ARTS IMPACT INSTITUTE LESSON PLAN
Core Program Year 1 Arts Foundations
Author: Lisa Norman -
Grade Levels: Second – Fifth Grade
THEATER LESSON – Exaggerated Poetry
Examples:
Enduring Understanding
A strong vocal and physical choice create more dynamic communication.
Target: Creates an exaggerated pose to represent a selected dynamic word.
Criteria: Presents an embellished pose associated with word meaning.
Target: Adds exaggerated movement to the created pose to expand meaning.
Criteria: Uses entire body in motion reflecting the attributes of a word.
Target: Makes an exaggerated vocal choice to express the word.
Criteria: Presents a distinct voice that clearly conveys and overstates the associated sounds for
a word.
Target: Combines physical and vocal choices in a single exaggerated expression of a word.
Criteria: Creates a simultaneous exaggerated expression using body and voice.
Teaching and Learning Strategies
1. Warm-up: Leads students in verses of “When You’re Happy and You Know It” in a
group circle. Draws attention to how the emotional states are manifested in the body/face.
Prompts: How do your eyes look when you are angry? Look around the circle. See the different
ways our faces show emotion or feelings. We’re going to look at how our bodies and voices
communicate words.
Student: Uses body and facial expression.
2. Presents a selected word to the students and leads them through developing
poses (statues) that represent the word. Prompts: How can I show the meaning of a word with
my body? Can I be wiggly? Tiny? Enormous?
Student: Creates individual pose that reflects the meaning of a word.
Embedded Assessment: Criteria-based self-reflection
3. Leads the students in creating a more exaggerated pose. Prompts: How can I position
my body to expand or strengthen the meaning of a word—really exaggerate it?
Student: Exaggerates and refines the pose already chosen.
Embedded Assessment: Criteria-based self-reflection
4. Guides students in adding exaggerated movement to enhance their interpretation
of the word.
Student: Creates and refines the accompanying movement to their exaggerated pose.
Embedded Assessment: Criteria-based self-reflection
Arts Impact Core 1 – Arts Foundations Summer Institute – Theater: Exaggerated Poetry
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5. Guides students in making a vocal choice that conveys the meaning of the word.
Uses both physically and emotionally descriptive words.
Student: Creates a vocalization that conveys associated sounds with meaning.
Embedded Assessment: Criteria-based self-reflection
6. Guides the students in exaggerating their vocalization. Prompts: If you were to
exaggerate your voice, how could you do that? If it is shrill, how cold you make it shriller? If it is
deep, how could you make it deeper?
Student: Exaggerates and refines the vocal choice already made.
Embedded Assessment: Criteria-based self-reflection
7. Guides the students in combining their physical and vocal creations.
Student: Combines, refines, and presents the exaggerated physical/vocal expressions of a word.
Embedded Assessment: Criteria-based peer reflection
8. Divides the students into small groups and assigns each group a different poem
by Shel Silverstein for an “exaggerated words” presentation. Prompts: How can you
apply what we just learned to presenting this poem? What words in the poem call out for
exaggeration?
Student: Applies the same tool learned above to making vocal/physical choices in presenting the
poem to the class.
Embedded Assessment: Criteria-based peer reflection
Vocabulary
Performing Arts: exaggeration,
physical choice, pose, refine,
statues, vocal choice
Materials and Resources
Performing Arts:
Tacoma, WA
Broadway Center for the Performing
Arts
WA Essential Learnings & Frameworks
AEL 1.1.2 principles of organization: physical and vocal choice
AEL 2.2 creative process: refines
AEL 42. connection between content areas: literacy
Seattle, WA
Seattle Children’s Theatre
Arts Impact Core 1 – Arts Foundations Summer Institute – Theater: Exaggerated Poetry
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ARTS IMPACT INSTITUTE LESSON PLAN
THEATER LESSON – Exaggerated Poetry
PERSONAL ASSESSMENT WORKSHEET
Student Name
Physical Choice
Presents a pose magnifying the
word meaning: embellished
using the entire body in motion
Student Name
Vocal Choice
Presents a vocal choice that clearly conveys and
enlarges the meaning of the word: distinct voice
with overstated associated sounds
Refinement
Creates simultaneously
exaggerated expression
using body and voice
Total
3
Exaggerated Poetry
Self-Reflection
Word Choice:
Why does this body position exaggerate my word? Describe where you placed your arms, legs and back?
What changes did you make to exaggerate and refine (improve expressive power of) your pose?
What type of movement did you make to add to your pose? How does this movement relate to the meaning
of the word?
How would you describe the voice you created to communicate the meaning of the word? Why did you
choose it?
What changes did you make to exaggerate and refine (improve expressive power of) your voice?
Student Name
Classmate
Observed:
Exaggerated Poetry
Peer Reflection
What physical and vocal choices did the student make to express the meaning of their word?
How did the student combine voice and movement simultaneously so the voice and body smoothly and
effectively communicated as one?
Teacher Comments:
Arts Impact Core 1 – Arts Foundations Summer Institute – Theater: Exaggerated Poetry
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ARTS IMPACT INSTITUTE LESSON PLAN
THEATER LESSON – Exaggerated Poetry
ASSESSMENT WORKSHEET
Students
Physical Choice
Presents a pose magnifying
the word meaning:
embellished using the entire
body in motion
Vocal Choice
Presents a vocal choice that
clearly conveys and enlarges
the meaning of the word:
distinct voice with overstated
associated sounds
Refinement
Creates
simultaneously
exaggerated
expression using
body and voice
Total
3
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
Total
Percentage
Criteria-based Reflection Questions: (Note examples of student reflections.)
Self-Reflection:
Why does your body position exaggerate your word? Describe where you placed your arms, legs
and back. What changes did you make to exaggerate and refine (improve expressive power of)
your pose?
Peer to Peer: What adjustments did you see your classmate make when they combined their
body and voice together?
Thoughts about Learning:
Which prompts best communicated concepts? Which lesson dynamics helped or hindered learning?
Lesson Logistics:
Which classroom management techniques supported learning?
Teacher:
Date:
Arts Impact Core 1 – Arts Foundations Summer Institute – Theater: Exaggerated Poetry
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ARTS IMPACT FAMILY LETTER
THEATER LESSON – Exaggerated Poetry
Dear Family:
Today your child participated in a theater arts lesson. We studied the use of physical and vocal
exaggeration to improve interpretation and communication.

We created poses to express words.

We exaggerated those poses and added movement to them.

We used our voices to enhance our physical expression of the word.
At home you could notice how your family members may use exaggerated gestures and voices to
clearly communicate how they are feeling.
Enduring Understanding
A strong vocal and physical choice creates more dynamic communication.
Arts Impact Core 1 – Arts Foundations Summer Institute – Theater: Exaggerated Poetry
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CLASSROOM RESOURCE
Lyrics to “When You’re Happy and You Know It!
When
When
When
When
you’re
you’re
you’re
you’re
happy and know it, clap your hands,
happy and know it, clap your hands,
happy and know it, then you face will truly show it,
happy and know it, clap your hands.
When
When
When
When
you’re
you’re
you’re
you’re
sad and know it, say ‘boo hoo’,
sad and know it, say ‘boo hoo’,
sad and know it, then your face will truly show it,
sad and know it, say ‘boo hoo’.
When
When
When
When
you’re
you’re
you’re
you’re
mad and know it, stomp your feet,
mad and know it, stomp your feet,
mad and know it, then your face will truly show it,
mad and know it, stomp your feet.
When
When
When
When
you’re
you’re
you’re
you’re
nervous and know it, shake and tremble,
nervous and know it, shake and tremble,
nervous and know it, then your face will truly show it,
nervous and know it, shake and tremble.
When
When
When
When
you’re
you’re
you’re
you’re
frightened and know it, say ‘Ooooooh’,
frightened and know it, say ‘Ooooooh’,
frightened and know it, then your face will truly show it
frightened and know it, say ‘Ooooooh’.
When
When
When
When
you’re
you’re
you’re
you’re
bored and know it, say ‘What-ever’,
bored and know it, say ‘What-ever’,
bored and know it, then your face will truly show it,
bored and know it, say ‘What-ever’.
NOTE TO TEACHER: You and/or your students may choose to make up other verses.
Arts Impact Core 1 – Arts Foundations Summer Institute – Theater: Exaggerated Poetry
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