Georgia Standards

South Carolina Standards

Key Vocabulary

Materials

• Positive/Negative cards–index cards with one word on each: Positive (+), negative (-) (one card per student)
• North/South cards–index cards with one word on each: North (N), South (S) (one card per student)
• Rules of Improvisation
• Force of Nature Scenarios for "May the Force Be With You" improvisations.
  • 1 - "Magnetic Mystery" (Magnetism, Electricity)
    • Scenario: A town is experiencing strange magnetic disturbances—cars, phones, and even metal trash cans are flying toward a mysterious magnetic field! A group of scientists must figure out what's causing it before everything metal disappears into the sky.
      • Forces in action:
        • Magnetism–students can act as metal objects being pulled toward an invisible force
        • Electricity–powering the magnet on/off to control the chaos
      • 2 - "Frenzy Friction" (Friction, Inertia)
        • Scenario: A group of skiers is competing in a downhill race, but as they reach the bottom, they realize the snow has melted into a super slippery ice patch! With almost no friction, they can't stop and must figure out how to slow down before crashing.
          • Forces in action:
            • Friction–acting out different surfaces: rough snow versus slick ice
            • Inertia–skiers keep moving unless something stops them
          • 3 - "Elevator Drop" (Electricity, Gravity)
            • Scenario: A group of people is in an elevator when the power goes out! Without electricity, the elevator stops moving. Then, the emergency backup kicks in, but gravity starts pulling it too fast. Can they figure out how to stop the elevator before it crashes?
              • Forces in action:
                • Electricity–powers the elevator, but it fails
                • Gravity–pulling it down when the power is lost
                • Friction–brakes activating to slow it down
              • 4 - "Rollin’ Coaster" (Inertia, Friction, Gravity)
                • Scenario: A brand-new roller coaster malfunctions, and instead of slowing down at the end, it keeps speeding up! The riders must find a way to stop the ride before they launch off the tracks.
                  • Forces in action:
                    • Gravity–pulling the coaster down steep drops
                    • Inertia–coaster keeps moving unless stopped
                    • Friction–brakes trying to slow it down

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

EXTREME ZING! (Magnetism & Electricity)

• Explore the words attract and repel and how they look on our bodies.
  • Repel jumps away.
  • Attract comes together.
• Explore the words positive and negative and how they look with our bodies, faces, and voices.
  • Positive - Tall body, high level that goes from small to big, face goes small to big, voice with pitch and volume that grows
  • Negative - Small body, low level that goes from low to high, face from big to small, voice with pitch and volume that decrease
• Discuss how attract and repel relate to positive and negative charges.
  • Opposites attract.
  • Likes repel.
• Have students mill about the room.
• Tell students:
  • When I say "1, 2, 3…Action" you will mill about the room as your positive or negative character.
  • When I say "1, 2, 3…ZING!" you will freeze opposite the person/character closest to you.
  • Physically react to your partner/other character:
    • If they are opposites (+ and -) or (North and South), they must move toward each other (slow-motion magnetization).
    • If they are like charges (+ and +) or (North and North), they must dramatically push apart like an invisible force is pushing them.
  • I will then say "1, 2, 3…Action” and you will mill about the room again until I call out "1, 2, 3.. ZING”.
• Give each student a positive/negative card and a north/south card.
• Keep playing for several rounds.
• Then, add the third action: Neutral!
  • Students freeze, representing an uncharged object.

GRAVITY GROOVE

• Discuss how gravity changes movement.
• Ask students to move around the room normally.
• Call out different gravity levels:
  • Zero gravity:
    • Students move in slow motion, floating like astronauts.
  • Moon gravity:
    • Students take big, slow steps, like walking on the Moon.
  • Extreme gravity:
    • Students act as if they are being pulled down with heavy weight.
  • Coaching note:
    • Encourage students to exaggerate their movements and facial expressions to tell a strong non-verbal story.

MAGNETIC FIELD MILLING

• Discuss the meaning of a magnetic field.
• Play music.
• Explain the game. Say:
  • When I play the music, you will walk around the room like a magnetic particle floating in space.
  • When I stop the music, I will call out a scenario.
  • You need to use your whole body, facial expression, and imagination to embody the scenario without words.
• Start the music. Asking questions as students mill about the space.
  • How would that feel in your body?
  • How would your legs react?
  • How would your arms react?
• Stop the music and call out a scenario:
  • Strong magnet!
    • Students rush to the center of the room acting like a strong magnetic field pulling them in.
      • Coaching questions:
        • How would this change the pace of your movement?
        • How would the magnetic field pull you?
        • What part of your body would lead?
      • Weak magnet!
        • Students lazily move in all directions showing a weak attraction.
          • Coaching questions:
            • How would this change the pace of your movement?
            • How would your face react?
            • What part of your body would lead?
            • How would your posture change?
          • Magnet turned off!
            • Students collapse like the magnet lost power.
              • Coaching questions:
                • How would you fall to the ground?
                • Add a sound when you are turned off.

Work Session

IMPROVISATION

• Introduce the Rules of Improvisation.
• Watch the video: Minute Improv Yes And.
• GAME: "YOU ARE A…..YES, AND I AM"
  • Have students get into partners around the room.
  • Partner #1 tells the other what character they are/have.
    • #1 says, “You are a ________.”
    • #1 claps three times while Partner #2 becomes the character.
  • Partner #2 immediately physicalizes and embodies the character said to them.
    • Then says, after the claps, “Yes, I am ….and….I _______”, adding in a detail and acting it out.
  • Partner #1 gives Partner #2 three character suggestions. Then, the partners switch.
  • Partner #2 gives Partner #1 three character suggestions.
  • Example:
    • #1 says, “You are a monkey” then claps three times.
    • #2 becomes a monkey with body, voice, and sounds.
    • #2 says, “YES, I am a monkey, AND I eat bananas!”.
    • Repeat this twice and then switch.

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU

• Say, “Now, let's practice and play with improvisation; let's make up scenes on our feet as we go along”.
• Ask three student volunteers to come to the front of the room.
• Read the scenario: "Lost in Space" (Gravity, Inertia).
  • A team of astronauts is on a spacewalk when their spaceship's gravity generator malfunctions! Suddenly, they are floating in zero gravity. A planet’s gravitational pull pulls them in as they struggle to move. Can they escape before they get sucked into the atmosphere?
  • Ask students which forces are at work. This scenario deals with gravity and inertia.
  • Ask students to explore ways that would look in their bodies in each scenario.
    • Gravity–weightlessness in space versus strong pull from a planet
    • Inertia–astronauts floating in motion until they push off something
  • Ask students to freeze in a pose as if they are floating in zero gravity.
  • Call "Action" and have students come to life.
  • Coaching notes as students improvise.
    • If a student negates something, ask them to repeat it with "Yes, and…"
    • Tell students:
      • Project your voice so that we can hear you.
      • Listen to your partner.
      • Build on what your partner is saying.
      • Bring in the focus of nature.
    • When students are finished, call "Lights out."
    • Have students bow.
    • Ask the students in the audience what they thought each actor did well.
    • Ask them what worked and didn't work about the dialogue.
    • Assign groups of students a Force of Nature Scenario (Gravity, Magnetism, Electricity, Friction, Inertia).
      • Give students ten minutes to rehearse.
      • Have students share scenes.
      • Keep coaching as scenes are being performed to help direct the scenes if needed

Closing Reflection

• Say, “Improvisation is radical cooperation and acceptance. Why do you think people say that about improv?”.
  • Have students turn and talk to a neighbor about the following:
    • Was improvisation easy or hard for you, and why?
    • Think about how saying "Yes…and" might change some of your school, home, and work relationships.

Assessments

Formative

• Walk around the room and listen to collaboration to assess students’ comprehension of the material.
• Observe students' understanding of improvisation and comfort level throughout the lesson.

Summative

• Assess students' content comprehension through the scenes that they create. Check to make sure they include the forces and create dialogue.

Differentiation

Additional Resources

Minute Improv Video: Yes And

Credits

Ideas contributed by: Susie Spear Purcell

*This integrated lesson provides differentiated ideas and activities for educators that are aligned to a sampling of standards. Standards referenced at the time of publishing may differ based on each state’s adoption of new standards.

Revised and copyright:  May 2025 @ ArtsNOW

Georgia Standards

South Carolina Standards

Key Vocabulary

Materials

• Circle colored stickers for resistors in circuit breaker tag
• Lanyards for name tags–each lanyard/name tag should have one card in it. Cards should be labeled battery, wires, switch, light bulb/motor); one lanyard/nametag/card per student
• Open/closed cards–each card should have one word on it–either open or closed (one card per group of four students)
• Insulator conductor cards–each card should have a visual of a conductor or insulator on it (one card per group of four students)
• Paper and pencils

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

CIRCUIT FREEZE

• Tell students that statues are frozen poses actors use to tell dramatic stories.
  • A statue is one person freezing.
  • Statues have levels (high, middle, low), interesting shapes, and facial expressions.
• Ask students to use their bodies and faces to create a statue of the word “open”.
  • Ask them to outstretch their arms really wide and freeze as if they can't move.
  • This represents an open circuit.
• Then, ask students to use their body and face to create a statue of the word “closed”.
  • Ask them to hook their hands together in front of their body.
  • Encourage them to pulse their body to represent a closed circuit.
• Tell students they must freeze in the corresponding statue when you call out "1, 2, 3….OPEN FREEZE" or "1, 2, 3….CLOSED FREEZE".
  • Coaching note:
    • Encourage students to use energy in all parts of their body and face, whether frozen or pulsing.
      • Body (gestures, interesting shapes, energy throughout)
      • Face (eyes, mouths, cheeks)
    • Encourage students to have intense freezes like they are being zapped frozen.

CIRCUIT BREAKER TAG

• Choose one student to be the battery.
  • Give that student one color dot.
  • Ask the student to put this dot on their forehead.
  • The battery is “it”.
• Assign three to four students to be switches.
  • Give these students another color dot.
  • Ask students to put the dots on their foreheads.
  • Switches control when circuits are open or closed.
• The rest of the students are electrons.
  • Electrons are runners.
• Explain how the game works.
  • The battery (“it”) will run around tagging electrons.
    • If an electron is tagged, the student will open their arms stretched out wide and freeze in place.
      • They are representing an open circuit.
      • The only way for a frozen electron to move again is if a switch tags them.
        • When a switch tags an electron, the electron can run free again.
          • They represent "flipping the switch”, which closes the circuit.
        • Conclude the game after a set time limit or until most electrons are frozen.
        • You can then move on to different modes of the game.
          • Explain each of the three modes:
            • Series Circuit Mode:
              • Have students hold hands to create a chain.
                • This represents a series circuit.
              • If one electron in the chain gets tagged by the battery, everyone in that chain must freeze.
                • This represents a break in the circuit.
              • A switch can tap the frozen players to restore the circuit.
                • This allows the entire chain to move again.
              • Parallel Circuit Mode:
                • Students can run freely throughout the space.
                  • This represents separate parallel paths.
                • If an electron is tagged, only that individual electron freezes.
                  • All other electrons can keep running.
                • A switch can unfreeze the tagged electron by tapping them.
                  • This restores that part of the circuit.
                • Resistor Mode:
                  • Assign some students to be resistors.
                    • Resistors cannot run. They can only walk and must move very slowly. This simulates resistance in a circuit.
                      • NOTE: You can give resistors colored stickers on their forehead or wristbands.
                    • Other electrons (runners) can move freely unless tagged.
                    • If a resistor is tagged by the battery, the resistor must freeze like a normal electron.
                    • This demonstrates:
                      • How resistors slow down the flow of electrons in a circuit.
                      • How resistance affects movement (current).
                    • Once students understand the concept of resistors, you can add levels.
                      • Resistance levels:
                        • Have some resistors hop in slow motion.
                        • Have other resistors turn in slow motion.
                        • You can use other slow-motion movements or ask students for suggestions.

Work Session

VIVANT CIRCUIT

• Explain that pantomime is a dramatic way to tell a story without using your voice.
  • Actors exaggerate their body movements, gestures, and facial expressions to mime stories.
• Tell students that the class will tell the story of a human circuit using pantomime.
• Ask the class to make a big movement with their bodies.
  • Tell them that these movements are energy.
• Next, tell them that they will see how energy moves through a circuit.
• Demonstrate one circuit.
  • Ask four volunteers to come to the front of the room.
  • Assign each volunteer a role.
    • 1- Battery–the energy source
    • 2- Wires–the connectors
    • 3- Switch–which can open or close the circuit
    • 4- Light bulb/motor–the load
      • The load reacts when the circuit is complete.
    • Have the actors stand in a circle and hold hands.
    • Explain that they have now formed a circuit chain.
    • Ask the battery to make a big energy movement.
      • This energy movement will pass down the line of the circuit.
    • The battery starts the energy by passing the movement down the line.
      • When the movement reaches the wire, the wire activates.
      • When the movement reaches the light bulb, the light bulb reacts or lights up. The actor jumps or spins.
        • This shows that the circuit is complete.
      • The switch can open/close the circuit.
        • Open–breaking, hands outstretched, and frozen pose
        • Closed–rejoining hands and pulsing
      • Explore details about open and closed circuits.
        • Closed circuit: The electrical path is complete, allowing current to flow.
        • Open circuit: There is a break in the path, preventing current from flowing.
      • Have students pantomime both types of circuits. Prompt each by asking students in the audience to shout out "OPEN" or "CLOSED".
      • Add sound:
        • Explain that you will now stop pantomiming and add sound to the circuit.
        • Encourage students to create a sound for their part of the circuit.
        • Their sound activates when the energy reaches them.
      • GROUP CIRCUITS:
        • Hand out lanyards to every student.
        • Tell them that they are now the circuit character listed on their lanyard.
        • Tell them they have two minutes to get into groups of four with each character represented.
        • Allow them time to group themselves without intervening.
        • Once groups are defined, have students create a quick statue of their character.
        • Give each group a closed or open card.
        • Then, tell them they have four minutes to develop a pantomime for their type of circuit.
        • After four minutes, have each group share their pantomime with the rest of the class.
        • Have the audience guess if they were an open or closed circuit.
        • Add sound:
          • After all groups share, have them get back into their circuit groups and create a sound for their character. .
            • Give them two minutes to rehearse bringing their pantomime to life with sounds.
            • When the energy is passed, the character adds their sound.
            • Then call out "1, 2, 3, ACTION" as groups simultaneously add sound and movement to their circuits.
          • SERIES VERSUS PARALLEL
            • When the class has mastered open and closed circuits, you can introduce series versus parallel circuits using pantomime and bring them to life with sound.
              • Some light bulbs turn off, others stay on.

EXTENSION: TO CONDUCT OR NOT TO CONDUCT, THAT IS THE QUESTION

• Discuss insulators and conductors and how they affect circuits.
• Get students back into their circuit groups.
• Hand each group a visual of an insulator or conductor.
• Ask them to identify if it is a conductor or insulator and to write it on the visual card.
• Give them five minutes to develop four lines of dialogue between the circuit and the insulator/conductor.
  • Encourage students to create character voices.
• Have students share dialogue with the class.

K-4 GRADE APPLICATIONS:

• Explore the following electricity-related topics by playing charades or having students create a pantomime to bring to life.
  • Kindergarten: Types of motion
  • 1st: Light and sound
  • 2nd: Magnets (push and pull)
  • 3rd: Heat transfer
  • 4th: Balanced and unbalanced forces

Closing Reflection

• Tell students that today they used their bodies to bring electrical circuits to life. Have them show you one thing you learned about circuits without using their voices.
• Now, have them turn and talk. Students should tell their partners three ways that they use electricity every day.
• Ask students the following reflection questions:
  • What did you enjoy about pantomiming and creating dialogue?
  • What do circuits have to do with electricity, and why do we need a complete path/loop for electricity to flow?
  • How do you see circuits or connections in human relationships?

Assessments

Formative

• Walk around the room while students create pantomimes and clarify why they chose certain movements through question and answer.
• Assess students’ ability to use their voice and body to portray characters. Encourage those who are having difficulty.

Summative

• Have students create a checklist for their pantomime presentation skills that includes use of body, facial expression, and exaggeration.
• Assess whether students understand the content through their pantomime presentation.

Differentiation

Additional Resources

• Broken Box Theatre Mime Company Video
• History of Mime
• Fun Pantomime Video - “Punchomime, Brushing Teeth”

Credits

Ideas contributed by: Susie Spear Purcell

*This integrated lesson provides differentiated ideas and activities for educators that are aligned to a sampling of standards. Standards referenced at the time of publishing may differ based on each state’s adoption of new standards.

Revised and copyright:  May 2025 @ ArtsNOW

Georgia Standards

Key Vocabulary

Materials

• Nametags
• Index cards
• Pencils
• Exit ticket or paper to record answer to exit ticket
• If doing technology extension, you will need computers and a Flip link set up.
• GA DOE Science Teacher Notes
• Planet Character Profile page
• Video: Planets’ & stars’ size comparison
• Planning Character Profile
• See, Think, Wonder Artful Thinking Routine

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

• Watch the Video: Planets’ and stars’ size comparison.
• Engage students in the See, Think, Wonder Artful Thinking Routine.
  • Ask students:
    • What do you see?
    • What do you think about what you see?
    • What do you wonder about?
  • Review similarities and differences between stars and planets.
  • Create a T-chart or Venn Diagram together as a class.

Work Session

• Give students a name tag of either the name of a planet or a star.
• Ask students:
  • If you were given an acting role to “be” this planet or star, how would you use your voice to represent your role? What volume would you use? What pitch would you use?
  • As your star or planet, how would you move your body? What level would you be at–high, middle, low?
  • How would you move? What would your facial expression be?
  • What adjectives would you use to describe yourself?
• Students will create their character based upon their previous knowledge and what was reviewed in “mini-lesson.” Students can plan their “character” using the Planning Character Profile graphic organizer.
  • Example of character notes: Star–HUGE, produces light, hotter and bigger, and appears to twinkle
  • The student could stand stretched out in an X and bounce. “X” shape represents taking up as much space as possible (HUGE); bouncing represents appearing to twinkle.
  • They might use a booming, angry voice to represent hot and large.
• Students should then create a short “bio” about themselves written in the first person. They will use this to introduce themselves to other characters in the class. They should include relevant details about their attributes in their bios.
• Have students form an inner circle and outer circle. The inner circle will face the outer circle so that students are face to face.
• Play music; instruct the circles to rotate in opposite directions while the music plays. When the music stops, the students will stop and introduce themselves using their bios to the student across from them.
  • Remind students to use their voices and bodies to stay in character.
  • Continue this process as time allows.

Closing Reflection

• Have students engage in the following reflection:
  • Share about someone/something you met today. Do you think you would be friends? Why or why not? (Do they have similarities to you? Do they have differences from you?)
  • Have students complete the following exit ticket - Name someone you met today.  How are you alike? How are you different? Record your answers.

Assessments

Formative

• Observation of students’ discussion and Planning Character Profile
• Exit ticket

Summative

• Students’ written bios demonstrating they understand the attributes of their star or planet
• Students’ performances demonstrating that they can use their voices and bodies to communicate characteristics of their character (star or planet)

Differentiation

Acceleration: 

• Students do not use their names with introductions; the other person must then guess who they are meeting.
• Technology extension: Students record their introduction by creating a Flipgrid video (or other source), and students watch each other's introductions.

Remediation:

• Pull students into a small group for filling out the Planning Character Profile.

Credits

U.S. Department of Education- STEM + the Art of Integrated Learning
Ideas contributed by: SAIL Grant Teacher Leaders, Kate Bertram

*This integrated lesson provides differentiated ideas and activities for educators that are aligned to a sampling of standards. Standards referenced at the time of publishing may differ based on each state’s adoption of new standards.

Revised and copyright:  June 2025 @ ArtsNOW

Georgia Standards

South Carolina Standards

Key Vocabulary

Materials

• Anchor Charts - Tableau and Physical versus Chemical Changes
• Tableau Preparation Template
• Suggested prompts for dramatizing physical and chemical changes
• Markers
• Chart paper
• Index cards
• Pencils

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

• Introduce the art form of tableau with a warm-up: Silent Tableau.
• Students will form small groups. Groups will be asked to form various shapes within their groups silently. (Ex: circle, crescent moon, diamond)
• Go over the Principles of Tableau (Anchor Charts - Tableau and Physical versus Chemical Changes (slide 1).
• Groups will then be asked to form various scenarios within their groups silently. Dialogue will be added into the silent scenes through thought-tracking. Groups will practice forming two-part tableaux of a particular scenario.

Examples: Students are on a picnic and it begins to rain; students are playing with a ball in the living room until someone hits a lamp and it breaks; a group of friends wait to yell “surprise” for a surprise birthday party.

Work Session

• Review the concept of physical versus chemical changes.
  • Model by tearing up a piece of paper. Ask the class if this was a physical or a chemical change.
  • As a class, create an anchor chart that lists the characteristics that classify a physical versus a chemical change. (Anchor Charts - Tableau and Physical versus Chemical Changes - slide 2).
• Divide class into small groups and assign a particular chemical or physical change on an index card. (Suggested prompts for dramatizing physical and chemical changes).
• Groups will discuss their change and determine together whether it is physical or chemical.
• Then they will form a two-part dramatization of the scenario undergoing the change. The two tableaux will dramatize how the change occurred and the cause and effect of the change.
• Direct students to use the Tableau Preparation Template to help with the next step.
• In each scenario, students will create dialogue that helps support the type of change that occurred.
• After the groups have had time to rehearse, groups share their tableaux in an informal class performance. The goal is for the audience to be able to determine the materials that changed and whether it was a physical or chemical change based on the performance.

Classroom Tips:

• Use cueing methods when directing tableaux in your classroom: “3-2-1- Freeze” and “Actor’s Neutral”.
• Make your expectations for the tableau science task explicit and go over these before the group work begins. Post them in the room so that students can refer back to them if they need to during their group working time.

Closing Reflection

• Have students respond to the following reflection questions in small groups or through a written reflection:
  • How did engaging in the arts support and build upon your understanding of chemical and physical changes?
  • How did this tableau help you understand chemical and physical changes in the world around you?
  • If you were to go through this artistic process again, what would you do differently? Why?

Assessments

Formative

• Observations of students in the artistic process (rehearsing, performing, visual arts process)
• Tableau Preparation Template

Summative

• Final performance of Chemical/Physical Change with movement and dialogue
• Reflection questions from the Tableau Preparation Template

Differentiation

Credits

U.S. Department of Education- STEM + the Art of Integrated Learning

*This integrated lesson provides differentiated ideas and activities for educators that are aligned to a sampling of standards. Standards referenced at the time of publishing may differ based on each state’s adoption of new standards.

Revised and copyright:  June 2025 @ ArtsNOW

Georgia Standards

South Carolina Standards

Key Vocabulary

Materials

• Playing with Animals Teacher Timeline Checklist
• Project Rubric
• Optional acceleration links: DoInk app (http://www.doink.com); Touchcast app (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/touchcast-studio/id603258418?mt=8)

Mask-making:

• Mask template - one per student printed on computer paper to use for planning
• White plastic face mask or masks templates printed on cardstock for mask creation (one per student)
• Newspaper/newsprint or paper towel and masking tape (for armatures to create snouts, horns, etc.)
• Various materials to add texture, color, and pattern to masks:
  • tissue paper
  • feathers
  • faux animal fur sheets (or a bolt of cloth)
  • mesh netting
  • metallic paper or aluminum foil (fish scales)
• Liquid glue and sponge for application of materials to mask (if using plastic mask) or glue stick
• Markers/Sharpies
• Optional:
  • Tempera paint or tempera sticks
  • Paint brushes for applying paint

Play:

• Zookeeper hat (optional)
• Paper and pencils

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

• Teacher will lead students in a “Story Chain” activity with pantomime.
  • This activity may work best with groups no larger than six to seven students. (It is preferred that these groups be the same groups students will work in for the remainder of the project.)
  • The “Story Chain” activity begins with a one line prompt. This can come from the teacher or from a student. An example could be, “Pat walks into a forest”.
  • Another student will add the next sentence (ONE) detail to the story, making sure to remain in third person, as well as relate to the details mentioned before.
    • Good example: “Pat walks into a forest. He hears birds chirping.”
    • Bad example: “Pat walks into a forest. Pat sees a dolphin jumping out of the ocean.” This is not a good example because you would not see a dolphin in the middle of a forest.
  • As a student shares their one sentence detail, they will pantomime the verb(s) within the sentence.
• The activity continues with each student in the group adding a new detail to the story, making sure to remain in third person, as well as relate to the details previously mentioned.
• Debrief the activity by discussing what students had to do to be successful–listen to each other and build off of one another’s ideas. Discuss the word “collaboration” with students.
• The goal of this activity is to get students listening to each other (they will have to do this when they collaboratively write their play), making ideas connect (their individual animal descriptions/details must connect within their play), and moving in ways related to what they are saying (in the play they will have to perform in the role they have chosen).
• Disclaimer: Students can take the story in any direction they like; however, they just need to make sure the details lead them there. For instance, “Pat walks into a forest. Pat hears birds chirping. Now Pat is walking on the planet Pluto.” It is okay for Pat to end up on Pluto, the students just need to provide the details of how Pat gets there.

Work Session

Part I - Writing the Play:

• If not done already from the activating activity, the teacher will place students into groups of six to seven students (group of seven will have an added animal group of invertebrates).
• Teacher will preview theatre vocabulary with class (character, dialogue, playwright, setting).
  • Remind students what it means to collaborate with others.
• Students will pick roles (if students cannot select on their own, write the roles on slips of paper and have students randomly select roles.): Zoo keeper (narrator), mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian, fish, (optional invertebrate).
• Each group will compose a rough draft of their play. To begin, each student within the group will write at least four lines for the play that includes at least three characteristics of the vertebrate subgroup they chose to portray (i.e., mammal, bird, etc.). The zookeeper should write questions to ask each animal character in order to help classify each animal. The zookeeper will need to work closely with each animal to ensure the zookeeper’s questions are answered by each animal. The zookeeper needs to be sure to “assign” each animal to a particular group in the zoo (which will be either the mammal group, bird group, reptile group, etc.)
• The zookeeper can really take on a fun role by including the audience in the dialogue of the play. For instance, as the zookeeper discovers attributes of each animal he/she can ask the audience “yes or no” questions like “Hmmm, this animal has feathers. Does it belong in the amphibian group? etc.
• As a group, students will decide the order the characters will appear and compose the final script.
• Teacher will formatively assess students during the writing process using the Teacher Timeline Checklist to ensure students remain on task. At the completion of the play writing, the teacher will use Project Rubric (Task A) to summatively assess the written portion of the play.

Part II - Constructing the Mask:

• The teacher will briefly introduce relief sculpture, armature, and balance to help students understand how to create their masks.
• Students will design a mask of their selected animal using the mask template. Students will plan the color, shape, texture, and armature(s) (extensions) of the mask.
• Give each student a plastic mask or masks template printed on cardstock.
• Students can build the armature off the base mask to create features such as horns, fins, ears, snouts, etc. using newspaper, paper towel rolls, and masking tape
• Students will use markers, glue, and texture materials to decorate masks. Students will include appropriate media for their selected animal (faux fur for mammal, mesh netting for reptile or fish, feathers for bird, etc).
• Teacher will formatively assess using the Teacher Checklist and will also summatively assess using the Project Rubric (Task B).
• Teacher note: If time is a concern, students can simply draw patterns on their paper masks to represent their animal’s physical features and texture rather than gluing materials onto the mask.

Part III - Dramatizing the Play:

• Finally, each group will rehearse its play, focusing on their character’s voice and how their character would move. Groups will also need to focus on the ensemble and stage blocking of each character to ensure group collaboration. Discuss the concept of blocking with students.
• Each group will dramatize the play for an audience. Discuss appropriate audience participation and etiquette prior to student performances.
• Teacher will summatively assess using the attached Project Rubric (Task C).

Classroom Tips:

• Allow adequate time for the creative process. (The unit is designed to be taught over three to five days; however, portions of the project could be left out or extended as the teacher sees fit.)
• On the mask-creating day, prepare the classroom for easy clean up by covering tables and desks with butcher paper or newspaper. Have towels available for spills and for students to wipe hands at the conclusion of activity.
• On the play dramatization day, designate an area in the classroom for students to perform.

Closing Reflection

• After performances, have students reflect on the process with the following questions:
  • How did the dramatization help you model the classification of animals?
  • How did creating the animal mask help you understand the characteristics/attributes of your animal group?
  • How did writing your character’s role in the group’s play help you communicate the characteristics/attributes of your animal group?
  • Is there anything about your group’s project you would like to change in order to make it better?
  • Name one “glow” and one “grow” for your personal contribution to your group’s performance.

Assessments

Formative

• Teacher Checklist
• Checking in with students as they are playwriting and creating their masks
• Questioning during activities

Summative

Project Rubric

Differentiation

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann (could also be used as an activating activity)

Credits

U.S. Department of Education- STEM + the Art of Integrated Learning

Ideas contributed by: Virginia Diederich and Sarah Weiss. Edited by: Jessica Espinoza. Edited by Dr. Carla Cohen.

*This integrated lesson provides differentiated ideas and activities for educators that are aligned to a sampling of standards. Standards referenced at the time of publishing may differ based on each state’s adoption of new standards.

Revised and copyright:  June 2025 @ ArtsNOW