Lesson 72: Acting out a story

📖 READING (40 Lessons) • 🟣 D. Reading Together

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Objective

Act out a short story by using your voice, face, and body to show the characters, feelings, and events.

Materials

Mini-lesson — How can we act out a story?

When we act out a story, we turn the story into a little play.

We can use:

  • our voices — loud, soft, excited, scared
  • our faces — happy, worried, surprised
  • our bodies — walking, jumping, sitting, pretending

We can pretend to be:

  • the characters in the story
  • a narrator who reads or tells what happens
  • objects in the story (like trees or animals) with our bodies

Good actors:

  • try to match the story, not make up a totally different one
  • show how the characters feel with their faces and voices
  • take turns so everyone can try a part
  • are kind and safe (no pushing, no teasing)

You can use these frames:

  • “I will act as the character who…”
  • “I show that the character feels ____ by…”

Today, you will practice acting out a small story and talking about how it helps you understand the characters.

Picture strip: From book to little stage

Guided Practice — Mini-book: Acting out a small story

How to use this mini-book:

  • Read the tiny story and the acting plan.
  • Choose a part to play: a character or the narrator.
  • Use your voice, face, and body to act it out.

On your paper, draw a tiny stage. Show where each character stands and write one line you would say in the story.

Acting words
act stage narrator character voice face move

Frames: “I will act as…” “I show the feeling by…”

Mini-Book: Acting out a small story

1

The tiny story

Jaden brings a special shell to school. At recess, he drops it and it cracks.

He feels sad and sits alone on the bench.

His friend Luna sits beside him and says, “Tell me about your shell.”

2

Acting out the story

One person is the narrator and reads the sentences.

One person acts as Jaden. One person acts as Luna.

Use your face and voice to show how Jaden feels at the beginning and at the end.

3

Acting tips

Walk slowly and look down when you act sad.

Sit tall and smile when you act kind and helpful.

Keep your hands and body gentle so everyone stays safe.

4

After the play

Talk together: How did it feel to be Jaden? How did it feel to be Luna?

Did acting help you understand the story better?

Good readers can act out stories and then talk about them.

Reading Practice — Getting ready to act out a story

Read each tiny story idea. Drag the best sentence about how to act it out or talk about the acting. Chips stay in their own question. Then press “Check sentences.”

Your teacher reads a story about a quiet library. You are getting ready to act it out.
A good plan is:

I will act in a way that matches what really happens in the story. I will pretend it is a loud soccer game instead. I will not listen to the story at all.

You are acting as a character who is excited to see a friend.
A good goal for your acting is:

I will use my voice and face to show how the character feels. I will stand like a statue and say nothing. I will only move my feet and never my face.

There are more kids than parts for one story.
A fair way to act is:

We will take turns so everyone can try a part in the story. Only one person should act every time. We will push to see who gets the part first.

In the story, a character trips and falls.
When you act it out, you should remember:

I will keep my hands and body gentle so everyone stays safe. I should really push people to make it look real. I will run as fast as I can with my eyes closed.

Your teacher asks, "What does the narrator do when we act out a story?"
A good answer is:

The narrator tells what happens in the story while the actors move. The narrator shouts random words that are not in the story. The narrator never speaks or listens.

Your group is choosing what to say while acting.
A good plan is:

We will use the words from the story or words that mean almost the same thing. We will talk about a different movie instead. We will only make silly sounds, not words.

You are not in this round of acting; you are in the audience.
A good way to join in is:

I will watch and listen carefully so I can understand the story better. I will talk loudly over the actors. I will turn away and ignore the story.

Your teacher says, "What should we do after we act out the story?"
A helpful idea is to say:

After we act, we will talk about how the characters felt and what we noticed. We should forget the story right away. We should never talk about what we acted.

You want to show that your character is tired at the end of the story.
A good acting idea is:

I can show the feeling with my body, like slumping when I am tired or bouncing when I am excited. I should always stand straight and never move. I should act excited even when the character is tired.

When your teacher says, "Today we will act out a story," the best thing to remember is to .

use my voice, face, and body to show the story and understand the characters more deeply only wiggle and forget about the story stay silent and not listen

Quick Check — Acting out a story

What does it mean to act out a story?

Which is a good reason to act out a story?

What should you remember about safety when acting?

How can you show that a character feels scared?

What should you do after your group acts out a story?

Assessment (parent/teacher)

Exit ticket (student)

I will practice…

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