Storytelling Movement

Year Level

Foundation Year (Prep)

Duration

45 minutes

Class Size

16 students

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Unit

Dramatic Play Adventures
Lesson 6 of 8: Storytelling through Movement

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Curriculum Links

Australian Curriculum v9 - The Arts: Drama

Content Descriptions

• AC9ADRFD01: Use play, imagination, arts knowledge, processes and/or skills to discover possibilities and develop ideas
• AC9ADRFC01: Create arts works that communicate ideas
• AC9ADRFP01: Share their arts works with audiences

Elaborations Relevant to This Lesson

• Exploring how facial expressions, gestures and other ways of moving can communicate emotions and feelings in arts works (AC9ADRFE01_E1)
• Imagining how characters might move and creating still or moving images to communicate ideas about characters using dramatic play (AC9ADRFD01_E2)
• Using movement to share emotional responses to music or stories (AC9ADRFD01_E5)
• Improvising movements to explain a process or story, and using photographic storytelling to reinforce understanding (AC9ADRFD01_E8)
• Creating arts works that communicate ideas based on their experiences and extending known chants or rhymes by adding movements (AC9ADRFC01_E1, AC9ADRFC01_E3)
• Performing movement/dance sequences and introducing their work to peers, describing why they chose particular movements (AC9ADRFP01_E7)

These descriptions form the foundation for teaching storytelling through movement to Prep students by using imagination and play to develop characters and express emotions non-verbally.

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Lesson Objectives

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

1. Use their bodies to express emotions and actions that tell a simple story about their character.
2. Collaborate with peers to create a short movement sequence as a group.
3. Demonstrate understanding of how movement can convey ideas without using words.
4. Observe and respond positively to classmates’ performances, describing feelings and actions they saw.

These objectives align with the Foundation Year Drama curriculum, focusing on play, imagination, and communication through physical expression【2:AC9ADRFD01.md】【12:AC9ADRFC01.md】【14:AC9ADRFP01.md】.

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Materials Needed

• Open space for movement
• Scarves or lightweight materials (optional, for movement)
• Music player with calm and varied instrumental tracks (optional, to inspire movement)
• A soft ball or a puppet for warm-up activities (optional)
• Visual props depicting simple characters or animals (optional)

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Lesson Sequence

1. Welcome and Warm-Up (7 minutes)

• Begin with a friendly greeting circle.
• Gentle body warm-up: simple stretches and movements (e.g., shaking hands, wiggling fingers, stretching legs).
• Play a ‘mirror game’ in pairs where one child moves slowly and the other copies their movements, promoting focus on body awareness and control.

2. Introduction: Movement and Storytelling (5 minutes)

• Teacher explains that we can tell stories not just with words but also through how we move.
• Show examples by using simple facial expressions and movements to illustrate emotions like happy, sad, scared, or excited.
• Prompt children to guess the feeling or story being shown (e.g., pretending to climb a tree, being surprised by a bird).

3. Character Movement Exploration (10 minutes)

• Teacher introduces a few simple character ideas (e.g., an animal like a kangaroo, a superhero, or a friendly monster).
• Students choose or are assigned a character.
• Guide them to think about how their character moves and feels—big leaps, slow and careful steps, big arms, small hands etc.
• Encourage children to explore moving like their character in the space, experimenting with different ways to show emotion (happy hopping, sad dragging feet).

4. Creating a Movement Story (15 minutes)

• Divide students into groups of four.
• Each group creates a very short movement sequence (1-2 minutes) showing their characters doing a simple action or adventure (e.g., a picnic, an exploration, rescuing a friend).
• Encourage them to use expressive movements to show what is happening and how their characters feel.
• Teacher circulates to support and prompt ideas, ensuring collaboration and engagement.

5. Performance and Feedback (7 minutes)

• Each group presents their movement story to the class.
• After each performance, teacher facilitates positive feedback by asking:
  • “What did you see in their story?”
  • “How did the movement show their feelings or actions?”
  • Encourage children to use words like fast, slow, big, small, happy, sad when describing.

6. Cool Down and Reflection (1 minute)

• Circle time to take deep breaths and relax bodies.
• Briefly ask:
  • “How did it feel to tell a story with your body?”
  • “What was your favourite movement today?”

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Assessment

Assessment for this lesson is formative and observational, focusing on:

• Participation and engagement in warm-up, exploration, group work, and presentations.
• Ability to use expressive movements linked to character and emotion.
• Collaboration skills: cooperating and sharing ideas in groups.
• Use of feedback vocabulary demonstrating understanding of storytelling through movement.

Teacher notes can record anecdotal observations of individual student progress against the Foundation Year Drama learning descriptors in imagination, creativity, and expression【2:AC9ADRFD01.md】【12:AC9ADRFC01.md】【14:AC9ADRFP01.md】.

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Differentiation/Adaptations

• For students who are less confident, support smaller movement ranges or use props/scarves for easier expression.
• Incorporate musical cues for students who respond well to sound to guide tempo and mood.
• For advanced movers, challenge them to add facial expressions or change levels (high/low movements).
• Provide choices in characters and group roles to include all learners.

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Teacher Reflection and Notes

• Observe how effectively students translate ideas about characters to physical movement.
• Note engagement during group collaboration and their ability to sustain a short movement narrative.
• Reflect on time management, especially in performance and feedback stages.
• Consider using photos or videos (with permission) to document and revisit student learning in future lessons.

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This lesson plan aligns closely with the Australian Curriculum v9 Drama requirements for Foundation Year students by encouraging imaginative play, developing movement as a storytelling tool, and fostering collaboration in dramatic contexts. It builds on drama and movement elements appropriate for Prep students’ developmental and expressive abilities, fostering artistic confidence and creativity through physicality and narrative exploration.【2:AC9ADRFD01.md】【12:AC9ADRFC01.md】【14:AC9ADRFP01.md】