Drama Series: Tableau & Teacher Tap In

Tableaus are perhaps the most common drama strategy as they allow the students to represent scenes of a book or film with their bodies. Tableaus are essentially frozen pictures, or in student-friendly language, they are similar to the Mannequin Challenge. I prefer to couple this strategy with Teacher Tap In, which asks the students to explain the perspective of the character they chose when tapped on the shoulder. To take this a step further, when tapping the students on the shoulder you could also ask them how they believe another character from their scene might be feeling in order to gain a deeper understanding of their perspective taking abilities. The combination of both strategies worked exceptionally well within my grade 6 classroom, and it provides an engaging alternative to reading & writing responses. For teachers who would like to try this activity I will include a link to my Brock Lesson Plan for you to read; it includes all of the essential information regarding curriculum expectations, minds-on, action, and consolidation, but also ideas for differentiation and assessment.