Kindergarten Theatre – 4

Lesson 4: Party Hearty, Goldie!

Click here to download Lesson Plan and Instructional Materials for Kindergarten Theatre lesson #4 (PDF)

Objectives:

  • Students will demonstrate how actors use their tools, listening and responding skills, to portray real and imaginary characters in a story.
  • Students will identify setting (e.g. a firehouse, restaurant, grandma’s kitchen, dungeon, etc.) and story points for a story.

4a. 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.

4b. Vocabulary and Modeling:

Teacher introduces the difference between real and imaginary characters, walking students through a demonstration of a soldier and an old man.

For expansion, the teacher might talk to students about bears and their characteristics. As an option, show a short video or computer clip of real bears. Have students pretend to be real bears. Have them walk around on hands and knees or feet.

Describe how real animals can be transformed into imaginary characters with life-like human movement, expression, feelings, etc.  Discuss. For instance, ask students to physically demonstrate an imaginary bear.

Additionally, the teacher adds the term setting to the discussion.

4c. Guided Practice:

Read Goldie Locks and the Three Bears Re-read the story and perform story using voice, sound effects, and movement. Identify the four characters, the setting, and sequence of events. In groups, they create improvisations and pantomimes for characters and story points. The teacher helps the students discuss the sounds and gestures they practiced.

4d. Guided Practice Create:

The teacher helps the students practice the sounds and gestures to accompany a performance of Goldie Locks and the Three Bears.

4e. Guided Practice Perform:

Students explore their roles during the reading of the story.

4f. Debrief:

Pull the class together to discuss the difference between real and imaginary characters and the actor’s role in creating these characters. Review the sequence of events in the story.

Easy Access to All Video Lesson Segments:

See playlist for this lesson.