Title: Emotional Monologue Statues

Focus Questions:
How do we show what we are feeling?
How can you use your body to express emotions?

Goals: Students will be able to Assessment: Teacher will
1) Identify the dominant emotions in a text and
distinguish between the differences in such
emotions
- By writing down students ideas and for what
are emotions, teacher will informally assess
students base knowledge on the differences of
emotions.
- examine students word choices for each
section of their monologue. A successful
student will use emotions that are appropriate
for the text and the mood.
- take a picture of students three monologue
statues to put in their file. A successful
students picture will display three unique
statues which correctly match the emotion they
chose for that section.
2) Use their entire body, including face, arms,
and legs, to express specific emotions
- informally assess students throughout the
story reading, placing a check next to a
students name when they have created an
image that appropriately displays the emotion
and a star next to their name when they create a
statue different from their neighbors
- By writing down students ideas and
suggestions for how you can use your body to
show an emotion, teacher will informally
assess students knowledge of how to
manipulate your body.
- informally assess students analysis of
classmates statues by writing their
observations and suggestions on small post-it
notes to put in their file
- take a picture of students three monologue
statues to determine how much of their body
student uses and how well a student expresses
an emotion. A successful student will use their
entire body, including arms, legs, face, etc, to
bring to life a certain emotion clearly; it should
be very clear what emotion this person is
expressing.
3) Create individual frozen images - informally assess students throughout the
story reading and their three monologue
statues, noting when students stay frozen. A
successful student will choose one frozen
image to embody and stay frozen until told to
relax; the student will not change their image
or decisions based on others around them.
- take a picture of students three monologue
statues to put in their file. A successful
students picture will be focused and show a
clear, well thought-out image.


NYCDOE Learning Strands:
NYCDOE Theatre Strand 1: Theatre Making: Acting, Playwriting/Play Making, Designing and Technical Theatre, and Directing
NYCDOE Theatre Strand 3: Making Connections

NYS Learning Standards:
NYS Theatre Standard 1: Creating, Performing, and Participating in the Arts

Audience/Development Considerations:
This lesson is for the three 2nd grade theatre arts classes at PS 10 in Brooklyn. On average,
classes have about 25 students with an even mix between boys and girls. For two of the classes,
there is only one teacher for the 25 students. In the last class, which is inclusion, there is an
additional assistant teacher. The students have varying ability levels and have both physical and
emotional special needs. Each class period is 50 minutes.

Previous Knowledge:
Students have being doing tableaux (or statues) since the beginning of the year. They have
worked on their monologues for about three weeks. Students have broken their monologue
down into the beginning, middle, and end.

Materials Needed:
Today I Feel Silly & Other Moods That Make My Day
Students Monologues
Pencils
Over-sized post-it paper
Markers
Digital Camera

Spatial Organization:
Typically, the auditorium and stage are cleared off and can be adjusted to meet the needs of each
class. For this lesson, anything on the stage needs to be moved into the wings so that students
can spread out as much as possible.

Classroom Management Strategies/Signals:
1-2-3- eyes on me / 1-2- eyes on you
If you can hear my voice, clap once
Show me who is focused and ready

Opening Activity: (20 minutes)
Once all students are in the auditorium, teacher will ask students to sit, focused and ready ( ).
Teacher will call on focused students in groups of three and ask students to take a seat on the
stage, forming a circle. Once all students are on stage, teacher will join students in the circle,
bringing Jamie Lee Curtis Today I Feel Silly & Other Moods That Make My Day. Teacher will
already have placed the oversized post-it paper and marker on stage. Teacher will ask students
what are emotions; students will raise their hand to answer. Teacher will write their responses
on the post-it paper.

Teacher will allow students to either stand or sit where they are in the circle. Teacher will tell
students that she is going to read a story and that she wants the students to silently act out the
different emotions they hear. Teacher will ask for a student volunteer to rephrase the directions
for the class. Teacher will read Today I Feel Silly & Other Moods That Make My Day as the
students embody each emotion.

After teacher finishes reading, teacher will ask students to name the different types of emotions
and tell how we know someone is feeling like that. Teacher will ask students how can you use
your body to express emotions? Students will raise their hand to answer and teacher will write
responses on the post-it paper. Teacher and students will make a list of different ways you can
use your body to express emotions. As students are responding, teacher will have two volunteers
hand out students monologues and a pencil. Teacher will inform students that they will be
discovering the emotions in their own monologues.

Main Activity: (20 minutes)
Teacher will instruct students to find their own space on the stage and choose one word to
describe the emotion of the beginning section, the middle section, and the end section of their
monologue and write it down next to that section. When students have chosen one emotion for
each section, students will raise their hand to signify they are done. Once all students have
completed this task, teacher will ask students to stand exactly where they are facing whatever
direction they were sitting in. Teacher will ask students to create a practice statue of the emotion
from the beginning section of their monologue. Teacher will give students a 3-2-1- Statue.
Students will create a tableaux based on this emotion. Teacher and students will repeat these
steps for the emotions from the middle and end of their monologues.

Teacher will move five students at a time into a line going across the stage facing upstage. Once
all students are in the line, teacher will ask for five volunteers to perform their statues for the
class. Five student volunteers will stand on the stage facing the rest of the class. Teacher and
the remaining students will give volunteers a 3-2-1-Statue and volunteers will create their final
statue for the beginning section of their monologue. Teacher will take a picture. Teacher and
students will repeat these steps for the emotions from the middle and end of their monologues.
Teacher will ask for five new volunteers each time until all students have shown the class their
statues.

Reflection/Debrief/Close of Class: (10 minutes)
Teacher will ask students to all sit, focused and ready ( ). Teacher will ask students
individually to return to the auditorium seats. Students will walk quickly and quietly to the seats.
Teacher will ask students how did we use our bodies to express emotions? and what did your
classmates do with their bodies to show you what they were feeling? Teacher will encourage
students to use specific examples. Students will raise their hand to respond and teacher will
write down their responses on post-it notes to put in their files.

Modifications/Plans for Re-teaching:
TBD :)