Students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of the differ-ent vocal techniques and how different choices provide different meanings by participating in reader’s theatre performances.
Materials Needed:
Students’ reader’s theatre scripts.
Teaching Presentation:
Hook:
The journal question is written on the board as students walk in.
Journal Entry: What are some ways that you change your voice based on the situation you are in or on what you are saying?
Think of something that you say every day, and write down all of the different ways you can say it and what those might change it to mean. (ex: I love you)
Transition:
If necessary, talk about the annotations that they turned in last class. Go over some of the things that students did really well (underlining words they wanted to say louder, drawing arrows when they wanted to say it with a higher pitch), and some of the things that aren’t as great (writing “normal” under each line because you want to say some-thing normally, writing “sad” next to a line… explain that you would rather see how they would make it sad).
Ask students to make sure that these choices are motivated. Ask: what does this mean?
Talk about how there are some choices that work for some lines for certain characters – but speaking like yourself or being boring and monotone the ENTIRE time is not a choice. It is being lazy.
Practice:
Have students get into their groups, hand back their scripts, and allow them to take ten minutes to finish or fix their annotations. After ten minutes, give them another ten to go over their scripts with their groups and get it ready to perform. Have students make sure that their choices make sense with the other characters in their groups and that their choices tell the story well.
Transition:
Lead the students through a few different vocal warmups. Lion face, mouse face. Tongue twister: the lawyer’s awful daughter ought to be taught to draw. Talk about us-ing a stage whisper, have them practice.
Performances:
Move to the auditorium for more space. Have each group get with a group that had a different script from them. Have the different groups spread out around the auditorium and perform for one another. Have them each perform, and once they are done instruct the students to sit quietly until everyone is finished. (Because they are all performing the same two scripts, the timing shouldn’t be too off).
Transition:
Move back to the classroom once everyone has finished.
Reflection:
With the time left, have students pull out their journals again and answer this question:
What are some different choices that you noticed other people make? Did they work? Did they make you think any differently about your choices?
Assessment:
Students will be assessed on their participation in preparing for reader’s theatre perfor-mances, performing their reader’s theatre scripts, turning in their annotated scripts for a grade, and writing a reflection in their journals.
