Digital Download from Growing Artists: Teaching the Arts to Young Children 6e by Joan Bouza
Koster. (c) 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Available at Cengagebrain.com
OPEN-ENDED DRAMATIC ARTS ACTIVITY PLANS
Plan
Number
Activity
1
Acting Out a Story
2
What Animals Eat:
Communicating an
Idea through
Pantomime
3
Faces
4
It’s in the Book
5
News Show
6
Story Telling &
Performing (Paley
style)
Categories
Comprehension
Cooperative behavior
Creative processing
Drama: story structure, focus,
tension, conflict, timing,
Oral language & reading skills
Responding to drama
Visual art elements
Cooperative behavior
Creative processing
Drama: story structure, focus,
tension, symbol
Mask or puppet making
Responding to drama
Visual art elements
Communication
Drama: focus, timing, symbol
Literacy skills
Sensory awareness
Social-emotional skills
Communication
Dance elements
Drama: focus, language, movement
Pre-literacy skills
Communication
Drama: story structure, focus,
timing, contrast, mood, space,
symbol
Literacy skills
Music elements
Social-emotional skills
Visual art elements
Communication
Comprehension
Drama: story structure, focus,
timing, contrast, mood, space,
symbol
Literacy skills
Self-regulation
Visual art elements
Ages
Kindergarten & Primary
Preschool and up
Infant and Toddler
Toddler and up
Preschool and up
Preschool and up
Digital Download from Growing Artists: Teaching the Arts to Young Children 6e by Joan Bouza
Koster. (c) 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Available at Cengagebrain.com
#1 CENTER ACTIVITY PLAN: Acting Out a Story
WHO?
Group composition age(s): Kindergarten & Primary
Group size: Whole class
WHEN?
Time frame: 3 days, an hour each day
WHY?
Objectives: Children will develop

physically, by practicing controlling the body to act like the character.
(Bodily-Kinesthetic)

socially, by making decisions in cooperation with others. (Interpersonal)

emotionally, by developing self-regulation skills. (Intrapersonal)

language skills, by reading from a script. (Linguistic)

cognitively, by inventing new characters for a familiar story. (LogicalMathematical)

dramatic skill and knowledge, by writing and performing a story based on a
piece of literature. (Content Standards 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5)
WHERE? Setup: On the rug and at tables
WHAT?
Materials: Select a brief familiar story or book that lends itself to dramatization.
Art center materials for making props and signs; large roll of paper to make
backdrops
HOW?
Procedure:
WOW Warm-Up: Put on a hat or show prop that relates to the story you will be
sharing. Share the story. Ask: “What would it be like if the characters were
different? How would the story be different?” For example, “What if the bears in
Digital Download from Growing Artists: Teaching the Arts to Young Children 6e by Joan Bouza
Koster. (c) 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Available at Cengagebrain.com
the story Goldilocks and the Three Bears had been aliens who did not speak
English?”
What to Do: With the students identify the setting, characters, and basic plot.
Assign students to groups of three to five with the task of writing and then
performing a new version of the story. Demonstrate how to write each character’s
lines in script form. On the second day have the groups practice their new stories
to learn their lines and make props. On the third day the groups will perform for
the class. Videotape the performances for the children’s portfolios.
What to Say: If the characters are different, do you think the plot should change
too? Why or why not? How will the new characters sound and look? Will you
need to make masks or puppets to help tell the story better? What is a fair way to
decide who will play the different characters?
Transition Out: Cheer and clap for each performance. Go around the circle and
describe the ways the retellings were the same or different from each other.
ASSESSMENT
1.
Do the students work cooperatively, assigning different
tasks to everyone in the group in a fair way?
OF LEARNING
Do they help and encourage each other?
2.
Are props used to enhance the performance?
3.
Do the students identify differences in the productions?
#2 GROUP ACTIVITY PLAN: Communicating an Idea through Pantomime: What
Animals Eat
Digital Download from Growing Artists: Teaching the Arts to Young Children 6e by Joan Bouza
Koster. (c) 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Available at Cengagebrain.com
WHO?
Group composition age(s): Preschool and up
Group size: Whole class 20+
WHEN?
Time frame: 20 minutes and up for several days
WHY?
Objectives: Children will develop

physically, by coordinating the movement of their bodies. (BodilyKinesthetic)

socially, by taking a role and working cooperatively. (Interpersonal)

emotionally, by working independently and evaluating their own work.
(Intrapersonal)

language skills, by describing and answering questions about their
pantomime. (Linguistic)

cognitively, by comparing and contrasting the pantomimes. (LogicalMathematical)

dramatic skill and knowledge, by designing, planning, and performing a
pantomime. (Content Standards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6)
WHERE? Setup: Open area of classroom
WHAT?
Materials: Materials for making props, masks, or puppets—paper, glue, scissors;
chart paper and markers; 10–15 lengths of 3-foot-long ribbons or rope
HOW?
Procedure:
WOW Warm-Up: Follow up to a trip to the zoo or videos or photographs of
different animals. Ask the children to pretend they are any animal of their choice.
Describe some ways for the animals to behave. For example: Imagine you are
sleeping. Now you wake up. Look around for some food.
Digital Download from Growing Artists: Teaching the Arts to Young Children 6e by Joan Bouza
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What to Do: Day 1— Review the rules for pantomimes and the cue signals.
Follow up the practice pantomime by having the children share their animal.
Make a list of the animals on chart paper. Next, introduce the terms carnivore,
herbivore, and omnivore. Pass out picture books at their reading level about animals
and have the children do research to find out whether the animals they chose were
carnivores, herbivores, or omnivores. Return to the rug and on the chart label as
many animals as possible. Add any additional animals they found in their
research.
What to Say: Day 1—Why did you choose to have your animal move in that
way? Have you ever seen this animal in a zoo or in the wild? Do all animals eat
the same things? What do you think the animal you chose eats?
What to Do: Day 2—Gather on the rug. Referring to the chart paper, have pairs
of children select one of the animals and invent a pantomime that will show
whether the animal is a carnivore, herbivore, or omnivore. Put out the materials
and explain that they can use these to make any props, masks, or puppets they
need. Encourage them to add sound effects as well. Give them time to practice
and then gather back on the rug. Have pairs name their animal and present their
pantomime. When done, compare the different ways the pairs chose to show the
concepts.
What to Say: Day 2—Give lots of positive feedback to each pair. Look at all the
different ways our animals eat! Did everybody invent different ways to show
what their animals eat? How did they move? How did they use the props?
Transition Out: On the rug have the students share how it felt to be the animal.
Digital Download from Growing Artists: Teaching the Arts to Young Children 6e by Joan Bouza
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Was it easier to show the animal eating after they learned the concept of
herbivore, carnivore, and omnivore? Ask: How might they improve their
characterization of their animal?
ASSESSMENT
1.
Do the children follow the rules and respond quickly to the
signals?
OF LEARNING
2.
Do the pairs work together cooperatively to create their
pantomime?
3.
Were the children able to identify differences in the
pantomimes?
# 3 ONE-ON-ONE ACTIVITY PLAN: Faces
WHO?
Group composition age(s): Infant and toddler
Group size: One-on-one adult
WHEN?
Time frame: 2 to 5 minutes
WHY?
Objectives: Children will develop

physically, by learning to control facial muscles. (Bodily-Kinesthetic)

socially, by interacting with an adult. (Interpersonal)

emotionally, by learning how to recognize emotional expression.
(Intrapersonal)

language skills, by learning how emotional expressions are described.
(Linguistic)

cognitively, by learning to match facial expression with an emotion.
(Logical-Mathematical)
Digital Download from Growing Artists: Teaching the Arts to Young Children 6e by Joan Bouza
Koster. (c) 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Available at Cengagebrain.com

dramatic skill and knowledge, by learning to control facial expression.
(Content Standard 2)
WHERE? Setup: Child and adult sitting face-to-face.
WHAT?
Materials: Large, shatterproof mirror
HOW?
Procedure:
WOW Warm-Up: Make faces at the child. Ask the child, “Can you make
faces?”
What to Do: Make faces at the child and explain the emotions you are showing.
Encourage the child to make faces back at you. Look in the mirror together and
compare the expressions on your faces. Be patient if the child has trouble making
expressions that match the emotion. This is a skill that takes practice. Do not be
afraid to “clown around.”
What to Say: Model what to do. “Here is my happy/sad/angry face. Can you
make a happy/sad/angry face? Look at my mouth. Is your mouth doing the same
thing? How do you think I look?” Express enthusiasm. “Wow, that’s a happy
face. What a big, big smile!”
Transition Out: When the child loses interest, move on to another activity. Play
this game often. Being able to read facial expressions is an important social skill.
To extend the game add hats, sunglasses, and other props to the play. Look at
photographs of people and try to guess how they are feeling.
ASSESSMENT
1.
Does the child imitate your expression?
OF LEARNING
2.
Can the child match the expression to the emotion?
Digital Download from Growing Artists: Teaching the Arts to Young Children 6e by Joan Bouza
Koster. (c) 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Available at Cengagebrain.com
#4 ONE-ON-ONE: It’s in the Book
WHO?
Group composition age(s): Infant or Toddler
Group size: One child and one adult
WHEN?
Time frame: 5 to 10 minutes
WHY?
Objectives: Children will develop

physically, by moving like the characters in a book. (Bodily-Kinesthetic)

socially, by interacting with a caring adult. (Interpersonal)

emotionally, by developing independence. (Intrapersonal)

language skills, by learning vocabulary. (Linguistic)

cognitively, by matching actions and words. (Logical-Mathematical)

dramatic skill and knowledge, by learning how to control voice and action.
(Content Standard 2)
WHERE? Setup: Child sitting in an adult’s lap in a comfortable chair
WHAT?
Materials: A favorite children’s book with an easy to act out main character, for
example the hen in The Little Red Hen
HOW?
Procedure:
WOW Warm-Up: Point to a picture of the character in the book and say: “Look
at. . . What does a. . . do? “How would a. . . talk or sound?” Invite toddlers to help
invent the character’s motions and voice. Then act out something characteristic of
that character. For example, if the character is a hen, cluck like a chicken, talk in
a high-pitched voice, and flap arms.
What to Do: Read the story adding, the sound and movement and encourage the
child to join in. Point to the character on the page or have the child try to find the
Digital Download from Growing Artists: Teaching the Arts to Young Children 6e by Joan Bouza
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character on the page. As you turn the pages ask the child to predict what the
character might say or do next.
What to Say: “How would the . . . move? Can you do this too? Let’s pretend to
be the. . . . What do you think . . . will do next?”
Transition Out: At the end of the story say goodbye to the character. Next time
the book is read, use the same actions or invent a new way to show that character.
ASSESSMENT
1.
Can the child find the character on the page?
OF LEARNING
2.
Does the child join in acting out the character?
#5 GROUP ACTIVITY PLAN: News Show
WHO?
Group composition age(s): Preschool and up
Group size: 20+ in groups of two to four
WHEN?
Time frame: 2 days, about 40 minutes a day
WHY?
Objectives: Children will develop

physically, by controlling their bodies to create a character’s movement.
(Bodily-Kinesthetic)

socially, by working together to improvise a role-play. (Interpersonal)

emotionally, by working independently and developing personal pride in their
work. (Intrapersonal)

language skills, by developing skill in improvising dialogue. (Linguistic)

cognitively, by developing skill in making plans. (Logical-Mathematical)

dramatic skill and knowledge, by developing a character and improvising a
Digital Download from Growing Artists: Teaching the Arts to Young Children 6e by Joan Bouza
Koster. (c) 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Available at Cengagebrain.com
role-play based on research about a topic they are studying. (Content Standards
1, 2, 3, 4, and 5)
WHERE? Setup: A “newsroom center” for the role-plays with a table, chairs, place to hang
“scenery” in back. A video camera set up to record the show. Well-supplied art
center for prop making
WHAT?
Materials: paper, scissors, glue, collage supplies; chart paper and markers; video of
a local news broadcast
HOW?
Procedure:
WOW Warm-Up: Visit a news station or watch a short, recorded excerpt of a
local news broadcast. Identify the different people involved in the show and list
them on chart paper; for example, announcers, reporters, camera operators, and
people being interviewed.
What to Do: Day 1—Invite children to work in small groups to invent a fantastic
news event, such as a spaceship landing, or meeting a talking cow, and then
create a newscast about it. Have children take on roles as announcer, reporter, and
interviewee. Children can then plan their parts and figure out what props they
need.
What to Say: Day 1—How do the people on the news program act? Do they
move or talk in special ways?
What to Do: Day 2—At the art center students make any props they need, such
as signs, hats, masks, and so forth. They can select music to play in the
background and plan any special effects. Then they practice and present their
parts to create a unified news broadcast. Videotape the resulting show.
Digital Download from Growing Artists: Teaching the Arts to Young Children 6e by Joan Bouza
Koster. (c) 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Available at Cengagebrain.com
What to Say: Day 2—Will you need a sign to introduce your part? Who will
speak first? Where should you look when talking to someone on the show (in the
audience)?
Transition Out: Watch the show and talk about how the show compared with
the professional one they watched. What about the shows were similar? What is
hard about making up a news show? How did the different parts fit together?
Could we make news broadcasts about other things we study?
ASSESSMENT
1.
Do the children make their voices and actions fit the
character of the role they are assigned?
OF LEARNING
2.
Do the children plan a logical sequence of events in their
news
part?
3.
Can the children find similarities between their work and
the professional broadcast?
# 6 CENTER ACTIVITY PLAN: Story Telling & Writing (Paley Style)
WHO?
Group composition age(s): Preschool and kindergarten
Group size: One child and one adult
WHEN?
Time frame: 10 minutes
WHY?
Objectives: Children will develop

physically, by using muscular control in acting out their stories. (BodilyKinesthetic)

socially, by working with the teacher to write a story and interacting with
others in telling their stories. (Interpersonal)
Digital Download from Growing Artists: Teaching the Arts to Young Children 6e by Joan Bouza
Koster. (c) 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Available at Cengagebrain.com

emotionally, by expressing their feelings through voice and body.
(Intrapersonal)

language skills, by communicating their ideas in story form. (Linguistic)

cognitively, by making decisions about their stories and who will act in them.
(Logical-Mathematical)

dramatic skill and knowledge, by writing a story, acting it out, and
expressing preferences. (Content Standards 1, 2, and 7)
WHERE? Setup: A storytelling center, later on the rug. The storytelling center can be any
table and chairs in a quiet area of the room or on a cozy spot on the rug.
WHAT?
Materials: Writing supplies
HOW?
Procedure:
WOW Warm-Up: Model storytelling by telling stories regularly at group time.
What to Do: At the center invite preliterate children one at a time to dictate a
story while you write it down. Children who can write can write their own.
Remind them that a good story has a beginning, middle, and end and lots of
tension. Later at group time, ask the children if they want to act out their stories.
Choose children to be the characters in one child’s story. Then read the story line
by line, pausing as the children act out what the sentence says. Audiotape reading
the story or videotape the performance. Repeat daily until all childrenhave had a
story acted out.
What to Say: At the center ask: “How will your story begin?” If the child has
trouble beginning, give some suggestions, such as “Once there was” or “One
day.” Encourage the child to continue by asking, “What happened next?” To help
Digital Download from Growing Artists: Teaching the Arts to Young Children 6e by Joan Bouza
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the child reach an ending, ask, “We are almost at the end of the page. How will it
end?” Offer to read back what the child said.
On the Rug: Ask the child if he or she wants to act out the story. Go around the
circle in order and invite people to be the different characters. Have some act as
important objects as well such as a tree or car. If a child says no, skip to the next
one.
Transition Out: Cheer and clap when the performance is done. Go around the
circle and have the children share something they liked about the story. If a video
is made, share it with the parents. An audiotape can be put in the listening center
so the story can be enjoyed again.
ASSESSMENT
1.
Does the child tell the story fluidly or is prompting needed?
OF LEARNING
2.
Which story elements does the child use? Which ones have
not yet been mastered?
3.
Check for growth by comparing the tape of the current
performance to those done earlier and kept in the portfolio.