THEATRE GAME
Improves sustained attention
"Charades"
You must have a number of "situations" ready for this exercise in strips of paper in a box. For example:
"Two nuns are driving along the road when they see a dog fall in the lake. They get out and try to get the dog but cannot so they asked me to find help".
The group pairs up, and nd each pair picks a slip of paper at random. One is the actor, while the second student makes sure s/he doesn't deviate from the story. The audience must guess what the situation is. All situations end with a call for help from the audience.
For young students or beginning ESL the stories are simpler. This is a good game to play year long, to make the situations more complicated.
PHONICS, VOCABULARY and IRREGULAR VERBS
(Please refer to the Sample Lesson Plan for the exercises)
Madden, Meddle, Middle, Model, Muddle - Pat, Pet, Pit, Pot, Put
Flock, Cock, Dock, Jock, Lock, Mock, Knock, Rock, Sock
CONJUGATE: To choose, To keep, To fly, To try
IMPROVISATION / DIALOGUE
Four actors (D walks in later)
This is much like the charade, where a student, A, mimes a story, of his or her own invention.
B and C must figure what A is trying to tell them by miming as well. They are not allowed to speak.
Just as the three are about to leave, a fourth student, D, arrives and they mime the story to him/her. D mimes in turn to make she s/he understood. They are in a hurry.
VARIATION: Add a fifth actor, E, with a different story to mime, and the other four must mime the
TONGUE TWISTERS
I wish to wish the wish you wish to wish.
The flimsy flat fish flapped, flopped, flipped, and flew away.
POEM
By the Sufi poet Hafiz
"A Suspended Blue Ocean"
The sky is a suspended blue ocean. The stars are the fish that swim.
The planets are the white whales I sometimes hitch a ride on
And the sun and all light have forever fused themselves
Into my heart and upon my skin.
SONG
I Wish I Was A Fish
by Gary Kazoo
Lesson Plan
COLLECTIVE PROJECT
The Aquarium. You can use one large box or shoe boxes for individual aquariums. Instead of cut-outs you can put the origami fish.
JELLYFISH - Not really a fish, so what.
This spectacular jellyfish is made with plastic.
I used this idea once for a set, big ones, from the ceiling, lit. Impressive. Could be a decor for a room.
ORIGAMI
Oh I wish, I wish I was a fish because I really love to swim
I'd go swimming' under water with the Sturgeon General's daughter
Oh I wish - I wish I was a fish
Fishy fishy ooh, Fishy fishy ooh, Fishy fishy ooh, Fishy fishy ooh
I'd go swimming' under water with the Sturgeon General's daughter
Oh I wish - I wish I was a fish
I wish, I wish I was a fish born with gills, that would be really sill-y
I'd go swimming' under water with the Sturgeon General's daughter
oh I wish, I wish I was a fish
Fishy fishy ooh, Fishy fishy ooh, Fishy fishy ooh, Fishy fishy ooh
I'd go swimming' underwater with the Sturgeon General's daughter
oh I wish I wish I was a fish
Fishy fishy ooh, Fishy fishy ooh [Let's hear some kazoos!], Fishy fishy ooh, Fishy fishy ooh
ORIGAMI
FISH FACTS
There are about 30,000 fish species in the world, divided into three main types.
Tuna can swim almost 45 miles an hour.
Fish navigate with a special organ that works like radar.
Fish use low-pitched sounds to communicate but they do not have vocal chords. They use other parts of their bodies to make noises.
Starfish are not fish. Neither are jellyfish or crayfish.
Sharks are the only fish that have eyelids.
Fish appeared 500 million years ago, way before the dinosaurs.
