Art Form: Theatre

Supplies Needed

The Big Umbrella book

Something to use to become the umbrella, such as red construction paper (or other paper)

Marker(s)

Vocabulary

Illustrator - The person who creates pictures for a book

Character - A person in a story or play, or an animal or object that has human qualities

Act - To portray a character; to pretend to be or do something

Costume - Something an actor wears to become a character

Facial Expressions - How actors use their faces to show emotions

Instructions

1. Read The Big Umbrella. After reading, go back through the book and notice how the illustrator adds facial expressions to the umbrella to turn it into a character.

2. How do the expressions change at different points in the story?

3. Discuss what the Big Umbrella might be thinking as more characters come under it’s cover.

4. Decide what you think the Big Umbrella’s voice would sound like if it could talk. Would it be loud? Soft? Low? High? Would it speak quickly? Slowly?

5. Make a simple costume for the Big Umbrella using construction paper, plain paper, or other material safe to use. Shape it however you want to make the umbrella costume piece. Give it the facial expression that you want it to have by drawing the eyes, nose, and mouth of the Big Umbrella.

6. Put on your costume and act the part of the Big Umbrella, talking about what happened in the story, and how you (as the Big Umbrella) felt about it.

Extensions

Create a different costume and voice for the sun, and act out what the sun thinks looking down on the town and the Big Umbrella.

Find objects around the house to use as costume pieces for other characters in the story (for example, a heavy coat for the hairy creature with the briefcase)