Curated OER
Pantomime Exercise
Learners of any age can learn to communicate using gestures and their bodies. They create a pantomime of a specific activity without using any words. This resource includes a link to an Off-Broadway Workshop for kids.
David Elementary
Structural Elements of Drama
The world may indeed be a stage, and players certainly need to know drama vocabulary. This list of 16 terms (and their definitions) often found in scripts will prompt actors to perform their role.
Curated OER
Drama: Three Words
Seventh graders practice dramatic acting skills, using three words - why, oh, and sorry in different contexts. Working in groups of two or three, they create scenes in which the three words are the only ones spoken and are used to convey...
Curated OER
The Play's the Thing: The Drama of Cyrano de Bergerac
Students practice dramatic 'living' through various drama activities. In this drama lesson, students define drama, view examples of dramatic elements in Cyrano de Bergerac and Roxanne, define characterization within the dramas, study the...
Curated OER
"No, You Can't Take Me!"
Students study imitation or pantomime. In this creative drama lesson, students pick an object to imitate and state the reasons why that object should not be taken out of the room pretending to be that object.
Curated OER
Narrative Pantomime: The Great Kapok Tree
Students pantomime the story of The Great Kapok Tree for younger students. In this The Great Kapok Tree instructional activity, students warm up with a game before volunteering for parts in the story. Students practice acting out the...
Curated OER
Narrative pantomime
Assign parts to read aloud Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag and have your young mimes act out their roles. This story focus on how beauty within is more important than outward appearance. Conclude by having your class provide an illustrated...
Curated OER
Drama: The New Friends
Reader's Theater is a great way to build fluency, intonation, and dramatic flare. The class reads the theater piece, "The New Friends" paying attention to how they express emotion and feeling as they read. They discuss the use of plot,...
Curated OER
Random Scenes
Students perform a group pantomime. In this cooperative efforts lesson, students are placed in small groups and must work as a team to pantomime a scene chosen at random. The students will engage in a reflection and class discussion...
Curated OER
Prop Stories
Students observe and demonstrate pantomime and improvisation. They define and discuss improvisation and pantomime, then in small groups discuss and brainstorm ideas using a bag of props. Students then create and present a scene using...
Curated OER
Movement Adventure
Pupils discover movement and pantomime techniques in this adventurous story telling experience for kindergarten. Assessment is done through a short question and answer session and students drawing the "adventure".
Curated OER
The Little Red Hen
First graders act out the story The Little Red Hen while developing vocabulary through dialogue, using pantomime and verbal interaction.
Curated OER
Storymaking Through Pantomime
Learners explore performing arts by participating in a role-play activity. For this storytelling lesson, students utilize their physical expressions to particpate in a pantomime performance. Learners evaluate performances in their class...
Curated OER
Water Cycle Drama
Students explore the water cycle. In groups, students choose a card and then pantomime the picture depicted on the card. Other group members guess the name of the cycle being performed. As a class, students share the numerous ways each...
Curated OER
Music Drama & Richard Wagner: The Lord Of The Ring
Students study Richard Wagner and his idea of "Music Drama". Students listen to his music, pantomime, and lead "music dramas" to discover Wagner's idea of the world of composition and drama.
Curated OER
Drama/Theatre
Young scholars discover how setting, props, and character-action communicate information about the characters and the story. Access to videos and a video camera are important to make this lesson a success.
Curated OER
MACBETH and the Themes of Ambition,
Learners describe and compare characters and situations in dramas from and about cultures and historical periods, illustrate in improvised or scripted scenes, and discuss how theater reflects a culture.
Curated OER
Lon Chaney: Three Faces of Lon Chaney
Students watch the Lon Chaney episode of American Masters, read chapters from three original books on which Chaney's films were based, and use a reading strategy called Reader's Theater to adapt each chapter into a script. After...
Curated OER
Handling Mimed Objects with Clarity
Students create and perform pantomimes. They make pretend objects appear real and visible to the audience.
Curated OER
Goldilocks and the Three Bears Pantomime
Students investigate acting and performing arts by portraying a story in class. In this pantomiming lesson, students read the story Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and discuss the characters amongst themselves. Students portray the 4...
Curated OER
I'm a Creature, You're a Creature, Wouldn't You Like to Be a Creature, Too?
Third graders demonstrate an understanding of the lifestyles and habits of the underwater life presented in the previous unit. They classify the various sea creatures according to the ecosystem and then use drama skills to present...
Curated OER
Bear Hunt
Young scholars are introduced to the technique of pantomime. In groups, they take a story and create a pantomime for it to perform in front of the class. They also practice ways to change their body posture and facial expressions to...
Curated OER
A Way with Words or Say What?
Learners examine Shakespearean language. In this word study activity, students investigate the meaning of words that Shakespeare invented. Learners draw and pantomime with the words prior to writing short stories that feature...
Curated OER
Acting Out The Story, Jane And The Dragon
Third graders reflect on and discuss the story, Jane and the Dragon, and portray their understanding of stereotyping through the actions of their character. Through the use of legends, drama can be used to educate understanding for other...