Arts Impact Teacher Lesson Plan

ARTS IMPACT TEACHER LESSON PLAN

Arts Discipline:

Theater

Infused Discipline: /

Literacy – Reading and Writing

Grade Level: / 5 /

Title:

/ Exploring Uncommon Verbs

Author:

Kelly Cole with Dave Quicksall at Southwood Elementary

Enduring Understanding: / Making specific physical and vocal choices to communicate an unfamiliar verb can build word meaning and dynamic writing.
Examples: / Video evidence on file
Uses gesture and movement to convey actions. / Video evidence on file
Uses gesture and movement to convey actions.
Target Learnings and Assessment Criteria
Target: / Makes a specific physical choice to communicate a specific verb.
Criteria: / Uses gesture and movement to convey actions.
Target: / Makes a specific vocal choice to communicate a specific verb.
Criteria: / Changesvolume, pitch, rate of speed or timbre appropriate to the action.
Target: / Understands that verbs from stories can be used to describe real-life events.
Criteria: / Writes a sentence using a specific action in a real-life situation.

Instructional Strategies

Pre-teach: Reads Big Chickens by Leslie Helakoski. Discusses why such unusual words (pwocked, puffled, tutted) can describe more specific actions for her characters.
1. Leads movement warm-up using verbs.Prompts: Walk around the room in actor neutral. I’ll call out a verb. Begin to act out the verb. Use your body to communicate the specific action. Uses words that lend themselves to verbal expression (whispering, howling, crying, and laughing). Teacher selects a few students to demonstrate.
Embedded Assessment: Criteria-based teacher checklist: room scan
2. Reintroduces the story Big Chickens.Prompts: Remember when we read this story Big Chickens? Today we will be acting out many of the verbs used in this story using our voices and bodies. Reads aloud Big Chickens to the class.
3. Divides the class into groups of four and give each group a copy of the story.Prompts: In this tub I have the awesome verbs from this book written down on pieces of paper. Your group will be drawing one out from the tub to then act out as a group.Before you can act out your verb, you will need to look the verb up in the story to see how the author used the word in context.
4. Guides the students while they investigate their verbs and practice acting it out.Prompts: Practice the verbs with your group and be prepared to share your actions and vocal choices with the class. The rest of the class will be guessing what verb you are acting out. Remember, you are chickens and you can not only change your body, but also change the volume, pitch (high/low), rate of speed, and/or timbre (quality) of your voice.
5. Facilitates as each group presents their actions and vocal choices to the class. Guides the rest of the class to use the Verb Anchor Chart to identify the verbs the group is acting out. Prompts: As each group is acting, use this list of verbs from the story to guess which one they are acting out.
Embedded Assessment: Criteria based teacher checklist; criteria-based group reflection
6. Guides the class discussion of how these verbs relate to real-life.Prompts: When in your life have you done one of these verbs? For example, have you ever “scurried” in your life? When did you “scurry”? What made you “scurry”? What does scurrying look like and sound like? Lets all act this out. Picks a few off the list to discuss and act out as a class as it relates to real-life.
Embedded Assessment: Criteria-based group reflection
7. Models using a verb in a sentence relating how it was just acted out to real-life.Prompts: Going back to “scurried”. How could I write a sentence using my experience with that verb? Solicits ideas from class and writes a sentence on the board.
8. Facilitates as students write real-life sentences of their own using two verbs from the list.
Embedded Assessment: Criteria-based teacher checklist
Vocabulary / Resources:
Performance / Classroom / Performing Arts Materials / WA Essential Learnings

action
character
gesture
movement
physical choice
verb
vocal choice: pitch, volume, rate of speed, timbre

/ Phantom Tollbooth,
BroadwayCenter for the Performing Arts, Tacoma, WA /

Big Chickens by Leslie Helakoski
verbs written on an Anchor Chart
individual verbs written on pieces of paper for groups to draw
copy of the story for each group
notebook paper for writing sentences

/ AEL 1.1 concepts:

character actions
movement
voice: pitch, volume, rate of speed, timbre

Scheduled Study Visit:
Phantom Tollbooth,
BroadwayCenter for the Performing Arts, Tacoma, WA, March 13, 2009 / AEL 1.2 skills and techniques:

identifies and uses voice/ movement to communicate character action

Reading/Writing Essential Learning
Writing 3.2.2 uses language appropriate for a specific audience and purpose.

uses precise language
uses literary and sound devices
selects words for effect

Reading 1.2.2 applies a variety of strategies to comprehend words and ideas in complex text.

uses prior knowledge, the text, context clues, and graphic features of text to clarify, and/or expand word meanings

Arts Discipline:

Theater

Infused Discipline: /

Literacy – Reading and Writing

Grade Level: / 5 /

Title:

/ Exploring Uncommon Verbs

Author:

Kelly Cole with Dave Quicksall

Students / THEATER
Body / THEATER and
READING
Voice / WRITING
Verbs / Total Points
3
Uses gesture and movement to convey actions / Changes volume, pitch, rate of speed or timbre appropriate to the action / Writes a sentence using a specific action in a real-life situation
1.
2.
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4.
5.
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12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
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21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
Total
Percentage
Teacher Comments
Were there any students especially challenged by concepts in the lesson; what instructional strategies helped these students?
Were there lesson dynamics that helped or hindered learning?
What classroom management techniques supported student learning?
Other comments:
Family Communication: / Students read the story Big Chickens and identified uncommon verbs. They used body and voice in Theater to deepen their understandings about uncommon verbs. Making specific physical and vocal choices to communicate an unfamiliar verb can build word meaning and dynamic writing.

Arts Impact Core Theater Arts-Infused Lesson Plan

Kelly Cole—SouthwoodElementary School—EnumclawSchool District