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A drama learning opportunity based on Little Red Riding Hood
Introduction (5 minutes): Start by introducing the story of Little Red Riding Hood and asking the children if they have heard the story before. Briefly recap the story and ask the children to identify the characters in the story. Explain to the children that they are going to participate in a drama activity that explores the characters and events in the story in a new way.
Warm Up (10 minutes): Lead the children in a simple warm-up activity, such as stretching or jumping jacks. Encourage them to move their bodies and get their energy flowing.
Teacher in Role (10 minutes): Explain to the children that you are going to play the role of Little Red Riding Hood’s grandmother. Invite the children to ask you questions about the story and the events that happened. Use your imagination to respond as if you were the grandmother, and encourage the children to ask follow-up questions to explore the character’s backstory and motivations.
Sound Collage (10 minutes): Explain to the children that they are going to participate in a drama technique called sound collage. Divide the children into small groups and assign each group a scene from the story, such as Little Red Riding Hood walking through the forest. Ask each group to create a soundscape that represents the scene using their voices and other sounds they can make with their bodies or objects. Encourage them to think creatively about the sounds they can make to represent the scene. After each group has created their soundscape, bring the whole group back together and ask them to share their soundscape with the rest of the group.
Hot Seating (10 minutes): Explain to the children that they are going to participate in a drama technique called hot seating. Choose one child to be the “hot seat,” and assign them a character from the story, such as the wolf. Ask the rest of the group to ask questions about the character and their motivations. Encourage the child in the hot seat to answer as if they were the character, using their imagination to create a backstory and motivations.
Still Image (10 minutes): Explain to the children that they are going to participate in a drama technique called still image. Divide the children into small groups and assign each group a scene from the story, such as Little Red Riding Hood meeting the wolf. Ask each group to create a still image of the moment from the story using their bodies and facial expressions to show the emotion and action of the moment. Then, have each group share their still image with the rest of the group, and ask them to guess which moment from the story it represents.
Conclusion (5 minutes): To end the session, gather the children back in a circle. Ask them to share what they learned about the story and how drama helped them explore the characters and events in a new way. Thank the children for participating and remind them that they can use their imagination and creativity in their daily lives. You could also suggest that they try to act out their favorite scenes from the story at home or in the playground.
