Lights, camera, action! This lesson is one of writing plays following the journey story structure. The writing process spans one month of instruction from introduction to production.
All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players" -William Shakespeare
This unit of study combines creating a scene with characters, dialogue and a simple story. Using a journey storyline will give the children a mediator, a tool to support the writer. The journey story is a common story structure; some examples include: Little Red Riding Hood, The Pilgrim's Progress, The Hobbit, The Little Prince, Hansel and Gretel, The Golden Goose, Mio My Son, The Alchemist, Pinnochio, Three Billy Goats Gruff, Peter Pan, Little Fox goes to the end of the World, Flossie and the Fox, and We're Going on a Bear Hunt. We will pick from available familiar stories to create our plays.
Scene 1: State your quest. Every journey is a quest, whether you know it or not.
Scene 2: Departure.
Scene 3: Opposition. Lesson learned.
Scene 4: Destination reached, with character changed.
Introduction of Genre
Dress up and act out an adapted reading theatre script from Where the Wild Things Are. Divide the reading theatre into the four scenes. Show the children the rubric and talk about creating their own productions.
Scene 1
NARRATOR: THE NIGHT MAX WORE HIS WOLF SUIT AND MADE MISCHIEF CHILD 1: OF ONE KIND AND ANOTHER. NARRATOR: HIS MOTHER CALLED HIM "WILD THING!" NARRATOR: AND MAX SAID: MAX: "I'LL EAT YOU UP!!" CHILD 2: SO HE WAS SENT TO BED WITHOUT EATING ANYTHING. NARRATOR: THAT VERY NIGHT IN MAX'S ROOM MAX: A FOREST GREW, AND GREW, AND GREW UNTIL THE CEILING HUNG WITH VINES CHILD 1: AND THE WALLS BECAME THE WORLD ALL AROUND AND AN OCEAN TUMBLED BY MAX: 'WITH A PRIVATE BOAT!' Scene 2
NARRATOR: FOR MAX. AND HE SAILED OFF THROUGH NIGHT AND DAY CHILD 1: AND IN AND OUT OF WEEKS CHILD 2: AND ALMOST OVER A YEAR MAX: TO WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE! NARRATOR: AND WHEN HE CAME TO THE PLACE WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE THEY CHILD 2: ROARED THEIR TERRIBLE ROARS! (ALL ROAR) CHILD 1: AND GNASHED THEIR TERRIBLE TEETH! (ALL GNASH TEETH) CHILD 2: AND ROLLED THEIR TERRIBLE EYES! (ALL ROLL EYES) CHILD 1: AND SHOWED THEIR TERRIBLE CLAWS! (ALL SHOW CLAWS) NARRATOR: TILL MAX SAID: MAX: 'BE STILL!' CHILD 2: AND TAMED THEM WITH THE MAGIC TRICK OF STARING INTO ALL THEIR YELLOW EYES WITHOUT BLINKING ONCE NARRATOR: AND THEY WERE FRIGHTENED AND CALLED HIM ALL: THE MOST WILD THING OF ALL!! NARRATOR: AND MADE HIM KING OF ALL WILD THINGS. MAX: 'AND NOW, LET THE WILD RUMPUS START!! (PAUSE) NOW, STOP!' CHILD 1: AND SENT THE WILD THINGS OFF TO BED WITHOUT THEIR SUPPER....AND MAX THE KING OF ALL WILD THINGS, SAID: Scene 3
MAX: 'I'M LONELY!'
NARRATOR: AND WANTED TO BE WHERE SOMEONE LOVED HIM BEST OF ALL
CHILD 2: THEN, ALL AROUND, FROM FAR AWAY, ACROSS THE WORLD
NARRATOR: HE SMELLED GOOD THINGS TO EAT!! SO HE SAID:
MAX: 'I'LL GIVE UP BEING KING OF WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE.'
CHILD 1: BUT THE WILD THINGS CRIED OH, PLEASE DON'T GO WE'LL EAT YOU UP
CHILD 2: WE LOVE YOU SO
NARRATOR: AND MAX SAID:
MAX: 'NO!'
CHILD 1: THE WILD THINGS ROARED THEIR TERRIBLE ROARS (ALL ROAR)
CHILD 2: AND GNASHED THEIR TERRIBLE TEETH (ALL SHOW TEETH)
CHILD 1: AND ROLLED THEIR TERRIBLE EYES (ALL ROLL EYES)
CHILD 2: AND SHOWED THEIR TERRIBLE CLAWS (ALL SHOW CLAWS)
NARRATOR: BUT MAX STEPPED INTO HIS PRIVATE BOAT
CHILD 1: AND WAVED GOOD-BYE (MAX WAVES) AND SAILED BACK
CHILD 2: ALMOST OVER A YEAR AND IN AND OUT OF WEEKS AND THROUGH A DAY
Scene 4
MAX: AND INTO THE NIGHT OF MY OWN ROOM WHERE I FOUND MY SUPPER WAITING FOR ME AND IT WAS STILL HOT!
Lesson plan with more detail for mini-lessons Grades 4-6
Pre-writing and Drafting Teaching Points
Brainstorm journey stories and identify the four parts
Pick a story to make into a play
Imagine the setting, description and mood
Create a storyboard of the four scenes
Write a list of characters
Tense options: past, present
Begin drafting the scenes
If a child completes a script they can begin a second play
Adding simple stage directions
Dialogue tips: questions, answers, word choice
Narration
Onomotopeia and sound effects
Revision Teaching Points
Pick one script to revise
Read your scripts and imagine the play, what is missing?
Delete any part that is not needed, distracting or redundant
Add detail to the most important part
Have a sibling act it out and see if the stage directions are clear
Check for order of events, do they make sense
Editing: spelling, punctuation, capitol letters, grammar
Self-evaluation
Peer-evaluation
Celebration by Performing our Plays
Directing with kindness
Props
Rehearsal
The Show! Record it and share through technology
How to use the rubric
Self-assessment and teacher feedback
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