week 2

Activities 

 

Chair Game- What are the different types of rock? (Igneous, Sedimentary, Metamorphic).

-Students sit in chairs in a circle. Assign the 3 different types of rocks between the students.

-One person starts in the middle and calls out either one of the 3 rock types or “erosion” then they must find an empty chair to sit in.

- If the rock that you were assigned is called, you must stand up and find an empty chair to sit in.

-If “erosion” is called, everyone must stand up and find an empty chair to sit in.

-Whoever is left without a chair to sit in is to go in the middle of the circle and call out the next rock type.

This activity is a great way to introduce terms, so they are left with that knowledge. I would use this as a minds on activity, so I could teach the rock cycle right after. This is a great example of how to integrate Drama with Science. Below you will find a diagram of the Rock cycle that students can refer to.

 

Tableau:

Tableau - means “living picture.”  In this activity, students will be placed into groups to create a still picture, without talking, to capture and communicate the different types of rock cycles (igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic), using physical poses, gestures, and facial expressions.

Below is the chart for the elements of Tableau. Ask the students to choose 2-3 of these elements to emphasize in their tableaux.

 

Feature	Descriptors
Character	Who? / What?	When? / Where?	Why? / How?
Levels	High	Medium	Low
Expression	Open	Neutral	Closed
Gesture	Relaxed	Neutral	Tense
Space	Expanded	Neutral	Confined

This is an example of a Tableau that uses the element of levels (notice the high and low positions).

Theories

Gardner and his colleagues found that preschool drawings had the same expressive qualities as adult art, but in middle childhood (eight to eleven years of age), students began attempting to draw literally and more realistically and lost expressive qualities. They become disappointed in their own work. In other words, they found that very young children and adults exude highly expressive qualities in their artwork, but children’ art in middle childhood tends to contain very little. 

This theory resonates with me because I want my students to be able to feel comfortable with their expressions. My vision is to allow students to explore their creativity without fear of judgment. I want them to be interested in the work and feel motivated to show off what they can come up with. Never do I want a student to feel disappointed in themselves for their work if they put a real effort into it. I want them to feel proud and accomplished. I hope to break this U curve trend to create a more positive environment to those students who have lost touch with their creative side.

  

Thoughts of the Week

 

When did we use scientific thinking today?

-We incorporated science terms into drama activities. These include the chair game and tableaux. Additionally students can create a 'machine' to describe the actions of the rock cycle. Language can also be incorporated by creating Flashbacks or narratives about the rock cycle.

 

How did we apply Gardiner’s U Curve theory to tableau, voice over narration, machine, flashback?

When we look at where we fall in the U Curve, our confidence in our creativity is generally high. Our class was not afraid to share our ideas, and we all had different ways of explaining theories.

How can we modify these concepts for students with needs or of different age levels?

These concepts can be modified by changing curriculum expectations. These games do not have to be science based. For example for the chair game, the three categories could change into five categories (ex: Who, What, When, Where, Why) and use any strand from a subject.