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Movement/Pantomime UnitLesson 1 - Image TheatreEducational Objective: Students will understand the importance of their body in storytelling by participating in various image theatre activities and follow-up discussions.Materials Needed: “I Am” Poem (either on a handout for them to fill out, or a journal prompt on the projector).Hook:The Martha Game:Invite students to join me, standing in a circle, in the front of the room, after putting their books down at their seats.Explain the rules of the game. (One person starts an image by freezing, like a statue, in a pose - ex. I am laying out at the beach (student lays down and poses like he is sunbathing) - other students join the image, freezing in their poses as they announce what they are - ex. I am a seagull, I am drowning in the ocean, I am the lifeguard, I am a shark, etc. Once everyone has joined, and the picture is completed, I will choose one student who is in a very interesting pose to stay in that pose but choose a new scene. Everyone will then join that scene. So on and so on maybe four or five times — or more — depending on how long it takes. If needed, I will participate in the first one (by starting it) and then I will let them take over. I will also be side coaching to make sure that they are all participating and that no one is thinking about it too hard.Transition:Instruct students to move from the circle back to their seats, picking up their journals on the way.Journal Entry:Fill in the blanks in this “I Am” Poem: (some students might need you to explain what you mean by characteristics - give examples if you need to)I am ____________ and _______________ (two special characteristics)I wonder ____________________________ (something you are really curious about)I feel _______________________________ (what are you feeling right now?)I worry _____________________________ (something that really bothers you)I try ________________________________ (something you make an effort to do)I dream _____________________________ (something you actually dream about)I am ____________ and ________________ (first line of the poem repeated)Transition:Ask students to place their journals under their chairs, explaining that we will come back to these later.Activity:Ask for a reminder of what “soft focus” means.Instruct students to walk around the room in soft focus. Tell them that I will call out a word (emotion, feeling), and that when I say “freeze,” they need to make a statue (a silent statue) that shows that emotion.Have them walk, give them a countdown to freeze. (ex: Make a statue that shows happy in 3…2…1… Freeze!) (ex: Make a statue that shows me what you would look like if something just gave you the worst news of your life in 3…2…1… Freeze!)Walk around the frozen statues, observing. After a few different emotions, and students are feeling a little more comfortable with this activity, walk through and find interesting or unique poses and have them continue freezing while other students unfreeze and look (gallery walk, sort of). Look for different ways that students are showing the same emotion — have students notice that there are different ways to show the same emotion.Take note of both body language and facial expressions. Ask the students what sorts of things they are noticing when they look around at other people.Activity:Instruct students to grab a partner.Ask them to show, with their bodies only (frozen statues again) what two people who are friends, who like each other, might look like. What about if they don’t like each other?They are going to choose, with their partner, a relationship to show (two people that “go together”) like a parent/child, teacher/student, monster in closet/child hiding under the covers.They have 30 seconds to choose their relationship, and when I say freeze they need to make statues together that show that relationship. (ask for some students to tell what they did).Do this two more times. On the third time, have the students find another partnership near them to show their statues to. Have the other group guess what it is. Then switch.Activity:Emphasize that for this activity, the goal is to communicate silently as a group to create images together.As a class, everyone needs to create these pictures together. Give them the object or image they need to create, give them ten seconds to create it — “When I turn back around, I want to see a triangle…” and count out loud 1-10. Ask if there are any other ways they would show that image (let them try some of them a second time).Use shapes, group objects, scenes, and abstract things.Activity:Divide the class, based just on where they are standing, into four different groups. Give each group a (secret) abstract image that they need to create a frozen image for. Give the groups two minutes to decide what they are doing. Have each group show their image to the class, like a performance (so being good audience members), and then let students guess what they think it is based on what they are seeing.Transition:Ask students to grab their journals and come make a circle, sitting, on the floor.Activity: Tableau GiftsAsk students for a volunteer to read one line of their “I Am” poems. Tell everyone that we are going to make a gift for that student, we are going to make an image just for them based on the line they read. Have that student close their eyes, and invite anyone who feels “inspired” by that line to come create a picture for it. Invite as many students as would like to join. When the image is “done” (when people stop coming up) the student can open their eyes and receive their gift. “Say thank you.”I may need to help students think of things, or pick certain students to join the picture is no one is.Transition:Go sit back down in your seats, open to today’s journal entry for part 2.Reflection:What is body language? How do you use body language to express emotions or feelings?

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Movement/Pantomime Unit:Lesson 5 - The Rules of PantomimeEducational Objective: Students will demonstrate their understanding of the basic rules of pantomime performance by participating in various pantomime activities focusing on clear and concise movements, consistency, and exaggeration.Materials Needed: pantomime clip from Hook, youtube clip of “The Rose” pantomime, youtube clip of “Coney Island” pantomime, pantomime activity index cardsWrite the following on the board —Pantomime: an art that develops non-verbal communication using facial expressions and body language to create elements of character, plot, space, and action.Hook:Have lights off and movie playing when students walk in to class. Invite students to sit wherever they like. Watch the pantomime clip (dinner with the lost boys) with the students. When the clip is over, ask the following questions.What were some of the foods you “saw” them eating?Would you consider this pantomime?Was it very good pantomime?Transition:After mini discussion, ask students to get out their journals. Again, they can sit wherever they would like to for the viewing of the second clip. They are just supposed to sit and watch, notice, and enjoy the clip.Show clip of “The Rose.”Discussion:After the clip, conduct a discussion asking the following questions.What were some of the things he was doing well?How could you tell what he was doing?Where was he looking? What was his focus?What did his facial expressions tell you?How would you describe his movements?Were you able to see what he was seeing?As students say specific things that the pantomime artist did well, write them on the board (ex: great facial expressions). When finished, have students copy this list into their journals.Transition:Write CLEAR AND CONSISTENT and EXAGGERATED on the board.Discussion:What might these words have to do with pantomime? Ask for examples.Demonstrate “What Not To Do” when pantomiming getting a glass of milk. Do things like walking through the refrigerator, not taking the lid off, changing the height of the counter, etc. Have them tell you what you are doing wrong.Show them what exaggerating SHOULDN’T look like.Activity:Have the students find a place in the room where they are away from everyone else. Tell them that the are going to practice using clear and consistent movements, and exaggerating their facial expressions and movements, as they perform different actions. Start them on the first one, then walk around and have students pull the next card and read it aloud. Offer side-coaching to keep them focused on the pantomime activity.The following are written on index cards:carrying a suitcaselicking an ice cream conepeeling a bananawashing a dogsweeping the floorsewing a buttonpainting/clipping your toenailsclimbing a ladderopening and closing doorsmaking a smorepour a bowl of cerealwrite in a notebooktalk on the phoneopen a bottle of water (drink it)setting the tableunloading a bag of groceriesplaying mini golfTransition:Instruct students once again to sit wherever they like for the last video clip. They are to watch, notice, and enjoy but not write anything down.Watch the “Coney Island” pantomime clip.Discussion:After the clip, ask the following questions.What was different about watching a pantomime with two people?Did they work well together?What was their focus?Do you think it would be more or less difficult to perform a pantomime with another person?Transition into Activity:We are going to try this a little bit! You have ten seconds to find a partner and sit down on the carpet back to back with them.Ask them to pantomime a few of the following activities with their partners. Offer side-coaching as they do so.awkward moment when you both get on an elevatorone of you wash, one of you dry the dishesplay ping pongone of you tell the other a jokebuying a hamburgertug of warargument between best friendsIf there is any time left at the end:Play a round or two of “Why were you late?” and ask the two pantomimers to focus specifically one what we talked about today.

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Movement/Pantomime Unit:Lesson 6 - Introducing Pantomime Story FinalEducational Objective: Students will demonstrate an understanding of pantomime by composing pantomime stories in a group.Materials Needed: 5 or 6 random objects placed at the front of the room.(Examples of the ones I used: pool noodle, silver mixing bowl, baseball glove, teddy bear, pot lid, purse, rubber spider, prop horn, and a wizard hat)Hook:Have the journal prompt written on the board when students enter the classroom.Journal Prompt:Pick one of the objects at the front of the room. Answer the following questions:Who might use this object?Where would they use it?What is something unusual that a person could do with that object?After they have been given about a minute to answer the above questions, ask them to write a really short story about their answers. Point out that they already have one character, the setting, and a possible idea for the conflict. The story must include:- 3 or 4 people- The object- All of the elements of the dramatic structure.- A conflict.Allow them to write for about 15-20 minutes.If they would like one, give them an example using one of the objects at the front of the room. If their answers about a basket were a picnic, a person on a date, and to use it as a hat, their story could be something like, “two people were having a picnic on a date. Another person came along and took their basket. When they were trying to find it, the thief put it on his head and pretended it was a hat. They asked him if he had seen their basket. He shook his head to say he had not. The couple left. He ate a sandwich out of the basket. They saw him and got their basket back and chased him away.”) Give a few more examples if necessary.Instructions:Have students get into groups of three of four.Give them eight-ten minutes to share their stories with each other.Once ten minutes has gone by, tell them that they are in their performance groups, and they need to pick one of the stories they wrote to perform as a pantomime story.Give them a minute to vote on their group’s story.Explain to them that if their story is not picked, it does not mean that it wasn’t good. They will still be turning it in and I will read it. We only have time for a few.Explain that if they need to add to, change, or simplify their story in any way they can.Have the students start to think about who will play which part, and how they will pantomime this story.

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Movement/Pantomime UnitLesson 3 - Pantomime StoriesEducational Objective: Students will demonstrate their understanding of the basics of pantomime by performing their pantomime activities and participating in discussions afterward.Materials Needed: Magic Box cards.Hook:Sit on the floor, in the front of the room, as students come in. Silently invite them to join you. Silently instruct them to make a circle. Do not make any noise at all. Once all of the students have joined you in the circle, and the starting bell has rung, begin the activity. Show the students the cards one by one, making sure everyone has gotten a chance to see them (change up which side of the circle you show the card to first so that students won’t feel it is unfair). The cards read as follows:In front of me there is a box.It is a magic box!It is magic because it is invisible.It is also magic because it can hold anything inside of it.(Think Mary Poppins!)(Or Hermione’s purse…)Each of us gets to choose something from the box —and show it to the rest of the class.Do not talk or make any noise as you do so.I’ll go first :)Go first. Show them, with your example, just how big the box can be and how much can be inside of it (for instance, ten pins and a bowling ball). Use the space, too, so students will know what to do. Pass the box to your left, so they also know what to do with the box when they are done.Transition:Once the box returns to you, put it away. Sit for 2-3 seconds, and then break the silence. If this has worked the way it was supposed to, it will be a fun transition because it is so jarring to start talking after ten minutes of silence.Discussion:Conduct a discussion with everyone by asking the following questions:What were some of the things you saw come out of the box?How could you tell?Could you tell the way that people felt about the items they pulled out of the box?How?Instruction:At this point, with students ready to practice before they perform, explain how you will grade this assignment:The students will start with ten points.-2 if they make any noise (explain if necessary)-2 if it is not in the time limit-2 if they break character (explain if necessary - this means looking at the audience or the teacher during the pantomime, laughing, or acting like you think it is a dumb assignment)Practice:Allow students five minutes to practice their pantomime scenes however they would like to.After five minutes, have students move to their seats for the performance.Performance:Split the class into two different halves with an imaginary line down the middle of them, so there are two different audiences. Have two people come up and perform at one time, with half of the class watching one and the other half watching the other. This is both so that it takes less time, and so that the students aren’t feeling too exposed or nervous for their first pantomime performance.After each of the performances, ask for observations and “noticements” of things that the performer did well from each side. Allow two or three for each performer.We will not get through everyone today. Allow a second day for these performances.

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Movement/Pantomime UnitLesson 4 - Day Two of Pantomime StoriesEducational Objective: Students will demonstrate their understanding of the basics of pantomime by performing their pantomime activities and participating in discussions afterward.Hook:(Because I found this to be necessary) Have a journal prompt written on the board when students enter the room.Journal Entry:What can I do today to be a good audience member for the pantomime performers?Transition:Remind students of how their performances will be graded. Remind students of the setup of the performances.Lead a few physical warmups.Performances:Have students perform their pantomime activities, same as last time.Activity:To reward students for 1. performing their pantomime activities and 2. getting through everyone’s performances (which is actually quite difficult) we will play a pantomime game.BING:Four volunteers are needed (one eye-witness and three detectives). Detectives are sent out of the room. The class chooses three things about a murder (VICTIM’S OCCUPATION, LOCATION OF THE MURDER, AND THE WEAPON) that has taken place (the one that the eye witness saw). Eye-witness must pantomime these things to the first detective. When he thinks he gets it, he has to say BING and do a hand motion above their head (like a lightbulb has gone off) (no guesses out loud, no asking for hints, the eye-witness just has to keep trying different ways until the detective thinks they get it). Once he has said BING to all three things, HE has to act it out for the next detective. Same rules apply. It’s like the telephone game mixed with pantomime. After all three detectives have been told what happened, the last one tells the class what they think happened in an official sounding police report. An example of one the three things the class might choose: occupation - batman, location - in a donut shop, murder weapon - killed by poison.So there is no talking at all, except for the BING that the detective said for each clue. I found it helpful to write down the three categories on the board so that the person who is pantomiming knows what comes next.I also will pick the first four volunteers, but I will allow five seconds for them to choose their replacement for the next round.

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Movement/Pantomime UnitLesson 2 - Beginning PantomimeEducational Objective: Students will demonstrate their developing understanding of pantomime by participating in various movement and pantomime activities.Materials Needed: Four identical small objects (like whiteboard markers)Hook:What are you doing? Game. Allow everyone to go through the line twice.Activity:Have the class spread out in the room. (Allow students to move around the room, but with the understanding that if it gets dangerous or if they can’t be quiet, they will only be allowed to stand in place. If standing in place is still too difficult for them to handle, they will need to do it in slow motion.) STANDING IN PLACE (if it gets too crazy, tell them it needs to be in slow motion). They will be instructed to move based on what the teacher instructs them to be. Periodically, have them freeze and describe to you the way they are moving to be the particular thing you told them to be. Ask them what muscles they feel themselves using.Focus on the different aspects of moving.• Low: Be a caterpillar. Pretend you are doing a limbo contest.• High: Be an airplane. Be a kite. Pretend you are walking on a tight rope.• Horizontal: Be a bell that is swinging. Be a lion, pacing it’s cage. Paddle a canoe.• Vertical: Be an elevator. Be a bird. Do ten jumping jacks.• Fast: Be a fire engine, racing to put out a fire. Be a leaf caught in a storm. Pretend you are rushing to get to class on time.• Slow: Be a turtle. Pretend you are in slow motion.• Turning: Pretend you are in a revolving door. Be a merry-go-round.• Strong: Pretend you are chopping wood. Pretend you are a bulldozer.• Soft: Pretend you are a balloon. Be a butterfly. Be a kitten.• Sharp: Pretend you are a cuckoo clock. Be a toy soldier. Be a robot.• Floppy: Be a rag doll. Be a flag in the breeze. Pretend you are fish out of water.• Smooth: Be syrup, pouring onto pancakes. Be a fish, swimming in water.• Twisted: Be an octopus. Be a pretzel. Pretend you are crumpled up paper.Discussion:After students have done all of these, conduct a discussion with them asking these different questions:What were some of the different kinds of movements you were doing?What were some similarities and differences you noticed between the movements?What was the hardest/easiest to do?What were you imagining or picturing in your mind as you made these movements?How were you able to internalize these different kinds of movements when so many of them were different from how you normally move?Transition:Ask the students to sit in a big circle on the floor.Ask, “who has ever played pretend? Do you ever have something and pretend that it is something else?” Ask for examples.Activity:Instructions: “I am going to pass around this marker, but guess what! It isn’t a marker. It is something else entirely - each time we pass it around the circle, it will be a different object (that I will tell you) and I want to see you treat it as such. For example, what if I said that this was an ice cream cone? How would you show me that it’s an ice cream cone?” There are four people who will start with the marker, so that more people can go at a time. When a person who starts with a marker gets a second marker, they hold it and wait until the object changes again.Pass around the white board markers. The first time around, it is a diamond bracelet. (Side coaching - how do you handle something as fragile as a diamond bracelet? how do you feel about this bracelet? - offer praise for when students do well.) The second, it is an old, dirty wallet. The third time around it is a small, fluffy kitten. The last time, it is a full glass of hot water.*Only the first two times around the circle will they have an object. After the second time, take it away and tell them that they need to pretend (pantomime) the object. This makes it more difficult because they really need to watch one another and they need to try to “see” the object they are holding.Discussion:After students have done all of these, conduct a discussion with them asking these different questions:What was difficult about trying to “see” the object you were holding?Were you able to show what the object was?Was it more or less difficult when I took the marker away?Activity:Have everyone stand up, in their own space (no one touching or too close) and have them pantomime these different scenarios, focusing on the different sense that is introduced. These are absolutely silent, and have students do it all in place.Seeing-1. Enter a large room and look around for someone you know.2. Dig through the lost and found to find your sweater.3. Look for your shoes in a very dark closet.4. Watch your favorite show on television.Hearing-1. Hear an explosion.2. Listen to a small sound, try to decide what it is.3. Listen to your favorite song on the radio.4. Listen to your teacher giving instructions.Smelling-1. Come home and smell cookies baking in the oven.2. Walk in the woods and smell a campfire.3. Smell different perfumes at the mall.4. Smell something gross and try to decide what it is.Tasting-1. Eat your favorite piece of candy.2. Taste something you have never had before. Decide if you like it.3. Eat something spicy!4. Lick a very sour lemon.Touching-1. Accidentally touch a hot stove.2. Hold a soft piece of fabric.3. Try to pet a spiky porcupine.4. Make a very cold snowball.Assignment:Students need to prepare a 30 second (to 1 minute) pantomime activity. The activity should be something that they do everyday (or have at least done once before) and must include at least three separate actions. For example, sleeping for your entire pantomime won’t count — but if you sleep, and wake up, and brush your teeth and it takes at least thirty seconds, then you’re great. You will perform these next class. A good idea would be to practice in the mirror.

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