GETTING STARTED

Facilitation

Help! I'm not a theater teacher That’s OK! We’ve built The Lion King Experience so that any educator can facilitate each session. Because foundational concepts and learning themes are delivered through the introductory video, and because Pride work is student-driven and project-based, you can be successful with this material whether you’re a seasoned thespian or new to the stage. We’ve included a theater education glossary with domain-specific lingo and concepts you might find throughout your lesson plans, or wish to incorporate in your instruction.
Frequency The Lion King Experience is intentionally flexible and allows you freedom of scheduling. We recommend that you don’t let more than two weeks pass without facilitating a session so that students can continue building their skills and knowledge over time. The Experience works well when facilitated weekly or twice a week, though more frequent sessions are also successful. As with most educational experiences, consistency is key.
Before the first session Although The Lion King Experience can stand alone (the first session deliberately introduces students to the plot and characters), we recommend having a class read through of The Lion King KIDS or The Lion King JR. before beginning the Experience sessions.
In this informal read-through, distribute the Actor’s Scripts from your ShowKit® to the class and assign different students to read different parts. Feel free to alternate readers throughout the process, and play your Guide Vocal Tracks each time you reach a song. Encourage the cast to sing along if they know the music. What to expect If you or your colleagues are new to theater-education or project-based learning, you may be unaccustomed to the energy and atmosphere of The Lion King Experience. Because it is a creative outlet, theater work can seem frenetic and even loud.
In The Lion King Experience students work as a whole class and in smaller groups to act, sing, dance, design, and write. Much of the growth is what happens enroute to the learning—students negotiate, collaborate, and experiment to complete the various activities. Additionally, because each Pride focuses on a unique topic, you’ll often see movement, hear discussions, and see design work happening at the same time.
This is what engagement and joyful learning looks like in the theater. It is your job, as the facilitator, to make sure everyone is on task and safe during the sessions. Be sure to prepare visitors so that they know what they are observing— this kind of work can be foreign to those accustomed to a traditional classroom environment.
Classroom management As with all good teaching, classroom management in the theater creates a positive learning environment for you and your students. Early in the Experience, your students will create an ensemble contract in which they will identify how the class and Prides will function. Use the contract as a classroom management tool, and remind the students of their rules.
Because theater work can be noisy at times, develop systems for gaining the group’s focus without losing your voice. We recommend that you create a clapping rhythm that the Prides respond back using their hands. Call and response can be an effective tool for managing focus and transitions.
If your Prides struggle with time management or collaboration, assign one student to be a time-keeper, and one to be a peace-keeper within each Pride.

When To Facilitate

Before Rehearsal Begins Ideally, you will facilitate The Lion King Experience with your cast and crew before you begin rehearsals for your production of The Lion King. The Experience will immerse your students in the world of the play and a broad range of theater-making skills. These benefits will combine to make an enriching and rewarding artistic process for your students. Additionally, you can use the character, choreography, design, and directorial ideas generated in the sessions in your production of The Lion King.
During the Rehearsal Process You may elect to add additional time into your rehearsal process devoted to The Lion King Experience sessions. In this format, your students might rehearse the musical several days a week, with an additional day exclusively for The Lion King Experience. This format will allow your cast further opportunities to create a strong ensemble and will give both cast and crew exposure to areas of theater (and characters!) they don’t typically access during rehearsal.
With Different Students You might find that The Lion King Experience sessions present an opportunity to engage students outside of your cast in the theatrical process. Perhaps you are interested in exposing students in a different grade to theater arts. The Experience may also align nicely with an existing afterschool program or club (it could be strong content for your drama club, for example). Whatever the case, facilitating The Lion King Experience can be an engaging way to introduce the theater to students outside of your production. Note that the KIDS edition lessons have been created for students in 3rd-5th grade, while the JR. edition includes lessons for 6th-8th graders.
Modules Although we recommend completing the full Experience in the suggested sequence, many of the sessions have been designed to stand alone.

Prides & Pride Journals

Prides Before the first session, divide your class into three Prides. Since the Prides are intended to work together for the duration of the Experience, be mindful of class dynamics when assigning your students to a group. If you are working with a large group, or if your students do better in smaller teams, you may decide to create more than three Prides.
Be sure to print additional Challenge Sheets should you wish to create more Prides. Each session, select a new Pride Leader for each Pride. The Pride Leaders’ jobs are to read the Challenge Sheet aloud to their Prides, keep their group on task, and assist with preparations and clean up. A Pride Leader tracking template is available online.
Pride journals Ask each student to bring a notebook to class devoted to The Lion King Experience. These "Pride Journals" can be used for writing activities throughout the sessions, and for the optional homework assignments that can be found in your lesson plans or on lionkingexperience.com.

Preparation

Preparing your space

Preparing your space in advance of each session will help you facilitate The Lion King Experience efficiently. An open space—like a stage—is the perfect environment for The Lion King Experience, though a classroom can work just as well. For all sessions, you will want an open playing space for warm-ups, viewing the introductory video, the group activity, sharing, and reflection.
If you are working in a classroom, consider pushing desks or other furniture to the parameter of the room to create your playing space. Designate a spot in the room for each Pride. Preset any additional materials before your students arrive.
Each session Your lesson plans include a list of included materials, additional materials, and preparation needed for each session, but some materials and prep are standard throughout The Lion King Experience. Before each session, ensure:

• Your space is clear of obstacles (for example: by pushing desks to the perimeter).
• You’ve secured all necessary audio/visual technology.
• You’ve reviewed the lesson plan, copied all necessary items, and gathered all additional materials.

Assessment

The Shows

Overview The Lion King Experience is designed as a companion curriculum for those producing The Lion King JR. and The Lion King KIDS. When you purchase a performance license through Music Theatre International, you will receive a ShowKit® of materials to walk you through producing the show with your students. If you’re new to theater, we recommend completing The Lion King Experience sessions before beginning the rehearsal process. Your ShowKit® includes:
• Director’s Guide • Piano / Vocal Score • 30 Actor’s Scripts • Rehearsal and Accompaniment Tracks • Choreography Videos • Demonstration Videos • Downloadable Resources