before | me and my shadow · before | me and my shadow before provides teachers with engaging,...

8The New VICTORY® TheATeR / NewVICTORYSChOOLTOOLS.ORG © The New 42Nd STReeT, INC.

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Activity 1: PlAyful ShAdowS

Activity 2: EmotionAl ShAdowS

crEAtivity PAgE: hAnd ShAdowS

AFTER

BEFORE

BEYOND

mAKing connEctionS to lEArning StAndArdS New Victory School tool Resource Guides align with the Common Core State Standards, New York State Learning Standards and New York City Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in the Arts. We believe that these standards support both the high quality instruction and deep engagement that The New Victory Theater strives to achieve in its arts education practice.

whAt iS “BEforE” me and my shadow?

This section is part of a full New Victory® School toolTM Resource Guide. For the complete guide, including information about the New Victory Education

Department check out: nEwvictorySchooltoolS.org

INSIDE EN ROUTE

before | ME AND MY SHADOW

BEFORE provides teachers with engaging, ready-to-implement classroom activities that explore the themes and artistry of the show prior to traveling to 42nd Street. Use this tool to integrate the content of the production into your curriculum in a hands-on, experiential way while building student anticipation and increasing the overall impact of the upcoming performance. This section also includes Creativity Pages that provide students with the opportuni-ty to personally connect with the show content.

COMMON CORE

Speaking and Listening: Standard 1; Standard 3; Standard 4; Standard 5; Standard 6Language: Standard 1

NEW YORK STATE STANDARDS

The Arts: Standard 1English Language Arts: Standard 1; Standard 4

BLUEPRINT FOR THE ARTS

Theater: Developing Theater Literacy; Making ConnectionsVisual Arts: Art Making; Making Connections


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AFTER

BEFORE

BEYOND

Use this activity to play with how our shadows behave – or misbehave!

PArt i: introduction to ShAdowS

1. Introduce your students to their shadows by using light to create shadows (either take your students outside when the sun is out, or make your classroom dark and turn on a flashlight). One by one, allow them to explore how their shadows copy their own movements. What silly things can your students make their shadows do?

2. Have your students generate a list of all the fun things their shadows can do.

PArt ii: humAn ShAdowS

1. Have your students stand in rows facing you. They should have about an arm’s length of space around them for safety.

2. Now that they have seen their own shadows, inform your students that they will be pretending to be your shadow. As your shadow, they should all copy every move that you make!

3. Slowly begin to move. Starting with your head, let the movement travel to your arms and your legs. Then, begin to slowly and safely do the moves that your students generated in Part I of this activity.

4. Next, explain to your students that your shadow sometimes misbehaves, but only when you’re not looking! Instruct the class to copy your movements like well-behaved shadows when you are looking. But when you turn your back to them, they are allowed to be silly shadows! You can choose to turn this into more of a game by telling them that if you catch anyone being a silly shadow, they will be "out."

PArt iii: humAn ShAdowS in PAirS

1. Now try the exercise with your students in pairs.

2. One person should be the “shadow” first and the other should be the “shadow maker.”

3. First have your students practice copying their partner’s movements as shadow. Explain to the "makers" that they should move slowly so that their "shadows" can successfully copy them. Then, if the activity is successful, when the "maker" has his or her back turned, the "shadow" can be silly.

4. Take turns being the "shadow" and the "maker." Let the fun continue!

rEflEction QuEStionSFinally, ask your students questions to help them reflect upon their shadow experience. Such as: Did you prefer to be the shadow or the shadow maker? Why? Next time you see your shadow, what are you going to do with it? How do you think the shadows will behave during the show, ME AND MY SHADOW?

INSIDE EN ROUTE



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AFTER

BEFORE

BEYOND

Use this activity to further explore shadows and how a shadow can show emotions.

Materials: rubber bands, large white bed sheet, 2 desks, 2 chairs, a flashlight (or two).

1. While your students are out of the room or working on another project, create a stage using the above materials.

a. First, set up two desks, about 5-feet apart, at the front of your classroom. The desks should also be approximately 5-feet away from the wall behind them.

b. Put two chairs upside down on those desks, with the legs of the chairs facing the ceiling.

c. Using the rubber bands, attach one corner of the sheet to one of the chair legs. Stretch out the sheet long-ways so that it reaches the opposite desk and chair, and attach the other corner of the sheet to one of the legs of that chair.

d. Ideally, the sheet is large enough that it hangs all the way to the floor. The picture below is an example of what your shadow stage could look like:

2. Ask your students if they know what emotions are and have them generate a list of emotions. Happy, Sad, Angry and Excited are good ones to start with.

3. When you are ready to start the activity, gather your students in front of the stage, and turn off all the lights in your classroom, blocking out as much natural light as possible.

4. Have one student stand up in front of the screen, shine the flashlight towards his or her back, and ask that student to to practice creating a “happy” shadow. How can he/she make their shadow look happy? Repeat this part of the activity with the rest of the emotions generated by you and your students and have different students take turns showing different emotions with their shadows.

5. Now, tell the students that they are going to go, one at a time, backstage behind the screen. You will go with them so that you can shine the light on them while the other students can see their shadow as an audience. Once backstage, they are going to choose an emotion and show it through their shadow. The rest of the class then has to guess which emotion they are showing!

6. After your students have all taken turns and the activity has come to a close, reflect with your students on their emotional shadow experience. Ask: How did you use your body to show different emotions with your shadow? What clues helped you understand what the different shadows were feeling?

INSIDE EN ROUTE


© The New 42Nd STreeT, INc.

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crEAtivity PAgE

hand shadowsContinue to play with shadows! See if you can use your hands to turn the animals below into shadows. Have your teacher turn the lights out or use flashlights! When you’ve figured out how to make the different

animals, have a friend trace your shadow into the space below!

EXAMPLE:

before | me and my shadow · before | me and my shadow before provides teachers with engaging,...

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