Christine A. Elmore
Before involving my students in the Readers Theater play of Warhol's life (found in Appendix A) I plan to introduce my students to the life of Andy Warhol through the reading aloud of two books mentioned above. I will use the following questions to spark thinking about the texts and discussion. Initially, students will pair up and discuss their responses with a buddy in a turn-and-talk situation. Then we will open up discussion of these questions to the whole group.
Mike Venezia's Andy Warhol
Before Reading
What do you think causes a child to want to grow up to be an artist?
After Reading
What did Andy like to do as a child?
How did his mother help him throughout his life?
Name some of the things that Andy liked to paint?
What is one question that you would have liked to ask Andy?
James Warhola's Uncle Andy
Before Reading
Think about a time when you and your family went to visit some relatives. Describe some of the funny events that happened.
After Reading
In what ways was Uncle Andy's house different or unusual?
What did he like to collect?
If you could use one word to describe Uncle Andy, what would it be?
What would you like to do at his house?
Using drama in the classroom, in this case Readers Theater, is a very effective teaching tool where learners can learn something new at the same time that they are having fun. Using this vehicle, the children become the storytellers of Andy Warhol's life. The play that they will perform highlights events as well as anecdotes about this Pop artist, many of which they will be able to relate to. The preparation involved in presenting this play to an audience of other first-graders will begin by selecting individual students to play the parts of the various characters. I plan to read the part of the Narrator 1 where the language may be a bit more challenging. I will hold regular practice sessions with the cast, emphasizing both clarity of speech, expression and dramatic gestures. We will then perform it first to our own class and then to other classes. What is so adaptable about Readers Theater is that one does not have to use either costumes or props which greatly reduces preparation time.