The Red Fedora Strut...

The prop walk in practice.

A prop surprise!

Lesson # 5 started with the Big 6 question review. Melissa brought in a suitcase filled with surprises - a red Fedora hat, a Viking cape, a jeweled mask, a motorcycle jacket, elbow-length white gloves, a military helmet and a wool cap. Students took turns answering the Big 6 questions and then they had the opportunity to walk in the prop's "shoes!" The transformation was immediate. It took only seconds for each student to change their body language, facial expression and emotion. Answering the questions really brought out the dramatic side of each student and also revealed the power of using a prop!

We continued as students warmed up their faces with the tongue talking exercise. Students repeated a phrase while keeping their tongues extended. This activity was a playful way to warm-up our jaws.

Cat-cow stretch

Tongue exercise

Students also warmed up their spines with the classical cat-cow stretch. We used our classroom floor to release any tension in our faces and spines.

Creating character signs

We viewed  the story "There Was an Old Lady Who Wasn't Afraid of Anything" on the Smartboard. As the read aloud continued, students began to act out the movements to each character's part (shoes clomped-clomped, shirt shaked-shaked, pants wiggled-wiggled, gloves clapped-clapped and pumpkin head Boo!-Boo!). Melissa then introduced the readers theater script for the book. We divided the class in half and assigned roles for each student. Students then met in their groups and practiced their parts.  The lesson ended with students creating a visual sign to hang around their necks during the final performance.

Lesson #6 will be the big reveal - students will perform their scripts for each other. We are scaffolding the transition from a reader's theater script to a historical dramatization of American history. Only half way through our AIM's unit and first semester, can't wait to see how students make sense of our country's early history.