Cookies
So what's the whole point of this? What do we even want the kids to learn? And most importantly, how in the world are the students supposed to learn it through drama? ........ Good questions. And ones that I hear a lot as a drama instructor.
I like to relate it to cookies. Like any teacher there is an objective to a lesson. The students should be able to do this ________. Insert any skill, piece of knowledge or whatever you like. That's your cookie at the end of the lesson, the light at the end of the tunnel. But to get to it, an instructor has to leave behind crumbs for the children to follow so we can get to the cookie together. In drama, the cookies look like storytelling through movement, characterization, collaboration, or even integration of other subjects such as literacy and comprehension skills for language arts or observation and data collection for science. We use drama as the form that we gain those skills through. How's it done? Like this.
I had previously observed my classroom teachers class prior to my first visit, so I already knew some of the kids. I had decided to create a procedure that would separate drama time from the normal classroom and get them in the mindset to focus and participate. I call it "The Carpet is Calling", because alliteration is awesome. There is a carpet at the front of the classroom that is perfect for creating an audience or using as a makeshift stage area. Wherever the students are in the class, once I say the Carpet is Calling, they know to turn off their mouths, walk quietly to the carpet and sit down. It's been really useful and the kids laugh sometimes at the alliteration.
With this first unit I'm dealing with I am focusing on language arts standards and characterization primarily through movement. I wanted to give them a little taste of what we'd be working with so I decided to start with a fun story and see what their movement looked like.
It's such a well known story and one that kids love. After reading it and asking some language arts comprehension questions, we talked a little bit about parts of a story, beginning, middle, end, and what characters are. Then we got on our feet. I wanted the kids to explore being the 2 different characters in the book. I also wanted them to explore imaginary settings and emotions of the characters.
Management of drama activities looks a little like this sometimes. If we are being characters and reacting to things happening in a story usually I will have the students find their own space in the room where they can't touch others, then start to have them explore their imaginary space. I list areas of the house that is in the book as I watch the students explore those areas. Then, I have them become their characters by putting on the clothes that they would wear and continue to explore their own space. Then it's just a matter of going through the story and having the students react to actions as their character, first the mouse, and then the boy.
It doesn't always go that smoothly though. Being the first drama time, some students rebelled against their own space and decided to wander. If it's one or two I don't get too worried because I recognize that these are first graders and it happens. But, if it's leading to more students and uncontrolled movement then I will stop it. They were pretty good for this lesson although by the end I had some students under desks so next time I will have to make clearer boundaries and perhaps move the desks to create a bigger playing space.
Hints of success. All the students were engaged and really enjoyed being the different characters. As a leave off I encouraged them to notice how they move throughout the day and pick one or two new ways of moving. As I was leaving, a student came up to me and said he could go show his mouse to his parents after school today. I told him that was a great idea and I would ask him about it next week. A very good first day.
That's it for this week! I'll start to have pictures of the students once my classroom can collect all the media release forms! Till next time!
I like to relate it to cookies. Like any teacher there is an objective to a lesson. The students should be able to do this ________. Insert any skill, piece of knowledge or whatever you like. That's your cookie at the end of the lesson, the light at the end of the tunnel. But to get to it, an instructor has to leave behind crumbs for the children to follow so we can get to the cookie together. In drama, the cookies look like storytelling through movement, characterization, collaboration, or even integration of other subjects such as literacy and comprehension skills for language arts or observation and data collection for science. We use drama as the form that we gain those skills through. How's it done? Like this.
I had previously observed my classroom teachers class prior to my first visit, so I already knew some of the kids. I had decided to create a procedure that would separate drama time from the normal classroom and get them in the mindset to focus and participate. I call it "The Carpet is Calling", because alliteration is awesome. There is a carpet at the front of the classroom that is perfect for creating an audience or using as a makeshift stage area. Wherever the students are in the class, once I say the Carpet is Calling, they know to turn off their mouths, walk quietly to the carpet and sit down. It's been really useful and the kids laugh sometimes at the alliteration.
With this first unit I'm dealing with I am focusing on language arts standards and characterization primarily through movement. I wanted to give them a little taste of what we'd be working with so I decided to start with a fun story and see what their movement looked like.
It's such a well known story and one that kids love. After reading it and asking some language arts comprehension questions, we talked a little bit about parts of a story, beginning, middle, end, and what characters are. Then we got on our feet. I wanted the kids to explore being the 2 different characters in the book. I also wanted them to explore imaginary settings and emotions of the characters.
Management of drama activities looks a little like this sometimes. If we are being characters and reacting to things happening in a story usually I will have the students find their own space in the room where they can't touch others, then start to have them explore their imaginary space. I list areas of the house that is in the book as I watch the students explore those areas. Then, I have them become their characters by putting on the clothes that they would wear and continue to explore their own space. Then it's just a matter of going through the story and having the students react to actions as their character, first the mouse, and then the boy.
It doesn't always go that smoothly though. Being the first drama time, some students rebelled against their own space and decided to wander. If it's one or two I don't get too worried because I recognize that these are first graders and it happens. But, if it's leading to more students and uncontrolled movement then I will stop it. They were pretty good for this lesson although by the end I had some students under desks so next time I will have to make clearer boundaries and perhaps move the desks to create a bigger playing space.
Hints of success. All the students were engaged and really enjoyed being the different characters. As a leave off I encouraged them to notice how they move throughout the day and pick one or two new ways of moving. As I was leaving, a student came up to me and said he could go show his mouse to his parents after school today. I told him that was a great idea and I would ask him about it next week. A very good first day.
That's it for this week! I'll start to have pictures of the students once my classroom can collect all the media release forms! Till next time!
Great work! Alliteration is awesome and it sounds like the students had a great first experience with drama in the classroom. How was the experience for the teacher?
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