Objective
Students will demonstrate their ability to tell stories using voice and body to convey imagery by participating in activities and telling a children’s story.
Lesson Directions
Anticipatory Set/Hook
Share a children’s story with the class. Some examples might include: Where the Wild Things Are, The Paper Bag Princess, and Jack and the Giant Beanstalk.
Instruction
Step 1:
Transition – Discuss successful and unsuccessful elements of the way the story was told. Was it interesting? Why? Why not?
Guided Practice – Have the students get into groups of 2. Write on the board the line: “Slowly, deliberately, the ax murderer reached for…” Remind them to use things we discussed that made the story effective at the beginning of class. Have the students say the line to each other filling in what the ax murderer reached for (ex: “Slowly, deliberately, the ax murderer reached for another paper towel). Ask if anyone would like to nominate their partner to share their interpretation of the line with the class. Have a few students share for the whole class.
Step 2:
Transition – Discuss the things that worked when telling the line (voice, body, facial expressions, etc.) to remind the students of what happened in the previous lesson.
Instruction – Discuss how these things help an actor (stay focused, energy to keep audience attention, staying in character, etc.). Have the students get into groups of four and work on telling their stories to each other.
Guided Practice – Have the other students fill out an evaluation with three things they could do to improve and 3 things that worked well.
Assessment
Have the students turn in their evaluations.