How It Works:
The point of the exercise is far more stark if you do very little set up. Once the class has settled, tell them that you feel like going for a walk. Ask them to follow. You lead a short walk around the outside of the school. It can be from one exit door to another or you can walk a full circle around the building. As you walk, explain nothing. The students will giggle as they will be completely bewildered by what is going on. After the walk, return to the classroom and have everyone sit in a circle. Start by explaining the importance of activating all of your senses when preparing a character. They should know the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and physical properties of their environments. The more specifically they understand their environment, the more fully they will be able to immerse themselves in that world. Have the students take out a pen and paper. First, have them write down everything they saw on their walk around the school. Then, everything they heard. Things they smelled. Any tastes (usually the students have trouble with this one). Finally, the physical sensations they felt.
Ask for some students to volunteer their answers. Most lists will be very short. At this stage, point out that young actors, and people in general, have terrible observational skills. As we move through our everyday lives we very rarely take the time to observe the world around us. It's remarkable how many incredible things we miss out on simply because we don't really pay attention.
Have the students turn their paper over and make five headings - Sights, sounds, tastes, smells and touch. Explain that you are going to do the same walking tour a second time, but that the students are to write down every single thing they observe as they walk. The walk happens a second time (I like to bring a pen and paper as well to do the exercise, too). The walk might take a little bit longer because the students will be looking/hearing/smelling/tasting/touching far more intently and specifically.
After the walk, the students make a circle in the class and a few can share their observations. Not only will there be more observations, but they will be far more specific. They will see the clouds, the leaves, the bits of green grass trying to fight through the snow; they will hear the car go by, the footsteps of the students, the birds; they will smell the crispness in the air, a nearby student's cologne, a car's exhaust; they will try to explain the taste of the cold winter air or the humid summer breeze; they will talk about their feet sinking in the snow, the feeling on the feet when they move from the sidewalk to grass; etc.
After hearing the observations, make note of the importance for an actor to take in the world more specifically than others. Not only will it improve their character work, but it will build an appreciation for the little beautiful things in the world that we often overlook. As Stella Adler said, "Growth as an actor and a human being are synonymous."