ELE Experience: Students will have a fun, exciting, and empowering experience of language and performing through the arts. Students develop independent and critical thinking skills, imagination, aesthetic awareness, creativity, communication skills, knowledge of self, and the ability to work with others. Students will build a working knowledge of the vocabulary and terminology associated with theatre and acting through games, straightforward instruction and rehearsal practices. (Visit link for additional information).
Program Description: Getting students on their feet and emphasizing learning through action using the Three Actor Tools: body, voice, and imagination, students will expand their vocabulary, interpret text, improve reading skills, and fluency. These lessons could be used to integrate theatre into any content. The primary focus of the first two days should be ensemble-building, education and term comprehension. The primary focus of days three and four should be presentation-based, utilizing the skills and terms learned in the first two days. The primary focus of the last day should be responsible presentation practices and experiencing the joy and accomplishment of performance.
Sample Lessons
3rd-8th Grade: ELA, Drama, Social Studies: Who Are You?- Understanding why people make certain decisions can be tough. By putting themselves in the shoes of another and using basic theatre concepts, students will create monologues, (1st person narrative), based on historical figures and events. The teacher chooses the people and local actor Nakeisha Daniel helps the students bring the characters to life.
3rd-8th Grade: Drama, Social Studies: The Magic Road Trip- Historical events can be hard to remember, but bringing them to life through performance can leave a lasting impression. The teacher chooses the events, and local actor, Nakeisha Daniel helps students create living slideshows of historical events through the use of theatre concepts and narration.
5th-8th Grade: ELA, Math: What’s in a Shape? Or All the World’s a Shape- Math and geometry concepts can be difficult learn just by reading. Local actor, Nakeisha Daniel makes them leap off the page by using basic theatre concepts to help students compare and contrast shapes and relationships by using their bodies and voices to create living poetry.
3rd-8th Grade: Social Studies, ELA, Drama: Coming to a Classroom Near You!- How do you capture a moment in time? Film is the perfect art form to create lasting images of history. Teachers choose the events, and local actor, Nakeisha Daniel will help students create site specific movie trailers based on fact or fiction. Nakeisha will film and edit the trailers using imovie and send to teachers for their records.
5th-8th Grade: ELA, Drama, Social Studies: It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing.)- The Jazz Age was all about community and self-expression. Local actor, Nakeisha Daniel will help students work together and explore the Harlem Renaissance by developing an ensemble performance piece using the music, poetry, and popular dance styles of the time. Performances can be filmed for teacher’s records.
SC Standards for Theater Addressed During this Experience:
T3-1.2 Improvise characters, environments, dialogue, and action in group theatre games and activities.
T4-2.2 Develop vocal control and expression to interpret characters in improvisations, scripts and literary works.
T5-2.6 Develop skills of concentration and collaboration necessary for one to perform as part of an ensemble
T6-1.2 Use theatre vocabulary to examine the basic elements within a dramatic script, including character, setting, and plot.
T7-1.3 Use correct playwriting format to write and revise monologues and scenes that include the basic elements of plot structure.
T8-2.5 Research and observe to create characters.
Click here for a detailed lesson by Nakeisha Daniel
