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The Arts In Every Classroom: A Workshop for Elementary School Teachers

Watch the Program

(60 minutes)

While you watch, consider these focus questions:

Lesson 1: Outlining the Story

  • How is outlining a multi-arts performance piece similar to or different from outlining a literary piece?
  • How does understanding the journey structure facilitate the story-writing process?

Lesson 2: Developing Ideas

  • How does setting structural guidelines assist students in the creative process?
  • How can the characters and plot of one story inform the development of a new story or a story extension?

Lesson 3: Rehearsing and Refining

  • How do the outcomes of active rehearsal differ from those expected or experienced in classroom discussion?
  • What are the similarities and differences between a visual symbol used in a performance piece and a literary symbol used metaphorically in a written work?

Lesson 4: Performing and Reflecting

  • How do students’ reflections on a performance piece affect their understanding of the creative process?
  • How can you meaningfully facilitate reflection and refinement of student work?

Activities and Discussions

(50 minutes)

Storyboarding (40 minutes)
In this activity, you will begin the collaborative process of developing a multi-arts performance piece based on Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.

Facilitator: Organize participants into groups of five or six.

In each group: Think about how you would dramatize Where the Wild Things Are,which follows Max’s journey into a fantasy world.

Identify the classic journey structure (the call, the challenge, the transformation, and the return) in Where the Wild Things Are. Use the following questions to drive your brainstorming:

  • What do you think is going on in Max’s mind during each part of the story?
  • What is he thinking?
  • What is he feeling?
  • How might you show this in your story?

Construct a storyboard with six to eight cells total, illustrating what Max is thinking and feeling during the four parts of his journey. Indicate the role each of the art forms might play in telling the story.

With the whole group: Share and discuss the storyboard outlines with the entire group, using the following questions:

  • How effectively does the storyboard encompass each part of the journey?
  • Where is each of the art forms employed?

Reflection (10 minutes)
Facilitator: Use the following question to focus a closing discussion:

  • How does refining and replaying contribute to student understanding of an arts production process?

Workshops