Objective: Students will demonstrate their understanding of the 9 elements of Viewpoints by teaching the class and creating group compositions.
Materials:
30 Sticky notes with one of the following written on each:
Tempo
Duration
Kinesthetic Response
Repetition
Shape
Gesture
Architecture
Spacial Relationship
Topography
Hook: As each person comes into class give them a sticky note for them to wear which will determine what group they will be put into. After you take role take the class down to the auditorium. In the auditorium lay down a sign for each of the sticky note categories. Have everyone match their sticky note with the sign that has their same Viewpoint on it and sit down in that area.
Group Practice: Once everyone is in a group of 3 or 4 give them the following instructions:
Read the description of your viewpoint as a group
Become the expert of your viewpoint
Teach it to the rest of the class
Come up with an example of the viewpoint that you can perform as a group
Rather than talking about what you’ll do put it on its feet and do!
Instruction: Each group will perform their viewpoint element and teach the principle to the class. Start with Tempo and move all the way down to Topography. After each group presents lead the following short activities with the whole class on each viewpoint element:
Tempo—Create a gesture. Do it at a normal speed, a quick speed, and a super fast speed. Do it again at a normal speed and take it to a slow speed and a super slow speed. Have them do the gesture at each of the 5 speeds at random.
Duration—Play the number counting game in a circle where you count to 20 without saying a number at the same time as someone else. Once this happens both people sit down. The duration of rounds and how long a person plays will be explored. Play until there are only a couple people left.
Kinesthetic Response—Sit in a circle and have one person start by doing something physical to the person next to them going clockwise. They cannot touch and the other person is to react physically without planning a reaction.
Repetition—Walk around the stage and repeat a gesture. Once you have repeated your gesture repeat someone else’s gesture, and another’s and another’s. End the activity when you see that the class is getting internal and external repetition.
Shape—Do 3 different shapes for each of the 3 types—curvelinear, linear, and moving
Gesture—Explore the two different gesture types (behavioral & expressive) by heightening and subtilizing them.
Architecture—Walk around the auditorium and interact with the architecture in different ways to create distinct meanings
Spacial Relationship—Walk around
Topography—Choose one of the 3 topographies: linear, curve-linear, and mixed–walk around. Have them change topographies by saying, “Switch.”
Assessment:
As a group walk around the stage and open-viewpoint. Call out each of the 9 viewpoints at different times—building upon each other. Assess to see how each person is doing with the viewpoints. Give them vocal feedback in the moment.
Closure:
Explain that at the end of this unit they will all perform a group Viewpoint composition. Instruct the students to get into groups of three or four with friends that they have never worked with in this class. Go around to the groups and make sure that each of the groups are well matched and even.
