Grade 1 Theatre Lesson #6

Tableau
Telling Stories with Pictures
Lesson-at-a-Glance
Warm Up
Review tableau. Demonstrate for students several different tableau and have then guess who you
are and what clues are given in body and face.

Modeling
As a group, ask the students to recreate two or three of the tableaux. In pairs and smaller groups
ask students to recreate scenes with tableau. Discuss the clues in body and face for the tableau.

Guided Practice
In small groups, students create tableau for a scene showing plot (beginning, middle and end),
setting and characters.

Debrief
Use the checklist to assess student ability to create tableau alone and in groups. Share as a
group how an actor uses the body and face in tableau.

Extension
Read a favorite book and look closely at the pictures. Describe the action that is taking
place. Choose two pictures to create a tableau with peers.
Read a story and identify three or more important events. Discuss what is happening in the
story and create tableau for each event.

Materials

Character and Scene Cards and Activity Pictures (included with lesson)

Assessment

Discussion, Performance, Q&A, Tableau Assessment

ELA Standards Addressed
Reading Comprehension: 2.2 Respond to who, what, when, where, and how questions.
Literary Response and Analysis: 3.1 Identify and describe the elements of plot, setting, and character(s) in a story, as well
as the storys beginning, middle, and end.
THEATRE GRADE 1
TABLEAU


Telling Stories with Pictures
Lesson 6

CONTENT STANDARDS
2.1 Demonstrate skills in pantomime, tableau, and improvisation.
5.2 Demonstrate the ability to work cooperatively in presenting a tableau, an improvisation, or a
pantomime.

TOPICAL QUESTIONS
How do I recreate an image with tableau?
How do I cooperate with a group to create a three-part story with tableau?

OBJECTIVES & STUDENT OUTCOMES
Students will work alone and in groups to create group stage pictures (tableaux).
Students will work cooperatively to tell a story through tableaux.

ASSESSMENT (Various strategies to evaluate effectiveness of instruction and student
learning)
Feedback for Teacher
o Tableau Checklist (included)
o Student response to inquiry
Feedback for Student
o Teacher feedback
o Tableau Checklist

WORDS TO KNOW
tableau: group stage pictures or characters frozen in a moment in time. The plural is
tableaux.
improvisation: A spontaneous style of theatre in which scenes are created without advance
rehearsing or scripting.
gesture: expressive movement of the body or limbs
actor: a person, male or female, who performs a role in a play or an entertainment
plot: structure of a play, including the beginning, middle and end

MATERIALS
Pictures of characters, scenes and people engaged in activity (included)
Picture books, posters, paintings, etc.

RESOURCES
SDUSD VAPA Core Learnings

WARM UP (Engage students, access prior learning, review, hook or activity to focus the
student for learning)
Review tableau.
Demonstrate for students several different tableau: e.g., making a phone call while sitting in a
chair, reading a book while reclining, assuming the stance of a batter at the plate, pose like a
proud superhero or a horrible ogre, running, sleeping, etc. Remember appropriate facial
expressions.
Ask students to watch carefully in silence while you perform a tableau.
After you finish ask the students what action you were doing. Discuss what were the clues
that gave the character and action away. What did I do with my body and face to make you
think I was a ______________?

MODELING (Presentation of new material, demonstration of the process, direct instruction)
Tell students they are going to create frozen pictures (tableaux) with their bodies.
As a group, ask the students to re-create two or three of the tableaux you did in the warm-up
or consider:
o sleeping lying down or sitting at your desk
o making a telephone call and freezing while talking (mouth should be open)
o cheering at a sporting event
o being a sports figure, dancer or gymnast frozen in an action of that sport or activity
o stand at attention and salute
o be a shy person
Encourage students to use facial expressions that are appropriate for the characters they are
choosing.
Tell students, We are going to make tableau that will show several characters in a particular
setting.
Arrange students in small groups. Select one group and give a prompt, e.g., baseball game.
Give the actors a little time to discuss how to create the tableau for a baseball game. Coach
as necessary. The rest of the class observes the process.
After the group has demonstrated the tableau, discuss what the actors did to make the
characters or setting believable by asking the following questions:
o How did the tableau show frozen action?
o What was the body doing?
o What were the facial expressions like?
o What is the character(s) feeling?

GUIDED PRACTICE (Application of knowledge, problem solving, corrective feedback)
Part 1
Clip picture cards (included in this lesson), place picture cards on overhead, or collect
pictures from a book, magazines, photographs, paintings or posters, etc.
One at a time, show pictures and have the students recreate the picture.
o Individual photos can be recreated as a whole group.
o If several people are in the picture, select the same number of students and recreate the
tableau while the rest of the class observes.
Assist students with getting into a pose that imitates what is happening in the picture.
Once students are in position, say freeze. Students are to remain frozen for three seconds.
Ask the following questions:
o If this tableau was part of a story what do you think the story was about?
o If another tableau was to follow this one, what would it look like?
o How would the characters show this in tableau?

Part 2
Give students a scenario with four characters and create a simple story in three parts (plot),
show setting and characters using tableau. Use the idea below or create a scenario of your
own.
The same four students can do the three tableaux OR you can use a different group of four
students for each of the following tableaux:
o Scene 1: a baseball game with a person pitching a ball, a batter waiting for the pitch, the
umpire and the catcher.
o Scene 2: The umpire is standing, the catcher is holding his hand above his eyes looking
out, the batter is running and the pitcher is looking out too.
o Scene 3: the crowd is cheering (ask four students to show jumping and cheering).
Ask the following questions:
o What happened in this story?
o What are the beginning, the middle and end?
Create another scenario of your own or have the students create a simple story with
tableaux. Students can work in pairs or smaller groups.

DEBRIEF AND EVALUATE (Identify problems encountered, ask and answer questions,
discuss solutions and learning that took place. Did students meet expected outcomes?)
Use checklist for assessing students ability to create tableau individually and in groups.
Ask the following questions:
o What is tableau?
o What does an actor have to do with his/her body and face to create a stage picture?
o What makes the picture easily understood? (You may want to talk a little about
exaggeration here).
o What was challenging about creating tableaux with a group?
o How can you tell a story using only tableaux?

EXTENSION (Expectations created by the teacher that encourages students to participate in
further research, make connections and apply understanding and skills previously learned to
personal experiences.)
Read a favorite book and look closely at the pictures. Describe the action that is taking
place. Choose two pictures to create a tableau with peers.
Read a story and identify three or more important events. Discuss what is happening in the
story and create tableau for each event.


Assessment - Tableau

Name Individual: Student can
recreate a tableau from a
picture alone and in pairs or
groups. Uses appropriate body
and face.

In Groups: Student responds
quickly to freeze prompt and
tableau is frozen for 3
seconds. Uses appropriate
body and face. Plot is clear
and tableau is clearly read by
audience.



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Character Card Illustrations



King Queen Karate Expert Movie Star







Secret Agent Super Hero Baby Clown










Cowboy Police Officer Fire Fighter Rock Star










Baseball Player Soccer Player Football Player Villain







Robot Dancer Spaceman Tightrope
Walker







Doctor Artist Soldier Fisherman


Setting Illustrations



Beach Grocery Store Kitchen Amusement Park







Farm Circus Sports Event Library






Classroom Playground Outer Space The Mall




Airplane Church Theatre Mountains - Cabin




Symphony Concert Museum Camping Ski Slope




Zoo Haunted House Boat Race Track





Birthday Party Swimming Pool The Moon Hospital

Action Pictures


http://www.neilpeterson.com/index.php/2008/12/uncommon-success-in-sports-a-surprising-gift-from-adhd/



http://www.openoceansurfing.com/assets/kids_surfing_lessons_01.jpg




http://www.corbisimages.com/images/JM001016.jpg?size=67&uid=FEE7ED37-5DCE-489E-AD69-0D31108B1939


http://www2.cityofarkadelphia.com:8080/CityOfArkadelphia/departments-1/fire-department-
1/100_0079.jpg/image_preview



http://photos.igougo.com/images/p191691-Ocho_Rios-Chidren_playing_on_the_beach.jpg


bikeshttp://www.pembertonclassic.org.au/images/kids.jpg


http://www.youthsportsny.org/images/safe_at_second.jpg


video games http://www.bruceongames.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/children-video-game.jpg