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Lesson Plans for Spark: The Ultimate Improv Game

The following are suggestions for using Spark: The Ultimate Improv Game.  The various activities below show the versatility of this game.  If you find new ways to use Spark: The Ultimate Improv Game, please share them with us.  We will pass them along, so that others may find even more uses for their classrooms. 

1. Group Improvisation: Have a group of three or more students draw one Spark card.  The students may either choose one of the three groups of characters or one of the two locations found on the Spark card to use as the basis for their scene.  Give the group five minutes preparation time to develop their scene.  The scene should possess a beginning, middle and ending and should be presented for three to five minutes.  To expedite the process, you may wish to have one group preparing while another group is performing.
   
   
2. Duet Improvisation: Have two students draw two separate Spark cards. Each student must choose a character from his/her card.  The two students may choose one of the four locations found on their two Spark cards.  Allow the students five minutes preparation time.  The scene should possess a beginning, middle and ending and should be presented for three to five minutes.  To expedite the process, you may wish to have another team preparing while one duet team is performing.
   
   
3. Solo Improvisation: Have a student draw one Spark card.  The student may either choose one of the three characters or choose one of the two locations on the Spark card to inspire his/her improvisational monologue.  Allow each student three-five minutes to prepare his monologue.  The monologue should be presented for two-four minutes and include a beginning, middle and ending. 
   
   
4. Gestures:  Many speech and theatre students have difficulty knowing what to do with his/her hands during a performance.  This improvisational pantomime activity will aid the student in gaining confidence while performing.  Have the student draw one Spark card.  The student will either choose one of the characters or one of the locations found on his/her Spark card.  Give the student three minutes to develop his/her ideas.  The student must then act out a short, improvised scene with no spoken words.  The performer must use gestures to create an activity the given “character” drawn from the Spark cards would do in real life.  If the performer chooses to pantomime one of the locations on his/her Spark card, hopefully the pantomimed activity will mirror a realistic scenario that would actually take place at that location on a given day.  The performance should only last between two-four minutes and should include a beginning, middle and ending.
   
   
5. Pantomime: Have a student or students draw one Spark card.  The purpose of this activity is to have the student(s) perform a scene with no spoken words.  The pantomime should tell a story and include a beginning, middle and ending.  After drawing a Spark card and choosing his/her character or location, give the student(s) the rest of the period to prepare for the final presentation.  Have the student(s) write down each step needed to complete each task in the final presentation.  This script may be turned in for a grade.  The rest of the period may be spent preparing for the pantomime presentation.  Presentations may be between two-four minutes and must include a beginning, middle and ending.  Instrumental music may be used to enhance the performance, if desired.
   
   
6. Interview: This is a great activity for helping students achieve realistic characters in performance.  It is also a wonderful way to help students not break character during a performance.  Have the student draw one Spark card, show the card to the instructor, and walk to the front of the room.  Tell the students you will be grading on realism and honesty.  A chair or stool may be used at the discretion of the instructor.  Once the student has walked to the front of the room, the instructor will conduct the interview.  The instructor should begin by asking simple question, such as his/her name, occupation etc.  The student should always answer with the mindset of the character drawn from his/her Spark card.  As the interview progresses, the instructor should ask more involved questions, such as how he/she feels about his/her occupation or ‘about the most difficult part of his/her occupation.’ This is an excellent opportunity for students to work on honesty and realism, as well as not breaking character and laughing as the audience reacts to lines spoken during the presentation.
   
   
7. Writing Prompts:  Use Spark cards as writing prompts.  Have each student choose a Spark card. Then have each student choose one of the characters found on his/her Spark card to create a one-two page monologue based on that character.  Give the students the entire class period to write his/her monologue.  Have the students practice the monologue at home and present his/her monologue in class the next day.  You could even photocopy the finished results and bound your own classroom monologue book to be used by future students.
   
   
8. Playwriting:  Have each student draw three Spark cards.  Each student must choose at least three characters from the nine characters found on his/her three Spark cards to be used in his/her ten minute, original play.  The student must choose one of the three locations found on his/her Spark cards to be used as the setting for his/her original, ten minute play.  Give the students three-five class days to complete his/her play.  Upon completion of the assignment, have each ‘playwright’ select students in the class to read the play to the class.  After all of the plays have had a ‘reading,’ select the desired number of plays (three-five) to be cast, directed by the playwright, and performed for invited audiences.  English classes make excellent audiences.  This activity is a wonderful ‘across-the-curriculum’ activity that can be used to recruit new students.  This activity could easily become a three-six week unit.
   
   
9. Creating a One-Person Show:  Have each student draw three Spark cards.  The student will be given one week to create, develop, write, and perform a one-person show based on the characters and locations found on his/her Spark cards.  The one person show can be eclectic or center around one central theme inspired by one of the characters or locations found on his/her Spark cards.  This activity will allow each student to build strong characterization skills, as well as encourage the student to excel in both playwriting and performance.  Each final presentation should be between six-ten minutes.  Props, suggestions of costume (such as hats/scarves etc.) and music may be used at the discretion of the instructor.
   
   
10. Inanimate Objects:  You will notice in the middle of each Spark card is a black box containing a group of inanimate objects.  You may either have groups of three-five students incorporate the inanimate objects found on their Spark card into their scene or actually have the group of students ‘become’ the inanimate objects on their Spark card.  For example:  The students have chosen a Spark card that contains the inanimate objects: Cactus in the Desert.  The students must either incorporate ‘cactus in the desert’ into their scene or perform a scene in which all of the members of the group become talking ‘cactus in the desert.’