Getting into improvisation in K-6 drama: using images

Present a picture or photograph of an unknown character. Discuss: Who is this? Where do they live? Do they live in the past, present or future? What is happening in this person's life? In groups, students devise a story about the person. A student takes the hot seat in role as the character and responds to questions from a partner, the group or the class. Students write about this person's life. Ask them to write in role as the person and then share their ideas with others, in role. Discuss with students the way they developed and performed their roles. Begin to improvise simple scenes involving some of the characters explored.

Divide the class into small groups. Present each group with a group image e.g. a family portrait or a crowd action scene. Discuss: Who are these people? Why are they together? When is this happening? Where are they? What is happening?

Students take on a particular role and create a depiction or freeze-frame of the image. At a signal (e.g. the click of the teacher's fingers) each student in turn speaks the thoughts of his or her character at the moment portrayed in the picture. After each has spoken the group relaxes.

Discuss the roles created and each group's work. Ask students to write about their own observation of the works.

Improvise scenes which begin at the moment depicted in the picture and finish in a newly created depiction. Discuss and write about the drama. When students are improvising in drama it is often helpful to provide them with "starting points". These "starting points" may help them to form their character or spark their imaginations in the improvisation process. Almost anything can be used to start this process but objects and images are especially useful. Pictures that suggest a story are a good place to start with young students. Below are some images and suggestions for their use in drama.
 

Ask the students: Who owns these boots? Why have they been left outside? How old is the person who has left these boots? Activity: Using what you know about these boots to improvise around the theme 'the day the tractor exploded' or 'how the monster stole the gumboots'.

Ask the students: Why have the flowers been put out? Have the flowers been put out to celebrate something or is this a sad occasion? Who put the flowers out and what were they thinking when they did it? Activity: Beginning with the line of dialogue.. 'daisies were always their favourite flowers' improvise a short scene.

Ask the students: Who lives in this house? Why are there boards on the window? Have you ever heard much noise from the house? Activity: Using what you know about the house show the rest of the class in groups of five what happened to cause the window to be boarded up.