Acting + Character

Week 3: Last week before block!

This week has been sooooo hectic. However, drama was as engaging as ever. This week we worked on The Flower, the book. It has been my most favourite lesson before. Using literature to inspire drama games and lessons is something so exciting. I cannot wait to try and teach this on my own!

Short Game: Boom Chicka Boom

How Do I Play It?

It is call and response so the teacher calls out each line and then the students repeat back.

• "I said a Boom"
• "I said a Boom Chicka Boom"
• "I said a Boom Chicka Rocka Chicka Rocka Chicka Boom"
• "Uh huh"
• "Oh yeah"
• "One more time"

Have a few different styles up your sleeve. e.g. accents, emotions etc. 

Variations

You can nominate a particular style, play with the dynamics and even get students to lead.

Participants

Small Groups, Whole Group

Expertise

All

Duration

Medium (5 - 10 mins)

Skills

Character, Spontaneity, Voice

Long Game:

What's Up, Tiger Lily?

Works best with upper elementary or older.

Woody Allen once made a movie by taking an old Japanese spy movie and dubbing it into English--but with an entirely different plot.  This film is the inspiration for this activity.  It can work with a familiar book or with one the students have never seen, although there are necessary differences in approach if the book is familiar.  The idea is to create an original story that works with the illustrations of a picture book.  This project takes several lessons.

Begin by showing the class the book, but not reading the words.  (If the book is familiar, it is probably better to go ahead and read the words, so that the whole class is on the same page, but if it is unfamiliar to everyone, don't read the words.)  Then go through it again, and brainstorm what might be happening on each page.  It is not necessary to settle on one interpretation of each page--what is important is to stimulate a lot of ideas.

When you have gone through the whole book this way, it is usually time to end class for the day.  If not, go on to another activity so that the ideas have a chance to ferment.  Return to the book project next class.

Divide the class into small groups--four to six in a group seems to work best.  If you have multiple copies of the book, give one to each group.  If you own the books, obscure the words in some way, with tape or something.  If not, though, there's no real harm in letting them see the words at this point.  Each group must come up with a story and dramatize it, using whatever props and costume pieces you have available, or finding their own.  I often do this activity with no props or costumes at all, beyond the desks, etc. in my classroom.  This might take all of one class period or more, but with younger children it will probably take less.

When the groups have had a chance to rehearse their scenes (with the teacher, of course, side-coaching as needed), they share their stories with the class.  Once the project is over, you can read the original story and discuss how it is similar and different.