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Theatre in the Classroom Workshop 12 Jan 00
How I got my job No training.. still none
3 reasons for Theatre in Classroom: self-confidence and poise enhance subject matter as a subject matter in itself. (Note: no mention of fulfilling state goals) Not going to talk today about how to put on plays. That is just a part of educational theatre.
Premise: Everyone is born an actor. Some retain the ability, some re-learn it and some let it slip away. Kindergarten: best actors in the school…
Theatre is an exciting and entertain way to teach things that we already have as goals in our curriculum: Self-discipline Focus and concentration “giving” aesthetics.. there is more to life than a six-pack and the Super Bowl. I could fill our entire time today with stories of children whose lives have been literally changed forever by their theatre experience.
How I use it in the classroom.. Note: I never teach “theatre” per se, but use it to teach other things. ---to enhance my subject matter ---as a “focusing” technique.. I call them energizers.
Above all, it used the natural energy that your kids bring into the classroom. All research says that hands-on, participatory learning is the most effective and long-lasting. Think back to the greatest learning experiences you had in grade school… I’ll bet you were doing.. not just watching and listening.
I’m not going to give you a curriculum to follow. .. our needs and classrooms are too varied to attempt that….merely a smattering.. a smorgasbord of things to use in your classroom .. Pick and choose and discard..
Begin by telling your administration to ignore anything they hear coming from your classroom. If you’ve taught long enough, they already ignore you.
Loosen-uppers: Groupings …. A non-threatening way to start Circle: grape, cow, sandwich, tickle tree, cowboy, cow. Who Starting This? Look up and shout
Physical Warm-ups: What are you Doing? If you Love me…. Do you Love your Neighbor? Goin’ for a Ride Vocal Warm-ups: Partners: Non-stop talk … a warm-up.. to get even the shy involved Simul-talk.. focus and listening…
The Brain.. sentence structure Alphabet line… learning the alphabet School Bus… listening and exploring emotions
Story-telling: 3 stories, One truth …teach them it’s detail that sells and makes a story believable What Happened Next? EX: The 3 Little Pigs After the Cops come to Investigate 7 Dwarves return on Snow White’s 20th Wedding Anniversary Bo-Peep is found to be allergic to sheep or Johnny Appleseed to apples Or George Washington visits a modern day dentist with his wooden teeth Imaginary Story Titles: “Jimmy and the Amazing Pickle” “The day Suzie blew her nose too hard” “What Jenny found in the magic refrigerator” “The Magic Belly Button” “The Dancing Pants” “The Ugliest Frog in the Pond” “The Mysterious Bubble Gum”
Or Mysteries to Solve: --What was the real reason that Jack and Jill fell down the hill? --How did the three blind mice go blind? --How did Baa Baa Black Sheep get those three bags of wool? --What did the doctors and Mary’s family think when she had a little lamb? ---What really happened between Little Miss Muffet and the Spider? --Why did Humpty Dumpty fall off the wall? ---What did Little Jack Horner do to get sat in a corner?
Or with a different twist:
Murder Mystery Headlines: --Snow White found frozen to death! Seven Dwarves arrested! --Beast found dead. Beauty charged with Homicide! --Shoe Cobbler found with wooden nose in back! Pinnochio in jail! --Three Frozen hams found along Interstate 55! Big Bad Wolf’s Wife Held for questioning! --Witch’s family says it was a set-up! Hansel & Gretel charged with arson and Murder! --Sailor Mice Found Dead at Hickory Dickory Dock! --Golilocks found mauled to death on Yellowstone Church Camping Trip! --Aladdin found dead. Lamp missing. Genie held for questioning. --Shipwreck kills 100! Little Mermaid Charged! --Dorothy dead, Toto in ICU. Lion charged with homicide! --Weasel Pops. Family left fatherless. Monkey held for questioning! --Jack in critical condition. He says, “Somebody raised the candlestick!” --King Cole found drowned in moat. Police cancel three fiddlers world tour! --Old Woman charged with abuse! Children rescued from Shoe! --Three sisters found slashed by glass. Cinderalla held on Million Dollar bond. --EPA says Wolves Illigally Slautered. Red and Riding Hoods held for questioning.
Emotions: Walk on, sit, walk off …begin with easily discernable and work toward the tougher… Easy: Happy, Sad, Angry… Tougher to delineate: Fear, Sadness, Lost Emotion Tap . . . . pointing out how the same situation can be explained in various ways
Teaching genres in literature… Story 3 Ways.. Straight, Shakespeare (classic), Soap Opera, Western, Mime, Musical Teaching Visual Interest, Balance, etc: 5-second Freeze (or “Statue”) Michaelangelo Questioning skills: Complaint Department Teaching Improv Techniques and other games easily adapted to help teach your curriculum:
Agreement Game Make statements, avoid questions.. In Improv: NEVER DENY! Move the plot forward. When in trouble, flirt or sing! Idea from audience (Social Studies.. pick a place, a time in history, a problem) Mr. Mumble (concentration) Tag Line … showing that “the beginning” is not necessarily the only place to start Opening Line … That’s really all you need. Dubbing … teaching “inner dialogue” .. what we see on the surface may not be fact.
Creative Thinking: Ball Toss Internet Improv Sources for additional games: HYPERLINK http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/Stage/7191/improv.html http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/Stage/7191/improv.html
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