Improvisation 1

Learning intentions

We are learning to participate in a short improvisation using gesture, movement and/or facial expression.
We are learning to take part in a whole class improvisation.
We are learning to use a range of stimuli to develop our critical and creative thinking skills.
We are learning to improvise using a given stimulus.

What to look for

Pupils contributing to the improvisation
Pupils using an appropriate gesture, movement and/or facial expression to go with the line of script
Pupils engaging in group discussion and giving ideas

Learning activities

Give the pupils a line of script and ask them to add a gesture, movement and/or facial expression to accompany the line.

They could use this method to help develop a character as part of a performance.

Discuss how a story/play has a beginning, a middle and an ending. Start by giving the pupils a line and going around the room. Ask each pupil to add a line to continue the story, for example:

‘When I was out last night, I found a key...’
‘I tried all the doors in my house, but it didn’t fit...’

Distribute various objects to different groups of pupils, for example:

a doll;
a picture;
a candle; and
a bunch of keys.

Give each group time to discuss the images and emotions they associate with their object(s).

In groups, pupils engage in a spontaneous improvisation around the stimuli. Every member of the group should contribute to the improvisation; for example, they could pretend to be a little girl who has lost her doll, or one of the people in the picture.