Technical Theatre Knots Lesson Plan Components

Standard(s):
B.AE.1.1 Understand the major
technical elements, such as sound,
lights, set, and costumes, and their
interrelationships.

Unit/Topic/Theme(s):
Technical Theatre Knots

Essential Question:
EQ: How do I tie basic theatre
knots?
Which knots are the safest ones to
use?

Student Learning Targets: I can (verb plus specific content; skills; understandings; concepts)
Include means of assessment for each learning target (assessmentsrubrics, exemplars, observation, student-self
assessments; products; activities)
I can tie six different theatrical knots: Bowline, Clove Hitch, Hitch/Tie Line Knot, Square Knot, Half Hitch,
and Truckers Hitch.
o Assessed by the Knot Olympics.
I know when to use each of the knots I learned to tie.
o Assessed by written scenarios.
Lesson Activities: (i.e.: introduction, ways to activate prior knowledge, content, and specifics of the days lesson)
Be sure to include higher level thinking questions HOTS.
Introduction (00:05:00)
o Good Morning
The instructor will proceed to the front of the room, raise their hands, and greet the class
with Good morning/Afternoon, everyone!
Everyone grab a pencil, a notebook, a piece of rope, and a worksheet. Then, draw a
number from the basket and hold onto it. Once you have everything, please take a seat in a
circle onstage.
o Comments on Wedding Singer Strike.
Tying the knots while lowering the roof.
Safety in the scene shop. Safety in real life.
o Real-World Application:
When might it be important for us to know different types of knots?
Blooms Revised Taxonomy: Remembering, Understanding, Applying.
Activating Prior Knowledge (00:03:00)
o Formative Assessment:
On the blank space on the worksheet, list ALL of the knots that you know how to tie.
You have 30 seconds.
Raise your hand if you have more than: One knot? Two knots? Three knots? Etc.
Blooms Revised Taxonomy: Remembering, Understanding.
Knot Tying 101 (01:00:00 ~ 9 minutes per knot.)
o Each student will find a place onstage along a batten that has been flown in to working height.
o The instructor will take a position in the center of the batten so that they are seen by all of the
students.
o The instructor will introduce the first knot. The instructor will point out that there is a diagram of
the knot on the worksheet, then they will proceed to demonstrate the knot twice.
o The instructor will invite the class to use their rope to tie the knot WITH the instructor. The class
and the instructor will tie the knot together several times.
o The instructor will invite the class to tie the knots individually. The instructor will move down the
batten and assist students as necessary.
o After the knot is learned, the instructor will move on to the next knots, repeating the steps for
learning the first know.
o After three knots, the instructor will review them.
o After all six knots, the instructor will review them all.
o Blooms Revised Taxonomy: Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating,
Creating.
Knot Olympics (00:09:00)
o The instructor will ask the students to group themselves according to their numbers. The ones meet
together, the twos meet together, etc.

The instructor will make adjustments to each group so that there is an even number of people per
group. Ideally, there will be several groups of six.
o Each team is to line up perpendicular to the batten.
o Instruct the teams that they are racing against each other. One member of each team will go up to
the batten and draw a piece of paper from a bag. On that paper is one of the knots that was just
learned. That teammate will have to discard the slip of paper and tie the knot that they drew from
the bag. Once the knot is tied, they run back to their group and tag the next person in line to repeat
the process. This continues until all the knots have been tied. There are no repeats of any team
member unless the team consists of less than six members. The team to finish all of the knots first
is the winner. However, the Olympics continue until all teams have tied all of the knots.
o Blooms Revised Taxonomy: Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating,
Creating.
Knot Scenarios (00:06:00)
o Flip to the back side of your worksheet. I am going to read three scenarios to you, and you tell me
which knot you would use to handle that situation.
o Y are trying to lift a lighting instrument off of the ground and up to the lighting grid. You need a
knot that does not slip easily, AND can be used to tie around the lights clamp. Which is the best
knot to use?
A: Bowline
o The piece of rope that you are using is not long enough. You have another rope, but it is the same
size as the first. What knot can you use to safely tie them together?
A: Square Knot
o You are hanging a tire swing. You need a knot to securely tie the rope to the tree limb.
A: Clove Hitch
o Blooms Revised Taxonomy: Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating.
Closure: (involves students; revisit essential question)
Materials and Resources:
Rope, Worksheets, Pencils,
3-2-1: On the back of your paper beneath the scenarios: (00:07:00)
Paper bags and Knot slips,
o List three things that you learned today.
numbers.
o List two things I can do with what I learned.
o List one question or one comment about the lesson.
Vocabulary to be Taught:
(include, with definitions, in
Literacy Integration:
Lesson Activities section)
Reading:
Worksheets and Diagrams
Bowline, Clove Hitch, Hitch/Tie
Line Knot, Square Knot, Half
Writing:
3-2-1 exercise, listing knots.
Hitch, and Truckers Hitch.
Speaking/Listening:
Direct instruction.
Media/Technology:
Printed diagrams, the actual knots.
Other Content Areas:
Technical Theatre and Real-World applications
Skills for Success:
List Differentiation Strategies:
X Creativity
By using the I do, we do, you do format for teaching the knots, and by X Collaboration
providing worksheets with diagrams for the knots, I appeal to visual,
X Problem-solving
auditory, tactile, AND kinesthetic modalities.
X Critical thinking
Variations in formative and summative assessments provide multiple
means of student expression throughout the lesson.