Fables Camp - Wednesday

Here is the outline of our day:

Morning Verse

We are truthful and helpful and loving in trust
For our heart's inner sun glows brightly in us
We will open our hearts to the sunbeams so bright
And we'll fill all the world with our heart's inner light

Theatre Games from Drama Notebook

Yes, And!

This is a classic improv game that teaches the value of accepting each others ideas and cooperating with one another. The game may be played in pairs onstage or with the whole group in a circle. First, demonstrate this yourself by making a simple statement. Tell students that you are going to make up a conversation between two people in which every sentence (except the first one) starts with the words “Yes, and…” Additionally, every new statement should become more exaggerated, furthering the scene.

Statue Maker

In this version of the game ‘Statue,’ players find a partner. One person is the sculptor and the other person molds the clay into a statue, moving his partner’s arms, legs, facial expression any way he wishes. When all of the sculptors are done, all statue makers wander through the statue garden and admire each other’s work. Next, they trade places. The sculptor becomes the clay and the model becomes the sculptor.

Environments

Played in small groups onstage, or simultaneously with several groups scattered about the playing space. In this game, a group of players silently creates an environment within a few seconds. The players can be objects, characters, weather, etc. The lead player calls out a place such as ‘the beach.’ The stage players have ten seconds to form that environment without speaking. The lead player may count backward from ten to one aloud as the actors get into place.

Group Stop

Have everyone quietly mill about the room. Tell group members that at any moment, a player may stop. As soon as that happens, the other group members should also stop. Basically, one person ‘freezing’ should cause all of the others to freeze. Anyone in the group may start moving again, causing the entire group to move. This game reminds actors that what they do onstage is dependent on what other actors do. A play is a series of actions/reactions, not merely memorizing one’s part and saying lines on cue.

Whole Group - Morning

"The Lion and the Mouse"
we used the (Caldecott winning) version illustrated by Jerry Pinckney

discussing how fables are universal and can be illustrated in a variety of settings - Caldecott and Newbery medals - reading the story - what are some possible morals? - passing out brand new undyed golden modeling beeswax and demonstrate how to warm it and model with it - reminding students of "The Bear and the Bees" story and beeswax being used to build cells within the hive - looking at honey in honeycomb (purchased at the International Grocery Store) - using modeling beeswax to model lions and mice - watercolor painting of the lion and the mouse using the instructions in Sieglinde's book Teaching with the Fables: A Holistic Approach

Read Aloud Story

chapter three of The Fox that Wanted Nine Golden Tails by Mary Knight

Younger Group - Afternoon

"The Ant and the Grasshopper"
we compared two versions: first the version illustrated by Amy Lowry Poole and then the version illustrated by Jerry Pinckney

discussing and comparing the two endings - stating our personal preferences for the moral - acting out the story by making a cozy chili to keep us warm during the winter (Butternut Squash and Kidney Bean Chili) - we were the busy ants in the kitchen while the grasshoppers sat and quilled - we closed the pocket door into the kitchen as if we were going into our anthill - as in Jerry Pinckney's version we shared our food with everyone in the end

Older Group - Afternoon

"The Peacock and Juno"
the version from The Fables of Aesop ed. by Joseph Jacobs, p.79

lesson on quillling - quilling peacocks inspired by this image as well as others on my Animal Fables Pinterest board

also...
lunch, snacks, outdoor play, indoor play with the Cuboro marble maze as well as a variety of board games (Battleship, Qwirkle, Labyrinth, Bingo), and continuing to play our favorite theatre games from earlier in the week

This post contains affiliate links to the materials I actually use for homeschooling. I hope you find them helpful. Thank you for your support!