On

Whole Class > Tension Scan & Release

Students stand or lie comfortably. Guide them through a rapid body scan, focusing on common tension areas for voice (jaw, neck, shoulders). Instruct them to gently release tension through gentle stretches, yawns, and sighs. Begin at the feet, and move up to the top of the head. Ask them to scan slowly, imagining that a laser is scanning them front bottom to top. Guide them to take a breath in and out together releasing with an “H”, “A”, “HA!” sound)

Teacher Prompt: Notice how tension in one part of your body can restrict your breath or voice. Imagine breathing deeply into your belly, letting it expand like a balloon. What does it feel like when your breath is relaxed and full?

Whole Class > Vocal Wake-up

Begin with a quick physical shake-out (shake the left arm as you count down from ten, then the right arm counting down from ten, the the left leg, right leg counting down from ten. Repeat shaking left arm, right arm, left leg, right leg counting down each time from nine, then again from 8 and so one until you shake to “1, 1, 1, 1”.  Then focus on vocal warm-ups from Period 1 (deep breaths, gentle hums, siren slides).

Teacher Prompt: Connect to your breath. Remember that deep support. Feel the vibrations in your mask. Let your voice feel free.

Whole Class > Discussion

Invite students to reflect on the activity.

Key Questions for Discussion:
  • Where do you typically hold tension, and how might that affect your voice when speaking?
  • Why is releasing tension the first step in vocal work?
  • How does a quick vocal warm-up prepare your instrument for detailed work?
  • What's one thing you're focusing on specifically with your voice today?

Action

Whole Class > Diaphragmatic Breath Discovery

Guide students through exercises to connect with diaphragmatic breathing:

  • Belly Breath: Lie on back, hand on belly, observe rising/falling of the abdomen and chest cavity.
  • Sigh of Relief: Exhale fully, hold 2 seconds, letting air drop back in naturally.
  • Counting Breaths: Inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4.
  • Feather/Paper Breath: Hold a feather or small paper strip a few inches from mouth and practice sustaining a continuous, gentle stream of air to keep it floating, focusing on slow, even exhalation.

Prompt: Feel the expansion in your lower ribs and belly, not just your chest. Can you make your breath silent and smooth? How does a controlled exhale support a sustained sound?

Whole Class > Resonance Exploration

Guide students through exercises to find resonance:

  • Hum: Humming on "mmm", feeling vibrations in lips, nose, face.
  • Mask Resonance: Humming "mmm" then opening to "mah-mah-mah," directing sound towards the front of the face area.
  • Chest Resonance: Placing hand on chest, hum a low "mmm" to feel vibrations.

Teacher Prompt: 

  • Where do you feel the vibration in your body as you hum?
  • How does directing your sound to your mask make your voice feel brighter?
  • Can you feel the power of your voice resonating through your body?

Whole Class > Vocal Range & Flexibility

Practice gentle vocal slides (sirens) from lowest to highest pitch on "wee-ooo-wee." Then, explore speaking simple phrases (e.g., "Hello, my name is...") with different pitch levels (high, low) and volumes (whisper, conversational, projected).

Teacher Prompt: 

  • Keep the tone smooth, not cracking.
  • How does your breath support your high notes?
  • What does it feel like to project your voice without straining your throat?
  • Notice how even subtle changes in pitch or volume can change the meaning of a word.

Whole Class > Articulation Drills

Lead students through a series of articulation exercises focusing on consonants and vowels:

  • Lip trills ("brrrrrr") and tongue rolls.
  • Rapid repetition of consonants (e.g., "P-B-T-D-K-G" sequence).
  • Tongue twisters (e.g., "Peter Piper," "She sells seashells", “Red Leather, Yellow Leather”, “Unique New York”, “Toy Boat”). Start slowly, then increase speed, focusing on clarity.

Teacher Prompt: 

  • Exaggerate the movements of your lips and tongue. 
  • Feel the precision. 
  • Is every sound clear? 
  • Are you 'hitting' every consonant? 
  • How does clear articulation impact how easily your message is understood?

Individual > Inflection & Meaning

Give students a short, neutral sentence (e.g., "I didn't say he stole the money."). Have them say the sentence aloud, emphasizing a different word each time to change its meaning. Then, explore variations in pace (fast, slow) and strategic pauses within the same sentence.

Teacher Prompt: 

  • How does shifting your pitch or stress change the emotional weight of the word?
  • What story does a fast pace tell? A slow pace?
  • How does a pause build tension?
  • Feel the connection between your vocal choices and the implied meaning.

Pairs > Character Voice Exploration

Provide students with short character prompts (e.g., "a very old, tired person," "a mischievous child," "an overly enthusiastic salesperson," "a secretive spy"). In pairs, students improvise short lines (e.g., "Hello, how are you today?") using a character voice. Emphasize safe vocal manipulation (no forced straining).

Teacher Prompt: 

  • How do you change your pitch, pace, and articulation to suggest this character?
  • What's the relationship between the character's voice and their inner world?
  • Listen for vocal habits that might limit your range.
  • How can you break them for character?

Consolidation

Whole Class > Vocal Check-In and Discussion

Students verbally share one new insight or physical sensation they experienced about their voice today.

  • What was the most surprising discovery you made about your voice or breath?
  • Why are these foundational skills important for any actor or public speaker?
  • How can understanding these vocal tools help you bring a character to life?
  • What's the responsibility of an actor when it comes to clear and expressive speech?
Assessment for Learning (AfL)
  • Ongoing Teacher Observation & Targeted Side-Coaching: See PDF #2 General Teacher Anecdotal Recording Tool. Throughout this lesson, the teacher actively observes students' engagement in vocal warm-ups, their breath support, articulation, clarity, and their willingness to experiment with vocal expression. Direct side-coaching prompts (e.g., "Feel that breath low in your belly," "Are your lips and tongue working hard for that consonant?", "How does changing your pace here affect the meaning?") are used to provide immediate, formative feedback and guide student exploration. Purpose: To continuously monitor student understanding of vocal techniques, identify specific areas for improvement in voice production and articulation, and adjust real-time instruction based on observed needs. 
  • Informal Vocal Technique Check-ins: During the Action section, the teacher conducts brief, informal checks on students' application of specific vocal techniques. This could involve asking students to quickly demonstrate diaphragmatic breathing, a specific articulation drill, or a sentence with a distinct inflection. Purpose: To quickly assess students' grasp of foundational vocal concepts before moving on, allowing for immediate clarification or re-teaching if needed, ensuring safe vocal practices.
Assessment as Learning (AaL)
  • Daily Vocal Reflection Prompts: See PDF #3 General Drama Peer and Self-Assessment Tool. At the end of each period, students briefly share a new physical sensation, a challenge they overcame, or a discovery they made about their voice and breath. This could be a verbal share or a quick written note. Purpose: To encourage metacognition, prompting students to actively reflect on their own vocal learning process, identify personal growth, and articulate their experiences with specific vocal exercises. 
  • Self-Assessment of Vocal Expressiveness: After activities like "Inflection & Meaning" or "Character Voice Exploration", students are prompted to reflect: "Did my vocal choices clearly convey the intended meaning/character? What was effective, and what could be clearer?" Purpose: To encourage students to critically evaluate their own vocal manipulation and its impact, fostering self-awareness of their expressive capabilities and areas for refinement.
Assessment of Learning (AoL)
  • Creative Process Assessment: See PDF #2 General Creative Process Anecdotal Recording Tool and/or PDF #5 Creative Process Rubric. A summative assessment of each student's consistent engagement in all vocal warm-ups and exercises, their willingness to experiment with vocal techniques, and their active contribution to individual and group work in Lesson 3. Purpose: To evaluate the student's overall commitment to the practical exploration and development of their vocal instrument, acknowledging that consistent participation is crucial for building vocal skills and confidence.