Summer Reading Theater Camp!
At the Reading Theater camp, children will be able to practice important fluency attributes, such as pause, inflection, and intonation. In our camp we will act out some of the campers favorite stories and create costumes to go along with the stories. Challenging vocabulary will be reviewed and taught as part of instruction. At the end of the week, campers will put on a performance for their viewers!
Objective
- Learn the 5 elements of a story as well as the importance of each element
- Practice reading and speaking skills and fluency
- Read a variety of material to see how different books are written and get inspiration for their performance
- Enhance reading comprehension, attention to detail, and public speaking skills
- Create costumes, stage, and rehearse scenes from a selected work to present in our class matinee on Friday
- Three-ring binder, or folder with brads, and pockets
- Sheet protectors
- Dividers with pockets
- Favorite books from the library or home
- Used clothes and props from home or a thrift store
Daily Projects
Class Reading
Icebreakers, worksheets, and theater activities that highlight how stories are written, with a focus on comprehension, fluency, and attention to detail in order to create a performance.
Major Project - Theater Production and Presentation
Our Reading Theater Camp Matinee takes place on Friday at 3pm. All IQuest campers, families, and friend are invited to attend campers theatrical renditions of their selected stories!
Monday
Introduction
- Camp Expectations
- What campers can expect from camp, and what instructor expects from campers
- Camp Objectives
- Discuss all of the class goals and objectives
- Projects
- Discussion - class reading, major, and daily projects our camp will accomplish each day
- Icebreaker - Moving Vocabulary
- Theater Activity - What Would You Do?
Class Reading
Campers will read for 30 minutes to gain inspiration from selected books, and to see how stories are written that captivate audiences. Worksheets handed out to test campers comprehension skills.
Major Project
Students break into teams and work on a graphic organizer to see what genre of book they'd like to act out in front of an audience. Blank lined sheets of paper given to campers to create an outline for their story's elements, and used storyboards to map out their theatrical performance. Students must prepare for their presentation on Friday:
- 5 elements of a story
- campers must outline, the 5 elements of their selected story including
- characters
- main
- supporting
- setting
- time
- place
- plot
- 3 events
- problem
- resolution
- costumes
- stage
- script for 2 different scenes from their selected book
Tuesday
Daily Project
- Icebreakers - Charades
- Theater Activity - Masks
Class Reading
Campers will read for 30 minutes to gain inspiration from selected books, and to see how stories are written that captivate audiences. Worksheets handed out to test campers comprehension skills.
Major Project
In their teams, campers start to work on their master plan for their theatrical performance on Friday. Campers were encouraged to bring items from home or from a thrift store for costumes, stage, and props. Campers should be discussing what story to present, what genre the book is, what the point of view the story is told in, and what the 5 elements of their story are. Blank graphic organizers, lined paper, storyboards, and paper handed to each group with crayons, pencils, markers, and colored pencils in order to begin mapping out their presentation plan. By the end of class, each group should be able to identify:
- Book they are doing, and the author
- Genre
- Point of View
- 5 elements of their story
- Scenes campers would like to present and why
Wednesday
Daily Project
- Icebreaker- Who Am I?
- Theater Activity - Around the World
Class Reading
Campers will read for 30 minutes to gain inspiration from selected books, and to see how stories are written that captivate audiences. Worksheets handed out to test campers comprehension skills.
Major Project
Campers break into their groups and discuss with the rest of the camp their team's:
- Book and the author
- Genre
- Point of View
- 5 elements of their story
- Scenes campers would like to present and why
Campers are highly encouraged to work on their stage, script, and costume at home so when they come to class, they can add final touches to each item and make sure they have all of their items ready for presentation Friday. Students begin to bring in their supplies or props from home. They rehearse a few times. At the end of the day, the director spends time going over "gems and ops," or what is going well in the play and opportunities for improvement.
Thursday
Daily Project
- Reading Activity - Draw A Story
- Theater Activity - What Are You Doing?
Class Reading
Campers will read for 30 minutes to gain inspiration from selected books, and to see how stories are written that captivate audiences. Worksheets handed out to test campers comprehension skills.
Major Project
Dress rehearsal and last day to work on all major items in class before presentation tomorrow! Campers should be preparing to finalize their costumes, stage, props, lines from script, and plan for presentation. Any changes, edits, or redirection should happen in camp today, so tonight, campers can finish any items they need to at home, and be able to set up their stages tomorrow. A dress rehearsal will help us get ready for the big day!
For homework, campers must work on any unfinished costume, stage, and prop items as well as practice their lines from their script. We'll have a small rehearsal in class tomorrow, but campers will need to practice and finalize their items at home to ensure everything is ready for presentation at 3pm tomorrow.
Friday
Last day of camp!! We won't have time for icebreakers or other activities today as we want to make sure everything is ready for showtime! If campers feel confident in their roles, we may have time for an icebreaker before curtains!
Major Project
Campers should be finished with or finishing the following items:
- Edits for script
- Costumes
- Stage
- Props
Timeline:
- Stage set-up 1pm - 2pm
- Campers place together their scene settings, props, and costumes and get ready for rehearsal.
- Final Rehearsal 2pm - 3pm
- Campers rehearse scripts and act out scenes to get ready for the big performance
- Reading Theater Showtime 3pm - 4pm
- Campers team's present their selected works!
- Cast Party! We'll have some treats to celebrate a job well done!