The Show Must Go On

Lesson Content

• Lesson Plan Template:

  CTE Lesson Plan

• CTE Course Info and Benchmark Notes

  
  

  Program Name (as applicable):

  N/A

  Course Title:

  Introduction to Arts, A/V Technology and Communication

  Course Number:

  8209350

  Career Cluster:

  Arts A/V Technology and Communication

  CIP Number:

  148209350M

  Course Type:

  Orientation/Exploratory Middle School

• Unit Outline

  
  

  This lesson is designed to be used with the case study, “The Show Must Go On.” See CPALMS Resource ID#219167.

• Career Connection

  
  

  This lesson supports the durable skills of leadership in the A/V Technology and Communication career field. Through this lesson, students will explore the steps a leader should take to produce a show effectively. This lesson also addresses problem-solving in the workplace and communication as the students will discuss the steps the different roles in the A/V field should take to perform their jobs correctly. Students will be asked to research and describe the interactions between members of the same professional organization.

• Learning Objectives

  
  

  Students will be able to:

  • Identify the characteristics of careers in the audio/visual career field.
  • Identify the characteristics of organizational leaders.
  • Conduct research to answer a question and generate additional questions based on research.

• Prior Knowledge

  
  

  Students should be familiar with/ able to:

  • Identify audio/visual equipment.
  • A basic understanding of the roles of a production team.
  • Media production.
  • Appropriate research strategies.

• Guiding Questions

  
  

  Guiding Questions:

  • What are the identifying characteristics of different careers in the audio/visual career field?
  • What are the characteristics of organizational leaders, such as production managers in the audio/visual field?
  • How can I conduct research to identify the roles of different members of the audio/visual career field?
  • What further questions can I generate through my research about the roles of different careers in the audio/visual field?

• Procedure

  
  
  1. To introduce this lesson, the teacher will ask students which audio/visual career field interests them and why. Students could record their answers on a Post-it and share or some other method of allowing all students to share their ideas. Provide a list of audio/visual career fields if students need prompting. Ask students to consider the question, “What would happen if a key person in the production team SUDDENLY couldn’t make it to work?”
     • allow time for debate and answers
  2. Read the case study, “The Show Must Go On,’ See CPALMS Resource ID#219167. This can be done individually or in small groups.
     • Ask students to highlight the A/V roles mention in the case study.
     • Allow students time to annotate the case study with questions.
  3. After the students have had time to read the case study, ask them to identify the issues this production crew is facing to put on their production on time. Ask the following discussion questions:
     • What are the roles of each member of the production crew as stated in the case study?
     • What additional roles do you think they have?
     • What might be the biggest concern for the assistant production manager?
     • How should Lou, the assistant production manager, address the issue when the production manager is out?
     • What issues might arise because Scott, the production manager and director, is absent?
     • What technical knowledge does each team member need?
  4. After the case study discussion, the teacher can elaborate on the durable skills of communication in the workplace when deciding which additional roles each member needs to take on.
  5. Now that students have analyzed the case study, introduce their research project. Pass out copies of the Audio/Visual Career Research Graphic Organizer to individuals or groups. The teacher may want to provide a list of approved websites for research.
  6. Students will complete the research page about the different responsibilities of the Audio/Visual team. Additionally, students will identify the key members that each of these career fields interacts with.
  7. After students have completed this graphic organizer, the teacher should gather students together to review their research, hghlight information that students have identified, and draw attention to the ways that the assistant production manager will need to step into the production manager’s role during his absence.
  8. To bring the lesson to a close, the teacher will provide an exit slip where the students will act as the assistant production manager or Day Dreamer Students. The students will answer the question, “You are now the assistant production manager of Day Dreamer Studios, what steps will you take to ensure that your show can be recorded on time?”
  9. The teacher will ask the following questions as a closing discussion:
     
     • What leadership skills does each member of the team need?
     • Why is communication in the workplace important for the success of the show?
     • How would you feel if you were a member of this team on this chaotic day?
     • What would you expect from your leaders during a crisis?
     • If you had to step into a leadership role, what would you do?

• Teacher Notes

  
  
  • This lesson can be broken into multiple days.
  • The research planning page can be edited for usability.
  • If possible, give the option to interview local TV production studios to complete research.