Lesson 4 - Dramatizing a Story About Kindness and Respect

In this lesson, students explore the Character Education traits of respect and co-operation and responsibility to each other and the work as they build a play together. The students engage in a co-operative learning/respect activity and deepen their understanding of respect through the discussion. The students synthesize the story to create tableau images following the dramatization.

Why is it important to co-operate with others when dramatizing a story?

How can I show respect to others when working in drama and in the classroom and in my life?

How can I show respect for the performers when I am in the audience?

B1.1 engage in dramatic play and role play, with a focus on exploring a variety of sources from diverse communities, times, and places

B1.2 demonstrate an understanding of the element of character by adopting thoughts, feelings, and gestures relevant to the role being played  

B1.3 plan and shape dramatic play by building on the ideas of others, both in and out of role

B2.1 express feelings and ideas about a drama experience or performance in a variety of ways, making personal connections to the characters and themes in the story

B2.2 demonstrate an understanding of how the element of character/role is used in shared classroom drama experiences and theatre to communicate meaning

B2.3 identify and give examples of their strengths, interests, and areas for improvement as drama participants and audience members 

At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Retell a story
• Communicate various criteria and examples of respect and responsibility
• Plan and perform a dramatization of a story
• Express the main idea of a story through tableau

Readiness

Students need to have a positive classroom climate with pre-established classroom routines, and should be familiar with demonstrating attentive listening, cooperation, collaboration, problem solving, and questioning skills. They should have an understanding of community and know that they belong to the school community.

Terminology

Responsibility

Respect

Materials

Any board sponsored material that depicts its unique approach to Character Education (e.g. Character Matters)

A ball of yarn or string

Instrumental Music

CD Player

Chart paper and Markers

BLM #1 Little Red Hen

BLM #2 Tableau Rubric

BLM#4 Participation Rubric

Whole Group > Cooperative Learning Activity

Invite the class to sit in a large circle. Stand in the centre, holding a big ball of yarn. Model by saying a student's name and ". . .I like how you help your friends with their Math" and then, holding the end of the yarn, roll the ball of yarn to the student until he or she catches it.  The student in turn holds on to their piece of yarn and says "I like how you. . ."  to another classmate and rolls the ball again to another student. This repeats until there is a huge spider web of respect and everyone has received and given the yarn at least once. 

Whole Group > Discussion

Facilitate a discussion of how we demonstrate respect to our peers everyday. 

Key Questions for Discussion:

What is respect?

How do we show respect in our classroom? School? Community?

Why is it important to show respect when we watch others do drama?

Does respect look different in different cultures?

Can you think of specific gestures that show respect (e.g. shaking hands, making eye contact, bowing, removing your shoes when entering one's home, etc.)

What can we do if someone is not being respectful of others?

Assessment for Learning (AfL)

Circulate during activities and gather anecdotal observations based on the students' contribution during the various phases of the activity.

Encourage self and peer evaluation through the Star and a Wish strategy. Help students make connections between the concept of responsibility and their own lives. 

Assessment as Learning (AaL)

Observe students' cooperative skills as they prepare their dramatization. Who is contributing ideas to the work? How do the students help each other? Use Participation Checklist (BLM#4).

Assessment of Learning (AoL)

Use BLM #2 to assess students understanding of tableau.

Differentiation (DI)

By limiting students to one sentence, each should be able to contribute one part of the story. Students, however can have the right to pass. Some students may need assistance with retelling in sequential order. Students can write a reflection sentence or draw a response to the sentence stem.

In dramatizing the story, invite students to use objects and materials in the room as props and costumes.

Quick Tip

To prepare for this activity, the class can brainstorm ways that we can show kindness and respect to our friends. The concept of a compliment can be reinforced by providing models and / or examples.  

Remind students about the features of a good tableau. How do levels help make a tableaux more interesting?

Whole Group > Revisiting the Story

Review the story of The Little Red Hen (BLM #1). What was the pattern in the story? What were some different  problems that the Hen had? How did the problem get solved? How did we choose to solve the problem in our drama?

Whole Group > Retelling the Story

Students sit in a circle. Invite students to retell the story with each child contributing one or two sentences in sequential order. Begin by saying "Once there was a Little Red Hen who lived with her chicks and friends cat, dog and goose." The student on the right continues the story, until the story is complete.

Small group > Dramatizing the Story

Students work in groups of four or five to dramatize the story of The Little Red Hen. To prepare for this activity, the students should decide on the role that they will take i.e. Hen, Dog, Cat, Goose. Some groups may wish to add a narrator to help tell the story. Invite students to create a short play that retells the story of the Little Red Hen. Teacher Prompts: What will each of the characters do? What will each of the characters say? Where will the story take place. Allow time for the students to rehearse the story.

Whole class > Sharing the Dramatization

One or more groups can volunteer to show their play to the rest of the class. Remind the students of their role as audience members to be respectful of other's work. After each presentation ask the students to tell the performing group what they like about their presentation.

Small group > Tableaux Stories

Invite each group to tell the story of The Little Red Hen in three frozen pictures. One picture should show the beginning of the story, one the middle and one the end of the story. Remind the students  that they won't be speaking or moving in their tableaux scenes. Allow time for the students to prepare their tableaux stories. If ready, groups can share their work with others in the class.  

Whole Class > Reflection

The students can discuss what they enjoyed about the activity. Teacher Prompts: Do you think you worked well with your friends as you prepared your play? Did you help others as you dramatized the story together? When did you show kindness and respect to others?

Whole Class > Wish and A Star

Invite the class to sit in a circle. Going around the circle, have each student share a Star or a Wish for the drama lesson.  A Star is something they enjoyed and a Wish is a suggestion for the future, such as a change or improvement. Let students know they also have the right to pass. 

Independent > Writing a reflection

Students can complete the prompt "I showed respect today when..."