Grade 1 Theatre, Lesson 2

Lesson 2: Communication: Body Expression Body: How Are You Feeling Today?

Click here to download Lesson Plan and Instructional Materials for Theatre Grade 1 Lesson 2 (PDF)

Objective: Students will identify, imitate, mirror, and create feeling and expression by using posture and gesture as an expressive tool.

Vocal and Physical Warm-up:

Teaching Artist Mike Sears leads a kindergarten class in warm-up exercises that include both physical and vocal components. These activities increase focus while also expanding vocabulary and encouraging children to speak audibly and clearly.

Physical and Vocal Warm-up 

2A. Vocabulary:

  • Actor – person, male or female, who performs a role in a play or an entertainment
  • Character – personality or part an actor recreates
    The teacher also covers:
  • audience – people gathered to watch an actor or event
  • freeze – to stop action
  • posture – how one stands, sits, or lies
  • gesture – how one moves

The students watch two volunteers demonstrate a soldier and an old man.

(Kindergartners also have done this similar activity in lesson 4b)

Grade1 Theatre Lesson #2: Vocabulary [6:17 minute Video]

2B. Modeling:

As a group, review facial expressions from lesson #1. Warm up the face and body. Discuss the meaning of gesture and posture. Practice several gestures (waving, yawning and stretching) and postures (kneeling, sitting, lying down, turning body away) and ask students to identify the meaning created by the movement.

Students watch a group perform.

Grade1 Theatre Lesson #2: Modeling [1:55 minute Video]

2C. Guided Practice:

As a group, guide students through creating gestures and postures from descriptive words and facial expression pictures. Create movement that expresses feelings. As a group, guide students through creating gestures and postures from descriptive words and facial expression pictures. Create movement that expresses feelings.

Students work in pairs to perform and freeze. The teacher explains that the pairs may do the same motions or opposites.

Grade 1 Theatre Lesson #2: Guided Practice [11:14 minute Video]

2D. Debriefing and Evaluation:

Use the rubric to assess student ability to use their face and body as an expressive tool. Share as a group how an actor uses the body to communicate emotion and feelings.

Grade 1 Theatre Lesson #2: Debriefing And Evaluation [0:59 minute Video]

Easy Access to All Video Lesson Segments:

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