Brewer Elementary
Hill/Waters – Addie Newcomer
Learning Objective/Exit Outcomes:
- Students will be able to think creatively and imaginatively as they choose a use, structure and existence for a roll of tape.
- Students will be able to show that new existence with their actions.
- Students will be able to engage in creative writing from a theatre activity.
- Students will be able to verbally present their writing to the class, while communicating their ideas and speaking clearly.
Integration Area/Subject:
ELA & Theatre
State Standards:
ELAGSE1W2: Write informative/ explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply some facts about the topic, and provide some sense of closure.
ELAGSE1SL4 Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly.
TA1.CR.1 Organize, design, and refine theatrical work.
- Use imagination to create, revise, and/or add to ideas.
- Demonstrate skills of the mind (e.g. imagination, focus, concentration).
- Follow directions and contribute to planning in theatre experiences.
- Listen to others with respect and courtesy in an ensemble.
- Identify basic theatre vocabulary (setting, character, problem, resolution, plot, beginning, middle, end).
TA1.PR.1 Act by communicating and sustaining roles in formal and informal environments.
- Use voice to communicate ideas and emotions.
- Use body to communicate ideas and emotions.
- Cooperate in theatre experiences.
Materials/Playing Space:
- A roll of tape and/or any other objects in the classroom
- Students can stay at desks or stand in a circle around the room
Description:
We started This Is Not A Roll Of Tape by passing the roll of tape in a circle and giving each student a turn. The PAIR Specialist explained how the arts strategy worked, first practicing the call and response. The person with the object would say “This is Not a Roll of Tape,” and the rest of the class would repeat the phrase back. Then, the person with the roll of tape would say “This is a…” and give a new idea of what the object could be. The PAIR Specialist gave an example for the class, “This is a magnifying glass!” The PAIR Specialist then used her body to show how the roll of tape would be used as a magnifying glass. Students then took turns generating their own ideas of what the roll of tape could be.
In Ms. Waters’s class, we used This Is Not A Roll Of Tape to encourage turn taking, respectfully listening to others’ ideas, and creative thinking by having all the students sit on the rug and calling up four at a time to show us what their tape would become. Later, our tape creations would be used as creative writing prompts.
In Ms. Hill’s class, we started by reading the book, “This Is Not A Cardboard Box.” In the book, students are able to see how the main character uses a cardboard box in a variety of ways. Then, we started This Is Not A Roll Of Tape by passing the tape in a circle and giving each student a turn. The students drew a picture of their new roll of tape and wrote several sentences to describe their illustration.
Notes:
This is a great strategy to use no matter the skill level of the class or what the students are working on. In a class where turn taking, listening respectfully, and other classroom management strategies are important, this strategy can be fun, engaging and rewarding with the ability to come back later and work on content. If the students are ready to dive into longer pieces of writing, the addition of illustration or class presentation is a great next step.