3.2 Lesson 2

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this lesson, the students should:

  1. be able to evaluate and articulate the effect of the setting and the characters developed in a story;
  2. be able to concentrate on making movements in acting; and
  3. identify the elements of a play.

Stage / Objectives / Learning Activities / Materials
Warm-up and discussion
/ To evaluate and articulate the effect of the setting and characters developed in a story / 1. Come and share
The students sit in a circle. Each tells what they know about the setting and the characters in a story, e.g., their functions and meaning. The teacher writes the key words/adjectives/adverbs on the board. Have a class vote for the best setting and character portrayed in the given texts, in terms of functions and meaning as discussed. Explain the choice.
/
Learning by experience / To concentrate on making movements in acting / 2. Walk to the beat and mood
The class walks to the beat of the drum. As the students become relaxed and used to it, change the beat: rapid, double hits, slow, and so on. Talk as least as possible to let the students focus on the change in beat. Following the beat, lead the students to gallop, skip, stride, etc., in order to help them focus on the use of their body. When it is over they sit down relaxed. See “Notes to Teachers” for suggestions on how to lead the concentration exercise.
When the exercise is over, debrief by acknowledging their efforts, invention and concentration on movements. / Music
Notes to Teachers
Discovery / To explore the elements of a play / 3. Tell the audience silently, please
After the concentration exercise, have students ready to express meaning in mime. The students first work in pairs. Show each pair two action cards. Each pair act in turn. The rest guess what they are expressing. Write the actions on the board when they are successfully performed. Ask the students to talk aboutany difficulties as they performed and share ways to tackle them.
Then, all work in groups of four. Give each group a scene. Groups present it without speech.
Ask the students which is easier to perform, the action cards or the scene, and why.
Conclude by highlighting the elements of a play but leave the details for the coming sessions. See “Notes for Debriefing” for suggestions. / Action Cards
Scenes
Notes for Debriefing
Reading / ● To make meaning from reading /
  1. Take-home job
Read/study Chapters 1 and 2 of The Worry Website.
Assessment for Learning
Student questionnaire
Teacher’s observation
Teacher’s oral feedback

Lesson 2

Concentration Exercise

Notes to Teachers

Suggested Steps:

  1. Walk the class to the beat of the drum. As the students become relaxed and used to it, change the beat: rapid, double hits, slow, and so on.
  1. Talk as least as possible to let the students focus on the change in beat.
  1. Following the beat, lead the students to gallop, skip, stride, etc., in order to help focus on the use of their body. When it is over they sit down relaxed.
  1. Teachers may move on to the mood, suggesting:

Nice catch to the beat. Now, have a good rest. Let’s close our eyes. Breathe deeply, slowly…breathe in, breathe out,…You are sitting on green, soft grass. So gentle, so light. Now, open the eyes. Stand up. How does it feel to you? Our feet are tired. Think what it is like to put them on soft, cool grass. Take off the shoes. Walk on it. Feel it.

5. Walk with the students in a comfortable way as if you are walking on grass. Next, suggest:

Now we’ve come to another place. It is hard, slippery, and difficult to walk on. Dangerous! Watch out. There is ice underfoot. Look! ______(a student’s name) is losing his/her balance. ______(Another students’ name) is going to fall down. Hey, ______’s (the third student) almost slipped. So close… etc.

6. When the exercise is over, acknowledgethe students’ efforts, invention and concentration on movements.

Lesson 2

Action Cards

Shooting in a basketball field
Passing a basketball in a match
Playing badminton
Flying kites
Jumping rope
Playing table tennis
Taking photographs
Dancing
Hiking
Diving

Lesson 2

Scene Cards

Catching a bus
Making an order
in a restaurant
Seeing off a friend at the airport
Reporting a shoplifter
A quarrel over someone’s jumping the queue
Bumping into a famous singer/star in the cinema

Lesson 2

Notes for Debriefing

Students should be encouraged to talk about their feelings freely when they are acting in the two sessions. Teachers, however, are suggested to narrow the discussion down to:

  1. Which is easier to manage, the action cards or the scenes? Why?

(The action cards are supposed to be easier to perform because they simply demand presentations of certain activities but the scenes demand students’ attention to details that are entailed in portraying the contexts, such as, the place, the characters and the features.)

  1. What should we do in order to convey the meaning of the action cards well to the audience?

(Make appropriate, distinct facial expressions and use body language, movements, etc.)

  1. What else should we do in order to convey the meaning of the scenes well to the audience?

(Select the salient features of the context; collaborate with team mates; express meaning with eye contact with team mates and imagined characters, speed, pace, etc.)

4. What can we find out about play from the mime?

(The mime is a common technique that actors are instructed to use to express the meaning of a play. On top of speech, there are other means and techniques we can use to express meaning; for example, focus, moving upstage and downstage, etc.)

Lesson 2

Student Questionnaire

Student’s Name: ______Class: ______Date: ______

These questions are to find out about your English language learning.

Please answer all the questions. Thank you.

Please tick (  ) the best box.

In Lesson 2, / Yes / No
Why? / I am not sure
Why?
1. I have shared what I think about a setting and a character.
No, because… / I am not sure, because… ______
2. I learnt how to focus on using my body to make movements and express myself.
No, because… / I am not sure, because…
______
3. I had an idea of how to use language and movements to express a scene.
No, because… / I am not sure, because…
______

In this lesson, I enjoyed / didn’t enjoy… because…

______

______