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“My backpack is no ordinary backpack. Whenever I use my gigantic personality to tell a story, I reach into my backpack and whatever it is I need magically appears.”
- Violet
Big Idea: To tap into the playful imaginations of students, providing them with the opportunity to see everyday objects from new perspectives.
By the end of this lesson students will be able to:
Think on their feet.
Use their imagination and creation to reimagine everyday objects.
Materials: An assortment of objects from your classroom.
Drama
B1.4 communicate feelings and ideas to a familiar audience (e.g., classmates) using audio, visual, and/or technological aids to support or enhance their drama work)
B1.3 plan and shape the direction of a dramatic play or role play, building on their own and others’ ideas both in and out of role, with support
Literacy
2. listen in order to understand and respond appropriately in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes
1.2 demonstrate an understanding of appropriate listening behaviour by using active listening strategies in order to contribute meaningfully and work constructively in groups
Violet uses her magical backpack to take everyday objects and transform them into whatever she needs to tell her story. Sarah and Violet use a soccer ball as an egg and rain ponchos as their bird wings. They use their imagination and creativity to tell the story of Makani and Kainoa.
Students sit or stand in a circle. An object (such as a pencil) is passed around the circle by the leader, who starts by showing it to the first person while saying, “This is a banana.” (Or anything else the leader chooses to say, as long as it is not “a pencil”!)
The person replies in a startled manner, “A what?” “A banana,” repeats the leader. The first person takes the pencil (or other object), and replies “Oh a banana.”
First person turns to the second person and shows them the pencil, they change the object again by chanting “this is a duck” (Or anything else, as long as it is not a pencil or a banana).
The object should change to something new each time it is passed, and if possible, students should mime an action using the object in a new way each time.
Extension
As a large group, place multiple, random objects into the center of the circle of students. For instance, a bowl, chair, pencil, water bottle, fly swatter and a book (anything you can find in your classroom will work!). When a student is inspired, they go into the middle of the circle and use one of the objects in any way, as long as it is not in a way that the object is actually used for in real life. The remaining students in the circle should try to guess what the object is being used as. For example, a bowl might be used as a steering wheel, a chair as a rocket ship, a water bottle as a telescope, etc.
Split class into smaller groups have them facilitate the game on their own.