Objective:
To develop characters through their actions.
Activity:
Write the following list of qualities on the chalkboard.
Call on volunteers to select one quality and to think of
an action the clearly demonstrates it.
kindness
anger
responsibility
irresponsibility
happiness
concern for the feelings of others and their property
Procedure:
As the students do the first activity in the Development section, ask them to give reasons for their opinions. Before the students write the activity in the Application section, you may wish to take a quality not listed. Have the students develop, as a group activity, a paragraph describing that quality and what actions would best demonstrate it. After the students have done the peer-editing activity, have volunteers read the paragraphs aloud. Ask the listeners to decide what quality is being discussed and to point out what what in the paragraph makes them think so. Compare the listener’s opinion with that of the student editor.
Reinforcing the Concept
Ask students to select a character from a story, novel or play who displays certain qualities through his or her actions. Have a volunteer read the passages from the novel, story or play which best portrays the characters qualities. Discuss the character with the class. Have the students describe the characters in their own words and speculate on what other things the character might do.
Expanding the Concept
Divide the students into pairs. Have each pair choose on of the qualities listed, decide what action would best display that quality, and dramatize that action in short skit. Have the skits played for the rest of the class.
Lesson IV
Objective:
To develop and act out a skit based on characters.
Activity:
Ask the students to name a character in a play, movie or TV program that they enjoy watching, and use these questions to guide a discussion. What kind of person is the character? How do the characters actions show what kind of person the character is? How do the character’s voice, gestures, dialogue and emotion show this?
Procedure:
Encourage the students to speculate freely when they answer the questions. Have the students use the questions to guide their planning. Ask students to select one of the role playing situations describes in the Session. Then group the students according to the situation they have chosen. Allow students sufficient time to prepare their skits. When they are ready, call on volunteers to act out their skits for the class. Have students provide questions for discussing each skit.
Reinforcing the Concept
Ask the students to bring to class pictures or photographs of people. Have students study his or her picture and then give a brief character sketch.
Expanding the Concept
Ask each student to improvise a brief skit in which he or she portrays a character such as a subway conductor, a waitress, a teacher, a sales clerk. The characters should show the kind of people they are by the way they do their jobs. If they students prefer, have then work in teams.
