Objectives: Students use movement choices to tell stories without words. Students demonstrate supportive audience behavior.
This lesson builds on the skills students learned in “Creating Tableaux” by introducing how tableaux can tell stories. After an individual warm up, students create frozen pictures in small groups and present them to the class. Students also practice their analysis skills by observing each other’s tableaux and filling out a worksheet with their responses. In addition, you will find that this lesson provides a useful context to teach and assess audience behavior. “Tableau Stories” is thus a fun and easily adaptable lesson that could be connected to units in English, social studies, or even science. This lesson is a part of our recommended sequence in the Fifth Grade Curriculum.
To maximize student achievement, download this drama journal for students to use as reflection or formative assessment. For each lesson in the curriculum, we have created a corresponding journal page for your students. A drama journal allows participants to reflect on their learning and artistic growth (metacognition). It also allows you, the teacher, to see how students are using the drama vocabulary, thinking about big ideas, and perceiving their own strengths and weaknesses. If you use the journal for assessment and would like more assessment tools, visit our Fifth Grade Curriculum.
We have also created a drama journal for older students, focusing on more advanced writing and reflection skills. You can use this assessment tool as a way to challenge older students to think critically about how they used skills from a prior lesson, collaborated with others, or came up with creative ideas.
