Break the Ice with Drama
Drama is everywhere, in every day of our life, we constantly perform even if we do not realize that. This workshop is aimed at teachers who would like to look at practical ways to implement drama icebreakers into their lessons. The hands-on session provides the teachers with a variety of fun, moving-around activities that break the ice, loosen students up, get them alert and engaged.
Anna Musielak graduated from the Philology Department of Silesian University with a PhD. She has worked for the military and at schools where she taught British Literature and Culture and as methodology director in a private language school. She is interested in using drama, music and literature in teaching English. Currently she runs practical workshops and teaches English to young learners and adults.
Break the ice with drama
I.Non-verbal drama ice-breakers and warmers
Activity 1. Non-verbal introduction
Divide your students into pairs and ask them to introduce each other non-verbally – just by gestures, mimes or pictures, no words are allowed.(Optional - later on ask your students to say something about their partner).
Activity 2. Hi therewith handshakes only
Greet one another (by shaking hands or other gestures only) as if
you are footballers from two opposite teams
you are two divas
you are a pre-schooler coming back to kindergarten after holiday
you are a cool dude
Activity 3. Either...or....
Ask your group to move to the opposite sides/corners of the classroom according to their choices and your instructions
- Cats or dogs (people who like cats go to the right corner people who like dogs to the left corner)
- Chocolate or fruit
- Holiday at the seaside or in the mountains
- Doing nothing or jogging
Activity 4. Move in the manner of
Move in a certain way, e.g. as if you are a charging bull that just met a butcher, a sizzling chip being thrown into the hot oil, ripe tomatoes or a lobster getting away from the cook.
Activity 5. Would you rather…
Ask your students to show their choices by raising their hands (or making some noises)
Would you rather:
a) eat a bar of soap b) eat toothpaste
a) be invincible b) be invisible
a) win 10000 pounds b) go on a date with your celebrity crush
Activity 6. Chain mime
Choose about five people to leave the classroom. The others decide on a mime arrangement to do, e.g. changing a baby’s nappy, walking a barking dog, being attacked by bees while eating ice-cream…The first person is called in and told what to do.Then the next person is called in and watches the first person mime changing a baby.The third volunteer is called in and repeats what he sees the second person do etc…The mime usually changes with each repetition so that almost every person is doing something different.Ask each person what s/he thought they were doing.
Activity 7. Freeze frame
Students prepare still images (or freeze frames) of their favourite movies/fairy tales (e.g. ET, Dirty Dancing, Titanic, Rocky). The “audience” has to guess the story (and can make the picture live by touching a chosen character and asking questions). Characters can use props.
Activity 8. Still Image(freeze frame) variation.
In groups participants get a picture and take up different poses to construct this picture describing what they want to say. (Example: A young girl going off to college saying good bye to her family). The others can make the people in the picture “alive” by touching them – and are free to ask questions to guess the meaning/scene.
II.Verbal drama icebreakers and warmers
Activity 1. Personal star.
Every participant draws a star and writes things that describe his/her life/personality (e.g. 30, chocolate, driving license etc…). Other players have to guess what meaning a certain thing has for the speaker (Is 30 your age? Is it a number of accidents you had? )
Activity 2. Shout it out.
Students sit in two lines facing each other. They have their backs close to the wall. They have a conversation with each other (you can decide on the topic or leave it to your students). They cannot get close and have to shout the questions and answers.
Activity 3. The questions game.
One person has to ask a question and the second has to respond with a question (rules: no rhetorical questions and no repetitions, no topic diversions)
Activity 4. Cue scripts
Cue scripts are divided among students (scripts with just the character's lines and their cues). To take the pressure of speaking students are grouped (delegates, cashiers,etc...) and perform the task together. With braver groups it can be done by giving the roles to individual students.
TESOL Delegate (in Bilbao for the first time): Excuse me, how can I get to the beach?
Disciplined conference organizer: (Cue:...... the beach?).
The beach? You are here to learn, not relax!
Friendly Passerby: (Cue…..not relax!)
I can help you, I speak English very well. You have to go left (shows right) and then turn right (shows left)…
Jennifer (aka Superheroine also known as Tesol Spain President): (Cue:…..Turn right)
Do not fret my dear delegate. I am Jennifer, Tesol Spain President and I am here to help you!
Activity 5. Role plays
Role play 1
A: You are calling your friend Justin. You want to invite him to a costume party this Saturday.
B: You answer the phone. The person on the other end of the line wants to speak to Justin. You don't know anyone named Justin.
Role play 2
A: You're on holiday with your friend in Las Vegas. You have lost all your money. Your friend is in the hotel room. Call him/her and ask to borrow 1000 dollars.
B: You're asleep in your Las Vegas hotel room. Your friend is in the casino. It's three o'clock in the morning. Your phone rings.
Activity 6. Objects talk
Find a new use for an everyday object (you can continue with classroom objects or find different ones)
Activity 7.Gibberish
Each person takes on the role of a demonstrator. He/she draws a card with a task (e.g. how to use a tennis rocket, how to make coffee, how to bake a cake) and has to present it using gestures and …gibberish.
Break the ice with drama by dr Anna Musielak
@AnnaMusielak
TESOL Spain Convention 2012, Bilbao, 9-11March