Lesson Goals
Students will be able to demonstrate comprehension of grade level text.
Students will be able to engage effectively in collaborative discussions with diverse partners.
Students will be able to create living pictures, tableaux.
Deepening Comprehension through Drama – Students work collaboratively to create living pictures that demonstrate comprehension of a text.
Materials
A text (chosen ahead of time)
Pre-determined questions (sample questions are given throughout the lesson)
Activities
1. Before reading the text, have students create a tableau (in one minute) to demonstrate their prediction about the text. As groups work to complete the challenge, walk around watching, listening and assessing each group.
2. During reading, stop at predetermined points in the text for students to complete several one-minute tableau challenges.
Sample questions include:
-Show what probably will happen when…
-Show what caused…/What was the effect…
-Show a summary for that [paragraph, chapter, section]
3. After completion of challenge, you can choose either to have one specific group to share (Being in the spotlight will pressure them to meet the next challenge) or all groups share (beneficial to use to learn from each other)
**Choose a sharing format; strategy depends on time and the question.**
4. After reading, have students create one last tableau
Sample questions include:
-Show what happened first, next, last
-Show a summary for this story
-Show what was the solution
-Show what was the effect
5. Choose a sharing format strategy:
-Teacher walks, watches, and listens
-Spotlight Sharing (one group)
-One by One (all groups share)
Differentiation Approaches
Provide sentence frames when sharing answers. For example: The problem of the story is…
Purposeful choosing of groups/student to share by teacher
Assessment
Use a rubric or checklist that assess planning, tableau, narration, answer, listening, reflection.
Planning: Did everyone contribute to the planning discussion?
Tableau: Is everyone in your tableau frozen and silent?
Narration: Is everyone prepared to be the narrator and give a detailed description and explanation?
Answer: Do you have the correct answer?
Listening: Can you explain what another group shared?
Reflection: Can you share what went well, what needs improvement, and what you learned?
Follow Up and Extension Ideas
This lesson can be adapted across all subjects to reinforce academic vocabulary. You could also use dance for students to demonstrate comprehension of text (especially useful for poetry with figurative language)
Additional Details
- Grade Level: Fifth, Fourth, Third
- Arts Content Area: Theatre Arts
- Non-Arts Content Area: English Language Arts
