LESSON 3: Art Develops Around Social Issues

LESSON 3: ART DEVELOPS AROUND SOCIAL ISSUES LESSON AT A GLANCE

LESSON OBJECTIVE: Students will use the performing arts in order to discuss social issues.

DURATION:

Day 1: 70 mins Day 2: 60 mins

MATERIALS: Post-It notes or pre-cut small pieces of paper, paper and pencil

STANDARDS: VAPA Theatre, Grade Three: 1.2 Identify who, what, where, when, and why (the five Ws) in a theatrical experience. VAPA Theatre Grade Three: 2.1 Participate in cooperative scriptwriting or improvisations that incorporate the five Ws. VAPA Theatre Grade Three: 5.2 Develop problem-solving and communication skills by participating collaboratively in theatrical experiences. VAPA Music, Grade Three: 4.2 Explain and demonstrate what it means to be a good audience member. CCSS ELA, W.5.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences CCSS ELA SL.3.1, SL.4.1, SL.5.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade-level topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly. Social Justice Standards DI.3-5.9 I feel connected to other people and know how to talk, work and play with others even when we are different or when we disagree.

CONCEPTS/VOCABULARY: Dialogue - A conversation between two or more people in a book, play, or movie. Performing arts - Forms of creative activities that are performed in front of an audience, such as drama, music, and dance. Skit - A short play or performance.

GUIDING QUESTIONS: How can people use performance in order to discuss important issues in their lives? What happens when a group of performers collaborate to create performance art?

LESSON PLAN WARM UP

Start by having students sit in groups of 4-6. Pass out several slips of paper or post-its to each student. Present students with the following question: What are some challenges kids face in your school or community?

Students will write and announce as many ideas as they can in the allotted time (provide several minutes for the brainstorm), one idea per slip of paper.

Each slip of paper is placed in the center of the table. Students attempt to cover the table with as many ideas as possible.

After several minutes, bring the class together to discuss the question. As volunteers share challenges that kids face within their school or community, write appropriate responses on chart paper. Be sure to save this paper for lesson 4.

DAY 1

Part 1: Art as a Method for Addressing Social Issues

As an example, watch this clip of male hula dancers together, and determine what story they are trying to tell as they hula. Why is hula important to them? What is their aim for performing hula to the community and around the world?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFT-M18N2A4

Part 2: Create a Skit about Overcoming Challenges

TASK: Students will work collaboratively to create theatrical skits about their brainstorm of challenges kids face within their community.

In the same groups of 4-6, students will create a skit about overcoming one of the challenges written on the chart paper from the mini lesson. Each skit should be between 3-5 minutes long and all members of the group should participate as an “actor” in the skit, either by dialogue or gesture.

Provide students with time to outline and plan their skit. Tell students that their skit should have a clear beginning, middle, and end and address the 5 W’s: who, what, where, when, and why. While planning, ask students to discuss and decide on a clear message about a social issue in their school or broader community. As an option you can provide students with some examples, or help them refer back to the chart paper from the earlier discussion. Examples include, bullying, healthier food options at lunch, planting more trees on campus, etc.

After students plan, remind them that it is very important to rehearse their skit. The rehearsal process is important for all of the performing arts, and ask students to edit their skit as they rehearse. It is okay if ideas or things change during the rehearsal process.

Let students know that they will have an opportunity to perform their skit to the class the next day.

DAY 2

Part 3: Performance of skits

Before the performance, allow student groups to rehearse their skit a few times. After rehearsing, set up the room with a clear performance space.

Prior to their performance, remind students of good theater-going etiquette. You could brainstorm etiquette as a group, or use the suggested etiquette below. Write the performance etiquette on the board to remind students when they are audience members.

1. Listen with your ears and watch with your eyes. 2. View quietly so as not to distract the performers. It is okay to laugh or react when appropriate, but talking during a performance--even if it is a compliment--can be very distracting for hard-working performers. 3. Body language should show that the viewer is interested in the performance.

Ask students to perform their skits for the class. After each performance, have a few student volunteers provide details of what they noticed in their classmates’ skits. Encourage students to start their comment with one of these three sentence starters: I noticed, I wondered, I observed.

Part 2: Create a Skit about Overcoming Challenges

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA: • All students will participate in the performance either with dialogue or gestures. • Skit has a clearly defined problem faced by children in the community, and a solution to how the problem was overcome. • Skit has a clear beginning, middle, and end.

PURPOSE: To understand the impact of the performing arts on expressing ideas, storytelling, and addressing social issues.

Student Reflection After all student groups performed, conduct a discussion about their experience creating their skits, being audience members, and if they felt they were successful with portraying the message they wanted to share. Encourage students to approach the Hawaiian 'Ohana performance with an appreciation for creating a performance with a small group of performers who present a problem that must be solved and use art to teach others about how to overcome obstacles in their own lives.