What's Happening in Drama Classes

Kindergarten and First Grade students are immersed in our puppetry unit.  Over the course of this unit, the students have the chance to make several different types of puppets from stick puppets to marionettes.  They also learn how to operate other types of professionally made puppets and put on original puppet shows using both their own creations and my collection of puppets.

Students in Second Grade have just finished a unit on Teamwork and Electricity which included making closed circuits with each other and convincing a grumpy homeowner (me) why I shouldn't throw away my electronic devices (them).  We are now working on a play production unit in which the students take on all the jobs of putting on the play from writing the scripts to acting to directing to designing sets and costumes.

Third Grade students recently put on their fabulous production of Folktales from Around the World!  I was very proud of all the students.  Their hard work during rehearsals really paid off in what turned out to be a truly excellent show.  We are now getting back into our normal drama curriculum which includes upcoming units on Improv and set and costume design.

Students in Fourth Grade are continuing to develop their stage voices and acting skills by preparing monologues.  The students learned about monologues and the purpose they serve in the acting world, then each student chose a monologue to work with for the next several weeks.  We discussed how to go about learning and performing a monologue and then the students began to rehearse.  They are each preparing a memorized performance of their chosen monologue to share with the class after break.

Fifth Grade drama class is focusing on rehearsals for the upcoming Fifth Grade production of The American Revolution: The Musical.  While this show is directed by Ms. Russell I love to help in any way I can so we use drama class time to rehearse.  Once again, this show is going to be amazing.  The students always impress me with their acting, singing and dancing under Ms. Russell's direction.

Finally, in Seventh Grade, we are all about Improv!  The students learned about the golden rule of improv:  Yes, and... as well as the acronym CROW which stands for Character, Relationship, Objective and Where.  When performing an improv scene the actors want to establish CROW as quickly as possible.  We have been playing several improv games to reinforce these concepts.  They also happen to be a lot of fun!

I hope you all have relaxing and fun mid-winter breaks!

December in Drama Classes

As we get ready to head off for Winter Break, here is an update of what we've been doing in drama classes.

In Kindergarten, the students have begun to learn about the dramatic elements of plot, setting and character.  We have been using story drama to identify these elements and then act out the stories.   We have been having a lot of fun with Dr. Seuss stories, especially The Sneetches.

First Grade students spent several weeks using their imaginations to pretend that objects were something other then what they were intended to be, that fabric could turn in to anything we wanted it to be and that our classroom could transform in to any place we wanted to go.  The students then had the opportunity to work in small groups to create their own short plays about winter which they performed for one another.

In Second Grade, the students spent several weeks rehearsing a short play about space and community entitled Space Wrecked which they performed for their buddies.  Next, we thought more about communities when we did an activity which illustrated how we go from being individuals to members of a community in a unique and engaging way.  The past two weeks, the students have played some favorite pantomime guessing games in class.

Third Grade students have been learning about the 5 W's and how they are used in drama.  We began be exploring character (who) and then moved on to setting (where).  The students worked in small groups to write short scenes, then design and draw the sets for their scenes and finally rehearse and perform their scenes.  When we return from break we will get started rehearsing for the Third Grade Performance.  We have four new folktales to perform this year.

In Fourth Grade, the students have been working on their stage voices.  They began by choosing different dramatic poems which they rehearsed and performed for their classmates.  Then the students had some fun with MadScripts.  These are short plays done in the Mad Libs style, so they end up being very silly.

Sixth Grade students finished up learning about frozen pictures and giving and taking focus with fun activities such as Wax Museum and My Family Vacation.  They then spent time creating short scenes which solved different dramatic challenges, such as creating a game show or a fractured fairy tale.  After break, the Sixth Graders will spend some time researching an area of interest within the vast history of the theater and presenting their findings to the class.

In Eighth Grade, the students have continued to use all of the acting skills previously learned to solve complex dramatic challenges, such as creating a mock news cast.  Activities like this have been mixed with Improv games to keep the students thinking on their toes.  When we return from break Eighth Grade students will begin working on writing original plays based on urban legends.

I wish you all a safe and happy holiday season!

Ms. Edwards

What's Happening in Drama Classes

It is hard to believe we are already in November, but here we are!  All of the students have been having a great time in Drama Classes this fall.  Here is a quick look at what we have been doing.

In Kindergarten and First Grade we spent several weeks working on movement; how to control our bodies and use them to complete different dramatic challenges.  We are now working on the important drama skill of Observation.  Recent classes have included favorite games such as Frog and Fly, Three Changes and Who Started the Motion.

Students in Second Grade completed a unit on Observing and Working Together and are now exploring Space and Community in Drama class.  We have taken Imagination Journeys into space and are now working on a great short play called Space Wrecked about a group of tourists in space who get stranded on an unidentified planet and have to work together to create their own community.

In Third Grade, we have been working on Pantomime Acting, acting without speaking or using any props.  The students have explored different environments in pantomime, communicated character and plot in pantomime and even tried to sell different items in pantomime.

Students in Fourth Grade have moved away form Pantomime Acting and have started a unit on Voice.  They are working on breathing, projection, rate, clarity and expression.  These are valuable skills not only for acting on stage but also for giving speeches and presentations.

In Sixth Grade, we have been working with the idea of frozen pictures or freeze frames and how an entire story can be told in one snapshot.  We have also been learning about giving and taking focus on stage.

Finally, in Eighth Grade we have been splitting our time between activities which emphasize Improv, acting without preparation, and scene building, creating short scenes with complete plots and well developed characters which solve different dramatic challenges.  We have spent a lot of time laughing at the creative and hysterical ideas the students have come up with.

Here We Go Again!

It's hard to believe that another school year is already underway, but here we are in the middle of our second week of the 2012-13 school year.  The first week of drama classes went very well.  We began with quick reviews of procedures and expectations then we dove right in to our first games and activities.  It is always fun for me to see how the children have grown and changed over the summer and how the dynamics change based on new class groupings.  For these reasons, I always start the year with fun ice breaker and team building activities.  These activities give the students a chance to get to know their new classmates and give me a chance to observe how the new groups work together.

This week the Kindergarten and First Grade classes will continue to do activities to get to know one another and learn how to work well together while the older grades will begin their first units of study. 

It is going to be another great year of drama classes at OWS!  As always, if you have any questions about drama classes or your child please don't hesitate to contact me at lisae@ows.org.  This year I am on campus Tuesday-Friday.

Partnerships with Older Drama Students

Students here at OWS are lucky.  They get to have drama class as a part of their educational experience from Kindergarten through Eighth Grade.  I certainly did not have this opportunity, in fact Drama wasn't offered as an option at my schools until high school.  I hope that I inspire my students to continue taking drama classes or pursue acting once they leave OWS.  To foster this sense of drama being a lifelong pursuit I am partnering with area high schools to bring high school theatre students here to work with my students. 

On Tuesday, students from the Northwest School came out for the afternoon to lead the First Grade students in drama workshops.  The high school students taught games and created frozen picture scenes with the First Graders.  Then they asked the little ones for ideas to add to a play they are writing.  Once the play is finished they are going to be coming back and performing it for us.  It was great fun to see 6 year old and 16 year old students working together!

Next, I am going to have the Improv Troupe from Newport High School come and lead some workshops with the Fourth Grade students during our unit on Improvisational Theatre.

We are just starting this exciting program and I can't wait to see how it expands!    

Wrapping Up 2011

As we are quickly approaching winter break the students have been very busy in drama classes!

Kindergarten students have been learning about the dramatic elements of plot, setting and character.  We have read several stories looking for these elements and then had a great time acting the stories out.  The students also got the opportunity to create their own short plays to perform for one another.  All of their plays had interesting plots, clear settings and strong characters...and they were great fun to watch!

Students in First Grade participated in a First Thanksgiving narrative pantomime activity to compliment their study of the First Thanksgiving in class.  We planted and harvested crops, went fishing and hunting and then prepared and enjoyed our feast.  It was fun for the kids to explore the content in a different way!  We then spend some time reviewing the dramatic elements and the students worked in small groups to write and perform winter scenes.

Second Grade students have been busy exploring the concepts of Space and Community.  We spent several weeks working on a Reader's Theater play called Space Wrecked about a group of space tourists who find themselves stranded on an unfamiliar planet and have to create a community in order to survive.  Next, we did an activity called "Coming Together" which encouraged the students to explore how communities form from groups of individuals in an abstract way.  I was impressed by the complex connections the students made during this activity.

In Third Grade we have been studying the 5 W's:  Who, What, When, Where and Why and how they are related to drama and acting.  The students have created characters, drawn set design plans, written plots and applied different motivations to their acting.  After we return from break we will begin rehearsing for the Third Grade performance.

Fourth Grade students have been working on their stage voices.  We have been doing different exercises to help with our breathing, articulation, rate, projection, clarity, expression and pitch.  The students used their stage voices to do dramatic performances of poems.  They had the choice of several poems and were able to perform either individually or in small groups.  They all did a fabulous job in their final performances!

I hope you all have wonderful break from school and I'm looking forward to more adventures in drama class when we return in 2012!

What's happening in K-4 Drama!

Students in Kindergarten and First Grade have been exploring the concepts of dramatic movement and observation this month in drama class.  We began by playing several games which emphasized physical control and spatial awareness.  Then we began to focus on of awareness and observation.  The students have been using different senses, mostly sight and hearing, to complete challenges and succeed at games.

In Second Grade Drama classes we have been working on teamwork.  All of the games and activities have emphasized different aspects of teamwork and encouraged the students to work cooperatively.

Students in Third Grade have been studying the art of pantomime acting, that is acting with making any vocal sounds or using any props.  The students learned the basic qualities of good pantomime acting and have since been applying these qualities to communicating effectively in pantomime.  They have completed several challenges and created wonderful pantomime scenes.

Fourth Grade students have also been practicing their pantomime acting at a more advanced level.  These students are solving more advanced dramatic challenges and creating more detailed scenes all without speaking.

This year has gotten off to a great start!  I can't believe it's almost November already!  I'm having so much fun teaching and learning from your children every day.

Lisa Edwards