Ideas
Encouraging children to write creatively
25 Mar 2009
The following activity is great for encouraging children to realise they can create a story from nothing!
IMAGE DANCE
Time: 10 min+
Number in Activity: Pairs
Aim: To explore how we physically can tell a story on stage.
Directions: Ask pairs to label themselves A+B. A is to stand and strike a pose. B is to instinctively enter the space and strike a pose they feel completes the image, A adapts their pose and then B and they continue as if creating a dance. Encourage the students to be instinctive in their responses, without worrying about creating a visible story, instead they should discover how they can move within the space, how close/far away from each other they can be – how does it affect the way they feel about the other person?
Development 1: Repeat the activity, but start to explore how a more specific story can be created through physicality and intuition. Ask for a volunteer to strike a pose. Discuss the physical offers given by the pose and how the picture could be completed e.g. if an arm is raised it could be about to hit someone or they could be flying a kite. Ask for another person to complete the image trying to show the story. A is to adapt their pose to extend the story and so on.
Development 2: Ask pairs to pick the most exciting moment of the story they have created, turn it into a still freeze frame - this is their main event. Now ask them to create an image to show the build up to the main event, followed by one to show the consequence of their story. This can be developed by adding 1-2 lines of narrative to each image, giving each child a story plan.
That was the best INSET all year!
Keystage One Teacher, Crane Park Primary School