For this lesson, I used a reader’s theatre provided by Ms. Jones of The Princess and the Pea. I wanted to use the reader’s theatre to talk about the specific characters in the story and assign specific movement to each character. During and after the lesson, I realized that I had made a mistake by teaching the movement of the characters and then having the students be specific characters and read the story aloud while the rest of the class did the movement. It took a lot of time and it made the other students lose focus and interest. If I were to do the lesson again, I would find a way to have either myself or the teacher read the reader’s theatre to help the lesson move along or have another way of moving through the different characters quickly to keep the students moving. I think the students had a lot of fun exploring the movement of the different characters, but the lesson plan would require more work to make it more fast paced.
I think one of the best things about this lesson was the music I chose for each character. I think it made the lesson more alive and exciting as the students danced with different types of music depending on the character.
Arts Bridge Character Lesson
Objective: By the end of 35 minutes, the 4th grade students in Ms. Jones’ class will better
understand characters by embodying types of characters through movement and applying it to choreography in a story line.
Materials:
- Reader’s Theatre: The Princess and the Pea
- Drum
- Optional: speaker and playlist (specific songs listed below)
Setting up Expectations:
5-10 minutes
I want to play the name game today! Everyone stands in a circle and we do a move with our
names and then move around the circle repeating the move with our name until we’ve gone all the way around.
Investigate and Explore:
Different characters- show different locomotor steps and shapes to demonstrate different types of characters.
Narrator: Sitting in the air somehow. Could be “reading a book” or “thinking”, and very formal.
Try hopping on the one leg!
Music: Carmen Suite No.2
Prince (Protagonist): Gallop like you’re on a horse, have a straight upper torso.
Music: William Tell: Overture
King: Curvy shape, old king that is bent over and walks wobbly.
Music: Canon in D Major
Queen: Slow step touches with hands held together, very regal and upright.
Music: Water Music Suite No.2
The Smallest Page: Moves quickly, goes around running all of the errands. “Show me what
errands you are running. Are you cleaning? Are you shopping?”
Music: The Tsar of the saltan
Princess: Very light and airy, moves with grace and sustained movement (stays about the same tempo)
Music: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik Serenade in G Major
Create and Perform:
Get into groups and choose a story out of the list provided. Have a beginning, middle, and end.
Story options:
The 3 Little Pigs
Little Red Riding Hood
Hansel and Gretel
Jack and the Beanstalk
Dance:
1- Have a beginning shape
2- Use different pathways for beginning, middle, and end (straight, curvy, zigzag)
3- Each person is a different character. How might the character move based on how they
act? (Speed, levels, shapes, etc.)
4- Have an ending shape