LISTEN, THINK, WRITE! K-1

LISTEN, THINK, WRITE!

LISTEN, THINK, WRITE!

Learning Description

In this lesson, students will incorporate the elements of a story to create an engaging narrative inspired by a musical piece. Students will use temporal words and descriptive details to improve their writing.

 

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: K-1
CONTENT FOCUS: MUSIC & ELA
LESSON DOWNLOADS:

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can use music to write narratives about real or imagined experiences.
  • I can listen and respond to music.

Essential Questions

  • How can listening to music encourage creative writing?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Kindergarten: 

ELAGSEKW3 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or several loosely linked events, tell about the events in the order in which they occurred, and provide a reaction to what happened.

 

Grade 1: 

ELAGSE1W3 Write narratives in which they recount two or more appropriately sequenced events, include some details regarding what happened, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide some sense of closure.

Arts Standards

Kindergarten: 

ESGMK.RE.1 Listen to, analyze, and describe music. 

ESGMK.RE.2 Evaluate music and music performances. 

ESGMK.CN.1 Connect music to the other fine arts and disciplines outside the arts.

 

Grade 1: 

ESGM1.RE.1 Listen to, analyze, and describe music.

ESGM1.RE.2 Evaluate music and music performances.

ESGM1.CN.1 Connect music to the other fine arts and disciplines outside the arts.

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Kindergarten: 

ELA.K.C.3.1 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or linked events in a logical order. 

 

Grade 1: 

ELA.1.C.3.1 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences. When writing: a. detail events in a logical order using temporal words to signal event order (e.g., before, after); b. include details that describe actions, thoughts, and feelings; and c. provide a sense of ending.

Arts Standards

Anchor Standard 6: I can analyze music.

Anchor Standard 7: I can evaluate music.

Anchor Standard 9: I can relate music to other arts disciplines, other subjects, and career paths.

 

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

  • Narrative writing - A form of writing that tells a story or recounts a series of events
  • Setting - The time, place, and environment in which the story takes place
  • Character - A person, animal, or entity depicted in a story
  • Temporal words - Terms that indicate time and help to sequence events, making it clear when something happens in relation to other events

Arts Vocabulary

  • Pitch - High/low sounds
  • Rhythm - Long/slow sounds
  • Tempo - Fast/slow sounds
  • Dynamics - Loud/soft sounds
  • Timbre - Instrument sounds
  • Form - Same/different sounds
  • Articulation - Smooth/detached

 

Materials

  • Paper
  • Pencils
  • Teacher access to computer and Internet

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

  • Engage students in “Listening: Ten Times Two” thinking routine (modified to “Three Times Two”).
    • Prepare students for the listening activity by telling students they are going to listen to a musical composition and list three words or phrases that come to mind while they are listening. (See “Additional Resources” section for musical suggestions. Use a listening excerpt about 45-60 seconds in length. The excerpt can start and end at any point during the composition.) 
    • Wait until the end of the listening activity to tell students the title and composer. Revealing the title and composer before the activity may influence the listener.
    • During the first time listening to the music, students listen without talking and generate their first list of three words and phrases.  
    • Ask students to share what came to their minds. Record students’ answers on the board. 
    • Students listen a second time without talking and generate three additional words to add to the list.
    • Ask students to share what came to their minds. Record students’ answers on the board. 
    • Choose one or two of the words or phrases that students listed. Ask students what sounds they heard in the music that made them think of the words that they shared. Play the music a third time so that students can listen again. 
      • Musical sounds can include: pitch (high/low sounds), rhythm (long/short), dynamics (loud/soft), tempo (fast/slow), timbre (instruments), form (same [repetition], different), and articulation (smooth/detached).
  • Facilitate a discussion with students about how musical sounds can inspire and enhance writing and storytelling. Ask students if there is any music that they associate with stories. 
    • Remind students that songs have a structure–beginning, middle, and end, and that some songs have lyrics that tell a story that accompanies the melody of the song.
  • Transition into the lesson about narrative writing.

 

 

Work Session

COLLABORATIVE NARRATIVE WRITING

    • Introduce or review a lesson about narrative writing. Use modeling, visual representations, and hands-on manipulatives to help students understand the concept of narrative writing.
    • Tell the students they are going to practice writing a narrative as a whole class using the opening activity as inspiration.
    • Tell students to refresh their memories of the opening music and review their list of words while the teacher plays the music again.
    • Ask students how the music they listened to made them feel. The feelings that the music generated should match the feeling of the story.
    • Project a graphic organizer such as the Narrative Writing Graphic Organizer to guide students in writing a whole class story. 
    • Teacher and students will read the final product and discuss possible edits.
  • Option: Students can act out the story.

 

INDEPENDENT NARRATIVE WRITING

  • Tell students they are going to do another “Three Times Two” with a different composition and write their own narrative based on that composition. (See “Additional Resources” section for musical suggestions. Use a listening excerpt about 45-60 seconds in length. The excerpt can start and end at any point during the composition.) 
  • Students complete another round of “Three Times Two”. Remind students to think about how the music makes them feel. 
  • Allow time for students to share ideas for narratives as a class.
  • Remind students that their narratives should have characters, a setting, and a beginning, middle, and end. Grade 1 students should include temporal words to show sequence.
    • Allow time for students to plan using a graphic organizer, sentence starters, and/or drawings.
  • Circulate the classroom, observe student progress, and offer constructive feedback or conferencing during the writing process.

 

Closing Reflection

  • Allow students to volunteer to share their narratives with the class. Ask the class to identify the beginning, middle, and end of the story.
  • Review the concept of narrative writing facilitating a conversation around the connection between music and storytelling.

 

 

Assessments

Formative

Teacher will assess students by:

  • Observing and listening to students’ discussions and answers.
  • Conferencing with students during the writing process.
  • Listening to students’ responses to the activity, Three Times Two.

 

Summative

CHECKLIST

  • Students can write a narrative with characters, setting, and a beginning, middle, and end.
  • Students can use music to inspire narrative writing.
  • Students can use music elements to analyze and evaluate music.

 

DIFFERENTIATION 

Acceleration: Have students write and illustrate their stories. Students should focus on including descriptive details in their writing.

 

Remediation:

  • Reduce the number of words from three to one or two during the listening activity.
  • Younger students can use illustrations to show the beginning, middle, and end of the narrative.
  • Use scribing or speech-to-text technology.

 

 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

*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.

Ideas contributed by: Rue Lee-Holmes. Updated by: Katy Betts.

Revised and copyright:  July 2024 @ ArtsNOW

 

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MAKING WEATHER MOVE K-1

MAKING WEATHER DANCE

MAKING WEATHER MOVE

Learning Description

In this lesson, students will integrate their knowledge of weather and dance to create movements that show different energies in dance. Students will use their understanding of temperature and moisture to create a movement representing one of the science terms learned focusing on a specific energy in dance.

 

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: K-1
CONTENT FOCUS: DANCE & SCIENCE
LESSON DOWNLOADS:

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can identify different types of temperature and forms of moisture.

  • I can create a movement that represents a temperature or form of moisture through dance energy.

Essential Questions

  • What are different temperatures and forms of moisture?

  • What type of dance energy in movement can represent a temperature or form of moisture?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 1

S1E1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate weather data to identify weather patterns.

Arts Standards

Kindergarten:

ESDK.PR.1 Identify and demonstrate movement elements, skills, and terminology in

dance.

 

ESDK.PR.2 Understand and model dance etiquette as a classroom participant, performer,

and observer.

 

Grade 1

ESD1.PR.1 Identify and demonstrate movement elements, skills, and terminology in

dance.

 

ESD1.PR.2 Understand and model dance etiquette as a classroom participant, performer,

and observer.

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Kindergarten

K-ESS2-1. Use and share observations of local weather conditions to describe patterns over time.

Arts Standards

Anchor Standard 1: I can use movement exploration to discover and create artistic ideas and works.

 

Anchor Standard 3: I can perform movements using the dance elements. 

Anchor Standard 7: I can relate dance to other arts disciplines, content areas, and careers. 

 

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

  • Temperature - How hot or cold something is; temperature is a way to measure the amount of heat energy in an object or environment
    • Hot
    • Cold
    • Chilly
    • Warm
  • Moisture - The presence of water vapor in the atmosphere

  • Rain - A form of precipitation that occurs when water droplets in clouds become large enough to fall to the ground due to gravity

  • Snow - A form of precipitation that falls from clouds in the form of ice crystals

  • Fog - A meteorological phenomenon characterized by a dense concentration of water droplets suspended in the air near the ground

Arts Vocabulary

  • Energy - The quality and intensity of movement expressed by a dancer

  • Sustained - A type of energy in dance characterized by a continuous and controlled flow of movement without abrupt changes in speed or intensity

  • Vibratory - A type of energy in dance characterized by rapid and rhythmic vibrations or oscillations of the body often using quick and repetitive movements and involving isolated body parts such as the hands, hips, or shoulders

  • Swinging - A type of energy in dance with a rhythmic movement characterized by a back-and-forth motion of the body, often involving the hips, arms, or legs; typically involves a relaxed and fluid execution, with movements that flow smoothly from one direction to the other

  • Levels - The different heights or elevations at which movements are performed; low, mid-level, or high

 

Materials

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

  • Using the text Weather Words and What They Mean by Gail Gibbons, review different temperatures and forms of moisture. 
  • The terms hot, cold, warm, chilly, cool, rain, snow, and fog should be written on an anchor chart so students can refer back to them if necessary.
  • Involve a short movement break to support participation and focus. 
    • In this movement break, have students experiment with different movements by asking them to move like it’s cold, move like it’s raining, etc.

 

Work Session

  • The teacher will read the “I can” statement and discuss with students the important words and their definitions (create, represent, dance energy, movement, temperature, moisture, etc.).
  • Tell students to choose a movement. Once they have performed their movement, explain that each movement they just did had an energy.
    • The teacher will then introduce the three different movement energies that will be used in the lesson (sustained, vibratory and swinging) and will model what each energy looks like. 
    • Students will perform that movement energy along with the teacher. This can be done seated or standing.
    • The class will then stand and practice using these three energies again using their whole body. 
  • Divide students into small groups.
  • Introduce and model how each group of students will be receiving their own temperature or form of moisture and will communicate and collaborate together to create a movement that displays a specific dance energy (vibratory, swinging, sustained). 
    • Emphasize that the movement and energy should represent the temperature or form of moisture they were assigned. 
  • After being placed in groups, circulate and conference with each group to support when needed and to assess who is understanding the task. Modeling can be done to help support students.

 

Closing Reflection

  • Each group will perform their movement for the class.
    • Prepare students for performances by discussing appropriate audience participation with students.
    • Before performing, groups will share what energy their movement had and what temperature or form of moisture their movement represented.
    • Facilitate audience discussion after each performance asking students which type of energy they saw and how that type of energy is like the temperature or form of moisture assigned to the group.

 

Assessments

Formative

Teacher will assess student understanding throughout the lesson by asking questions to evaluate students’ knowledge of temperature and forms of moisture (i.e. “What is an example of a form of moisture?”), and by observing movement energies as they are working in small groups. 

 

Summative

CHECKLIST

  • Students can identify different types of temperature and forms of moisture.
  • Students can communicate and collaborate effectively with their peers.
  • Students can create a movement with a specific energy that represents a temperature or form of moisture.

 

DIFFERENTIATION 

Accelerated: 

  • Allow the audience to guess what temperature or form of moisture the movement represents after students perform their movements. 
  • Students can be assigned multiple words to create a multiple movement choreography.
  • Incorporate levels into students’ movements.

Remedial: 

  • Students can be provided a peer mentor or teacher to support and assist. This would be most helpful during the small group work time.
  • Create a movement as an entire class before breaking into small groups.  

*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.

Ideas contributed by: Madeline Wilkes

Revised and copyright:  May 2024 @ ArtsNOW

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EXPLORING NUMBERS THROUGH BODY PERCUSSION K-1

EXPLORING NUMBERS THROUGH BODY PERCUSSION

EXPLORING NUMBERS THROUGH BODY PERCUSSION

Learning Description

In this lesson, students will “count on” or skip-count from various numbers by creating body percussion progressions that follow a steady beat.

 

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: K-1
CONTENT FOCUS: MUSIC & MATH
LESSON DOWNLOADS:

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can follow a steady beat using body percussion.

  • I can “count on” or skip-count from a given number. 

  • I can create body percussion progressions that follow a steady beat.

Essential Questions

  • How can we use body percussion to help us practice “counting on” or skip-counting?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Kindergarten

K.NR.2.1 CoK.NR.2.1 Count forward to 100 by tens and ones and backward from 20 by ones.unt forward to 100 by tens and ones and backward from 20 by ones.

 

K.NR.2.2 Count forward beginning from any number within 100 and count backward from any number within 20.

 

Grade 1

1.NR.1.1 Count within 120, forward and backward, starting at any number. In this range, read and write numerals and represent a number of objects with a written numeral.

Arts Standards

Kindergarten

ESGMK.CR.2 Compose and arrange music within specified guidelines.d guidelines.

 

ESGMK.PR.2 Perform a varied repertoire of music on instruments, alone and with others. 

  1. Echo simple rhythmic patterns with appropriate technique using body percussion and classroom instruments. 
  2. Perform steady beat and simple rhythmic patterns with appropriate technique using body percussion and classroom instruments.

 

Grade 1

ESGM1.CR.2 Compose and arrange music within specified guidelines.d guidelines.

 

ESGM1.PR.2 Perform a varied repertoire of music on instruments, alone and with others. 

  1. Echo simple rhythmic patterns with appropriate technique using body percussion and classroom instruments. 
  2. Perform steady beat and simple rhythmic patterns with appropriate technique using body percussion and classroom instruments.

 

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

KindergartenK.NS.1 Count forward by ones and tens to 100. 

K.NS.2 Count forward by ones beginning from any number less than 100.

Grade 11.NSBT.1 Extend the number sequence to: a. count forward by ones to 120 starting at any number; b. count by fives and tens to 100, starting at any number

Arts Standards

Anchor Standard 1: I can compose and arrange music.

Anchor Standard 4: I can use my body to make sounds.

 

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

  • “Count on” - The process of adding a specific quantity to a given number
  • Skip counting - A technique in mathematics where you count by a certain number other than 1

Arts Vocabulary

  • Unison - This is a single melody; all instruments or voices sing/play the same notes.

  • Body percussion - Using different parts of the body to make music.

  • Beat - Basic unit of time in music, regular and repeating pulse under the music

  • Steady beat - A consistent and regular pulse or rhythm that is maintained throughout a piece of music

 

Materials

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

  • Watch the “The Beat is the Heart of Music” with students.
    • Have students follow your movements in unison as you demonstrate different methods of body percussion such as tapping your foot on the floor, clapping, tapping fingers in palm, patting legs with hands, etc, to the steady beat. 
    • Begin simply with one body percussion movement, gradually making it more complex with varying snaps, slaps and claps. Students should follow along in unison.

 

Work Session

  • Introduce “counting on” or skip-counting to students. 
  • Start with simple body percussion and low numbers, such as “one”, followed by four counts and four claps together. 
  • Continue on with higher numbers or skip-counting according to ability/readiness level.
  • Tell students that they will be creating a four beat body percussion progression adding skip-counting or “counting on” to their movements. First, the class will practice some body percussion movements together.
    • Begin by playing music with a strong steady beat. 
    • Have students pat their legs to the steady beat. 
    • Then, invite a few students to the front of the room, one at a time, to choose a new percussive movement to lead the class in.
  • Divide students into small groups. In their groups, have students create a four beat body percussion progression following the steady beat of the music. Assign each group a different criteria for “counting on” or skip-counting.
  • Have students return to the whole group. 
  • Allow students to share their percussive progressions. Be sure to arrange student performances so that the number progression is in order.
  • Have the whole class join the group in  “counting on” or skip-counting to the progression.

 

Closing Reflection

  • Have students physically arrange themselves in the correct order depending on the value of the number that they are starting from.
  • Then, have students perform one last time in order.
  • As a whole group, reflect on the process by asking students what a steady beat is and what they learned about “counting on” or skip-counting through percussive movements.

 

Assessments

Formative

Teacher will assess student learning by observing which students are “counting on” or skip-counting correctly from the given number, which students are using body percussion to make a steady beat, and which students are able to follow the teacher’s body percussion movements.

 

Summative

CHECKLIST

  • Students can “count on” or skip-count correctly from a given number.
  • Students can create body percussion progressions that follow a steady beat.

 

Differentiation

Accelerated: Assign students individual challenges such as starting at a higher number or skip-counting by two instead of five, for example.

Remedial: 

  • Limit the numbers to up to 10. 
  • Assign the same number progression to the whole class.
  • As a whole class, create a body percussion progression adding “counting on” or skip-counting.

 

*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.

Ideas contributed by: Elizabeth Paige

Revised and copyright:  May 2024 @ ArtsNOW

Back to Modules

GEOMETRY GROOVE K-1

GEOMETRY GROOVE

GEOMETRY GROOVE

Learning Description

In this lesson, students will use movement to understand types of shapes and their attributes. First grade students will then create movement phrases to demonstrate partitioning and combining shapes.

 

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: K-1
CONTENT FOCUS: DANCE & MATH
LESSON DOWNLOADS:

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can identify and create different types of shapes.
  • I can create a movement using my whole body that demonstrates a type of shape. 

Essential Questions

  • How can dance/movement aid in comprehension of shapes?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Kindergarten:

K.GSR.8: Identify, describe, and compare basic shapes encountered in the environment, and form two-dimensional shapes and three-dimensional figures.

 

Grade 1:

1.GSR.4: Compose shapes, analyze the attributes of shapes, and relate their parts to the whole.

 

Arts Standards

Kindergarten:

ESDK.CR.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the choreographic process.

ESDK.CR.2 Demonstrate an understanding of dance as a form of communication.

ESDK.PR.1 Identify and demonstrate movement elements, skills, and terminology in dance

ESDK.RE.1 Demonstrate critical and creative thinking in dance.

 

Grade 1:

ESD1.CR.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the choreographic process.

ESD1.CR.2 Demonstrate an understanding of dance as a form of communication.

ESD1.PR.1 Identify and demonstrate movement elements, skills, and terminology in dance

ESD1.RE.1 Demonstrate critical and creative thinking in dance.

 

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Kindergarten:

K.G.5 Draw two-dimensional shapes (i.e., square, rectangle, triangle, hexagon, and circle) and create models of three-dimensional shapes (i.e., cone, cube, cylinder, and sphere). 

Grade 1:

1.G.1 Distinguish between a two-dimensional shape’s defining (e.g., number of sides) and non-defining attributes (e.g., color).

1.G.2 Combine two-dimensional shapes (i.e., square, rectangle, triangle, hexagon, rhombus, and trapezoid) or three-dimensional shapes (i.e., cube, rectangular prism, cone, and cylinder) in more than one way to form a composite shape. 

1.G.3 Partition two-dimensional shapes (i.e., square, rectangle, circle) into two or four equal parts.

1.G.4 Identify and name two-dimensional shapes (i.e., square, rectangle, triangle, hexagon, rhombus, trapezoid, and circle).

 

Arts Standards

Anchor Standard 1: I can use movement exploration to discover and create artistic ideas and works.

Anchor Standard 2: I can choreograph a dance.

Anchor Standard 3: I can perform movements using the dance elements.

Anchor Standard 7: I can relate dance to other arts disciplines, content areas, and careers.

 

 

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

  • Geometric shape - Mathematical figures with a fixed structure that are precise and regular 
  • Angle - A figure that is formed by two rays or lines that shares a common endpoint
  • Side - The line that connects two points of a shape

Arts Vocabulary

  • Choreography - The art of composing dances and planning and arranging the movements, steps, and patterns of dancers
  • Choreographer - A person who creates dances
  • Shape - This refers to an interesting and interrelated arrangement of body parts of one dance; the visual makeup or molding of the body parts of a single dancer; the overall visible appearance of a group of dancers
  • Space - An element of movement involving direction, level, size, focus, and pathway
  • Formation - The placement of dancers in a performance space

 

Materials

  • Sound source and music with a steady beat
  • Markers or crayons
  • Printed copies of dance photography

 

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

      • Have students arrange themselves in the classroom with enough personal space to move freely without touching a neighbor.
      • Turn on instrumental music with a steady beat.
      • First, have students bring awareness to their bodies by leading them through gentle stretches starting from the head and moving to the toes (e.g., head circles, shoulder shrugs, toe touches, etc.).
      • Next, bring students’ awareness to the rhythm of the music by having them walk in place to the beat of the music. Once students are walking to the beat, ask them to begin gently swinging their arms by their sides. 
      • Now, direct students create shapes with their bodies; use geometric language such as curved or straight lines, angles, etc. to direct students. 
      • Have students return to their seats or the carpet.Classroom Tips: Set up chairs and tables in a circular format to maximize students’ engagement and ability to see their peers during the activity and performance. Also establish parameters for acceptable movement choices and discuss audience behavior/etiquette with students.
      • Begin the lesson by engaging students in movement that introduces students to a few of the Elements of Dance: Body, space and time.

 

Work Session

 

  • Discuss with students how they used their bodies to create shapes, lines and angles. 
  • Project different types of shapes on the board. Ask students to engage in a “seated dance” by making the shape with their upper bodies. Model how to do this and discuss how students can make angles, straight lines and curved lines with their bodies.
  • Divide the class into partners. 
  • Pass out printed copies of dance photography to students. 
    • Ask students to trace all the straight lines, curved lines, and angles they see in the photos. Ask students to trace any shapes that they find.
    • Project images of the photography on the board and allow time for students to share what they identified in the photos. 
  • Next, randomly pass out note cards with a type of shape written or drawn on it.
  • Students must create that shape with their bodies. 
    • Students can choose to each make the movement with their bodies individually, or can combine to make one large shape together. 
  • Now, tell students that dancers move to the beat of music. Students will have four beats to perform their movement. Tell students that by the count of four, they should be showing their shape with their bodies and should freeze in the shape. 
    • Practice a four count to the beat of the music with students.
    • Allow time for students to practice using a four count to perform their movement.

 

Grade 1 Extension: 

  • Pass out an additional shape to students. 
  • Have students create a movement phrase (more than one movement) that demonstrates either combining the two shapes to make a composite shape or partitioning one of the shapes.

 

Closing Reflection

  • The students will perform their movements for their classmates. Discuss appropriate audience participation and etiquette prior to performances.
  • After each performance, the audience should be able to identify the shape and its attributes.

 

Assessments

Formative

Teachers will assess students’ understanding of the content throughout the lesson by observing students’ participation in the activator, ability to identify types of shapes, and collaborative choreography.

 

Summative

CHECKLIST

  • Students can identify, classify, and define similes, metaphors, hyperbole, and personification in a story.
  • Students can change their voices and bodies to convey the meaning of examples of figurative language.

 

DIFFERENTIATION 

Acceleration: 

  • Challenge students to create a movement phrase that transitions from a two-dimensional shape to a three-dimensional figure that uses that shape (i.e., triangle to pyramid).
  • Challenge kindergarteners to do the first grade extension.

Remediation: 

  • Scaffold the lesson by choosing a type of shape to create a movement for as a class. Then, have partners create a movement for their individual shape. 
  • Create movements for several types of shapes together as a class. Have students participate in brainstorming how to do this. After the class has established a movement to show a shape and the class has practiced it, ask if anyone has ideas of a different way to show the same shape. Bring students who are struggling with grasping the concepts to help as assistants to the demonstrations so that they can benefit from participating.

 

*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.

Ideas contributed by: Melissa Dittmar-Joy. Updated by Katy Betts.

Revised and copyright: June 2024 @ ArtsNOW

 

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Literary Characters Come to Life K-1

LITERARY CHARACTERS COME TO LIFE

LITERARY CHARACTERS COME TO LIFE

Learning Description

Students will use their bodies, voices, facial expressions, and emotions to bring literary characters to life. They will take turns in the “Hot Seat” to speak from their character’s point of view, answering questions from their classmates.  Drawing- or Writing-in-Role will help students embody the character and the story as they delve into their written responses.

 

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: K-1
CONTENT FOCUS: THEATRE & ELA
LESSON DOWNLOADS:

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can think and speak from someone else’s point of view.
  • I can use my whole self to create characters from stories.

Essential Questions

  • How does acting help me to understand and communicate with others? 
  • How can becoming a character help me learn more about a story?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Kindergarten:

ELAGSEKRL3 With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story.

Grade 1:

ELAGSE1RL3: Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.

 

Arts Standards

Kindergarten:

TAK.PR.1 Act by communicating and sustaining roles in formal and informal environments.a. Use voice to communicate emotions.b. Use body to communicate emotions.c. Cooperate in theatre experiences.d. Assume roles in a variety of dramatic forms (e.g. narrated story, pantomime, puppetry,dramatic play).

 

Grade 1:

TAK.PR.1 Act by communicating and sustaining roles in formal and informal environments.

  1. Use voice to communicate emotions.
  2. Use body to communicate emotions.
  3. Cooperate in theatre experiences.
  4. Assume roles in a variety of dramatic forms (e.g. narrated story, pantomime, puppetry, dramatic play).

 

 

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Kindergarten:

READING-LITERARY TEXT - Meaning and Context

Standard 8: Analyze characters, settings, events, and ideas as they develop and interact within a particular context.

8.1 With guidance and support, read or listen closely to: a. describe characters and their actions; b. compare characters’ experiences to those of the reader; c. describe setting; d. identify the problem and solution; and e. identify the cause of an event.

 

Grade 1

READING-LITERARY TEXT - Meaning and Context

Standard 8: Analyze characters, settings, events, and ideas as they develop and interact within a particular context.

8.1 Read or listen closely to: a. describe characters’ actions and feelings; b. compare and contrast characters’ experiences to those of the reader; c. describe setting; d. identify the plot including problem and solution; and e. describe cause and effect relationships.

 

Arts Standards

Anchor Standard 3: I can act in improvised scenes and written scripts. 

 

 

 

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

  • Character – A person, or an animal or object that has human qualities, in a story.

Arts Vocabulary

  • Body – An actor’s tool, which we shape and change to portray the way a character looks, walks, or moves
  • Facial Expressions – The ways that the eyes, mouth, cheeks, forehead and other parts of the face convey feelings
  • Voice - An actor’s tool, which we shape and change to portray the way a character speaks or sounds
  • Pitch – How high or low a voice is
  • Pace – How fast or slow someone’s speech is
  • Volume – How loud or quiet a voice is
  • Emotions – Feelings

 

Materials

  • A preselected book, story, poem, or literary excerpt (preferably with a variety of characters)
  • Paper & pencils
  • Box (any shape, size or color.)

     

     

    Instructional Design

    Opening/Activating Strategy

    THIS IS NOT A BOX 

    • Hold up a small box and offer an imagination challenge for the group. 
      • The object of the game is to transform the box into something it is not. 
      • For example, “This is not a box. This is a butterfly.” (making the box open and close to fly like a butterfly.) 
    • Ask students to describe what you did.
      • Reference the performance skills that actors use to transform an object including the voice, body, face, mind, descriptive language, etc. 
    • Explain that each person in the circle will take a turn. 
      • They will say: “This is not a box. It is a …”
      • They will use their gestures, bodies, facial expressions, and voices to transform the object into something new. 
    • Pass the box around the circle so that each participant can transform it. If students repeat the same actions as their peers, encourage them to act out new ideas.  Provide ideas as needed (be prepared with suggestions, in case students can’t think of new ideas.  For example, depending on the size of the box: a drum, a birthday present, a box of cereal, a frisbee, a box of popcorn at a movie, an old video camera, a hat, a hamster box, a shoe, etc.).
    • The pace of the game is dependent on the needs of the group, but the teacher should keep the goals of spontaneity and creativity in mind.

       

      Work Session

      READ ALOUD 

      • Discuss how the activity activated the entire class’s imagination: the actor conveyed an idea through their acting, and the rest of the class had to visualize or imagine that idea as they observed.  Explain that this lesson will use a similar process to explore characters in literature.
      • Read the selected text aloud.  Model expressive reading by using different voices for the characters, conveying emotion through facial expressions, and employing simple gestures.  Ask students to identify and visualize the characters as they listen.  As appropriate, bring students into the reading as much as possible, providing sound effects, repeating phrases or dialogue, and doing simple movements indicated in the text. 

       

      CHARACTER GROUNDING

      • Ask students to imagine that they are a character from the story. 
      • Model creating one of the characters.  Select a character, then use voice, body, facial expressions, and gesture to become the character, introducing him- or herself to the class.
      • Group Character Creation: Choose a character for the entire class to enact.  It can be the same one that the teacher enacted or a different one.  Guide the students through a step-by-step process to depict the character from the story.
        • Teacher says, “How do we stand, move, or walk as ______ (the character)?”. Use observational language to promote student choices (“I see Olivia is standing tall; Manuel has his shoulders pulled back,” etc.)  
        • Encourage a variety of possibilities – individual actors can interpret the character differently. 
        • Have students stay in their spots or allow them to move, as appropriate for the class and the space.
      • Teacher says, “Let’s add our faces.  How would _______’s face look?  How would he/she use his/her face to express his/her feelings?  Use your eyes, eyebrows, mouth, cheeks; use the angle of your head.”  Listen to students’ ideas, and validate various choices.
      • Teacher says, “How would _______’s voice sound?  Would it be high or low?  Loud or soft? Would he/she talk fast or slow?”  Listen to students’ ideas, and validate various choices.
      • Teacher says, “Characters feel emotions, and actors use their bodies, facial expressions, and voices to convey characters’ emotions.”  
        • Discuss different emotions (happy, sad, angry, frightened, nervous, excited, frustrated, brave, etc.).  
        • Discuss the feelings that the selected character experienced at different points of the story.  
        • Guide students to convey those emotions, modeling as needed.  
        • Solicit a line of dialogue for each, whether drawn directly or inferred from the story.  
        • Using body, facial expressions and voice, convey the emotion while speaking the line, either standing in place or taking a few steps, as appropriate.

       

      HOT SEAT

        • Explain that the class will use an activity called Hot Seat, in which an individual actor will play the character, and the class will have the opportunity to ask the character questions.
      • Generate questions: Give a sample question or two for the character, such as: 
      • How did they feel at different points in the story
      • Why did they do what they did in the story 
      • What did they learn from what happened
      • How they feel about other characters
      • What did they plan to do in the future based on the events of the story
      • Remind students that ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions, and other questions that require some sort of description or explanation, are preferable to ‘who’, ‘when’, and ‘where’ questions, and other questions that only require a brief answer, or a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’. 
        • For example, “Why were you so angry?” or “How did you feel when . . .?” or “What do you like about . . .?” are stronger than “Were you excited when . . .?” or “How old are you?” or “Who is your best friend?”).
      • Model Hot Seat:  
        • Sit in a chair in front of the class and assume the character from the story in character (with body, facial expressions, and voice).  Speak in first person as the character (“Hello, everyone, I’m __________.  Who has a question for me?”).
        • Select students to ask questions from the group brainstorm, reminding or prompting as needed.  Model strong character choices, making sure to add details and emotional context while answering questions from the Hot Seat.
      • Student Hot Seat Warm Up:
        • Assign students to work in pairs.
        • Have them decide who will go first.  Instruct that student to go into the role as the character (with body, facial expressions, and voice) and introduce themselves to their partners in character. 
        • Instruct the partners to ask questions of the character.
        • Have partners switch and repeat the process.
      • Students in Hot Seat:
        • Draft one student to walk like their character to the front of the room and sit in a chair facing the audience.
        • Start the Hot Seat questioning by asking the student/character to introduce himself/herself (if needed, remind the actor to maintain their character choices). 
        • Ask a question of the character.
        • Give other students the chance to ask questions.

      Teacher note: Be prepared, if necessary, to interject or prompt students with probing questions that get to the heart of the character and the story.

       

        • Optional variations:
        • The above process can be conducted using the same character throughout, or students can be given the option to become other characters in the story.  If necessary, take time to develop questions for each different character.
        • After establishing the practice of Hot Seat, expand it into a panel, having several students sit in a row of chairs, assuming different characters from the story.

        WRITING-IN-ROLE

        • After participating in Hot Seat, ask all students to return to their seats and tell them that they will draw the character and, if appropriate, write something the character might think or say in a thought or speech bubble.  Invite students to have the character say something that a) they said in the story, b) they said in the Hot Seat activity, or c) the student could imagine the character might say or think.

         

        Closing Reflection

        Ask students to respond to one or more of the following reflection questions:

        • How did it feel to become the character?
        • What did you learn about the character from our activity?
        • How did we use our bodies, voices, and facial expressions to play the character(s) and convey their feelings?

        Assessments

        Formative

        Teacher will assess student understanding by:

        • Noting student observations and inferences about the characters.
        • Listening as pairs of students ask and answer questions.
        • Observing as students portray the character in pairs and in the Hot Seat.

         

         

         

        Summative

        CHECKLIST

        • Were students able to step into their role and talk, move, walk, and write from their character’s point of view? 
        • Were the students able to recall and retell a key point of the story from the character’s point of view?

         

         

         

        Differentiation

        Accelerated: 

        • Students in the audience take on another character from the book and speak from that character’s point of view while asking questions to the character in the Hot Seat. 
        • Students can also pick different characters and talk to each other from their seats. They can then improvise and write a scene with the two characters. 

         

        Remedial: Teacher in the Role - The teacher becomes the character and then asks a student to copy what they are doing, so that the teacher and student are playing the same character at the same time. The teacher then invites other students to ask questions, with prompting as needed.  Teacher and student answer questions together. Then, allow students, who are willing, to take turns in the Hot Seat as the same character.

         

        *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.

        Ideas contributed by:  Barry Stewart Mann

        Revised and copyright:  April 2023 @ ArtsNOW

         
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