Learning Goals

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

  • Give and receive offers, and interpret the offers given to them to create a scene.
  • Respond in the moment and think quickly on their feet.
  • Understand the “Yes, And” rule of improvisation.
Materials
  • Blackboard or whiteboard
  • Chalk or whiteboard marker
  • A large open space
  • PDF #5 Yes, Let’s! Observational Notes
  • PDF #6 Yes, Let’s! Exit Ticket
Terminology

Action

Whole Class > Category Squirt 

Have the whole class stand in a circle, with you in the middle. “Category Squirt” is an extended version of the circle game “Squirt”, in which one person stands in the middle of the circle and points to people in the circle. The person you point to will have to duck, and the people standing beside them will have to turn and try to “shoot” each other with their hand-watergun, exclaiming “Squirt!” as they do so. The first person to say “Squirt!” stays in the game, and the person who doesn’t say it, or says it last, is out. Alternatively, if the person you point to fails to duck, then they’re out instead. After explaining these instructions, play a few practice rounds with students before introducing the “Category” element.

In “Category Squirt”, you will choose one category as a group (food and geographical locations are great ones). The person in the middle will point to someone and say a letter of the alphabet. The person pointed to will duck, and the two people beside them must turn with their hand-waterguns, and say the name of something in the category that starts with the letter of the alphabet you chose. For example, if the category is food and you offer the letter A, students may exclaim “apple!” or “asparagus!”. Whoever correctly says the name of an item in the category that starts with the letter you offered stays in the game, and the other student is out (as long as the student you pointed to ducked in time. If they didn’t, then they’re out instead. 

Elimination vs. Non-Elimination:

If playing with elimination, continue the game until two students remain. Then, have them face back to back, and have them walk away from each other. During this time, you will tell a story, and they have to listen for you to say the name of something in your category. When you do, they must turn to shoot and say “squirt!” Whoever says it first is the winner of the game.

If you want to play without eliminating players, then instead of students getting “out”, they will simply sit down and keep an eye on the player who got them “out”. If that player gets “out” of the game, then the student sitting rejoins the game.

Teacher Tip

Students respond to the culture you create, and a community culture will serve the psychological safety of the students better than a competitive one. Competition can be a demotivator for students who are already hesitant about taking safe risks; for some students, a lack of competition in games may be unfamiliar and uncomfortable, and an area of growth. Use your professional judgement about your group of students.

Action

Whole Class > Brief Discussion of the “Yes, And” Rule 

The purpose of the next activity is to practice giving, accepting, and responding to offers. Explain that you’re going to explore a bit of improvisation together, and ask students if they know what improv is. Jot down student definitions on the board. If students do not offer a definition that you’re satisfied with, use the following from the Ontario curriculum: Improvisation: An unscripted, unrehearsed drama spontaneously created by a student in response to a prompt or an artefact.

Ask students if they are familiar with any of the rules of improvisation, and jot down the ideas that they share. Listen for the “Yes, And” rule of improv. If no students offer it, write it down on the board and offer this definition from Backstage Magazine:

“Yes, And” is a mindset in improv where performers agree to accept and build upon each other’s ideas.

Discuss the key components of improv.

Questions for Discussion:

  • Why might it be important for actors to accept each other’s ideas and try to build upon them?
  • What happens when actors don’t accept an offer and then try to continue building the scene?

Whole Class > Yes, Let’s! 

Begin this game by having students walk around the room individually, filling the open space. In this game, one person will suggest something for the group to do, and the rest of the class will respond “Yes, Let’s!” and then do the action suggested. For example, a student may exclaim, “Let’s pick some flowers!” The rest of the class will respond “Yes, Let’s!” and then mime the action of picking flowers. Continue the action until another student shares another offer with the group. You can play this game popcorn-style, or if you’re worried about students speaking over each other, you can ask them to raise their hands as they walk. Continue for about 10 minutes, or until you feel the activity has come to a natural conclusion.

Whole Class > Freeze! 

Have the whole class stand in a circle. In this game, two students will enter the middle of the circle and begin improvising a scene based on a prompt you or their fellow students give them. It could be a location, a conflict, or a character relationship. They will improvise the scene, and once a student in the circle has an idea for another scene, they will call “freeze!” The performers will freeze in place, and the student will tap one of the performers out, and assume the same body position the performer froze in. 

Then, they will begin an entirely new scene. With this game, students can sometimes be quite enthusiastic about their scene idea, so it’s effective if you make it a rule that each scene must go on for at least 30 seconds to a minute before anyone can call “freeze!” To assist, you can keep time and then give a thumbs up once students may call “freeze!”

Consolidation

Whole Class > Discussion and Exit Ticket 

Use the following questions to facilitate a consolidating discussion with students. You may wish to sit in a circle.

Questions for Discussion:
  • What did you find fun and/or easy about improv?
  • What did you find challenging?
  • Why may it be important for all actors to build improv skills, even if they aren’t improv performers specifically?
  • How might the ability to think on your feet and improvise be helpful in life outside of drama class or acting?

Distribute PDF #6 Yes, Let’s! Exit Ticket to students and collect it before the end of the class.

Assessment for Learning (AfL)

Using PDF #5 Yes, Let’s! Observational Notes, take note of how students are engaging. Are all students able to “Yes, And”? Are there students who are hesitant to participate or refuse offers in their scenes? Reflect on why this may be happening, and if there are barriers that may be preventing students from engaging fully.

Assessment as Learning (AaL)
  • PDF #6 Yes, Let’s! Exit Ticket