Today I gave my students Character Analysis Worksheets that were three pages long to analyze their characters in their scenes. It was an intimidating handout and I had some concern that my 8th grade students wouldn't be able to handle the high school level work.
This class is especially challenging for me because it is an advanced drama class, yet not all students have taken the class that leads into it. The students who did not take the beginning class are struggling. They don't have the background knowledge required to truly grasp what I'm asking of them. Because of that, I thought they wouldn't be able to even begin the analysis. I was wrong!
They are all doing the work to the level they are capable. It is great for me to see. The kids who have the background from the previous class are going more in-depth in their thoughts on the character. The kids who didn't have the class are just scratching the surface. Either way, all students are learning what it takes to truly take on a character. They are learning how to analyze scripts which will translate into analyzing literature. The performance they end up doing in a couple of weeks is going to be so much better due to this work.
I almost didn't give the worksheet to them. Thought it was just too hard. I'm so glad I remembered something I truly do believe - Students will rise to the expectations we give them.
Showing posts with label Character. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Character. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Scenes
Today I passed out scenes in my advanced drama class. I took into consideration what students told me they wanted to work on this semester when choosing their scenes and partners. Of course, some still complained! Like the girl who told me she wanted to work on memorizing a lot of lines complained that her scene "was too long!" What?! Why would she say that's what she wanted to work on, if then she actually didn't? Do students think teachers have them fill out getting to know you sheets for fun? Of course, I adjust and modify my class to make it work for them.
Most students were thrilled with their scenes and already looking into strong character choices. I was impressed with how one girl was reading between the lines on day one and already discovering what was truth about her character and what was false. Tomorrow we are going to start working on character study with a graphic organizer I found online and then changed to fit my students better. They seem excited to dig in and get to work!
Most students were thrilled with their scenes and already looking into strong character choices. I was impressed with how one girl was reading between the lines on day one and already discovering what was truth about her character and what was false. Tomorrow we are going to start working on character study with a graphic organizer I found online and then changed to fit my students better. They seem excited to dig in and get to work!
Monday, February 21, 2011
Walking Unit
This is a unit I created to help students develop character. One thing middle schoolers forget, is that they don't only need to think about how their character speaks, but also how the character moves.
The students have a full week (including a weekend) to find an interesting walk. They have to see the person in person and can't know him/her at all. That means even someone on campus wouldn't work because the kids will know something about the person. During the week, we do some strange walks in class (walk like you just won the lottery, walk like you saw your dog get hit by a car, etc. Then we transition to walk with your nose leading. Who would walk like this? How does it feel? Take on a character who would walk like this, etc.) for about ten minutes a day.
On the day everyone has their walk, we spend most of class writing about the character they are developing. I have them create everything possible about this person. Where they live, their hobbies, their friends/family, what they do for a living, age, etc. For the last ten minutes of class, they walk around the classroom and get about a minute to interact with someone. They must have a conversation as their character, and they need to change their voices! They get about 8 conversations by the end of the period and they love this part of it.
The next day, I have their character sheets and put a quick rubric on the top (character, walk, voice). We talk about what I'm looking for and why. They are graded on how well they know their character and their consistency with the walk/voice. They get on stage one at a time and walk the entire time. Basically, they pace as their character. The student introduces him/herself as the character and then takes 5-7 questions from the class.
This week we are starting the next portion of this Unit. The students will randomly be called onto the stage to do a partner improv. I'll call on 2 kids to get on stage and remind us of their character. Then, I'll ask the class for a location, relationship, and conflict. It should be a lot of fun! I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow.
The students have a full week (including a weekend) to find an interesting walk. They have to see the person in person and can't know him/her at all. That means even someone on campus wouldn't work because the kids will know something about the person. During the week, we do some strange walks in class (walk like you just won the lottery, walk like you saw your dog get hit by a car, etc. Then we transition to walk with your nose leading. Who would walk like this? How does it feel? Take on a character who would walk like this, etc.) for about ten minutes a day.
On the day everyone has their walk, we spend most of class writing about the character they are developing. I have them create everything possible about this person. Where they live, their hobbies, their friends/family, what they do for a living, age, etc. For the last ten minutes of class, they walk around the classroom and get about a minute to interact with someone. They must have a conversation as their character, and they need to change their voices! They get about 8 conversations by the end of the period and they love this part of it.
The next day, I have their character sheets and put a quick rubric on the top (character, walk, voice). We talk about what I'm looking for and why. They are graded on how well they know their character and their consistency with the walk/voice. They get on stage one at a time and walk the entire time. Basically, they pace as their character. The student introduces him/herself as the character and then takes 5-7 questions from the class.
This week we are starting the next portion of this Unit. The students will randomly be called onto the stage to do a partner improv. I'll call on 2 kids to get on stage and remind us of their character. Then, I'll ask the class for a location, relationship, and conflict. It should be a lot of fun! I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow.
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