Improvisation Starters Compilation
In its most basic form, drama is play and pretend - activities that most children are comfortable with and enjoy. Play and pretend can be harnessed in a meaningful way through improvisation techniques.
Improvisation is a great way to motivate and focus children while they are learning. It can be used to introduce concepts, recap learning, and explore creativity.
This course offers a number of fun improvisation activities. They have been developed for teachers but are just as fun for families to try at home.
Improvisation activities can be extended, developed and implemented across a range of other subject areas.
This resource also includes creative extension activities that can be shared with parents to support home/school learning links. Click Here to download resources. Parents can also sign up to access ARTS:LIVE resources directly.
To share content with students or families use these links:
Teacher Pack
The teacher pack below contains all the lesson plans associated with this course as a single downloadable document.
All other activity sheets and course materials can be downloaded through the Lessons Tab.
This resource also includes creative extension activities that can be shared with parents to support home/school learning links.Click Here to download resources. Parents can also sign up to access ARTS:LIVE resources directly.
The Curriculum Alignment document below maps this course against the Australian Curriculum.
Ask students to take off their shoes.
If possible, move the desks to change the classroom structure in order to create a different working space.
For classes with behaviour management issues, undertaking the activity in one large circle helps to manage the dynamics of the group more successfully.
When students have demonstrated that that they are able to work more independently, they are ready to begin doing small group work.
When approaching the end of an activity or a point where students will need to listen, count down from five to one or draw focus by saying "And, freeze!" This will give students time to prepare for the freeze and re-focus their attention.
A positive way to end the lesson is with a quiet activity such as reflection or thought sharing. Suggested activities include written reflections or discussions with peers.
It is often fun to move around the circle and ask each child to say one word to describe something they have learned or liked about the lesson.
Tips
Advantages of using drama
Drama can be used as an exciting and accessible teaching and learning tool. It helps students to experience different situations and provides opportunities for creative reflection, problem solving and positive collaboration. Drama can be useful in many situations.
Energising and focusing content
Drama activities are useful for re-energising and focusing students.
Getting students moving, changing the pace and content of the activity, or finding different ways to explore content, helps to re-focus students and assists in their learning.
Warm-up or cool down
Drama activities can be used as a warm-up for any lesson or as a regular class activity to shift moods, particularly at the end of the day.
Assisting with language and culture
Drama is a doing and showing subject, therefore students of all nationalities with different levels of English have the opportunity to participate.
The level and content of activities can be adapted and contextualised to suit English usage and to explore other languages. Drama activities can also be useful for breaking down social barriers for culturally and linguistically diverse students (CALD) or Indigenous students.
Creating positive group dynamics
Drama activities are a great way to promote healthy group dynamics among the class by encouraging and assisting students to relate to and respond to each other in positive ways.
Due to the playful nature of drama and the different use of language, movement and sound, drama is accessible to, and inclusive of, students who may have additional support needs or learning difficulties.
'The Space': A marked out area in your classroom which will assist you in containing drama activities.
Improvisation: The practice of acting, play and reacting to making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment and inner feelings.
Freeze: Basically means STOP! And stay completely still.
Walking in the Space: Use the whole space to walk and "fill in the gaps".
Accepting the Offer: Progressing the improvisation by accepting ideas and not turning them down.
Focus: A performance term meaning the performer is dedicated to one task and is putting all their energy into completing this task to the best of their ability.
Fill in the Gaps: Make sure that as you walk in the space, you do not clump together and use the whole space.
Weaving: Stepping through spaces between people.
Spatial Awareness: An awareness of the entire room, and how the space is being filled by the bodies within it.
Physical Awareness: An awareness of your own body, and a level of control over what it is doing at every moment.
This is a valuable resource for the Drama curriculum for the upper primary years. It has relevance to content descriptions in the Making strand that emphasise shaping improvisation, and to the Responding strand that emphasise describing their own drama and the drama they experience. It comprises activities that build on individual and group improvisation.
This resource has pedagogical value for Drama in the curriculum. The activities can be used simply as warm ups or extended to further explore the elements of Drama. The videos are clear and provide a very good demonstration of how the activities can be facilitated, scaffolded, and extended. Most activities can be adapted to small group work or whole class work, and the resource also contains a range of learning activities to support other learning areas including Mathematics and English.
It is also relevant to the general capabilities Critical and creative thinking, and Information and Communications Technology competence. It includes exercises that require students to finding new ways to apply ideas and a number of opportunities for students to digitally capture their work and share online.
Produced by The Song Room with Elisa Williams, with support from Education Services Australia on behalf of the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
Additional Documentation by Vikki Doig
Video created by X:MACHINE Productions
Additional Talent in Video: David Burton and Marianna Doherty along with the students from the Bethal Primary School.
Learning Focus
Students develop focus, spatial and physical awareness and creative-thinking skills.
Learning Focus
Students develop focus, co-operation and creative-thinking skills.
Learning Focus
Students develop collaboration and creative problem-solving skills.
Students work in groups to create object shapes using their bodies.
Learning Focus
Students develop improvisation skills and practice spontaneous thinking.
Learning Focus
Students develop improvisation skills and practice spontaneous thinking.
Learning Focus
Students develop improvisation skills and practice spontaneous thinking.
Students practice giving and receiving theatrical "offers".
The object game is a playful way to develop your skills in creative thinking, acting and improvisation. The ability to improvise is an essential skill for creativity and life. You will need at least one other person, a bag of random objects from around the house and a willingness to stretch your brain in fun, new directions.
Download the activity sheet to see how to play and watch the video to see examples of others playing. This is one way actors make up ideas for new theatre shows and maybe you will too! Challenge each other to see how many ideas you can come up with!