the little red hen unit -...

SAMANTHA SPANGLER

The Little Red Hen Unit

Unit Goal: A student will cooperate, imagine and assume roles, explore personal preferences and meanings, and interact in classroom dramatizations. (Drama Core Standard 2). Unit Partnered: 2nd Grade Core Standards and Objectives; 3rd Grade Drama Core, Visual Arts Core, and Language Arts Core.

Week One

Preparations:

a. 2nd

Grade Core

i. Standard 2

Students will develop a sense of self in relation to families and community.

1. Objective 1

Describe behaviors that influence relationships with family and friends.

a. Identify benefits of cooperating and sharing.

2. Objective 2

Examine important aspects of the community and culture that strengthen

relationships

Materials: The Little Red Hen storybook, a costume that resembles the red hen, a white board to write

down main ideas.

Time: 20 minutes (5 minutes of engagement into story, 15 minute discussion time)

Procedures:

Hook: Teacher dresses up as The Little Red Hen and comes into the classroom asking questions (“who will

help me gather the wheat, who will help me plant the seeds, etc). Than she/he gathers students into reader’s circle

to read The Little Red Hen to them. Challenge students to listen very carefully and find out who is in the story,

what the conflict is and how the problem could be solved. Show illustrations in book. After finishing story, teacher

leads analytical discussion about the story.

Indicators of success:

Students remain engaged

Students share ideas and examples from story

Students are able to identify main characters and conflicts

Students make attempt to connect back to their lives

Preparations:

a. 3rd

Grade Theatre Core ii. Objective 3

Develop body sensory awareness and sensory recall.

1. Use the senses to listen, observe, and discriminate.

Materials: Room big enough for students to lie down, a script for the teacher of the journey you will take

them on.

Time: 25-30 minutes total. (10-15 minutes for journey, 10 minute class reflection, 5 minute reflection in

journal.)

Procedures:

Teacher leads the students through a character building process using sensory awareness and

visualization skill building activity.

Activity: Imaginary Journey. Hook: After recess or lunch when the students come back into the room, have

all of the desks put aside and the teacher is sitting on the floor in a meditating pose, she whispers for those that

hear her to join her, do this until everyone is sitting down ready to go. Have students spread out on floor and lye on

their backs. Teacher will guide the entire visualization in a slow, relaxed, and calm voice. (Full verbatim instructions

at end of unit) After guiding them through a sequential relaxation, begin with the Floating in the Clouds journey

than adapt to fit The Little Red Hen set.

End with a class reflection on journey. Ask: What did you see? Smell? Hear? Touch? Taste? How does

your mind/body feel? Have them write down these observations in their journals.

Indicators of Success:

Students were engaged and not sleeping

Students kept body straight and skill making no sounds. Inhale in the nose…exhale out the

mouth.

Students participated in class reflection, providing insight to what they experienced

Students are able to communicate in their journal what they saw, smelt, heard, touched, etc.

Week 2

Preparations:

a. 3rd

Grade Theatre Core i. Objective 2

Develop expressive use of the voice. 2. Use clear diction. 3. Use pitch, tempo, and tone quality to create unique voice qualities.

Materials: Outside area that has grass, strips of paper that have phrases from The Little Red Hen Time: 35-40 minutes total (5-10 minutes transition and instructional time, 20 minutes of active game, 5 minutes of discussion, 5 minutes journal reflection).

Procedures:

Teacher leads the students through a character building process through voice expression exploration skill building activities.

Hook: Tell students to line up! Don’t tell them where they are going as you lead them outside onto the grass, tell them to get into a circle and sit down. Explain that you will be playing a game but it is very important for them to be quiet for this game, than further explain instructions. Play Game: Mystery Voice or Color the Phrase (full instructions at end of unit). Teacher takes students outside for Mystery Voice. Students stand in a circle holding hands with one student chosen to stand in the middle. This person is blindfolded and the goal of the activity is for this one person to guess the other student’s disguised voices. The students will use phrases of their own than progress into phrases from The Little Red Hen or have them disguise their voices like the characters in the story. Close with having the students sit in the circle again, lead a discussion about voice expression. Have them return to the classroom and reflect on the activity in their journals.


Students were engaged and held hands while moving in circle

Students avoided talking, touching, or distracting others

Students explored a variety of voice expressions

Students attempted to provide insights regarding voice expression in closing discussion.

Preparations:

a. 3rd

Grade Theatre Core

iii. Objective 4

Develop cooperation and patience when working with others in classroom

dramatizations.

1. Demonstrate cooperation while staying in the scene.

2. Demonstrate patience in-role.

Materials: Copies of The Little Red Hen for every student, area’s set aside for groups.

Time: 40-50 minutes total (5-10 minutes instructional and transitional time, 25 minutes of Reader’s

Theater, 10-15 minutes closing reflection and character assignments.)

Procedures:

Teacher begins by reviewing discussion of meaning of The Little Red Hen and the discussion about voice

expression done in the activity earlier in the week. Then the teacher separates students into 2-3 groups depending

on class size. Hook: Have set aside areas for groups to meet in, in each area they have their own copy of The Little

Red Hen. Also have a parent helper or aide already at the group areas to help guide the students. Each group

should meet in a circle, or on round tables if available. Tell students that they are going to be doing Reader’s

Theater in which they get to practice the voice expression skills they’ve been building. And that they should spilt

up the characters among themselves and read through the script. Have them do it several times so everyone gets a

chance to play different parts.

After they are through with this activity, go to each group individually and explain that they are going to

get a chance to perform this play! But for now their job was to assign characters to everyone in their group. At this

time the teacher’s assistants is important to guide students toward roles. If more than one person wants same

role, ask if they could share the role or have a small audition in their group to have them decide. Write down each

groups name and character.

At the end, close by having the students reflect back on the Reader’s Theater and how they practiced

voice expression.


Students are patience and accept groups they are put into

They use appropriate voice expression

They attempt to try out several different voice expressions

They work cooperatively together to assign peers to roles.

Their reflections are well thought out and insightful

Week 3

Preparations:

a. 3rd

Grade Language Arts

iv. Standard 8

Writing-Students write daily to communicate effectively for a variety of purposes and

audiences.

Materials: Paper and pencil, character list (example at end of unit)

Time: 30-40 minutes total (5-10 minutes review and transitional time, 15 minute creative writing time, 5-

10 minute sharing and reflection).

Procedures:

Students will develop a background knowledge of their own character through creative writing. Hook:

Teacher dresses up as The Little Red Hen again, she gathers the students around her on the floor as she tells them a

little about herself (information that wasn’t given in the story), this is a good chance to review the story of The Little

Red Hen.

Teachers ask students to take out own paper and pencil. Lead a discussion about the characters in the

story. Have each student write name and character on top of paper (at this time remind each student what

character they are). Than teacher tells students that they get to write their own “background” story about their

own character. Go over what a “background” story is. This is just a creative writing piece, but let students know

that this is a strategy for them to become connected to their character.

For closing activity invite students to the share stories with class and have them reflect for one minute in

their theatre journal.


Students remain engaged in discussion and provides input

Students portrayed information about character that was original to the story (student

didn’t already know from the story)

Students attempted to be creative in writing piece.

Preparations:

a. 3rd

Grade Art Core

i. Standard 1

The student will explore and refine the application of media, techniques, and artistic

processes.

1. Objective 1

Explore a variety of art materials while learning new techniques and processes

a. Explore the design possibilities of a 3-D object by examining views of it

from many angles.

b. 3rd

Grade Theatre Core

i. Objective 1

Develop body awareness and spatial perception through movement and pantomime (3rd

grade)

Materials: puppets

Time: 35-45 minutes total (5 minutes of exploration of puppets, 5-10 minutes instructional and

transitional time, and 20 minutes of game, 5-10 minutes reflection and discussion).

Procedures:

Teacher introduces use of puppets in stories as students explore different kinds of puppets in activities.

Hook: Students come into classroom to see examples of varies puppets all over the room. Marionettes, sock

puppets, paper bag puppets, paper puppets on sticks, hand puppets, finger puppets, and others. Encourage the

students to explore the puppets.

The teacher uses one of the hand puppets to narrate to the students the uses of different kind of puppets.

Introduce the different ones and their names. Explain the game in which the students will get to explore the uses

of puppets in action. The game is a variation of Refrigerator Dance; I call it the Barn Dance. The objective is for the

students to imitate barn animals with the puppets and interpret how they might dance (full directions at end of

unit). This is a great activity for the students to be able to explore the different types of movement they can do

with puppets!

At the end of the activity, gather around students in circle and reflect back on activity. Lead discussion on

uses of puppets. Lead students to idea of using puppets to act out The Little Red Hen. Have them reflect back in

journals on activity.


Students attempt to dance like farm animals

The students explore the different uses of puppets

The students are active and engaged in activity

The students are having fun

Students participate in reflection and discussion

Week 4

Preparations:

a. 3rd

Grade Art Core

ii. Standard 1


processes.

1. Objective 1


a. Explore the design possibilities of a 3-D object by examining views of it

from many angles.

Materials: socks, paper bags, gloves, cloth, bead eyes, scraps of material, crayons, color pencils, markers,

glue, hot glue (to be used by assistants), popsicle sticks, paper, models of puppets, and anything else that

could be used to make puppets.

Time: 55-60 minutes total (10-15 minutes introduction and transitions, 40 minutes of puppet making, 5

minutes of reflection).

Procedures:

Teacher provides materials for students to create their own puppets based on their character from The

Little Red Hen. Hook: Have stations around the room set up for different types of puppets and materials. Have

parent helpers or aides be at each station ready to assist students.

Bring back some of the different kinds of puppets from week before, have the different kinds of material

by each puppet for students to make their own. Tell students that since they’ve decided to perform the play with

puppets, it’s about time they get to make their very own. Introduce each station, (the week before get an idea of

what kind of puppet each student would want, that way you can get enough material) and have the students split

up and go to the different stations. Each assistant at each station should give a quick model on how to create the

puppet; some may take longer to make these stations so help these students out the most.

At the end, have all the students get into a circle and show what they created.


Students show originality in work

Students explore the different art materials in puppet

They use a variety of colors with puppet

Puppet can be distinguished as character

Preparations:

a. 3rd

Grade Theatre Core

i. Objective 1

Develop body awareness and spatial perception through movement and pantomime (3rd

grade)

ii. Objective 3

Develop body sensory awareness and sensory recall.

1. Use the senses to listen, observe, and discriminate.

Materials: Puppets students created, simple list of instructions and progressions for each small group

Time: 55 minutes total (5 minutes for introduction and transition, 30 minutes for activity, 10 minutes for

performances, 10 minutes reflections).

Procedures:

Students get to explore movements with their puppets in a small group activity building their characters.

Hook: Have classroom desks put aside and a note on the board to sit down in a circle on the ground, have

a short minute of breathing exercise before beginning. Teacher breaks students up into groups (performing groups)

and gives them a piece of paper that has simple directions of activity and progression. The activity is called Forces

of Nature (full directions at end of unit), but has been modified to fit in puppets and farm animals. The players are

to act out a situation with the puppets, each group’s situation is different but the progressions are the same. There

is a conflict given and the students are to come up with a solution. The groups are to come up with their own

situation and conflict, and take 1 minute to perform it for the class. *The conflicts are situations that the students

can relate too: not sharing, leaving someone out, not helping others, etc. But the setting and characters are from

The Little Red Hen.

After small performances, gather in group circle and reflect on conflicts. Discuss the conflicts in the story

and discuss the body movement of puppets. Have the student’s critic one another positively. Then have them go

take a one minute reflection in their journals about activity.


Students follow directions and were engage full time

Students come up with original situations and conflicts

Students use puppets with meaningful movements

Puppet’s movements were detailed and controlled

Students were able to solve conflicts appropriately

Week 5

Preparations:

a. 3rd

Grade Theatre Core

i. Objective 4


dramatizations.



Materials: Student’s puppets, The Little Red Hen scripts for students

Time: 30-40 minutes total (5-10 minutes for introduction and transition, 20 minutes of activity time, 5

minutes of reflection).

Procedures:

Teacher will have students explore Readers Theater using their puppets. Hook: Desks will be pushed aside

and students will be asked to sit in circle and bring their puppets. Do a relaxation exercise before beginning.

The teacher will quickly review the use of puppets and the activities that they have done thus far; then

she will explain that we will be practicing out play using puppets and Reader’s Theater. Break up the students into

their groups and hand out scripts, and have them practice using puppets while reading the story. By this time

students should be using voice expression and body movement through puppet.

For closing gather the students back into the circle, have each group share something they noticed or had

difficulty with. Address problems. Have the students also reflect back into their journals.


Students are using voice expression fluently throughout own parts

The body movement in character puppets are specific and conscious

Students are beginning to memorize lines.

Preparations:

a. 3rd

Grade Art Core

ii. Standard 1


processes.

1. Objective 1


a. Practice using skills for beginning drawings

b. Paint with complementary color schemes.

c. Explore the design possibilities of a 3-D object by examining views of it

from many angles.

Materials: Puppet stage built and set up, markers, paper, crayons, paint, white cloth, etc.

Time: 55-70 minutes total (5-10 minutes for introduction and transitions, 50-60 minutes for activity).

Procedures:

Students will create ownership of play by decorating and creating set of stage for puppets with basic set

structure already set up by parents or teacher’s assistant. Hook: the students will walk into the room with the desks

aside and stations set up, one for background, one for curtains, one for painting. Each station will have a parent

helper or teacher aide. On the board the teacher will have written “Please sit in on the floor in a circle very quietly

and quickly”.

At this time the teacher will explain some parts of a play: acting, practicing, costumes, other things they’ve

been working on, and now inform them they get to build a set! Have off to the side a small puppet stage already

set up. The teacher will show that it is pretty bare and that it is their job to spice it up and make the set come alive!

Explain that even though each group will be performing the play, it will be on one set. Give each student a number;

divide them evenly among the stations. At each station the parent helpers will take over.

The background area will have a big white piece of cloth or paper to begin drawing out their set as a

group: trees, barns, fields, the sun, and anything else the students want to add. The curtain area will also have a

large piece of cloth, the parent will explain it is the student’s job to measure how much the need to cover the

‘window’ and decorate the white cloth with a welcoming message or title, or any other ideas the students have. In

the painting area the parents will take the students outside; the students will wear painting cloths and begin to

paint the stage itself. All of these stations will come together in the end to put together final piece (this might need

to be done next day after paint dries).


Students remain engaged and enjoyed activity

Each group is creative in what they produce

Groups cooperate and stay on task

Students need little assistance from parents

Week 6

Preparations:

a. Third Grade Theatre Core

i. Objective 4


dramatizations.



Materials: Finished set, student’s puppets, scripts

Time: Each group will have 20 minutes to rehearse their play with the set

Procedures:

During this week teacher will give each performance group separate structured time for their group to

rehearse using puppets and set. Give each group 20 minutes. This doesn’t have to be in a row, but can be done any

time throughout day. Each group should have the opportunity to have at least 3 rehearsal sessions during this

week.

Hook: At appointed time while class is busy with other projects or workshops, call out performance group

to come to the back of the room. Have them bring their puppets and scripts. Tell them this is an important week

because next week they will be performing their play for their parents! It is their job this week to memorize their

play and practice everything they’ve been working on thus far (voice expression, movement, cooperation). Have

them sit in a circle and give a one minute breathing exercise. Give the rest of the time for them to practice. It would

be ideal to have a teacher’s aide to keep an eye on them and give suggestions. At end of 20 minutes, you can have

the groups switch.

At the closing of each class time rehearsal bring the group around to give positive feedback and reflection.

Have them each make one goal to work on for next time. Have them go back and write up a reflection in their

journals.


Each student has own part memorized

Each member of group engaged

Group works cooperatively together

Group members provide constructive feedback to each other

Week 7

Preparations:


ii. Objective 4


dramatizations.



Materials: Puppets and Set

Time: 30-45 minutes total (10-15 minutes for introduction and transitions, each performance should take

10-15 minutes).

Procedures:

This last week will be the dress rehearsal and parent performance for groups.

Dress Rehearsal

Hook: The teacher will have all of the desks pushed away, chairs will be set up and the set will be in the

front of the room. Teacher will ask everyone to take a seat in a chair. Explain that this is a dress rehearsal and

certain things are expected from them as an audience member and performer. Explain that while one group is up

performing, the others are sitting quietly in the seats, there is no ‘calling out’, and there is appropriate clapping at

the end. The students should already know these if they have audience etiquette roles for other

performance/assemblies they have been too. As a performer they are expected to have their lines memorized and

be quiet while a member of their group is talking on stage.

After introductions, have one group go back and get ready. Be behind the stage to help out but when

ready to start have the narrator introduce the play and pull the curtain back. After play is over have students go

out in front and take a bow, than have them have their puppets take a bow. Then switch groups.

After both groups have gone, bring students together to tell them what a great job they did. Give positive

feedback and have the students reflect on what they watched and enjoyed from the other groups performance. At

end have them write in their journals what they liked and didn’t like and what the play meaning is to them.


Students parts are memorized

Students had appropriate audience etiquette

Students had appropriate performer etiquette

Students exhibited all skills learned thus far (voice expression, movement)

Students are able to relate in reflections what the meaning of the story is to them

Preparations:


iii. Objective 4


dramatizations.



Materials: Puppets and Set, chairs set up for parents, treats for after performances. Performance will be

done in classroom so it is more informal for students and less stressful.

Time: 30-45 minutes total (10-15 minutes for introduction and transitions, each performance should take

10-15 minutes).

Procedures:

Parent Performance

Welcome parents and students to coming to performance, at this time thank all parents for their help and

support. Ask for first group to go back and get ready. Go back with them as you give a 30 second relaxation

breathing exercise. Tell students they are going to do great and you will be there to help them if needed (do this

with each group).

At end of first performance have the groups switch, after bow’s, and give the same relaxation exercise to

next group. After end of both performances, thank parents again and direct them to the refreshments.

As homework ask the students to go home and reflect back on their performance. What did they enjoy

about the others? Anything else they have noticed? Tell them that their drama journal will be due the next day full

of all of their reflections. *as a side note the teacher should be collecting their drama journals to track their

progress, but at the end collecting everything they’ve done and sending it home on one collective method is

helpful.


Students parts are memorized

Students had appropriate audience etiquette

Students had appropriate performer etiquette

Students exhibited all skills learned thus far (voice expression, movement)

Students have fun

References: www.uen.org; The Drama Game File Second Edition by Jonas Basom

http://www.uen.org/

Examples of Puppets

Paper Bags Puppets: Hand Puppets:

Finger Puppets: Stick Figure Puppets

Hand Puppets:

Character List

Narrator

The Little Red Hen Dog Cat

Duck Horse Cow Pig

Growing Seed Wheat Bread

*To accommodate number of students, adding more animals to the story is acceptable. You could even

double the parts up, have two narrators or add more characters.

The Little Red Hen

Once upon a time, there was a little red hen who lived on a farm . She was

friends with a lazy dog , a sleepy cat , and a noisy yellow duck .

One day the little red hen found some seeds on the ground. The little red hen

had an idea. She would plant the seeds .

The little red hen asked her friends, "Who will help me plant the seeds ?"

"Not I," barked the lazy dog .

"Not I," purred the sleepy cat .

"Not I," quacked the noisy yellow duck .

"Then I will," said the little red hen . So the little red hen planted the seeds all

by herself.

When the seeds had grown, the little red hen asked her friends, "Who will help me

cut the wheat ?"




"Then I will," said the little red hen . So the little red hen cut the wheat all by

herself.

When all the wheat was cut, the little red hen asked her friends, "Who will help me

take the wheat to the mill to be ground into flour ?"




"Then I will," said the little red hen . So the little red hen brought the wheat to

the mill all by herself, ground the wheat into flour , and carried the

heavy sack of flour back to the farm .

The tired little red hen asked her friends, "Who will help me bake the bread ?"




"Then I will," said the little red hen . So the little red hen baked the bread

all by herself.

When the bread was finished, the tired little red hen asked her friends, "Who will

help me eat the bread ?"

"I will," barked the lazy dog .

"I will," purred the sleepy cat .

"I will," quacked the noisy yellow duck .

"No!" said the little red hen . "I will." And the little red hen ate the bread

all by herself.

Dear Parents:

I am writing to inform you that our class has decided to perform the story The Little Red

Hen. We are in need of parent helpers to come in the classroom and help the students create

costumes and sets! If you are available please fill the bottom of this out and send it back with

your student. We will be doing performances on the night of [date] and would love to see you

there!

Sincerely,

Miss Spangler

Yes, I would love to help out!

Name: _______________________________________

Phone #:______________________________________

Conflicts: _____________________________________

What I can do:__________________________________

Dear Parents:

I am writing to inform you that our class has decided to perform the story The Little Red

Hen. We are in need of parent helpers to come in the classroom and help the students create

costumes and sets! If you are available please fill the bottom of this out and send it back with

your student. We will be doing performances on the night of [date] and would love to see you

there!

Sincerely,

Miss Spangler

Yes, I would love to help out!

Name: _______________________________________

Phone #:______________________________________

Conflicts: _____________________________________

What I can do:__________________________________

the little red hen unit -...

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