University of Washington: Class for Dixie Massey on Literacy



University of Washington: Course on Literacy

Teaching Artist: Gail Frasier

Title of Workshop: Engaging in Text through Drama

Date: 1/28/09

Lesson Plan: Dramatic Poetry with “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave” by Himself

1) Community and Drama Skill Building

Terrible Thumb Grab

Instructions:

Class stands in a circle.

Right hand held palm up to the right.

• Left thumb held down and placed in the palm of the person to the left

• The leader counts to “3.”

• On “3,” everyone lifts thumbs before they are grabbed, while simultaneously grabbing the thumb of the person to the right.

Clap Circle

Instructions:

• Class stands in a circle.

• Person “A” turns to person “B” and claps.

• Person “B” turns to person “C” and claps.

• The clap gets passed all around the circle. As it goes around the circle again and again, the clapping gets faster and faster.

• Add a time element to the exercise. This builds ensemble as the class works together to beat their time.

Alliterative Adjective Name Game

Instructions:

• Class stands in a circle

• Each student in turn says their name preceded by an alliterative adjective accompanied by a gesture suited to that adjective. Alliteration is a word that starts with the same sound as another word – it does not have to start with the same letter – just sound. For example, I proclaim “Grand Gail!” while lifting my arms in the air and bowing dramatically.

• The class then repeats this same name, adjective and gesture in the same style and tone as the originator.

• Each student does this in turn.

2) Introduce Lesson: Read Text

a. To self

b. Teacher/student read aloud

c. Clarifications, questions

3) Identify Key Words & Phrases – Purple Words

a. Define “Purple Words” – words that pop; words that are juicy; words that have meaning to the text, imagery, you relate to or identify with. Purple is the color of royalty – they are royal words and phrases in a story or piece of text. The term, “Purple words” comes from Book-It Repertory Theatre.

b. Individually students circle purple words & phrases from text

c. Popcorn/List for a word bank

4) Create Point of View Poetry

a. List characters that are part of the text (FD, Colonel Lloyd, Slaves)

b. Discuss Point of View – “The mind through which a reader sees the story.” Specifically, getting a bigger picture for the who and what of FD’s story by thinking through the mind of all the characters.

c. Students select a character to develop a point of view poem (Whole class can do the same POV or have all POV’s represented)

d. List poem:

o Write from your character’s POV; use only words from word bank; 5 minutes

o Revise – add-delete words; change order; 5 minutes

e. Volunteers read poems

5) Create Groups & Build Community

a. Students get in groups (if there’s too many in one group, split into two or more)

Silent Negotiations

Instructions:

• Divide students into small groups (3-6 per group) and scatter throughout the room.

• Explain that no one except the leader/teacher may speak during this activity. Whispering counts as speaking.

• The leader gives a series of shapes and images and allows all groups to complete their image before moving on to the next. All groups work simultaneously and collaboratively. If students find it challenging to finish, incorporate a count down “5-4-3-2-1” to help them create their image in a finite amount of time.

• For example, “In ‘5’ silently create a circle, 5-4-3-2-1. In ‘5’ silently create a star, 5-4-3-2-1”, etc.

• Images may include:

• Shapes: circle, square, triangle, star; Letters of the alphabet A, B, C, D; Numbers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; Environments: family portrait, school hallway, baseball game, wedding meditation retreat; Emotions: anger, love, sadness, joy

6) Read Poems

a. In small groups, students read poems aloud & Select 1 to stage

7) Stage Poems

a. Model Staging – use facilitator/teacher poem to model staging process

• Introduce Tableau

o Levels; Character relationships; Body shapes and facial expression

• Structure Options

o 1 reader

o Actors create tableaux for specific moments, scenes, moods in poem

o Actors can say words, make sounds

o Reader work on vocal expression

b. As a team – underline key words/phrases to emphasize during the reading – work at expressing them with emotion, pitch, volume; Rehearse

8) Present Frederick Douglass Poems Audience/Performer relationship

a. Reflection Questions

• What point of view are they showing? How do you know?

• What tone or mood does this presentation make you feel? Why?

• How have they used tableau elements to show point of view? Levels; character relationships; body shapes/expression

• What can the team do to make their presentation even more powerful – or to clarify confusions?

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