Writing and Drama

I just saw this at Classic Play and I just had to share it with you. This is what we are doing in our drama class. They are writing their own scripts.

Drama Class 3: Introducing Improvisations

Relaxation Exercise

I had them stand, stretch and tighten each part of their bodies, one at a time, with me guiding them and then loosen and shake them out at the end.

Warm-Up Exercise: Mirror Game

I broke the class down into pairs, and had them decide who would be the leader and who would be the follower. The leader was to move his arms, legs and head very slowly and clearly so that the other person can mirror everything the leader does as he is doing it. At some point, I called, "stop" and the class had to guess who was the leader and who was the follower.

Acting Exercises

As If...

I asked some volunteer actors to say the line, "It's raining," but I gave each of them a different context:

• wants to go on a picnic
• is a farmer who has been suffering through a drought
• is running into a room soaking wet
• is a TV weather forecaster whose prediction was wrong.

Hide an Object

I gave some volunteer actors, one at a time, a box (but it can be just about any object), with the direction to hide it as if...

• he is setting up a surprise party
• destroying evidence
• hiding a brother's annoying toy

Sensory and 5 W's as Improv Preparation

We went over what the sensory and 5 w's were and then we went down the list of the 5 w's and I got ideas from them about two characters and then I asked for two characters to a skit based on these elements.

I told them that we were moving toward them doing improvs from now until the end of the 6-weeks of class and that I would be giving them one or two of the 5 w's or some sort of sensory situation and I would give them time in small groups to come up with a scenario for improv. I then broke them down into groups and gave them the idea to work up characters and an improv for a situation of extreme heat, such as a cook in a hot kitchen in July. I gave them twenty minutes to work out the characters and conflict ideas for them to present next week.

Homework: Noticing

For homework, I asked them to notice this week how sensory input and emotions affect the body; for example fear makes the mouth dry and palms wet, perhaps even pain in the stomach.

Drama Class 2

I didn't have anyone available to take pictures of my class this week, so I don't have much to show you. I did manage to snap a couple of pictures toward the end of class.

Drama Class 1

Discusssing Homework Exercise

We talked about the toothbrush exercise homework I had given them. I asked them how they felt trying to do this new thing and about how it got easier as the week went on. It is just like that with acting. Some of the exercises might feel uncomfortable, but as time goes on and you practice the exercises, they become easier and more comfortable.

Relaxation Exercise

I asked them to make themselves as loose as cooked spaghetti and then I had them imagine a most comfortable place or situation...I gave them suggestions

• in a hammock
• in a pile of fall leaves
• on a lawn chair
• on a waterbed
• in tall grass
• on a cloud

Warm-Ups

Relays with Imaginary Objects

I had them play catch, first with a ball, and then without. Then tug-of war, with a rope and then without.

Soundless Conversations

I broke the class up into pairs and I had them hold soundless conversations. They had to read each other's lips. I gave each pair a relationship...

• best friends
• enemies
• worried parents
• winner and loser
• secret friends
• sister and brother
• teacher and student
• friends sharing great news

Sensory Exercises

Walking on Different Surfaces

I had them walk around as if they were on different imaginary surfaces...

• snow
• hot sand
• soft, sticky tar
• sharp pebbles

I asked them how the different sensory factors affected their actions?

Holding Objects

I gave each student an imaginary object to hold...

• a kitten
• an ice cream cone
• a cup of hot chocolate
• a sharp knife
• a warm washcloth

then I had them hand their object to another student.

Pick Up an Object

I placed my book bag on the stage (but you can use anything...a book, a glove, a scarf, a ruler...anything). I had them com up, walk across the stage and pick up the object, put it down and then walk off stage, as if...

• it is beautiful
• there is a knocking inside it.
• it smells weird
• it is mouth watering
• it is sticky
• it is burning hot
• it is delicate

The 5 W's Exercises

What Exercises

Stand still (in one place) and act out...

• figuring out which way is north, or which fork in the road to take
• listening hard to pinpoint a cry for help in the distance
• holding still so an animal nearby won't attack
• watching a rescue operation

I sent students to the stage and told them to say, "1, 2, 3, 4" as if they were...

• leading a cheer
• exercising
• trying to avoid exploding in anger
• conducting an orchestra

When Exercises

I had them take a stab at improvisations in which...

• one is an early morning eager beaver and the other is one who can't face the day after awakening
• a meeting of two army leaders, and one is surrendering to the other
• gold miners, trying to force Indians off their land
• picketers being arrested by police
• someone stopping Booth before he kills Lincoln
• French deciding not to follow Joan of Arc into battle
• Isabella refusing to back Columbus

Why Exercises

I had them in small groups do two different situations with two different why's...

• A police officer...first keeping a mob from a celebrity and then keeping a crowd from the scene of a murder
• Saying goodbye to a friend...first as someone who is going away on a long journey and then going off to work

Pre-Improvisation Exercises

Saying a Name Once

I had them say their name as if...

• giving their name to a nurse
• deciding whether to tell the truth
• entering a beauty contest
• meeting a star or the president

Repeating a Name Many Times

I had them repeat their or another class member's name (as appropriate) as if...

• looking for a relative among the missing
• signing their name over and over to get through red tape
• trying to get chosen for a team
• trying to regain lost memories

Drama Class 1

I am teaching a drama class at our co-op and I thought maybe some of you might like to know what we have been doing in case you would like to teach a similar class at your co-op. 

I started off the class with a simple name game. We don't all know each other well, so I thought it would help us to learn at least each other's names. This game also help to build concentration skills, a skill useful to an actor. 

Circle of Names

Sit in a circle. Say your name and "I like ________." Fill in the blank with anything you like. You then go around the circle and in turn each person repeats the name of each person who has gone before and what that person likes. Others can help out as needed.

What Kind of Show?

We talked about what kind of show would they like to put on at the end of the classes. We talked about the options of a play that has already been written and about the royalties that are charged for such shows. We talked about the possibility of adapting a famous story, such as Little Red Riding Hood. We could also create a play ourselves. The last option is just to do a show of improvisations, made up from the audiences suggestions. I asked them to think about this, discuss it with their parents and be prepared to talk about it next week.

Relaxation Exercise

I then went on to a relaxation exercise. I plan to teach them a different one each week. This week I just had them stand, stretch and tighten each part of their bodes, one at a time, from toes to scalp and outstretched fingers. I told them to hold it tight, and then relax each part in the reverse sequence. I then told them to shake themselves loose, take a deep each breath. They should now be sufficiently relaxed.

Break Up

I had them play another concentration game next. I selected two people at a time and had one person sit in a chair and the other person must do or say anything to make the first person laugh without ever touching him. Once the person laughs, they then trade places.

Ten Elements of Acting

I then told them a little about the ten elements of acting, which are the 5 w's: who, what, where, when and why and the 5 senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. These, in combination produce the actor's physical behavior. I find often if an actor is not coming off true to character it is because he does not have a complete understanding of one of these factor's of their character's world.

The W's Exercises

We then put these into action with some exercises in which they practiced improvisation scenes centered around the question of "what?"

I asked students to cross the acting area and shake hands with each other, as if...

-They are trying to restore a friendship after having a fight.

-One, who has just won a scholarship, is sharing his triumph with his buddy, who is trying to hide his disappointment at losing it himself.

-As spies, both trying to determine what the other is up to.

-One, a shy child, is trying to get up the courage to greet a great uncle whom she fears.

Then we did some centered around the question of "where?"

One student is asked to get up and start doing something that gives hints about a location. As soon as any student knew where he was, they could start doing something in that same space, not particularly the same thing as the previous actor.

Sensory Exercises

Then we focused on the aspect of understanding the sensory part of acting with Many Ways to Open a Door: I had them each pantomime opening a door, but challenged them each to do it in a different way.

Combining the 5 W's

I asked them to move a chair as if (what):

-preparing for a meeting

-getting away from a mouse

-fixing a light bulb

Now, move a chair as if you are fixing a light bulb, but you are (who):

-an anxious store clerk

-a weakling

-an arrogant movie star

Exchanging Names

I asked them speak each other's name as if...

-explorers in a cave trying to find each other

-movers handling a large piece of glass

-spies meeting in a secret place to share information

-two thieves stealing

Homework

They were quite surprised to hear that I was assigning homework. I asked them to practice brushing their teeth for the whole week with the other hand from what they are used to using. I will tell you why I asked them to do this next week, after we discuss it in class.

Drama Class 2

Paper Pizzas

Pin It

We had so much fun this week making paper pizzas. I saw the idea at Filth Wizardry and once I had gathered some round cardboard pieces, we were ready to go.

First we cut out the appropriate colored pieces from construction paper for cheese, pepperoni, green peppers and black olives. I cut black circles of paper for the olives and use a hole punch to make them look like olive slices. I also took each round piece of cardboard and covered the bottom of it with a brown paper bag, letting the edges come up and I crumpled them to look like crust around the edges. I glued these edges down, but then had to use clear tape as well to keep them from coming unglued. Perhaps once they are fully dry, we can take off the tape.

I used Filth Wizardry's suggestion of adding red food coloring to glue to make the tomato sauce and it                  worked really well. 

It looks a bit pink in the picture, but it is more reddish in real life. 

Next, the boys added their toppings.

What can you do with them when they are finished?

Pretend pizza parlor...

 Cut into pieces and they can be a puzzle to put back together, matching up the toppings.

You can also make a graph of the toppings on the pizza. What topping does your pizza have the most of? The least?

 If you cut each of several pizzas into different amounts of slices, you can make a fractions game. We used three pizzas and cut one into sixths, one into eighths and one into twelfths. We used the cards from our Fractions Jugglers game, but you can use any fractions flashcards or make cards of your own on index cards. 

Give each person five cards to start and take turns discarding one card, getting that amount of pizza, and drawing a new card to maintain five cards at all times. Once you have enough for a full pizza, you have won the game. This is an easy introduction to adding and subtracting fractions.

I am sure that other games could be made using paper pizzas. Can you think of one?

St. Valentine's Day Countdown...4...Mailbox for a Month of Mail

I know this craft is most likely appeal to preschoolers, but if  you have looked at this blog for awhile, you have probably noticed that my youngest boys love to pretend play. So, since there are lots of Valentines and sweet notes passed around this month, I thought they might like to become mailmen.
Then I saw a simple mailbox at The Imagination Tree and knew that was it.

First I found a suitable box and gently pulled it apart, turn it inside out and re-glued the seams with a glue gun.
I then let them have fun painting it with blue tempera paint.

I was casual about it, so they took their time, taking turns painting it whenever they felt like working on it throughout the week. I would have preferred a more thorough job, but they were satisfied and that is all that really mattered.

Today, while they were at a Valentine's Day party, I made it into a mailbox.
First I cut a flap in the bottom of the back for the mailman to collect the mail.

Pin It
I freehand cut out the letters for MAIL from white construction paper and glued them on.
I cut a slot under this so that people could slip mail in.
Now it is ready for mail. I am hoping that it will encourage them to write and read a little more in their pretend play.
Quentin has already found something he plans to use for his mailbag and I am sure he will come up with a hat.

Want to see how we used it?

If you are really artistic and creative, perhaps you might want do some of the Snail Mail things at
Katherine Marie.

The Importance of an Outdoor Life

James pretends to be a robot re-charging his battery while Quentin stands guard. 

It is important to get outside as much as you can, even in the heat. Take lots of cool refreshment and have them play in the shade as much as possible, but even on days like this when the heat was over 100 degrees, there is still some time for play.

"And long hours they should be; not two, but four, five, or six hours they should have on every tolerably fine day, from April till October..."

-Charlotte Mason, Homeschooling Series, vol 1 pg 44

An Outdoor Fort, Playhouse or Camp

String three long pieces of twine where you would like your fort to be. Bushes, trees, fences and the like all can be used to anchor the twine. Drape large sheets, tablecloths or other large pieces of cloth over the twine to form a roof and sides of the fort. Use clothespins or tape to secure the cloth to the twine.

Each design is different.

Just the right place to add a few props and have hours of imaginative play.

I like how they used an old outdoor chair to both help prop the cloth and as a shelf inside for their toys.

-Katie

Finger Puppets and Storytelling

Katie entertained us all by making origami finger puppets... and scenery... and putting on a show.

Then she taught Quentin the basics of puppetry...

including how to change voices for the different characters.

She taught him how to get animated with the story and how to use props.

Quentin timidly tried is hand at it. He gained more confidence as he got into the story.Some of his stories were narrations of stories and fables that have been read to him.

Others were of his own creation. As he got more and more into the stories and became less shy, he used more and more characters.

Then told a water world story.

cat finger puppet

You can make your own puppets and stories. Katie made two types of puppets. For the flap puppets, like the sheep, dragon, cat or dog, use a piece of paper about 6-8 inches square. Origami paper is the easiest to work with, but you can try other types of paper like wrapping paper. Fold the left side to the right and crease. Unfold. Fold the two sides toward the center crease. Fold it in half by folding the right side over to meet the left side. Bring the top edge down to the bottom. You have made tow flaps of several layers each. Fold the front flap up halfway. Turn it over and repeat this step on the other flap. If you put your index finger inside the pocket of the top flap and your thumb in the bottom, your puppet is ready to speak. Now make your face and add whatever else you want to make your puppet come alive.

lion finger puppet

To make the round, over-the-finger puppets like the lion, giraffe, whale or penguin, take a 5-6 inch square of paper. These are a little harder to make. Lay the paper down in a diamond shape (points up and down and left, right.) Fol d your paper in half, bringing the left point to meet the right. Now unfold. Fold the left and right points to the center crease, so that your paper looks like a kite. Turn the paper so that the wider end is toward you. Turn the paper over and fold the left and right bottom edges to the center line. Now fold in half by bringing the bottom point to meet the top using a valley fold. Fold down the front flap so it touches the bottom edge. Flip the whole thing over and grasp the lower right and left corners, then curve them around so it is in the shape of a tube. Secure by sliding the right bottom point between the two layers in the other side and tape. Fold the top point down and secure with tape. Turn it over and draw on your face and add whatever you wish.

Happy storytelling.

Tragedy and Comedy

Comedy and tragedy masks from Evan Moor's Ancient Civilization History Pockets

Even young children can have fun learning about Greek drama.

While I read to the little boys about Greek drama, they made comedy and tragedy masks.

Ahead of time, have fun making up a "That's Good, That's Bad" story. In case you don't know what that is, it is a story in which the first line is telling another about something good that has happened to you and the other person can say, "That's Good," then you go on to say something negative that happens next, and the other person then can say, "That's bad." Sam made up one for his little brothers. When everybody was finished, Sam read his story and they held up the appropiate masks instead of saying,"That's Good"/"That's Bad." Here is Sam's story:

It was a beautiful spring day, so I decided to take a walk. Then it started to rain really hard. But I like to get wet.

But then lightning hit me.

But I was rescued by the circus passing by.

So I continued my walk back home and I got lost.

Then I found the park.

When I stepped into the park, I got stung by a bee.

But it was the last bee to leave a hive full of honey.

When I was gettin some of the honey a police officer came by and gave me a ticket for stealing honey.

But it wasn't really a police officer. It was really my best friend in a costume. So we took the honey home and ate it.

I hope you have as much fun with this project as we did.

We are also enjoying reading Theras and his Town.