Day 6: Character Voices

Now that the students had created characters, I wanted them to have practice acting and speaking as those characters.

My objective was that "Students will increase their confidence in using their voices".

Materials: Crayon book, Powerpoint, Character Sheets on hand

"Rules Song": See earlier lesson

Warm-up:

1. “Name Game Name Game, what’s your Name and what’s your Fame” ...at school? (5 mins)
(used as a quick warm-up for their speaking voices)

2. “Boom Chicka Boom” (5 mins)
(To practice different types of voices) Have students spread out around the room and do a repeat after me song with actions!
Link to Google Slides: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1AQaZwLtcGecbAYz7cWYxzXFqIIUqbV3RvVZmpoW8t2Q/edit?usp=sharing 

Janitor Style: 
I said a Broom Sweep-a Broom
I said a Broom Sweep-a Broom
I said a Broom Sweep-a Mop-a Sweep-a Mop-a Sweep-a Broom

Valley Girl Style: 
I said like boom chicka boom
I said a totally boom chicka boom
I said like boom chicka like rocka chicka like gag me with a spoon

Race Car Style: 
I said a vroom shifta vroom
I said a vroom shifta vroom
I said a vroom shifta grind-a shifta grind-a shifta vroom

Astronaut Style: 
I said a shoot me to the moon
I said a shoot me to the moon
I said a shoot me, blast-me shoot-me blast-me shoot-me-to-the-moon

Baby Style: 
I said a boom chicka boom
I said a boom chicka boom
I said a boom chicka rocka chicka rocka chicka boom

Photographer Style:
I said a zoom clicka zoom.
I said a zoom clicka zoom.
I said a zoom clicka Smile Watch the Birdie clicka zoom.

Thunderstorm Style:
I said a boom crasha boom
I said a boom crasha boom
I said a boom crasha flasha crasha flasha crasha boom

Surfer Style:
I said a dude chicka dude
I said a dude chicka dude
I said a dude chicka wipe out chicka WHOA chicka dude

Librarian Style:
I said a book read a book
I said a book read a book
I said a book choose a novel, keep it quiet, read a book

Underwater Style - finger between lips

Compliment each other!
Link arms with someone close by and march in a big circle in the back of the room.

Activity: 

1. Character Questioning: (10 mins)

• Bring students together in a double circle with partners
• Each student go get their character they created last week
• Explain that you are going to act like your character (facial expression, body language and especially your voice)
• Each minute you will switch off talking with your partner
• Ask a series of questions that they would answer as if they were their character (students try to have a voice that sounds like your character, for example if you are a 50 year old man, try to have a lower voice)
• Rotate in the circle after every question
• Who do you live with?
• What is your favorite activity?
• Where would you want to travel to?
• What is your strength or super power?
• What is your biggest fear?
• What’s your favorite form of travel? Bus, train, motorcycle, car, bike, boat, etc.

2. Character Bus Stop: (10 mins)

• Ask a few helpers * to get 5 chairs set up in the front of the room*
• Bus Stop is an activity where students act out their own characters while interacting with people while waiting for a bus at the bus stop. 
• We will have everyone in groups of two and you will talk with each other about what’s most important to you and try to answer the questions just as your character would.
• Start with a question to the two people on the bench: “When do you think the next bus will come?”
• Answer and respond a few times acting like your character
• Example Questions:
• What is your name?
• Do you ride the bus often?
• How have you liked the weather today?
• Who are your best friends?
• What do you like to do?
• Make sure to ask everyone some questions and be creative with your answers: you are trying to show off your character! 
• Every 2 minutes the bus will come and the partners sitting down will go sit back in the audience as another partnership comes up 

Wrap-Up: In the end, introduce my idea to do another Readers Theater like you just did for a Kindergarten or 1st grade class!

• We are going to do the book: "The Day the Crayons Quit" by Drew Daywalt
• Next week, we will read the book and give people their different parts 
• Create partnerships - during performance one will read aloud using expression, the other will act like that crayon, both will be dressed in their color
• They talk about writing letters so we will practice how to address an envelope 
• We will dress up in our colors and perform our performance