Other Activities / Information

ellaflitcroft

Milling

  • Students mill (walk) around the room. This is used in a lot of different activities to switch characters or switch in between activities
  • This can also be done as animals or different characters

Puppets

  • Always keep arm upright, otherwise students will see the character as non-existent anymore
  • Every 10-15 seconds have the puppet do a slight movement to keep it alive
  • Have the students try on multiple puppets and see which one “speaks to them”
  • Once they found their puppet, have them look into its eyes and let the puppet tell them its name
  • Once students know its name, have the puppet speak to the student in their voice
  • Use the emotions paper in additional resources section and have the students practise by themselves with their faces in the mirror 3 of the emotions. Then have the students show in pairs their emotions to their partner. Then have the student, using those same 3 emotions attempt to do them with their puppet.

Finger Puppets:

  • Give each student their own finger puppet to use for the duration of the class, or give it to them to keep

Applause:

  • When working with students, applaud as a group as they walk into the area for the first time

Miming

  • Use fingertips
  • Students’ eyes must follow their hands
  • Start with box miming (walls, ceiling)

Improv

  • Anonymous improv- students fill in the roles of the characters in books this is done in groups of 2 or 3 no more

Body Slapping:

  • Students slap their body in various places- starting with their arms, to wake themselves up, to make their bodies have more social awareness

Walking on the Spot:

  • Step one foot forward, slide it back, then step on grapes with their heels
  • Do the same with the other foot and continue
  • Sway arms too, which makes it look more in motion

Student in Role

  • Have the student be the character in the book, from the picture book, have them act out as one of the characters.
  • When doing this, for Those Shoes have the students take their “own shoe off” to make it look more dramatic. Give an example by saying “you can’t wear skates if you don’t take your shoes off first”

Teacher in Role

  • Have the teacher be the character in the book, from the picture book, have them act out as one of the characters.

Stream of Conscience

  • 5 students line up on once side of the class, 5 students on the other side lined up facing the other side but not equally in line with them
  • If you’re using a character from the book, have someone act as that student and walk through the 2 lines of people.
  • Have the remaining students come up with 2 “lines” that relate to the story, for example, how this student may be feeling.
  • As this person is walking, have each of the students recite their lines, as the character is in line with them, so no 2 people are talking at the same time
  • This works well with any grade above grade 2
  • Following this, have students make connections with things learnt in other classes, or this class, or their personal lives