Summer 2017 Overview

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

Materials Needed

• 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 Agenda

Daily Projects 

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.

Class Reading 

Students read 30 minutes in each class to see how different stories are written. Reading challenge worksheet provided to each student to gage comprehension skills.

Major Project - Theater Production and Presentation

Students select a book to act out of Friday in front of the class. Students will work on creating their costumes, stage setting, and practicing their scripts during the week to present a full scene of their reading to an audience at our camp matinee on Friday! 

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

Daily Project

• Icebreaker - Moving Vocabulary 

Campers picked a card at random from a box. Each card had verbs the camper acted out. Campers had to listen to music and work with each other to place the verb they drew in a dance sequence using the rhythm of the music!

• Theater Activity - What Would You Do? 

Campers select a card from a box with character names; campers keep the character name to themselves. One camper goes first. A script is read and the camper acts out the character as best they can going through the actions of the script as the character they selected would. The other campers guess who this character is. The camper who guesses correctly, gets to go on stage and act out their character tot he same script. 

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
1. characters
• main
• supporting
2. setting
• time
• place
3. plot
• 3 events
4. problem
5. resolution
• costumes
• stage 
• script for 2 different scenes from their selected book

We'll go over several books from several genres so campers could see how different types of books are written. Special attention focused on tone, and setting description that creates an image in the audience's head. Campers encouraged to bring a few items from home or a thrift shop for prop, costume, and setting inspiration.

Tuesday

Daily Project

• Icebreakers - Charades

Campers play a game of charades to enhance speaking and presentation skills!

• Theater Activity - Masks

Campers given card stock paper to create a mask of one of their favorite book characters. After campers completed their masks, they were to act out scenes from the book the character is based on. 

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

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.

Wednesday

Daily Project

• Icebreaker- Who Am I?

Campers are given a card with a location and a character from a classic book, campers are not to share their character or location with other campers. Campers are to select another camper who does not know their character or location and speak to the camper as if they were the person in the place on the card they were given. 

• Theater Activity - Around the World

Campers drew cards from a box containing different places from around the world, keeping their place secret from the other campers. Campers acted out different animals and actions from the places they selected. 

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 make decision on final scene(s) they will present in camp Friday, as well as why they selected the scene(s). Campers will make a list of material they need for their costumes, stage, and props. Campers will assign task and decide which team member is responsible for creating what part of the stage, gathering materials for assigned props, what character each camper will play, who will be the narrator, and what lines they will say.

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

Campers handed a blank storyboard. Campers create a short story, using illustrations only. No words are written to describe the details of the story. Once campers are done drawing their stories, they switch their stories with the other campers, and the other campers are to guess what the campers story is about using only the illustrations.

• Theater Activity - What Are You Doing?

Camper selects an action to mime in front of the class. Campers choose who goes first; the first camper goes up and ask the camper miming "What are you doing?". The miming camper stops and gives the first camper an action that is anything but what they're actually doing. The first camper goes off and starts miming that action. The second camper comes up and ask the miming camper "What are you doing?". The miming camper gives the second camper an action to go mime. The game continues until all campers are acting. They then guess what the miming camper was actually 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

Campers will have a few minutes to finalize the above items before they begin setting up their stage for rehearsal and performance. Stage set up is between 1pm and 2pm, and campers want to most time possible to set up their stage before rehearsal at 2pm.

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!