Play Time!

Content Objectives

Children will:

• Learn about the concept of plays.
• Access prior knowledge and build background about putting on a play.
• Explore and apply the concept of what a play is to how to put on a play.

Language Objectives

Children will:

• Demonstrate an understanding of theater.
• Orally use words that describe the different parts of plays.
• Extend oral vocabulary by talking about why it might be fun to put on a play.
• Use key concept words [costumes, scene, set, theater, drama].

Other

Explain

• Use the slideshow to review the key concept words.
• Explain that children are going to learn about:
• What a play is.
• Why actors wear costumes.
• What a set is.
• What a scene is.

Model

• After the host introduces the slide show, point to the photo on screen. Ask children: What do you see in this picture? (tickets for a play). Where are some places that we can see plays? (theater, auditorium, gym, classroom).
• Proceed to the next slide. Ask children: What kind of characters do you think these people are playing? (answers will vary).
• Say: We can all help put on a play. What kind of play would you like to put on? (answers will vary).

Guided Practice

• Guide children through the next two slides, showing the different parts of a play. Always have the children give an example of that part in a play they have seen.

Apply

• Have children play the games that follow. Have them discuss with their partner the different topics that appear during the Talk About It feature.
• After the first game, ask children to talk about how they can tell which pictures showed a play and which showed playing and help them learn more about the parts of a play they're interested in. After the second game, have them discuss what might happen in the play about plants.

Close

• Ask children: Would you rather act in a play or help backstage? Explain.
• Summarize for children that a play is a story that people act out onstage. Encourage children to think about a story that they would like to turn into a play.