Lesson 1: Juicy Words

Lesson 1: Juicy Words

Grade Level:

3-4 Subject: English Language Arts/Theatre

Prepared By:

Olivia Fiore Ryan Tyler

Overview & Purpose

Students will learn the names of Ms. Olivia and Mr. Ryan. They will review the story of Anansi and explore the idea of “juicy words”. Students will learn the parts of speech and purpose of each word in the story while learning definitions and creating their own sentences.

Education Standards Addressed

W:SL:4:1.1: Writing a variety of complete simple and compound sentences (State)

W:RC:4:1.3: Connecting what has been read (plot/ideas/concepts) to prior knowledge, which might include other texts (State)

W:RC:4:2.3: Using specific details and references to text to support focus (State)

W:EW:4:2.1: Using relevant and descriptive details (State)

Teacher Student

Objectives

Students will learn juicy words and the importance of them in the story. Applying the concept of juicy words to their own projects

Become familiar with the idea of juicy words and understand parts of speech.

Materials Needed

Pictures and PowerPoint

Pencils

Paper

Information

(Need To Know)

Juicy words: spinning, strange, wicked, tender, gather, carefully, stamped, trick, magic, carried POS: verb, adjective, noun, adverb

Same

Verification

* Students understand parts of speech * Students understand each juicy word * Students can use juicy words in a sentence

Other Resources

Anansi Book

Activity Overview

- Alliteration name game - Introduction, juicy words - Physicalizing juicy words

- Statue game - MAD LIBS - Act out sentences

Additional Notes

Multiple Intelligences:

PROCEDURE

- Start out with warm up game “Change the Floor” - This will get students up and moving and excited about the lesson to come

- Introduce actors neutral – the space you come to that refocuses energy back to the center - Introduce ourselves - Play alliteration name game- have students pick a word that starts with the first letter of their

name that describes them; have them put an action to that word and have the group repeat it - Refresh the story- have students recall the story in a popcorn fashion [call on one student, who

calls on another fellow student, who calls on another random peer, etc.] - Introduce the concept of juicy words – a “juicy word” is a word that adds a bit of meat to the story

line through description or action - Bring juicy words up on the white board with description pictures next to them - Have students act out the words in a similar way to how they did in the alliteration name game - Look at the words in the context of the story and what the relationship of the word is to the rest of

the story - Introduce what parts of speech are [noun, verb, adverb, adjective] - Split group into pairs - Play “Statue Game” - one person is the sculptor and the other person is the clay. Have each

sculptor form the clay into a tableau of the word given to them; side coach students reminding them of the scene they are creating; then go around the gallery and have students explain their creation

- Discuss why these words are important in the story - What other words could have been used in place of the juicy words? - Mad Libs - Create your own sentence with juicy words; then act it out

TEACHER COMMENTS:

Day 2: Sequence of Seven

Grade

Level:

3-4 Subject: English Language

Arts/ Theatre

Prepared

By:

Alyssa Guida, Brooke

Snow, Kim D’Agnese

Overview & Purpose

Students will learn the names of Ms. Kim, Ms. Alyssa, and

Ms. Brooke. Students will analyze the story of Anansi and

separate it into what they think are the seven most important

parts. They will also review what they know about juicy

words and then apply what they know to their analysis of the

7 most important parts.


TH: CS1: 4A: collaborate to select interrelated characters, environments, and situations for classroom dramatizations TH: CS1: 4B: improvise dialogue to tell stories, then formalize their improvisations by writing or recording the dialogue TH: CS2: 4A: imagine and clearly describe characters, their relationships, and their environments TH: CS2: 4B: use variations of locomotor and nonlocomotor movement and vocal pitch, tempo, and tone for different characters TH: CS2: 4C: assume roles in classroom dramatizations based on personal experience and heritage, imagination, literature, and history TH: CS4: 4A: collaboratively plan and prepare improvisations TH: CS4: 4B: demonstrate various ways of staging classroom dramatizations such as using storytelling, video cameras, or movement TH: CS7: 4A: identify and describe the visual, aural, oral, and kinetic elements of classroom dramatizations and dramatic performances TH: CS7: 4B: explain how the wants and needs of characters are similar to, and different than, their own TH: CS7: 4C: articulate emotional responses to and explain personal preferences about the whole as well as the parts of dramatic performances; TH: CS7: 4D: analyze classroom dramatizations and, using appropriate terminology, constructively suggest alternative ideas for dramatizing roles, arranging environments, and developing situations; also suggest means of improving the collaborative processes of planning, playing, responding, and evaluating

Teacher Student

Objectives

Students will learn how

to divide a story into the

7 most important parts.

Establish what the

students already know

about juicy words.

To become comfortable with

teachers and to be able to

isolate the most important

parts of a story from the less

important details.

Materials Needed

Anansi Book

Giant post-it

notes OR large

paper

Markers

Information

(Need To Know)

The story of Anansi,

what the 7 most

important parts of the

story are, and

knowledge of the juicy

words the previous

teaching group touched

upon with the students.

The story of Anansi, the

definition of juicy words and

some examples

Verification

* Students execute 7

tableaus correctly

Execution of 7 tableaus,

incorporating both the most

important parts of the story

and juicy words.

Other Resources

Activity Overview

-Introduction & Name

game (10 min)

- Review actor’s neutral

(3 min)

-“Fill the space” (6 min)

-“Flash Five” (6 min)

-Introduce & execute

“Sequence of 7”

exercise (15 min)

-“Sequence of 7”

Tableaus (15 min)

SAME

Additional Notes


PROCEDURE:

1. Begin with having the class form a large circle. 2. Introduce teachers and play “Picnic Name Game”; students must bring an object to the picnic that

starts with the same letter as their name. When a new student introduces themselves, they must repeat what the previous students are bringing to the picnic.

3. Review actor’s neutral 4. Play a game called “Fill the Space”, in which the students must walk around the whole room

(making sure that no space is left void of student),while walking around portraying a juicy word (i.e. walk around wickedly)

5. Play a game called “Flash Five” to introduce students to the purpose of tableaus. Students will break into at least three groups (each led by a teacher) and come up with an idea (i.e. baseball game, safari, etc.). The students will then name five main events that they think best illustrate the story or idea (For example for baseball: going up to bat, hitting the ball, running the bases, sliding into home, celebration/winning the game)

6. Introduce the Sequence of 7: With large post it notes, have the students separate the story of Anansi into several different parts which they think are the most important. Help guide them and cut the list down to the 7 most important parts.

7. Tableaus: Separate the students into 7 groups; each group will take one part in the Sequence of 7 and create a tableau. Make sure the scenes include examples of juicy words (for example, the representation of a strange moss covered rock)

8. Supplemental worksheet (if time) TEACHER COMMENTS:

Lesson 3: Picture Web

Grade Level:


Prepared By:

Lauren Barton, Kelsie Sawyer, Rachel

Vilandre

Overview & Purpose

Students will learn the names of Ms. Rachel, Ms. Lauren, and Ms. Kelsie. Nonverbal communication will be reiterated and students will be introduced to the Adinkra symbols. Students will use creativity, self-awareness, and their knowledge of plot structure to create a mural of a story in their lives. Finally, students will practice deduction and interpretation by hypothesizing the ending to their classmates’ stories.


TH: CS1: 4A: Collaborate to select interrelated characters, environments, and situations for classroom dramatizations TH: CS2: 4C: Assume roles in classroom dramatizations based on personal experience and heritage, imagination, literature, and history TH: CS4: 4B: Demonstrate various ways of staging classroom dramatizations such as using storytelling, video cameras, or movement TH: CS5: 4: Research, evaluate, and apply cultural and historical information to make artistic choices TH: CS6: 4B: Compare how ideas and emotions are expressed in theatre, dramatic media, dance, music, and visual arts ART: CS3: 4B: Create art, selecting and using appropriate subject matter, symbols, and ideas to communicate meaning ART: CS3: 8A: Use subjects, themes, and symbols that communicate and express intended meaning in their artwork ART: CS4: 4A: Know that the visual arts have both a history and a specific relationship to various cultures ART: CS4: 4E: create a work of art that reflects an understanding of how history or culture can influence visual art W:RC:3:1.2: Selecting ideas that support the development of a summary W:RC:3:2.2: Making inferences about content, events, characters, or setting W:EW:4:1.1: Creating a clear, understandable story line with a beginning, middle, and end W:EW:4:2.3a: Identifying character

Teacher Student

Objectives

Students will learn the use of symbols as nonverbal comm/storytelling. Students will review plot structure and deduction.

Grasp the concept of nonverbal storytelling. Learn about Adinkra symbols and create own. Practice plot structure, creativity, and hypothesizing.

Materials Needed

Adinkra symbols [web projection]

Large paper

Colored utensils [colored pencils, crayons, markers, etc.]

Scrap paper

Pencils

Information

(Need To Know)

Reasons for nonverbal: - Cavemen (before words) - Political (war time, secret meetings, etc.) - Deafness (sign language) - Tradition (stories passed down) - Public awareness (traffic signs, etc.)

Juicy Words/Tableau

Verification

* Students complete tableaux exercise * Students participate in discussion * Students create logically developed story with mural * Students deduce endings

* Completion of activity * Discussion participation * Mural completed * Deduction participation

Other Resources

IQ Packet for Adinkra symbols

Activity Overview

- Introduction (10 min) - Tableaux (5 min) - Methods/Reasons for Nonverbal Comm. (5m) - Adinkra Symbols(10m) - Symbol Assignments (10 min) - Student Symbols/Stories (25m) - Sharing/Deduction (10 min)

SAME

Additional Notes

Share story with symbols completed

N/A Multiple Intelligences:

Visual/spatial, intrapersonal, & logical-mathematical

PROCEDURE:

Begin by having the class form a large circle in the classroom

Play a name game called “Ms. Lauren” [to the rhythm of popular game “Big Booty”, but modified for the classroom using names instead of numbers]

Have students create tableaus of the juicy words – once every student has participated, begin the lesson

Open a discussion about possible reasons why we need nonverbal communication

Introduce and go through the Adinkra symbols

Read Anansi with symbols completed

As a class, write up on the board which characters might have which symbols and why

Inform students to come up with a symbol for themselves

Then ask them to choose a story from their life – something exciting, funny, etc. Have the students create a mural of the story using symbols (including their new name symbol) and drawings

Once the students have completed their murals, select a few volunteers to share their stories. Have these students stop at the climax and have the rest of the class deduce what the conclusion will be based on the mural

Questions/final comments TEACHER COMMENTS:

Lesson 4: Ghanaian Culture: Music and Dance

Grade Level:


Prepared By:

Olivia Fiore Ryan Tyler

Overview & Purpose

Students will gain a larger appreciation for Ghanaian culture through reflection of music and movement, comparing American traditions to that of the Ga community.

Students will learn how the use of movement, dance and music can help tell a story

Education Standards Addressed DANCE: CS1: Identify and demonstrate movement elements and skills in performing dance. DANCE: CS3: Recognize dance as a way to create and communicate meaning. DANCE: CS5: Recognize and demonstrate dance in various cultures and historical periods. MUS: CS1: Sing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music. MUS: CS9: Understand music in relation to history and culture.

Teacher Student

Objectives

Students will learn words like ‘rhythm’, ‘tempo’, and ‘customs’ and apply these concepts to the Ghanaian culture. Reiterate juicy words and symbols to enforce the idea of movement as a method of communication.

Learn bodily awareness and how the body can be used as a tool for communication; be able to draw connections between Ghanaian culture and American culture (specifically birthday traditions).

Materials Needed

PowerPoint

Music

Drums

Information

(Need To Know)

Rhythm- the driving beats of a piece of music. Tempo- How tempo relates to movement of specific characters Ga Community names and days of the week Connect back to customs in Ghana (what they wear, symbols, etc.) Ta Ta Tae- Dance and song

Verification

Students will learn the Ta Ta Tae song and be able to show choreographed movement

Sing and perform the Ta Ta Tae song and dance

Other Resources

Activity Overview

Ta Ta Tae song (15 min) Ta Ta Tae dance (15) Trickster Chant (7) Animal Action Machine game

Additional Notes


Spatial, bodily-kinesthetic

PROCEDURE:

- Teach the Ta Ta Tae song first

- Talk about traditions and customs in American culture. Bring back the Adinkra symbols and

discuss how they are reflected in traditional Ghanaian clothing. Talk about the different dresses

used in Ghanaian culture, birthdays in our culture vs. birthdays in the Ga Community [The

Birthday Theme - when a child is born in the Ga community they are given names for the day of

the week in which they were born. Ta Ta Tae is sung when a baby is born (music =

communication)]

o Monday – Adzo/Adzo

Tuesday- Ablah/Koblah

Wednesday-Akua/Aku

Thursday-Awo/Awo

Friday- Afi/AFi

Saturday- Amen/Amen

Sunday-Awishi/Awishi

- Do Ta Ta Tae [repeat after me!] - Talk about rhythm; clap a rhythm and have them follow along. Change the tempo - what do they

notice? [Ghanaian culture of communal circles - Gender roles- boys drum girls dance] - Play the Machine Game: One person begins the machine by pantomiming pressing an “on”

button using some sort of vocalization and movement establishing a steady beat ( Beep, beep, beep, beep……) Then another person jumps in and begins to make another sound that fits into the steady beat and adds their own movement (schooom, schoooom, schooom, schoooom!) The game progresses with more people jumping in and adding to the “machine” where at the end you have a large group making funny noises and moving to their sounds.

- Teach students the Trickster Chant: Trixy, trixy Trickster! Hey! Miss or Mister, I’m your triple Trickster! I’m gonna getcha! I’m gonna getcha!

I’m always up to mischief, Cuz’ I’m spiderman big stuff! Gonna mix it up! Gonna mix it up! Quicky, quicky Trickster

Trixy, trixy Mister!

- Animal Action – introduce the idea of tempo and how tempo can help us tell a story. - Play animal action: Music is played in the background and group leader asks the group to move

like a particular animal (Elephant, monkey, lion, etc.) Side coaching- Take note of the tempo students are using. Give suggestions on how an animal would move for example and how an elephant would have slower heavier movements compared to a cat.

- Review juicy words and how that relates to telling a story. - Discussion: Anansi is a trickster but also a story teller. In many cases stories are told through

music and through movement. How does movement convey a message? Talk about importance of communication through song and dance

- Teach the dance portion of Ta Ta Tae - Perform the dance - Questions/comments

TEACHER COMMENTS:

Lesson 5: Language of the Body

Grade

Level:

3-4 Subject: English Language

Arts/ Theatre

Prepared

By:

Brooke Snow, Alyssa

Guida, Kim D’Agnese

Overview & Purpose

Students will learn basic signs in American Sign Language

that coincide with “Anansi and the Moss Covered Rock”.

They will also learn how physicality and vocal production is

an important aspect of storytelling.


TH: CS2: Students will act by developing, improvising, communicating and sustaining characters.

TH: CS4: Students will direct by planning or interpreting works of theatre by organizing and conducting rehearsals.

TH: CS5: Students will research, evaluate and apply cultural and historical information to make artistic choices.

Teacher Student

Objectives

Students will learn how

to sign many American

Sign Language signs

dealing with “Anansi

and the Moss Covered

Rock”. These signs

include “rock”, “spider”,

“deer”, “tree”, “coconut”

etc.

They will re-tell the story

of “Anansi” using these

signs.

To grasp an introductory

understanding of American

Sign Language (ASL). To be

fully aware that not everyone

speaks the same language.

To incorporate the signs that

they learned into the

“Anansi” story.

Materials Needed

Copies of “Anansi and

the Moss-Covered

Rock”.

Information

(Need To Know)

The signs for spider,

rock, tree, lion, deer,

hippo, elephant,

banana, yam, giraffe,

zebra, coconut, jungle,

Anansi and some of the

Adinkra symbols that

the students learned in

the prior lessons.

Verification

-Completion of the

ASL/Anansi exercise

-Knowledge of each

sign and what to do with

their hands

-Basic knowledge of

different

languages/different

ways to communicate.

-Discussions/questions

Successful insertion of ASL

into the Anansi story

Other Resources

Activity Overview

-Warm up (dance)

-What Are You Doing?

-Quaku Anansi activity

-Teaching the sign

language used in the

story

-Inserting the sign

language into the story

SAME

Additional Notes


Linguistic, Bodily-

Kinesthetic, Spatial

PROCEDURE:

- First, we will do a warm up with the song and dance that the students were taught in their previous class.

- We will play the improvisation/warm-up game “What Are You Doing?”. In this game, everyone stands in a circle and there is one person in the middle pantomiming doing something. Someone else walks into the center and ask the other person “what are you doing?”. That person responds with an activity that they are NOT pantomiming. The original person leaves the center, and the second person starts doing the activity that the previous person said. The students will do activities that connect to “Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock”.

- Teach students that there are many different ways to interact with other people. Let them know that you can communicate using your body.

- The students will be taught the “Quaku Anansi” chant. The teachers will lead this activity. They will call out things such as “Act like an old man” while repeating the Quaku Anansi chant

- The student will then be taught the ASL signs listed above. - The students will be instructed to reenact the Anansi story using the signs that they were taught. - Questions/comments

TEACHER COMMENTS:

Lesson 6: Cultural Comparisons

Grade Level:


Prepared By:

Lauren Barton, Kelsie Sawyer, Rachel Vilandre

Overview & Purpose

Students will review dance steps they have learned previously. Students will learn different manners in which to compare and contrast items, beginning with the New Hampshire vs. Ghanaian coast [“Year of the Coast”]. Students will learn of another Anansi story and will begin to compare and contrast the cultural elements between the two stories they now know. While accomplishing this, students will attempt to create and identify their own ‘juicy words’.


W:RC:3:1.3: Connecting what has been read (plot/ideas/concepts) to prior knowledge W:IW:3:1.1: Using a given organizational structure for grouping facts and ideas (e.g., template, frame, graphic organizer) W:IW:3:1.2: Selecting appropriate facts to set context/background R:RS:4:2.1:Using strategies before, during, and after reading literary and informational text such as compare and contrast SS:GE:4:2.1: Describe the physical and human characteristics of places SS:GE:6:2.2: Describe how places and regions preserve culture SS:GE:12:4.2: Distinguish how culture traits shape the character of a region R:V:3:2.2: Selecting appropriate words to use in context, including content specific vocabulary DAN: CS5: 8C: Identify the role of dance in different cultures or time periods

Teacher Student

Objectives

Students will learn how to effectively compare and contrast. Students will learn the meaning of and how to compare culture.

Understand different methods of comparing and contrasting, while selecting which one best fits learning style. Learn meaning of culture and compare elements in two Anansi stories.

Materials Needed

Coasts handout

White board

Markers

Anansi The Spider book

Paper

Pencils

Information

(Need To Know)

Ghanaian celebrations (specifically harvest celebrations), music, dance, fashion/clothing, and geography. **Notes will be attached

Culture – the beliefs, customs, arts, etc., of a particular society, group, place, or time [Merriam-Webster]

Verification

Students participate in coasts comparison. Students participate in culture discussion. Students create an effective culture comparison chart.

Participation and analyzing of coasts comparison. Participation in culture discussion. Completion of accurate culture comparison chart.

Other Resources

Activity Overview

- Dance Warm-Up (10 min) - Discussion on how to compare/contrast (5m) - Coast comparison (10m) - Read Anansi story (5 min) - What is culture? Discussion (10 min) - Independent culture comparisons (30 min) - Share new juicy words/wrap up (5 min)

SAME

Additional Notes

N/A Multiple Intelligences:

Visual/spatial & linguistic

PROCEDURE:

Begin by having the class set up chairs in a circle

Students will play Musical Chairs using Ghanaian music and the dance steps they have previously learned

Students will then participate in a discussion on how to compare and contrast two items

Teachers will set up the two different sets of charts [T-Chart vs. Venn Diagram]

Teachers will hand out a worksheet with information about the New Hampshire as well as Ghanaian coast

Students will, using this information, collectively place information in the appropriate places on the charts

Teachers will read Anansi the Spider to the students

Teachers will lead a brief discussion about what comprises culture

Students will break into small groups and, with guided help where necessary, create a cultural comparison chart [of their choosing – one of the three forms] of one focused element of culture including holidays/celebrations, clothing/fashion, music, dance, geography, etc. while attempting to create and identify new juicy words

Students will volunteer to share their charts and juicy words

Questions/final comments TEACHER COMMENTS:

Documents

Lesson 1: Juicy Words