Friday, July 8, 2011

Live Action Kidshop with Connor

  • All students left bags and shoes in the hall. Gives space and safety.
  • Sets out easy straight-forward rules about listening and working.
  • High energy warm-up and ideas. Nothing complex.
  • Warm up bodies and listening.
    • Jump, clap, go, stop
      • Used Romeo and Juliet not listening to switch rules.
      • Gives examples of using your whole body with Love and Hate
      • Uses lines from R&J to have kids doing Shakespeare
        • “My only love sprung from my only hate”
          • Connects line with individual feelings
          • Has students elaborate on ideas and thoughts even in simple words
      • Big movements and voices
  • When kids get distracted they sat down to focus and quiet down
  • Keeps reminding kids of speaking one at a time
  • Always very encouraging too.
  • Kids pair off: A & B
    • Capulets vs Montagues~ intimidation with strength not volume
    • “Do you bite your thumb sir?”
    • “I do bite my thumb sir!”
      • Kids face off to show a fighting stance
      • clearly illustrates the opening scene of R & J as a fight to the kids
        • Kids describe the feelings in the scene and why Shakespeare would create plays that started so fiercely.

  • Kids beat out the lines on the floor to hear the cadence and rhythm
    • Why are the words so short (one syllable): “They are shorter and more fierce.”
  • Describe the characters and therefore describe the relationships between the characters.
    • Tybalt is a firey character “Peace I hate the word…”
      • If he sees Romeo across the room he will want to kill him
        • Tactics ‘yes’ and ‘no’
        • Body movement tactics only~ no words
          • Moved on to using actual lines of text: “Uncle this is a Montague” “Gentle cus, let him alone.”
  • Each activity is only a couple of minutes long or so
  • Each student is then given a short peace of Shakespearean script in order to elaborate the scene
    • Towards and away making big decisions with the text
      • Kids explain why they chose the move towards or away
    • Script text is short and print is big
    • Tried scene with conflicting objectives
      • Make eye contact, avoid eye contact ~ then switch
      • Kids explained what the words meant and where they felt they HAD to make eye contact to create a “fierce moment”
      • Kids translated text as well

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