Theatre History and Sequence Storytelling 

Second grade began the year by building their ensemble. Through daily warm-ups, we learned the importance of working as a theatrical team and supporting each other. As the trimester progressed, we learned about the fundamentals of the stage, including the difference between upstage and downstage, wings, house, and centerstage.  They even learned the historical context behind the terminology, talking about how the Ancient Greeks built their stages upon hills so the audience could see all the actors. 

We started practicing drama physically, and learned how to create tableaux using our bodies. Keeping historical context in mind, students learned that Tableaux came from the Ancient Greeks who would make frozen scenes to depict action they deemed too ferocious for the stage.  We'd examine pictures of famous paintings and recreate them in small groups. Next, we moved onto reading fairytales, analyzing the story elements, and then creating tableaux in sequence to tell the story. Their Tableaux needed to include different characters and tell the plot in order. They demonstrated their knowledge of set by collaborating with their class on a backdrop for their skits. Our trimester culminated with a five tableaux performance of "Red Riding Hood" that students performed in small groups for 6th grade students. 

Studio Habits of Mind

• Envision - I can design a winter wonderland set for the "Polar Express".

• Observe - I can compare and contrast the history of theatre in different countries. 

• Understand Arts Community - I can identify how different cultures have added to the growth and development of theatre. 

Superheroes and Superstars!

Learning Characterization 

For the end of our school year, Second Grade learned about the more technical side of acting. Using their voices and their bodies, they transformed themselves into superheroes and supervillains. They also learned that good actors have an objective in the scene and tactics to achieve that goal. 

Working in pairs, they created their characters, wrote a scene, and performed their scene for their classmates. Taking on the role of both actor and playwright, our students created exciting and often silly scenes with a super theme!

Studio Habits of Mind

• Develop Craft - I can create a character with a clear objective and tactics in a scene.

• Reflect - I can tell my classmates what they did well in a scene and what they need to improve on. 

• Express - I can use my voice and body to pretend to be a character different then who I am.