Arts Impact Lesson Plan s1

ARTS IMPACT LESSON PLAN

Theater Lesson

Using Inference

Authors: John Nystrand with Dave Quicksall Grade Level: Third

Enduring Understanding

The given circumstances of a scenario can be interpreted by using inference.

Lesson Description(Use for family communication and displaying student art)

Students create tableaux of given scenarios. They are asked to infer the content of the scenarios by guessing who the characters are and what they are doing. Students record their observations on an individual white board.

Learning Targets and Assessment Criteria

Target: Makes a statue.

Criteria: Holds a frozen position that communicates a character or action.

Target: Creates a tableau.

Criteria: Communicates with body shape a relationship between characters in a given scenario.

Target: Uses inference to interpret a given scenario.

Criteria: Records the circumstances (characters, actions, and/or feelings) observed in a tableau.

Pre-Teach

Teach Expressive Body and Creating Tableau lessons.

Lesson Steps Outline

1. Lead a warm-up by reviewing Statues and Tableaux.

þ Criteria-based process assessment: Makes a shape. Creates a tableau.

2. Introduce the concept of inference by modeling a statue of throwing a football. Ask questions of the students which require inferential thinking.

3. Guide tableau creation and rehearsal of tableaux. Divide the class into groups of 3-4. Assign each group a scenario in which they have to create a tableau.

þ Criteria-based process assessment: Holds a frozen position that communicates a character or action. Communicates a relationship between characters in a given scenario.

4. Direct performance and response.

þ Criteria-based teacher checklist, peer assessment, reflection: Holds a frozen position that communicates a character or action. Communicates with body shape a relationship between characters in a given scenario. Records the circumstances (characters, actions, and/or feelings) observed in a tableau.

LESSON STEPS______

1. Lead a warm-up by reviewing Statues and Tableaux.

3 Prepare to teach this by reviewing lesson in Arts Impact binder, e.g. Statues pg. 3 Theater Section / Expressive Body Lesson

·  Who remembers what a statue is? A statue is making a frozen picture with your body.

·  Show me a statue.

·  Who remembers what a tableau is? A tableau is creating a frozen picture using two or more people. What do we need to think about when we make a tableau?

·  Show me a tableau.

þ Criteria based process assessment: Makes a shape. Creates a tableau.

______

2. Introduce the concept of inference by modeling a statue of throwing a football. Ask questions of the students which require inferential thinking.

·  What am I doing? How do you know? What position do you think I am playing? What do you see that gives you that information?

·  Inference is using what you know in your brain and what the text/statue is telling you. For example, you have information in your brain about football. You were able to quickly interpret what I was doing. How do you have the knowledge in your brain of what a football player looks like?

______

3. Guide tableau creation and rehearsal of tableaux. Divide the class into groups of 3-4. Assign each group a scenario in which they have to create a tableau.

3 See list of scenarios at the end of the lesson.

3 Allow groups a few minutes to practice before they present to the whole class.

·  I am going to ask you to create a frozen tableau of the scenario you will be given. Please keep your scenarios secret because the rest of the class will using inference to make an educated guess about your scenario.

·  Remember when you make your tableau, to cheat out so you can be seen. Angle your body between the audience and the other actors on stage so more of the front of your body can be seen to the audience. Use your levels and depth to make sure you’re not being blocked or blocking anyone else. If you’re closer to the audience, you should be in low space. If you’re farther from the audience, you should be in high space.

þ Criteria based process assessment: Holds a frozen position that communicates a character or action. Communicates a relationship between characters in a given scenario.

______

4. Direct performance and response.

3 Hand out individual white boards to each student and a white board marker. As each tableau is presented to the class, instruct the students to guess the scenario and write their guess on the white board (so teacher is able to assess their understanding). Class will share out their guesses.

·  With each tableau, I want you to write down what you think is happening. We will then share our guesses with the class.

·  When the performances are all over, let’s talk about what the actors did with their bodies that showed inference and why.

þ Criteria-based teacher checklist, peer assessment, reflection: Holds a frozen position that communicates a character or action. Communicates with body shape a relationship between characters in a given scenario. Records the circumstances (characters, actions, and/or feelings) observed in

a tableau.

______

List of Scenarios:

1.  Getting a haircut (Getting your hair done). Modification – person getting their hair done is totally unhappy.

2.  Eating Lunch. Modification – lunch really tastes bad.

3.  Playing on the playground. Modification – started to rain.

4.  Playing a video game. Modification – someone is the winner and someone is the loser.

5.  Playing baseball. Modification – team just won the game.

6.  Blowing out candles on a birthday cake. Modification – candles won’t go out.

7.  Riding a skateboard. Modification – going way too fast.

8.  Driving a car. Modification – just been pulled over by a police officer.

ARTS IMPACT LESSON PLAN Arts Foundations Theater Lesson

Third Grade: Using Inference

CLASS ASSESSMENT WORKSHEET

Statue

Tableau

What was effective in the lesson? Why?

What do I want to consider for the next time I teach this lesson?

How could I connect the concepts in this lesson with other disciplines?

Teacher: Date:

ARTS IMPACT FAMILY LETTER

ARTS LESSON: Using Inference

Dear Family:

Today your child participated in a Theater lesson. We talked about inference.

·  We discovered that when you use the information in your brain to interpret the text/tableau, you are using inference.

·  We created tableaux of real-life situations and presented them to the class. We also had to guess what was happening in other tableaus by using inference.

At home, you could have fun creating your own tableaux.

Enduring Understanding

The circumstances of a scenario can be interpreted by using inference.

Arts Impact Arts Foundations 2015-16

John Nystrand; West Seattle Elementary School; Using Inference

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