Learning Goals

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to …

  • Participate in physical warm-ups to enhance body awareness and control.
  • Review basic principles of expressive movement and apply them to simple actions.
  • Practice fundamental mime techniques to create illusions of objects and environments.
  • Review/be introduced to core Laban Effort Factors and select Effort Actions.
  • Explore how variations in weight, time, and space influence expressive movement.
  • Begin to integrate Laban Effort Actions into their mime work for expression.
  • Collaboratively create a short group movement piece using mime and Laban principles.
  • Present their pieces, demonstrating integration of movement concepts.
  • Provide constructive peer feedback.
Materials
  • Open, clear space (drama studio/classroom)
  • Comfortable clothing for movement
  • Music player and selection of instrumental music (varied tempos/moods)
  • Whiteboard or chart paper for recording vocabulary
  • Pre-selected stimuli for performance challenge (e.g., abstract photos, short poems/song lyrics, one-word themes like "Transformation," "Conflict," "Growth," "Isolation") - enough for each group to choose one.
  • Appendix 1 Commonly Used Drama Terms
  • PDF #1 General Teacher Anecdotal Recording Tool
  • PDF #2 General Creative Process Anecdotal Recording Tool 
  • PDF #3 General Drama Peer and Self-Assessment Tool
  • PDF #5 Creative Process Rubric
  • PDF #6 Laban Effort Actions, Motion Factors and Effort Qualities
  • PDF #7 Laban/Movement Rubric
Terminology

Minds On

Whole Class > Grounding & Breath

Ask students to spread out in the room and find their own space.

Teacher Prompt: 

  • Find your own personal space in the room.
  • Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees soft.
  • Close your eyes if you feel comfortable, or soften your gaze.
  • Feel your weight settling into your feet, connecting to the floor.
  • Take a deep breath in, feeling your lungs expand, and a slow breath out, releasing any tension.
  • Notice the rise and fall of your chest and belly. 
  • Feel the earth supporting you.
  • Let your breath move freely through your body.
  • Release any tension you're holding in your shoulders, your jaw. Find your stillness here.

Whole Class > Flow Warm-Up - "Melt & Spread"

Continue the movement exploration.

Teacher Prompt: 

  • Imagine your body is like ice, slowly melting.
  • Start from your head, letting your neck relax, then your shoulders.
  • Allow the melt to spread down through your spine, softening your knees, until you're completely melted towards the floor, hanging loosely.
  • Now, slowly, as if you're a thick liquid, spread outwards from your center, feeling your limbs extend, reaching wide, exploring the space around you without forcing.
  • Then, gather back to your melted puddle.
  • Repeat, slowly.
  • Allow the weight of gravity to pull you down. (Weight) 
  • Is your melting smooth and continuous, or jerky? (Flow) 
  • Explore the edges of your personal space as you spread. (Space) 
  • Don't rush the melt; really feel the release. (Time) 
  • Can you soften even further? (Energy)

Whole Class > Laban Effort Actions Exploration - "Elemental Qualities"

Teacher Prompt: We're going to explore four different qualities of movement. Don't worry about being 'right' – just explore how each word makes your body want to move.

Punching (Strong, Sudden, Direct - Bound Flow): Imagine you're pushing through thick mud or punching through resistance. Your movements are Strong, Sudden, and Direct. Feel the weight of your actions. Move around the space, embodying this 'punching' quality. What does it feel like in your core? Your limbs? Feel the force behind each movement. Can you make it even more sudden? Less preparation. Are you hitting a target? How direct is your path? Is there tension in your body? Can you use that tension? 
Floating (Light, Sustained, Indirect - Free Flow): Now, shift. You are light as air, like a feather drifting. Your movements are Light, Sustained, and Indirect. Float around the space. There's no hurry, no direct path. Your movements are airy and gentle. Imagine there's no gravity pulling you down. Can you make your movement last even longer? Slow it down. Explore curves and swerves; avoid straight lines. Let your breath guide the lightness.

Wringing (Strong, Sustained, Indirect - Bound Flow): Next, think about wringing out a wet towel – it's strong, but slow and twisting. Your movements are Strong, Sustained, and Indirect. You're feeling resistance, but you're not rushing through it. Explore twisting and spiraling movements through your torso and limbs. Feel the power in your core as you twist. Can you hold that energy for longer? Are your movements truly indirect, or are you rushing to a point? Find the resistance in the air around you.

Dabbing (Light, Sudden, Direct - Bound Flow): Finally, imagine you're quickly dabbing paint onto a canvas or tapping a keyboard. Your movements are Light, Sudden, and Direct. Quick, precise touches. Move around, finding tiny, sharp, light movements with different parts of your body. Are your movements truly sudden, without anticipation? How light can your touch be, while still being direct? Can you find the absolute smallest point of contact? Are you making a mark, even a tiny one?

Whole Class > Shake Out & Release

Teacher Prompt: 

Good! Now, shake everything out. 
Start with your fingers, your wrists, then your arms. 
Let your shoulders bounce. 
Shake out your legs, your feet. 
Jiggle your whole body. 
Release any remaining tension or specific qualities. 
Find a neutral standing posture. 
Take a final deep breath in, stretch up towards the ceiling, and as you exhale, let your arms fall loosely to your sides. 
You are ready! 
Let go of all those specific qualities. 
Feel the energy buzzing in your fingertips. 
Shake out any stiffness, any stickiness. 
Find your neutral, ready body.

Whole Class > Discussion

Invite the class to reflect on their learning.

Key Questions for Discussion:
  • What's one key insight you'll bring into your group work today from our previous movement exploration?
  • How can your group ensure everyone's ideas are heard and integrated today?

Action

Small Group > Group Movement Challenge, Creation & Rehearsal

Divide students into groups of 4-5. Each group chooses one stimulus. Their challenge is to create a short (1.5 - 2 minute) non-verbal movement piece that tells a story or explores a concept using:

  • Mime: Creating clear illusions of objects, environments, or forces.
  • Laban Efforts: Using specific Laban qualities to define character, emotion, or dynamic relationships.

Teacher Prompt: 

  • What's the core message or feeling of your stimulus?
  • How can you show that physically?
  • Are your mime illusions clear?
  • What could make them more believable?
  • How are you using different Laban qualities to show distinct characters or the progression of your story?
  • How is each person contributing?
  • Is your ensemble working as one unit?
  • Focus on clarity and intention in every movement.

Whole Class and Small Group > Movement Performance Showcase

Each group performs their piece for the class. Encourage a supportive and engaged audience.

Consolidation

Whole Class > Reflection & Peer Feedback

After each performance, the audience provides "Two Stars and a Wish," focusing specifically on:

  • Clarity of mime illusions.
  • Effective use of Laban qualities.
  • Ensemble cohesion and storytelling.

Whole Class > Discussion

Invite students to reflect on their learning.

Prompt: What did you learn about the power of non-verbal communication and physical storytelling today?

Assessment for Learning (AfL)
  • Ongoing Teacher Observation & Targeted Side-Coaching: See PDF #1 General Teacher Anecdotal Recording Tool. Throughout this lesson, the teacher actively observes students' physical engagement, commitment to mime illusions, application of Laban Effort Actions, and collaborative efforts in group work. Direct side-coaching prompts (e.g., Show me the weight of that object. What Laban quality are you embodying here? Is your fixed point solid?) are used to provide immediate, formative feedback and guide student exploration. Purpose: To continuously monitor student understanding of movement and mime principles, identify specific areas for improvement in physical execution, and adjust real-time instruction. 
  • Mime & Laban Application Check-ins: During the Action section, the teacher conducts brief, informal checks on student understanding. This could involve asking students to quickly demonstrate a specific mime illusion, embody an Effort Action, or explain how they are showing a certain quality. Purpose: To quickly assess students' grasp of fundamental techniques and concepts before moving on, allowing for immediate clarification or re-teaching if needed.
  • Group Concept & Rehearsal Observations: During the group creation and rehearsal time, the teacher circulates, listening to group discussions, observing their problem-solving, and noting how they are planning to integrate mime and Laban into their performance. Purpose: To provide formative feedback on collaborative processes, ensure groups are on track with the creative challenge, and offer targeted suggestions for strengthening their piece before the final showcase.
Assessment as Learning (AaL)
  • Daily Reflection Prompts: As this lesson will take several periods, at the end of each period, students participate in a brief reflective activity (e.g., "One new thing I discovered about my body/movement today," "What was challenging/exciting about working with mime/Laban?"). Purpose: To encourage metacognition, prompting students to articulate their own learning, identify personal discoveries, and reflect on their physical and creative experiences throughout the lesson.
  • Peer Feedback (Two Stars and a Wish): After brief partner activities ("Mime Clarity Check") and the final group performances ("Showcase"), students provide constructive feedback to their peers, identifying specific strengths ("Two Stars") and areas for growth ("A Wish") related to clarity, embodiment, and integration of movement concepts. Purpose: To develop students' critical observation and analytical skills, enabling them to evaluate performances based on learned criteria and apply these insights to their own work.
  • Self-Assessment of Laban Application: See PDF #3 General Drama Peer and Self-Assessment Tool. After the "Mime Scene with Laban Focus", students briefly reflect on their own performance. Did I clearly show the chosen Laban qualities? What might I do differently next time to make it clearer? Purpose: To encourage students to critically evaluate their own application of specific techniques and to plan for future improvement.
Assessment of Learning (AoL)
  • Group Movement Performance (Summative): See PDF #7 Laban/Movement Rubric. The culminating 1.5-2 minute group movement piece serves as a summative assessment. Students are evaluated on their ability to collaboratively create and present a clear, expressive non-verbal piece that effectively integrates mime illusions and Laban Effort Actions. Purpose: To formally assess students' mastery and application of the key movement, mime, and Laban concepts taught throughout the condensed lesson. This could be assessed with a rubric focusing on criteria such as: clarity of mime, effective use of Laban to convey meaning/character, ensemble cohesion, and creative interpretation of the stimulus. 
  • Creative Process Assessment: See PDF #2 General Creative Process Anecdotal Recording Tool and/or PDF #5 Creative Process Rubric. A summative assessment of each student's consistent engagement in all movement activities, their willingness to experiment with new techniques, and their active contribution to group work across the lesson. Purpose: To evaluate the student's overall commitment to the practical exploration and collaborative aspects of the lesson, acknowledging that active participation is crucial for developing physical performance skills.