Chapter 12Chapter 12

Nurturing the ImaginationNurturing the Imagination

Course Objective #2Course Objective #2

Gain knowledge and appreciation of the Gain knowledge and appreciation of the nature and meaning of the arts, the nature and meaning of the arts, the historical, cultural and social contexts, historical, cultural and social contexts, personal expression, personal expression, production / production / performanceperformance, and art criticism., and art criticism.

Course Objective #3Course Objective #3

Plan and implement developmentally and Plan and implement developmentally and individually appropriate curriculum and individually appropriate curriculum and instructional practices based on knowledge instructional practices based on knowledge of individual children, the community, and of individual children, the community, and curriculum goals and content that curriculum goals and content that honor honor children’s prior experiences at home and children’s prior experiences at home and at school.at school.

Course Objective #4Course Objective #4

Use and explain the rationale for Use and explain the rationale for developmentally appropriate methods that developmentally appropriate methods that include include playplay, small group projects, open-, small group projects, open-ended questioning, group discussion, ended questioning, group discussion, problem solving, cooperative learning and problem solving, cooperative learning and inquiry experiences to help young children inquiry experiences to help young children develop intellectual curiosity, solve develop intellectual curiosity, solve problems and make decisions.problems and make decisions.

Course Objective #5Course Objective #5

Demonstrate current knowledge of and Demonstrate current knowledge of and ability to develop and implement meaningful, ability to develop and implement meaningful, integrated learning experiences, use the integrated learning experiences, use the central concepts and tools of inquiry in central concepts and tools of inquiry in curriculum content areas including art, curriculum content areas including art, music, music, dramadrama, and movement , and movement

The imagination is not just a faculty separate The imagination is not just a faculty separate from the mind. It is the mind itself in its from the mind. It is the mind itself in its entirety entirety

Gianni Rodari (1996)Gianni Rodari (1996)

Definition of dramatic artsDefinition of dramatic arts

Drama could be as formal as children Drama could be as formal as children memorizing and performing a theatrical memorizing and performing a theatrical productionproduction

Dramatic play is the ability to make-believe Dramatic play is the ability to make-believe and create pretend storiesand create pretend stories

Piaget’s levels of playPiaget’s levels of play

1.1. Practice play – infants in sensorimotor stage Practice play – infants in sensorimotor stage explore and interact with objects using repeated explore and interact with objects using repeated actionsactions

2.2. Symbolic play – preoperational children imitate Symbolic play – preoperational children imitate action they have seen during make believe action they have seen during make believe scenariosscenarios

3.3. Concrete operational – children play games with Concrete operational – children play games with preset rules & organized sports, or re-enact preset rules & organized sports, or re-enact stories they already knowstories they already know

Vygotsky and PlayVygotsky and Play

Make believe only possible with emergence Make believe only possible with emergence of abstract thoughtof abstract thought

Play promotes learning as children practice Play promotes learning as children practice social behaviors in safe environmentsocial behaviors in safe environment

Bruner and Sutton-Smith agree that play is a Bruner and Sutton-Smith agree that play is a way to learn and thinkway to learn and think

Power of PlayPower of Play

Children learn about the worldChildren learn about the world ActiveActive Intrinsically motivatingIntrinsically motivating Integrates everything children know Integrates everything children know Promotes longer attention spans and allows Promotes longer attention spans and allows

children to pursue interests more deeplychildren to pursue interests more deeply Develops creatively, social, emotionally & Develops creatively, social, emotionally &

cognitivelycognitively Fun way to learnFun way to learn

Dramatic Arts and Developmental Dramatic Arts and Developmental GrowthGrowth

PhysicalPhysical SocialSocial CognitiveCognitive Language skillsLanguage skills EmotionalEmotional Drama concepts & skillsDrama concepts & skills

How children develop through How children develop through dramatic artsdramatic arts

Proficiency in oral Proficiency in oral language and body language and body controlcontrol

How to use costumes, How to use costumes, props & settingsprops & settings

Aesthetically organized & Aesthetically organized & creative presentation creative presentation of a message or story of a message or story

By age of 5 years most By age of 5 years most children capable of children capable of creating & performing creating & performing complex stories, often complex stories, often sustaining them over sustaining them over an extended period of an extended period of timetime

Using dramatic arts to assess growthUsing dramatic arts to assess growth

Content knowledgeContent knowledge Critical and creative thinkingCritical and creative thinking Physical controlPhysical control Language developmentLanguage development

Meeting special needsMeeting special needs

Auditory needsAuditory needs Visual needsVisual needs Accepting differencesAccepting differences

Sequence of development in Sequence of development in dramatic arts (p. 393)dramatic arts (p. 393)

Preschool:Preschool:constructive play w/ blocks, sand, etc.constructive play w/ blocks, sand, etc.w/ other children w/ increasing interactionw/ other children w/ increasing interactionuses voice to match characteruses voice to match character

play more fictional, can pretend, imaginary play more fictional, can pretend, imaginary playmates, role-play imaginary playmates, role-play imaginary characterscharactersretell, invent & acts out stories w/ simple plots,retell, invent & acts out stories w/ simple plots,

invented stories incorporate ideas from invented stories incorporate ideas from familiar familiar storiesstories

Sequence of development in Sequence of development in dramatic arts (p. 393)dramatic arts (p. 393)

KindergartenKindergarten

more orderly object & constructive playmore orderly object & constructive play

cooperative play w/ shared purposecooperative play w/ shared purpose

talks about their playtalks about their play

fantasy play is more complex & fluidfantasy play is more complex & fluid

uses invented spelling & drawing to tell a uses invented spelling & drawing to tell a storystory

Sequence of development in Sequence of development in dramatic arts (p. 393)dramatic arts (p. 393)

PrimaryPrimaryconstruction more complex, creates props, likes games w/ construction more complex, creates props, likes games w/ rulesrulesenacts roles & assigns roles in logical, fair waysenacts roles & assigns roles in logical, fair waysincreased control over voice increased control over voice evaluates dramatic performanceevaluates dramatic performancecan use dissimilar objects to represent others, knows can use dissimilar objects to represent others, knows difference between real & pretend, daydreaming replaces difference between real & pretend, daydreaming replaces pretend playpretend playwrites invented stories from experience or picture, writes invented stories from experience or picture, stories have elaborate plots, scripts for drama & puppet stories have elaborate plots, scripts for drama & puppet showsshows

Designing dramatic arts activitiesDesigning dramatic arts activities

Informal dramatic playInformal dramatic play

Play CentersPlay Centers

Addressing diversityAddressing diversity

Adults may facilitate Adults may facilitate with words, props, with words, props, modeling, rules, etc.modeling, rules, etc.

Prop boxes, Prop boxes, designated areasdesignated areas

Play centers, antibias Play centers, antibias props, selected dolls, props, selected dolls, added diversity to prop added diversity to prop boxesboxes

Developing the imaginationDeveloping the imagination

Mental imageryMental imagery– Reduces stress, fear & painReduces stress, fear & pain

Planning guided imagery activitiesPlanning guided imagery activities– For children who have learned to fantasize & For children who have learned to fantasize &

can remember what they have imaginedcan remember what they have imagined– Mind pictures, memory pictures, imagining the Mind pictures, memory pictures, imagining the

familiar, trips of the imagination, expressing familiar, trips of the imagination, expressing mental imagesmental images

PantomimePantomime

Acting out without wordsActing out without words Descriptive pantomimes – gradually longer Descriptive pantomimes – gradually longer

and more involvedand more involved Planning pantomimes – space, audience, Planning pantomimes – space, audience,

props, seeing everyone, can everyone see props, seeing everyone, can everyone see and hear you, building on children’s skills, and hear you, building on children’s skills, clear rulesclear rules

PantomimePantomime

Infants & Toddlers – Infants & Toddlers – doing things (Mulberry doing things (Mulberry Bush), being things Bush), being things (walk like a lion), being (walk like a lion), being silly, playing with propssilly, playing with props

Preschoolers/Kndgt. – Preschoolers/Kndgt. – pretend within normal pretend within normal fantasy play, howfantasy play, how

would? Inside the would? Inside the picture, re-vision it, be picture, re-vision it, be someone, statuessomeone, statues

Primary – messages, Primary – messages, invisible objects, who invisible objects, who or what or where am I? or what or where am I? slow motion, tableaus slow motion, tableaus (hold pose), verbs(hold pose), verbs

Improvisation ExperienceImprovisation Experience

Representation of an idea through Representation of an idea through movement movement andand words words

Descriptive improvisationDescriptive improvisation Role-playsRole-plays Props – often help people relax in roles and Props – often help people relax in roles and

not worry about speakingnot worry about speaking Masks Masks

ImprovisationImprovisation

Infants & Toddlers -Infants & Toddlers -Faces and sounds, Faces and sounds, picture perfectpicture perfect

Preschool/Kndgt. – Preschool/Kndgt. – sound effects, clown sound effects, clown aroundaround

Primary – card Primary – card readers, do as I say, readers, do as I say, talk backtalk back

Story Play (or narrative drama) Story Play (or narrative drama) ExperienceExperience

Characters, verbal expression, use of the body, Characters, verbal expression, use of the body, plot, conflict, setting, moodplot, conflict, setting, mood

Finger plays – little stories to catchy rhymesFinger plays – little stories to catchy rhymes Storytelling/retelling – ancient art form was way to Storytelling/retelling – ancient art form was way to

preserve and relay history and culturepreserve and relay history and culture Narrative drama – physical retelling of familiar Narrative drama – physical retelling of familiar

poems, fables, nursery rhymes & storiespoems, fables, nursery rhymes & stories Puppetry - inanimate object brought to life through Puppetry - inanimate object brought to life through

manipulation manipulation

StorytellingStorytelling

Infants & Toddlers – Infants & Toddlers – family stories, read family stories, read stories, tell me stories, tell me

Preschool/Kndgt. – Preschool/Kndgt. – family & school storeis, family & school storeis, retell, puppets, masks, retell, puppets, masks, take a role, draw ittake a role, draw it

Primary – story jar, Primary – story jar, odd pairs, everyone’s odd pairs, everyone’s story, one word, “what story, one word, “what would happen if …?” would happen if …?” describe it, setting describe it, setting easeleasel

Costumes, hats & jewelryCostumes, hats & jewelry

I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited, Imagination encircles the world.limited, Imagination encircles the world.

Albert EinsteinAlbert Einstein

For next week April 27thFor next week April 27th

Post reflection on wikiPost reflection on wikiReview (look at Appendix A on Safety)Review (look at Appendix A on Safety)Make puppet(s)Make puppet(s)Make scenery, props, etc.Make scenery, props, etc.Record music, make aids to increase Record music, make aids to increase

participation of classmatesparticipation of classmatesWrite puppet show script from familiar storyWrite puppet show script from familiar storyPractice puppet show with your teamPractice puppet show with your team