Celebrate Cells 6-8

CELEBRATE CELLS

CELEBRATE CELLS

Learning Description

In this lesson, students will demonstrate what they have learned about the parts of a cell through tableau, script-writing and performance. Students will participate in the role of performer, presenting an original scene, as well as audience members, identifying the parts of a cell and their roles.

 

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: 6-8
CONTENT FOCUS: THEATRE & SCIECNE
LESSON DOWNLOADS:

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can identify the parts of a cell and explain their roles.

  • I can use tableau to identify and demonstrate the parts of a cell.

  • I can write and perform scenes to explain the roles of the parts of a cell.

Essential Questions

  • What are the parts of the cell and what are their roles?

  • How can theatrical techniques help us understand the parts of a cell?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 7

S7L2. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to describe how cell structures, cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems interact to maintain the basic needs of organisms.

Arts Standards

Grade 7: 

TA7.CR.1 Organize, design, and refine theatrical work.

 

TA7.PR.1 Act by communicating and sustaining roles in formal and informal environments.

 

TA7.CR.2 Develop scripts through theatrical techniques.

 

TA7.CN.1 Explore how theatre connects to life experience, careers, and other content.

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 6

6-LS1-2. Develop and use a model to describe the function of a cell as a whole and ways the parts of cells contribute to the function.

Arts Standards

Anchor Standard 1: I can create scenes and write scripts using story elements and structure.

 

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

Anchor Standard 8: I can relate theatre to other content areas, arts disciplines, and careers.

 

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

  • Cells - A microscopic structure containing nuclear and cytoplasmic material enclosed by a semipermeable membrane and, in plants, a cell wall; the basic structural unit of all organisms

  • Nucleus - Specialized, usually spherical mass of protoplasm encased in a double membrane, and found in most living eukaryotic cells, directing their growth, metabolism, and reproduction, and functioning in the transmission of genic characters 
  • Cytoplasm - The cell substance between the cell membrane and the nucleus, containing the cytosol, organelles, cytoskeleton, and various particles

  • Cell wall - The definite boundary or wall that is part of the outer structure of certain cells, as a plant cell

  • Membrane - The thin, limiting covering of a cell or cell part
  • Chloroplast - A plastid containing chlorophyll

Arts Vocabulary

  • Tableau - A frozen picture

  • Theater - Dramatic literature or its performance; drama

  • Character - A person, an animal or other figure assuming human qualities, in a story

 

  • Voice – An actor’s tool, which we shape and change to portray the way a character speaks or sounds

 

  • Body – An actor’s tool, which we shape and change to portray the way a character looks, walks, or moves

 

  • Dialogue – Conversation between characters

 

  • Scene – The dialogue and action between characters in one place for one continuous period of time

  • Ensemble - All the parts of a thing taken together, so that each part is considered

 

Materials

  • A copy of a cell diagram for each student
  • Pencils
  • Large chart paper (5 pieces)
  • Markers

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

  • Divide students into five groups.  
  • Tell students that they will be making a tableau, a frozen picture, with their bodies. Every member of the group must be a part of the tableau.
  • Students will be making a tableau of an item, so students must consider what the individual parts of the item are and how they are connected. Some ideas include:
    • Car
    • Washing machine
    • House
    • Mountain range
  • Once students are frozen in their tableau, tell them that they will be bringing their item to life using movement and dialogue. 
    • Discuss some things that the parts of the item might say. 
      • Tires might say “I go round and round, and help us move”.
      • The engine might say, “Hit the gas, let’s go!”. 
      • The headlights might say, “Wow, it’s dark! Glad I can see where we’re going”.

 

Work Session

  • Tell students that they will be using tableau and dialogue to demonstrate their understanding of a cell.
  • Assign each group (groups from activator) a part of a cell. It is their job to label their part of the cell on their diagram and explain its role. 
    • Pass out a diagram of a cell to each student. Students will label their part of the cell on their diagram. Then, on a piece of large chart paper, they will explain the role of their part of the cell. 
    • Once students are done, they should post their chart paper in the room.
  • Next, form new groups of five students out of the original five groups. Each group should have one person who can teach the other students about their part of the cell so that all parts of a cell are represented in each group.
    • Students will now take turns teaching their group members about their part of the cell; group members will label that part on their diagram.
  • Tell students that now they will create a tableau to demonstrate how the parts of a cell are connected.
    • Provide time for students to discuss and arrange themselves.
    • Circulate the room to check for student understanding.
    • Once groups are done, have each group take turns performing their tableau. 
    • Ask the audience if they can identify the different parts of the cell.
    • Debrief after each group presents how the group portrayed each part of the cell with their bodies.
  • Next, students will create a scene with dialogue between the different parts of the cell.
    • Students will use their voice to embody the part of the cell. Students should consider the following questions. (Teachers will need to help students think abstractly about how to translate the role of the cell into a voice. For example, since the nucleus is the “boss” of the cell, it might have a big, booming voice.)
      • Pitch: Is the part of the cell's voice high or low?
      • Pace: Does the part of the cell speak quickly or slowly?
      • Volume: Does the part of the cell speak loudly or softly?
      • Tone: What is the emotional quality of the part of the cell’s voice (e.g., cheerful, gruff, calm)?
    • Allow time for students to write a short scene between the parts of the cell. Each part should have at least one line.

 

Closing Reflection

  • Students will perform their scenes for the class. Discuss appropriate audience participation and etiquette prior to performances.
  • Ask the audience to identify each of the parts of the cell and how they were able to identify them. Ask them what voice qualities the performers used and how they reflect the role of the part of the cell.

 

Assessments

Formative

Teachers will assess students’ understanding of the content throughout the lesson by observing students’ participation in the activator, group discussion of the parts and roles of a cell, ability to form a tableau and write a scene demonstrating the roles of the parts of a cell.

 

Summative

CHECKLIST

  • Students can identify the parts of a cell and explain their roles.
  • Students can use tableau to identify and demonstrate the parts of a cell.
  • Students can write and perform scenes to explain the roles of the parts of a cell.

 

DIFFERENTIATION 

Acceleration: Provide students with a scenario, such as an infection or damage to an organism; students should write a scene in which the cell has to respond to the situation. Students’ scenes should demonstrate that they understand the role of a cell in the scenario.

Remediation: 

  • Provide guided notes or graphic organizers for students to complete on the roles of the parts of a cell.
  • Do whole-group instruction to teach about the parts of the cell. Then have students create their tableaus and scenes.
  • Provide sentence-starters for scene and dialogue writing.

*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: Mary Gagliardi and Katy Betts.

Revised and copyright: June 2024 @ ArtsNOW

 

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Cell Talk 5

Description

Students will become a part of a cell by examining cell diagrams. Each student will use their body, voice and movement to become a particular part of the cell. After they own the character or cell, they are paired up to create dialogue between the different parts of the cell. Short, two part scenes explore the cell parts as well as their purpose and attributes as Cell Talk bring the cell to life before the students very eyes. Through embodying the parts of animal and plant cells, students get a more in depth understanding of their functions. They explore the cell world from the point of view of its parts.

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Civil War Personalities 4-5

CIVIL WAR CHARACTERS

CIVIL WAR CHARACTERS

Learning Description

In this lesson, students use photos that relate to the American Civil War as a springboard to write a first person monologue embodying the person who is pictured. This monologue explores the character’s views on the subject of the second photo that deals with the historical context. Next, students will bring the photo to life in an improvisation. By allowing your students to explore what they have read and heard about the American Civil War through the eyes of another person, they learn empathy and better embody the concept. This exercise is a wonderful tool to increase presentation skills, empathy and ensemble in your classroom.

 

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: 4-5
CONTENT FOCUS: THEATRE & SOCIAL STUDIES
LESSON DOWNLOADS:

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can write a monologue using photography as inspiration.
  • I can improvise a scene with a partner using photography as inspiration.
  • I can use theatre techniques to help me better understand a historical event.

Essential Questions

  • What impact does a photograph have on our perception of a society and/or historical event?
  • How can theatre techniques help me better understand the American Civil War?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 4: 

SS4H5 Explain the causes, major events, and consequences of the Civil War. 

  1. Identify Uncle Tom’s Cabin and John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry and explain how each of these events was related to the Civil War. b. Discuss how the issues of states’ rights and slavery increased tensions between the North and South. c. Identify major battles, campaigns, and events: Fort Sumter, Gettysburg, the Atlanta Campaign, Sherman’s March to the Sea, and Appomattox Court House. d. Describe the roles of Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, Jefferson Davis, Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, and William T. Sherman. e. Describe the effects of war on the North and South.

Arts Standards

Grade 4: 

TA4.CR.1 Organize, design, and refine theatrical work.

TA4.PR.1 Act by communicating and sustaining roles in formal and informal environments.

 

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 4:

Standard 4: Demonstrate an understanding of economic, political, and social divisions during the United States Civil War, including the role of South Carolina between 1850–1870.

Arts Standards

Anchor Standard 1: I can create scenes and write scripts using story elements and structure.

 

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

Anchor Standard 8: I can relate theatre to other content areas, arts disciplines, and careers.

 

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

  • The American Civil War - Fought from 1861 to 1865; a pivotal event in American history that resulted from deep-rooted tensions between the Northern and Southern states over issues such as slavery, states' rights, and economic differences
  • Union - The federal government of the United States and the states that remained loyal to it during the Civil War
  • Confederacy - Also known as the Confederate States of America (CSA), was a self-proclaimed independent nation formed by Southern states that seceded from the United States
  • John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry - On the night of October 16, 1859, Brown and his followers, numbering around 21 men, seized the federal armory and arsenal at Harpers Ferry taking several hostages
  • Slavery - The system of forced labor and exploitation of African and African-descended people in the United States from the colonial period until the abolition of slavery after the Civil War
  • Emancipation Proclamation - Declaration by President Abraham Lincoln that all enslaved people in Confederate-held territory to be free
  • State’s rights - The balance of power between state governments and the federal government; Southern states asserted their right to secede from the Union
  • The Anaconda Plan - A military strategy proposed by Union General Winfield Scott at the beginning of the American Civil War
  • Fort Sumter - The Battle of Fort Sumter, which took place on April 12-13, 1861, marked the beginning of the American Civil War
  • Gettysburg - The Battle of Gettysburg is often considered the turning point of the Civil War and one of the most significant battles in American history
  • The Atlanta Campaign - A series of military operations conducted by the Union Army of the Cumberland against the Confederate Army of Tennessee
  • Sherman’s March to the Sea - A Union military campaign aimed at destroying infrastructure and resources in Georgia to weaken the Confederacy
  • Appomattox Court House - The site of General Robert E. Lee's surrender to General Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865, effectively ending the American Civil War
  • Expository Writing - Writing with the purpose to demonstrate or explain

Arts Vocabulary

  • Ensemble - All the parts of a thing taken together, so that each part is considered only in relation to the whole
  • Theater - Dramatic literature or its performance; drama
  • Improvisation - A creation that is spoken or written without prior preparation
  • Monologue - A speech by a single character in a play, film, or other dramatic work; often used to give the audience deeper insight into the character's motivations and feelings
  • Scene - A division of a play or act that presents continuous action in one place or setting

Dialogue - The conversation or interaction between characters in a written work

 

Materials

  • Printed photos of events and people related to the American Civil War
  • Index cards and pencils
  • Music and sound source

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

Classroom Tip: This activity works best in an open space with room for students to move. 

 

  • Begin by playing music from the American Civil War era quietly as you pass out the images (photographs).
    • Each student should have one sheet of paper with two images, an index card, and pencil.  
    • The first picture is of two people engaged in an activity. The name of the country or event should be written at the bottom of the photo. One of the people should be circled so you can pair up the students to act out the scene later. 
    • The second picture is of a prominent figure who played a key role in a specific event related to the American Civil War, such as the Battle of Gettysburg. 
      • The photo should be titled with the reference to the event.
    • Have students write their name in the top right hand corner of their index card.
    • Ask the students to closely observe the person that is circled in the top photo. 
    • Ask questions for them to more deeply embody their character.  
      • They should list the following on the left hand side of the card:  Character’s name, character's age, home country, how does the character feel about what is happening or who is pictured in the second photo and how is it affecting them and their people. 
      • What is the character’s greatest fear?  
      • What is the character’s greatest dream? 
      • Encourage students to use descriptive phrases and relevant details and facts from the unit of study as they complete their cards. 
    • Provide time for students to pair-share or share responses with the class.

 

Work Session

  • Tell students that they will be writing a monologue in the first person introducing themselves as the person in their photograph. 
    • Tell students that a monologue is a speech by a single character in a play, film, or other dramatic work. Monologues are often used to give the audience deeper insight into the character's motivations and feelings. 
    • Tell students to turn the card over and write a monologue in the first person introducing themselves and including all of the elements on the front side of the card. 
      • Tell students to make sure to summarize the paragraph with their character’s greatest dream for themselves and their country.  
      • Turn up the volume of the music while students are writing. Give them a set amount of time to write. This could also be a longer exercise or assignment that they bring in the following class period.  
    • When everyone is finished writing, introduce the next section. 
    • Tell students, “Today we are going to learn about the American Civil War (or a specific event related to the American Civil War) through the eyes of the people who lived through it. Each of you have been brought here to help us explore this time. Welcome!”
    • Tell students, “Using a voice different from your own, the voice of the character in the picture, on a count of three, softly but out loud, tell me what you had for breakfast this morning.  Now sit like your character sits, different from yourself. Imagine your character is wearing an article of clothing that you don’t have on. On a count of three adjust that article of clothing.”  
    • Next, ask a student to walk to the front of the class as that character would walk.  
    • Once they get to the front of the classroom, ask them to pick one person to tell their story to. Ask the student to look at this person as they are telling their story.  Have them read their character’s monologue aloud. 
  • If you desire or time permits, you can open the floor up for questions so the other students can interview the character. Let the class know that they can openly discuss the issues at hand and help the character answer questions that they might know the answers to. 

 

  • Now, tell students to find the classmate who has the other character depicted in the photograph on their page. Pass out two index cards to each pair.
    • Have students read their monologues to each other practicing embodying the character they have created. 
    • Students should then discuss the historical context from the photographs and establish each of their character’s points of view. 
    • On each card, students should write a sentence in the first person with the first thing their character wants to say about the event depicted.
    • When you say “action,” students bring the photo to life using improvisation.
    • Beginning with the first line they previously generated on their index card, students should improvise a scene between the two characters discussing the event. 
    • Say “freeze!” and have students return to their seats.

 

NOTE: Instead of improvising scenes, students can write a script for their scene and present it to the class.

 

Closing Reflection

  • On the back of their index cards students should reflect on the process and how both embodying their character and listening to another character’s point of view helped them gain a deeper understanding of the historical event.
  • Allow students time to share with the whole class.

 

 

Assessments

Formative

Teachers will assess students by observing students’ responses to class discussion around photographs in the opening strategy, consulting with students during the writing process, and observing students’ work with their partners creating improvisational scenes.

 

Summative

  • Students can write a monologue in the first person using photography as inspiration that addresses all parts of the prompt.
  • Students can use historical context and relevant facts to create a realistic first person account of an event related to World War II.
  • Students can work collaboratively to improvise a scene with a partner to investigate a historical context or event.

 

Differentiation

Acceleration: 

  • Challenge students by telling them in the middle of the improvised scene, to swap characters with their partner and continue the scene from the new perspective. This tests their adaptability and understanding of character dynamics.
  • Pair two partner teams together to create a new scene with all four characters.

 

Remediation: 

  • Pair English Language Learning students with native English speakers.
  • When writing the questions about the pictures, provide the students with a graphic organizer on which to write answers and to assist with organization of thoughts and ideas.
  • Have students choose fewer items from the list about the character in the picture. 
  • Conference with students who struggle with writing.

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:  Susie Spear Purcell. Updated by Katy Betts.

Revised and copyright:  June 2024 @ ArtsNOW

 

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CLASSIFICATION OF ANIMALS 4-5

CLASSIFICATION OF ANIMALS

CLASSIFICATION OF ANIMALS

Learning Description

In this lesson, students will classify animals based on their attributes and use their voices and bodies to personify their assigned animals. They will then participate as "Classification Experts" on the game show "Connect Your Animal," helping reunite lost animals with their families. Through scientific inquiry, students will classify their own organisms and assist game contestants in classifying theirs. By engaging in this process, students will become adept at classification, much like real scientists.

 

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: 4-5
CONTENT FOCUS: THEATRE & SCIENCE
LESSON DOWNLOADS:

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can accurately classify assigned animals and identify characteristics used in identification.
  • I can accurately use my voice and body like my assigned animal when performing.

Essential Questions

  • How can theatrical techniques help us understand how animals are classified?
  • How can we classify animals based on their attributes?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 5:

S5L1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to group organisms using scientific classification procedures. a. Develop a model that illustrates how animals are sorted into groups (vertebrate and invertebrate) and how vertebrates are sorted into groups (fish, amphibian, reptile, bird, and mammal) using data from multiple sources.

Arts Standards

Grade 5

TA5.CR.1 Organize, design, and refine theatrical work.

TA5.PR.1 Act by communicating and sustaining roles in formal and informal environments.

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 4:

4-LS1-1. Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function together in a system to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.

Arts Standards

Anchor Standard 1: I can create scenes and write scripts using story elements and structure.

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

Anchor Standard 8: I can relate theatre to other content areas, arts disciplines, and careers.

 

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

  • Animals - Many-celled organisms that do not make their own food, have no cell walls, and have no chloroplasts
  • Characteristic - A feature passed from a parent to an offspring (scaly skin, fins, rough skin etc)
  • Classification - The systematic grouping of organisms by observed similarities
  • Warm-blooded - Animals whose body temperature is internally regulated
  • Cold-blooded - Animals whose body temperature is not internally regulated
  • Vertebrate - Organisms that have a series of bones joined together with a flexible material called cartilage
  • Invertebrate - Animals that do not have a backbone

Arts Vocabulary

  • Theater - Dramatic literature or its performance; drama
  • Character - A person, an animal or other figure assuming human qualities, in a story
  • Voice – An actor’s tool, which we shape and change to portray the way a character speaks or sounds
  • Body – An actor’s tool, which we shape and change to portray the way a character looks, walks, or moves
  • Dialogue – Conversation between characters
  • Scene – The dialogue and action between characters in one place for one continuous period of time
  • Improvisation - A creation that is spoken or written without prior preparation
  • Monologue - A speech by a single character in a play, film, or other dramatic work; often used to give the audience deeper insight into the character's motivations and feelings
  • Ensemble - All the parts of a thing taken together, so that each part is considered
  • Tableau -  A “living picture” in which actors pose and freeze in the manner of a picture or photograph

 

Materials

  • Photos of animals representing a variety of animals (one per student)
  • Game cards with host questions

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

  • Start with a general physical warm-up to get the students' bodies ready. Use exercises such as:
    • Stretching: Stretch all major muscle groups.
    • Shaking Out Limbs: Shake out arms, legs, and the whole body to release tension.
    • Energy Passes: Stand in a circle and pass a clap or a simple motion around to build group focus and energy.
  • Explain that students will explore different characters by changing their walk and physicality. Encourage them to think about how their character’s age, status, mood, and personality influence their movement.
    • Begin with simple prompts to get students thinking about different ways to walk. Call out various types of characters and ask students to walk around the space embodying those characters. Examples include:
      • An elderly person with a cane
      • A proud soldier
      • A sneaky thief
      • A graceful dancer
  • Have students return to their seats.

 

Work Session

  • Review classification with students:
    • What is classification and why do we classify things? Ask students for examples of things that we classify, such as types of foods or sports.
    • Review the Animal Classification Order - Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.
      • Kingdoms are large groups, encompassing millions of kinds of organisms each. All animals are in one kingdom (called Kingdom Animalia); all plants are in another (Kingdom Plantae).
      • Species are the smallest groups. A species consists of animals of the same type who are able to breed and produce young of the same kind.
    • Some of the ways we classify living things include:
      • Is it single celled?
      • Is the nucleus in the cell?
      • Does it make its own food?
      • Does it eat food?
      • Does it reproduce sexually?
    • Cold blooded vs. warm blooded:
      • Cold blooded animals include fish, amphibians, reptiles, and all invertebrates.
      • Warm blooded animals include birds and animals not in the above list.
    • Vertebrate vs. Invertebrates:
      • Vertebrates are animals with backbones, including humans, dolphins, flamingos, alligators, fish, and frogs. Our vertebrate movement will be:
        • “ver” - clap elbows to hands flat together
        • “te” - thumbs swing out to the side
        • “brate” - both palms touch shoulders/back
  • There are six Vertebrate Groups: Birds, Mammals, Fish, Reptiles, Amphibians, Arthropods (Insects and Arachnids).
    • BIRDS: Animals that have two wings, two feet and are the only animals that have feathers. Some birds fly, some run and some swim. This group includes blue birds, flamingos, macaws, ostriches, chickens, etc.
      • Movement:
        • ”bird” - flap arms like bird wings and stop feet one at a time
    • MAMMALS: An animal that feeds milk to its young and has hair or fur on its body.  Some examples are whitetail deer, squirrel, pig, dog, cat, bears, chimpanzees, dolphin, and whale.
      • Movement:
        • “mam” - hug your body for warmth and rub arm like fur
        • “mal” - pretend to suck thumb
    • FISH: Animals that live in water, breathe with gills, and are covered with scales.
      • Movement:
        • “fish” - hands on cheeks, top of hand to cheek with fingers splayed out for gills; purse lips together and open like fish lips
    • REPTILES: Animals with rough, dry skin that may have scales or hard plates.  Some examples are alligators, turtles, and giant tortoises.
      • Movement:
        • “rep” - cross arms and scratch skin on upper arms
        • “tiles” - knock on top shoulders
    • AMPHIBIANS: Animals with smooth, wet skin that typically begin life in the water, breathing with gills. They metamorphosize into an adult that lives on land, and give birth by laying eggs. Some examples are frogs, toads and salamanders.
      • Movement:
        • “am” - stroke cheeks with both hands
        • “phi” - hands in front and squat like a frog
        • “bian” - come up and stick tongue out to catch a fly then say “ribbit”
  • INVERTEBRATES: Cold blooded animals without backbones. Some examples are butterflies, clams, octopus, worms, starfish, and ants.
    • Movement:
      • “inver” - forearms cross and sway in front of body
      • “te” - arms out like butterfly wings
      • “brate” - fingers at hips like octopus arms
  • Some invertebrate groups:
    • MOLLUSKS: Cold-blooded animals with soft bodies; most have a hard shell.  Some examples include octopus, slugs, snails, squids and clams.
      • Movement:
        • “mol” - arms crossed in front of body like cold
        • “lus” - soft pat on upper arms
        • “ks” - fist knock on back of shoulders
    • ECHINODERM: Cold-blooded animals with bodies with rough skin and sharp spines. Some examples are sea stars, sea urchins and sand dollars.
      • Movement:
        • “echi” - arms crossed in front of body like cold
        • “no” - scratch upper arms
        • “derm” - put fingers out like claws
    • ANNELIDS: Cold-blooded animals with soft bodies with sections. Some examples are worms, leeches and clamworms.
      • Movement:
        • “an” - arms crossed in front of body like cold
        • “ne” - soft pat on upper arms
        • “lid” - palms out front a foot apart and move from right to left (2 times)
    • CNIDARIANS: Cold-blooded animals with symmetrical, sac-like bodies and true mouths; they are able to eat/digest food. Some examples are hydras, polyps, jellyfishes, sea anemones, and corals.
      • Movement:
        • “cni” - forearms together in front of body and hands swing out (symmetry)
        • “dar” - arms bowed out around stomach
        • “ians” - mouth moving like eating
    • ARTHROPODS (means “jointed leg”): Cold blooded animals with exoskeletons and jointed legs. Some examples include spiders, crabs, lobsters, ladybugs, centipedes, and millipedes.
      • Movement:
        • “arth” - knock on stomach
        • “ro” - pointer fingers half up
        • “pod” - pointer finger all the way up and shiver
    • ARACHNIDS: Arthropods with exoskeletons, two different body regions (head and abdomen), and eight legs; includes spiders, scorpions, ticks, mites, harvestmen, and crabs.
      • Movement:
        • “ar” - two fist on top of each other
        • “rach” - eight fingers open
        • “nid” - all fingers wiggling
    • INSECTS: Arthropods with three different body regions (head, thorax, abdomen), six legs attached to thorax (middle), and sometimes wings; includes grasshoppers, bees, butterflies, flies, beetles, and ladybugs.
      • Movement:
        • “in” - three fingers open
        • “sect” - six fingers coming off both sides of chest, then hands become wings
  • Animal Classification: Who am I?
    • Hand out pictures of different types of animals (one per student).
    • Discuss how a scientist or zoologist examines animals.
    • Ask students to observe their animals as if they are zoologists.
    • Students should look at all of the animal’s features so that they can properly classify this animal in the group that it belongs to.
    • Using movement: Now, tell students to sit like their animal sits or stands.  Move like their animal moves. Pretend to eat like their animal eats.
    • Tell students to give their animal a name.
    • Using voice: On the count of three, at the same time and aloud, tell students to say what their animal ate for breakfast using their animal’s voice, which should be different from their own voice (high or low or fast or slow; fast or slow, etc.).
    • Now tell students to sit as their animal would sit and classify their animal.
  • Ask students to write down the answers to these questions on the paper with their animal picture:
    • What animal are you?
    • Is it a vertebrate or invertebrate? Backbone or no backbone?
    • If a vertebrate, go through the types of vertebrates and decide:
      • Are you cold blooded or warm blooded?
      • Describe your skin (hairy, scaly, furry, rough, wet, dry, feathers, etc.).
      • Do you have scales or a hard plate?
      • Do you have wings and two feet?
      • What do you eat?
      • Do you live on land or in the water?
    • If an invertebrate, go through questions that correspond to invertebrates.
    • Now ask students to write down two or three elements that make their animal a part of their classifying group.
    • Sitting like their animal would sit to show the pattern and shape, students should introduce themselves to their neighbor using the name they selected and the voice they created for their animal.
  • “The Animal Kingdom Classification Connection Game”
    • Set up four chairs in the front of the classroom in a line facing the audience/students.
    • Tell students that they are going to participate in a live television game show called “The Animal Kingdom Classification Connection Game” where lost animals are connected back with their loved ones.
    • Ask four students to be the starring animals and walk up and sit in the four seats as their animal would move.
    • The teacher will act as the game show host and will have two assistants Zoologists/students come up to help classify the animals.
    • Ask two students to be the assistant Zoologists.
    • Have them make up names and introduce themselves to the audience using a different voice.
    • Have each animal and each expert say hello to the audience using their animal voice.
    • Say, “Today we are going to classify each animal on our show and get them back home! We will start by talking to one animal at a time. We will ask each animal some questions one at a time to help us identify its group of origin.”
    • Hand the assistant zoologists two sets of questions (one for vertebrates, one for invertebrates):
      • Questions: Are you a vertebrate or an invertebrate?
      • VERTEBRATE LIST:
        • Are you cold blooded or warm blooded?
        • Describe your skin? (hairy, scaly, furry, rough, wet, dry, feathers, etc.)
        • Do you have scales or a hard plate?
        • Do you have wings and two feet?
        • What do you eat?
        • Do you live on land or in the water?
      • INVERTEBRATE LIST:
        • Do you have an exoskeleton?
        • Do you have sharp spines?
        • Do you have joined legs?
        • Do you have a segmented body? If so, how many segments?
        • Do you have wings?
        • Do you have legs? If so, how many legs?
      • After the questions are asked, the experts can state their answer and the audience will make a ding sound if they are correct and make a buzz sound if they are incorrect.
      • If correct, the animal gets to do a dance moving as their animal would move back to his/her seat.

 

Closing Reflection

  • Close the lesson with Animal Families Unite.
  • Have students find the other animals in their classification and go to different areas in the room.
  • Once all groups are together go around the room and have each group chant their classification and then become their animals with sounds.
  • Have the students tell the features that apply to their classification.

 

Assessments

Formative

Teachers will assess students’ understanding of the content throughout the lesson by observing students’ participation in the activator, discussion of animal classification, ability to classify animals, and use of body and voice to personify their animal.

 

Summative

CHECKLIST

  • Students can accurately classify assigned animals and identify characteristics used in identification.
  • Students can accurately use their voices and bodies like their assigned animal when performing.

 

DIFFERENTIATION 

Acceleration: Students can write a dialogue between their animals introducing themselves and the characteristics that make them part of their classification group.

Remediation: 

  • Provide a graphic organizer to help students structure their responses and classify their animals.
  • Allow students to work with a partner to classify their animal.

*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: Susie Spear Purcell. Updated by Katy Betts.

Revised and copyright: June 2024 @ ArtsNOW

 

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Creating a Role Drama to Analyze Characters in a Text

CREATING ROLE DRAMA TO ANALYZE CHARACTERS IN A TEXT

CREATING ROLE DRAMA TO ANALYZE CHARACTERS IN A TEXT

Learning Description

Students will use drama to analyze characters in the text A Bad Case of Stripes, by David Shannon. Students will examine the internal and external traits of the main character, and then take on roles of characters in the story and engage in a role drama presenting possible solutions for the central problem of the story. Students will then independently write their own endings to the story, and those will be shared and discussed.  

 

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: 2
CONTENT FOCUS: THEATRE & ELA
LESSON DOWNLOADS:

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"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can identify adjectives to describe a character
  • I can become a character and suggest a solution to a problem in a story

Essential Questions

  • How can drama be used to analyze the characters in a text and how their actions contribute to the sequence of events?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 2:ELAGSE2RL3: Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges. 

ELAGSE2RL5: Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action. 

ELAGSE2RL6: Acknowledge differences in the points of view of characters, including by speaking in a different voice for each character when reading dialogue aloud.

Arts Standards

Grade 2: TAES2.3: Acting by developing, communicating, and sustaining roles within a variety of situations and environments.

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 2:2.RI.5: Determine meaning and develop logical interpretations by making predictions, inferring, drawing conclusions, analyzing,synthesizing, providing evidence, and investigating multiple interpretations.

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

Arts Standards

Anchor Standard 1: I can create scenes and write scripts using story elements and structure.

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.
  • Problem – The difficult or challenging situation in a story.
  • Solution – A way to fix or solve a problem.

Arts Vocabulary

  • Statue – An actor in a frozen pose.
  • Storytelling - Conveying events in words and images, often by improvisation or embellishment.
  • Character - A personality or role an actor/actress recreates.
  • Facial Expression - Use of the facial muscles to convey emotion and communicate the feelings and thoughts of the characters to the audience.

 

Materials

  • Anchor Chart Paper 
  • Markers 
  • Lined notebook paper 
  • Pencils
  • A Bad Case of Stripes, by David Shannon

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

Warm-Up: Character Statues 

  • Have students spread out in the space  
  • Instruct students to freeze when the signal (tap of drum, clap of hands, or ‘Freeze”) is given, and to unfreeze on a corresponding signal (two taps, two claps, or “Unfreeze” or “Relax”) 
  • Give character prompts for students to create a Statues (E.g.,  “A happy clown juggling” “A baseball player catching a fly ball”, “An angry principal”, “A movie star signing autographs”, “Abraham Lincoln making a speech,” “Cinderella trying on the slipper”).

 

Work Session

Main Activity Scaffolding 

  • Explain that the lesson will explore the characters and problem in A Bad Case of Stripes, by David Shannon, through several drama strategies.
  • Read the book to “’No, thank you,’ sighed Camilla.  What she really wanted was a nice plate of lima beans, but she had been laughed at enough for one day.”
  • “Role on the Wall” Strategy”: On anchor chart paper, draw an outline of a human figure. Have students suggest adjectives to describe the main character’s internal feelings and characteristics.  Write, or have student volunteers write, those words and phrases inside the outline.  Have students suggest adjectives used to describe the character’s external appearance.  Write, or have student volunteers write those words and phrases outside the outline.
  • Lead the students in enacting Camilla talking about her internal feelings and external appearance.  Have the students repeat, in a Camilla voice, “When people look at me, they see someone who is ----, -----, and ------; but inside, I’m actually very --------, ---------, and ---------.”
  • Read the book to “’What are we going to do?’ cried Mrs. Cream.  ‘It just keeps getting worse and worse!’  She began to sob.” 
  • Have students choose someone in Camilla’s life.  It can be a character mentioned in the story (e.g., Dr. Bumble, Mr. Harms, Dr. Grop, Dr. Sponge, Dr. Cricket, Dr. Young, Dr. Gourd, Dr. Mellon, psychologist, allergist, herbalist, nutritionist, psychic, medicine man, guru, veterinarian, the environmental therapist), a character depicted in the illustrations (classmate, reporter, police officer, tattoo artist, onlooker), or some other character who would likely be in Camilla’s life (cousin, grandparent, neighbor, teacher, etc.).  It should not be Mr. or Mrs. Cream
  • Ask students to sit at their desk and “quick write” in the role of the character they are developing.  Provide several prompts: name, age, relationship to Camilla, 2-3 character traits (e.g., bossy, smart, shy, grumpy, nervous, fun-loving, etc.) 
  • Have students explore the space walking like their character and interacting with others as their character.
  • Have students sit down at desks or in a circle.  
  • Announce that there is going to be a town meeting to help Camilla.
  • Assume the role of Camilla's mother or father, express despair at Camilla’s condition, and ask for advice and guidance from the various people in Camilla’s life about what to do.  (Be prepared with ideas, in case students do not bring many forth, e.g., send Camilla away, give her a 24-hour bath, set her out in the sun, don’t let anyone talk to her, etc.).  Have students make their suggestions in character.  Discuss what might happen with each idea, and discuss the pros and cons.  Thank everyone for their suggestions and conclude the role play.
  • Have students return to their seats and write their new endings to the story, choosing one of the suggestions from the town meeting, and describing how it would play out.
  • Conclude the reading of the story.

 

Closing Reflection

  • Have students pair share, and have volunteers share out as a class.  Discuss how the new endings compare and contrast with the actual ending of the story.
  • Discuss Camilla’s transformation from the beginning to the end of the story.

 

Assessments

Formative

  • Students use their bodies expressively to convey the character statues.
  • Students provide a wide array of interesting and appropriate adjectives for the “Role on a Wall.”
  • Students assume characters and respond appropriately within the Role Drama.

 

Summative

Students’ story endings reflect the ideas shared in the Role Drama and bring the story to a logical conclusion accordingly.

 

Differentiation

Acceleration:

  • Have students further revise, illustrate and publish their new ending.
  • Have students get in small groups and dramatize one of their new endings.

 

Remediation

  • Model a character from the story suggesting a solution to the problem, and discuss how that might play out in a new ending to the story.
  • Give students a limited list of characters to  enact (perhaps: friend, cousin, teacher, grandparent, police officer).

 *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: Jessica Rosa and updated by Barry Stewart Mann.

Revised and copyright:  August 2022 @ ArtsNOW

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