YOUR VIEW MATTERS–FLASHBACK/FORESHADOWING

 

Georgia Standards

 

South Carolina Standards

 

Key Vocabulary

 

Materials

• Simple Scene Ideas for Middle & High School
• Prophecies List & Simple Prophecies Scene Ideas
• Rules of Improvisation
• Minute Improv Yes And (Video)
• Scene Ideas for "Circle of Prophecies"--Foreshadowing

 

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

MEMORY WALK TIME MACHINE - FLASHBACK THEATRE

• Ask students what happened right before they arrived today.
  • That was a memory.
  • Ask: Is a memory from the past or future? (Past)
    • Memory is the process of taking in information from the world around us, processing it, storing it, and later recalling that information.
    • Memories can be positive or negative.
    • Ask:
      • What is the first memory that pops into your head when I say…chocolate?
      • What about when I say…homework?
    • Explain that they are about to enter a Memory Machine Walk.
      • Invite students to close their eyes, if they feel safe to do so, and visualize a particular memory from their lives.
        • Actors visualize their characters, playing out the story in their mind's eye.
      • Tell students to think of events that have happened in their lives up to this point.
        • For example, when they were a baby, a toddler, an elementary schooler, activities or accolades, family milestones, the first day of school, birthday, embarrassing moments, etc.)
        • Tell students to choose one memory.
      • Explain how the Memory Machine Walk will work.
        • Students walk around the room.
        • Teacher calls, "1, 2, 3 …. FLASHBACK".
        • Students freeze.
        • Students act out their past event/memory from their life using body and voice.
        • Teacher calls, "1, 2, 3 …WALK".
        • Students visualize another memory and repeat the process.
      • Continue until through several rounds.
    • Memory Walk Group Improv:
      • Ask students to get into groups of three.
      • Tell them that they will improvise a scene (make it up on their feet).
      • Have them choose a simple scenario.
        • They can make up their own or use Simple Scene Ideas for Middle & High School for inspiration.
      • Give groups two minutes to decide on their scenario and who will play what characters.
      • Explain how the Memory Walk Improv will work.
        • Teacher calls, "1, 2, 3…ACTION".
        • Students start improvising the scene.
        • At some point during the improv, the teacher will call out "1, 2, 3…Flashback!".
        • Students must immediately improvise an earlier event that gives details to the scene.
      • Give students a moment to think about possible flashbacks that fit within their scenario.
      • Start the exercise.
      • Let students improvise for about 45 seconds before calling, "1, 2, 3…Flashback!".
      • Ask for any volunteers who would like to share their scene.
      • Reflect with students by asking what they noticed about the exercise. Use the following questions to facilitate discussion.
        • How did the flashback change the way they saw the story?
        • What emotions or surprises did it create?

Work Session

• Ask students what they thought about the improvised scenes.
  • What worked and didn't work?
  • Did all of the partners accept suggestions given by their scene partner?
• Tell students that improvisation is making up a story as you go along without using a script.
  • It can be tough and often ends flat with the characters arguing.
  • Improvisation takes practice, and there are some important rules that help actors make it successful.
  • Discuss Rules of Improvisation.
  • Watch the video Minute Improv Yes And.
  • Tell students that improvisation is radical acceptance and cooperation in action.
  • Tell students, “Now, let's put these rules into practice and sharpen our improvisation skills”.

 

CIRCLE OF PROPHECIES–FORESHADOW THEATRE

• Ask students what a prophecy is.
  • A prophecy is a vague or dramatic prediction.
    • It adds tone and mood to a story–usually suspense and mystery!
  • Ask students if they can think of any movies or TV shows that they have seen or books they have read that contained prophecies.
  • Share an example of a prophecy: "The sky will weep silver tears, and a path of glowing moss will appear. Choose the path, or face the silence".
  • Ask them to think of a prophecy that they have heard or make one up.
    • Have them turn and share with the person sitting next to them.
  • Invite students to sit or stand in a circle.
  • Tell them that you have slips of paper with prophecies listed on them in a hat.
  • Have one student pull a prophecy out of the hat and read it.
    • Work as a class to come up with three foreshadowing clues that go with the prophecy.
      • Example: "The lights flicker, a character makes a cryptic comment, a storm begins outside".
    • Work as a class to come up with a fast-forward idea to reveal what happens next.
      • Example: "A ghost appears!"
    • Encourage dramatic foreshadowing, over-the-top reactions, and creative problem-solving!
  • Invite some students to the center of the circle to act out a short improv scene leading up to the prophecy coming true (or hilariously failing to).
    • The scene must include the following:
      • The prophecy
      • The three foreshadowing clues
      • The one fast-forward idea
    • Encourage students to have fun and take risks.
  • Ask students to get into groups of three or four.
  • Have them choose one scene idea from Scene Ideas for "Circle of Prophecies"- Foreshadowing.
    • Example: "The Missing Homework Will Decide the Future"
      • Prophecy: "Beware! If the sacred scroll (a.k.a. the missing homework) is not returned by sundown, disaster will strike!"
      • Scene: A group of students frantically searches for the missing assignment, convinced it holds magical powers. The teacher (or "guardian of knowledge") gets more suspicious by the minute.
    • Have students start on the spot or give groups five to ten minutes to decide the following:
      • Setting
      • Characters
      • Three foreshadowing clues that go with the prophecy
      • One fast forward idea
    • Have students share improvised scenes with the class.
    • Reflect with students by asking them what they noticed about the exercise. Use the following questions to facilitate discussion.
      • What made foreshadowing effective?
      • How does foreshadowing add suspense or mystery?

 

Closing Reflection

• Facilitate a discussion using the following questions:
  • What did you like or dislike about this lesson?
  • Do you have a better understanding of foreshadowing and flashbacks?
• Tell students to get with their groups and share one memory they have from their improvised scenes.
• Tell students that memories make life interesting and can make relationships stronger. Ask them to think of an intentional way to create a positive, fun memory with a friend or family member that might last a lifetime.

 

Assessments

Formative

• The teacher can discern if the students understand the meaning of flashbacks and foreshadowings by the dialogue they include in their improvisations.

Summative

• Create a checklist of the elements that need to be included in the scene.
• Create a checklist for the rules of improvisation and have audience members check off the rules that were followed in each scene.

 

 

Differentiation

Accelerated:  Have advanced students write a complete story containing both foreshadowing and flashbacks using the Simple Scene prompts.   Remedial: Create one scene as a class or allow students to contribute to the story without acting in the scenes. Or, allow remedial students to pantomime without using words while the teacher reads the improvised text.

 

Additional Resources

Improvisation Video - A Lesson on Improv Technique, with Chris Gethard | Big Think

 

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