Drama for Kids - Games and Activities for Years 4 - 7 Are you an upper primary teacher hanging out for some new drama teaching ideas? Did you see last fortnight’s post about Drama Activities for Years K – 3 students and wish there were a few more challenging ideas there for your class? Well, wish no more! These eight activities in the K-3 Drama post are definitely suitable to use with your upper primary class, and I would encourage you to have a look at them if you haven’t already. The K-3 games are excellent for introducing and extending student understanding of the basic elements of role, voice and movement, and are important preparatory activities for these slightly more challenging drama lesson ideas. The concept of this approach to drama for kids is quite simple: With that in mind, here are eight more classroom Drama activities you can add to your repertoire straight away. 1. Create a whole-class story in this imaginative drama activity which is for practising individual and group focus. Layer in Context: 2. 3. Play “Shazzam!” 4. 5. 6. 7.
Hot Seating What is Hot Seating? A character is questioned by the group about his or her background, behaviour and motivation. The method may be used for developing a role in the drama lesson or rehearsals, or analysing a play post-performance. Even done without preparation, it is an excellent way of fleshing out a character. Characters may be hot-seated individually, in pairs or small groups. The technique is additionally useful for developing questioning skills with the rest of the group. How do you do hot seating? The traditional approach is for the pupil playing the character to sit on a chair in front of the group (arranged in a semi-circle), although characters may be hot-seated in pairs or groups. If the background of the character is familiar to the pupils, then it may not be necessary for those playing the characters to do much preparation. Examples
Acting Exercises: For High School Students and Beginners Here are a few acting exercises you can use to sharpen up your craft. Some of them are simple theatre games, while others are more complex. All of them are designed to help your acting abilities. Please note: Some of these acting exercises require the use of a character. Middle and High School Alphabet SceneTwo students are selected. For example: If Y is the letter chosen, the first line of the scene starts with Y. If you want to make it harder, add more actors. Why? Zip Zap ZopGather everyone into a circle. Why? Freeze! Why? Question SceneTwo students improvise a scene where the all lines must be questions. Why? Backwards SceneTwo students are selected. Why? Party QuirksOne student plays the host of the party. Why? College Level Public SolitudeThe student will play out their morning routine in the studio as if they were alone. Why? RepetitionTwo students will stand on opposite sides of the room, facing each other. "Stop looking at my shirt!" "Stop looking at your shirt?" And so on. Why? Why? Why? Why?
Music-Based Improv Games for Young Actors Most improv exercises are intended to expand actors' comfort with creating characters, interacting in front of an audience, and thinking on their feet. Few exercises, however, are built around musical comedy. There are a few reasons for this: Musical comedy requires music, and few drama teachers have access to a piano and piano player. Sure, you can play around with recorded music -- but that's not as easy as it sounds.Musical comedy requires singing, and a surprising number of young actors are very shy about singing. So why bother with music-related improv? The improv activities described here are music-related, but they don't require participants to read music -- or even to sing! Theme Music Improv This improv activity is suitable for 2 – 3 performers. Have the audience members suggest a location. Hey, Bob, did you get that promotion? Once the conversation is underway, the instructor (or whoever is manning the keyboard) plays background music. Emotion Symphony Song Spoofs
Thought Tracking Thought tracking (also called thought tapping) is a quick fire strategy enabling children to verbally express their understanding of characters and situations without the need for rehearsal. Students gain confidence to speak in front of others, preparing the ground for them to move into extended improvisation. It is surprisingly easy for pupils to identify with a role and express their thoughts after holding a still image for a few moments. The teacher can efficiently gather feedback from all the students. Thought tracking is a natural follow-up to still images and freeze frames. Once children have made an image, explain that when you tap them on the shoulder you would like them to speak the thoughts or feelings of their character aloud. Students may want to be inanimate objects or animals in a still image.
Personality Types | 16Personalities 10 Theatre Games Perfect For Drama Class - Theatre Nerds Games are the perfect way to break the ice and engage people of all ages. Within the structure of a drama class, games can be used as a get-to-know-you exercise, for warm-up, to introduce or practice a new skill or just for fun. Here are 10 drama games that are ideal for your next class: Three chairs are set up in a row at the front. If the park bench occupant laughs or leaves the bench, the pedestrian takes their place. Choose one person to be the party host and ask them to leave the room briefly. The party starts, and the first guest enters the party. This can be played in a small group or large group. You will need a larger playing space for this one — going outside or into a gymnasium is preferable. Divide the students into two teams and put them on either side of the playing area. Once both teams have chosen, they meet in the middle and face each other. Divide the group into teams of four to six people and have each team choose a spot around the room.
Thought Tracking | CODE Definition A strategy in which the teacher circulates, tapping students on the shoulder to prompt them to focus on their inner thoughts and feelings. Thought tracking helps students in role to tap into thoughts and emotions that lie beneath the surface, enabling them to deepen their response and/or contrast outer appearance with inner experience. The strategy can be used effectively with students in tableaux. Instructional strategies Whole class discussion Under what circumstances might there be a difference between what we think and what we say? Using a photograph as a source Show students a photo containing two subject characters in it (from newspaper, children's book, historical artifact, cartoon, advertisement, painting, etc...). Variations Supply students with a bank of words or emotions that they could use to express how their character is feeling at the time. Extensions Students do not wait until they are tapped to express their thoughts. Cross Curricular Uses Social Studies / History
Elements of Drama Browse Scripts for Ages 5 to 8 Plays sorted by (our estimate of) Run-Time (This category excludes pantomimes - see below.)Less than 10 Minutes10 to 20 Minutes21 to 30 Minutes31 to 45 Minutes46 to 60 MinutesMore than 60 MinutesCaution: Run-times are estimates from word-count (plus estimates for songs, where applicable). This will vary enormously due to speaking rate, stage business, songs and dances and the logistics of getting large casts on and off small stages!. This category is here to identifyplays with a minimum of 25 performers andplays with a chorus (in the sense of "crowd", not necessarily in the sense of "choir") which usually means that the plays can be done by a large group (sometimes multiple classes). Plays by Genre (For this age-group several categories will be empty.)Musicals and Musical PlaysComediesWhodunnitsMysteriesDrama Plays with Religious/Moral Themes Christmas Plays Most of the Christmas Plays have some religious element (on the grounds that it's a Christian festival!) Plays with Educational Themes
Authentic Characters Come and join over thousands of writers and authors and gain access to The Writers Tribe! A collection of workbooks, cheat sheets + templates All of Life Of A Storyteller's short courses + workbooks for FREE Access to literary agents + publishers Entry into an engaging community of writers The ability to create your best writing life! Come and join over thousands of writers and authors and gain access to The Writers Tribe! A collection of workbooks, cheat sheets + templates All of Life Of A Storyteller's short courses + workbooks for FREE Access to literary agents + publishers Entry into an engaging community of writers The ability to create your best writing life!