1st Grade Mime Lesson Plan (Theatre)

Topic: teaching mimes

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to understand the basic concepts of mime.

Materials

• Whiteboard and markers
• Images of people making gestures or using their bodies to communicate (e.g. posing for a selfie, performing a ballet pirouette, mimicking a machine beeping)

Warm-up

• Ask students if they have ever seen a mime performance. What did the mime do? Ask for examples of gestures or movements that the students think might be appropriate for a mime to perform.

Direct Instruction

• Show students some examples of gestures or movements that might be appropriate for a mime to perform. Ask students to brainstorm other gestures or movements that a mime might use. Write their ideas on the board.
• Explain to students that mimes use their bodies to act out stories or scenes without using words. Mimes can use their bodies to show emotions, actions, or events.
• Show students some examples of different emotions or actions that a mime might portray using their body. Ask students to name the emotion or action that the mime is showing.
• Show students some examples of different events that a mime might portray using their body. Ask students to name the event that the mime is showing.

Guided Practice

• Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a scenario (e.g. ?a storm has knocked down a tree?) and have them brainstorm ideas for a mime to act out the scenario using only their bodies.
• Have each group present their mime act to the class. Encourage students to use the gestures and movements that they have learned.

Independent Practice

• Give each student a blank piece of paper and have them create their own mime act. Encourage them to use the gestures and movements that they have learned.
• Have students present their mime acts to the class.

Closure

• Have students share any new gestures or movements that they learned during the lesson.
• Review the different parts of a mime act and have students give examples of each.

Assessment

• Observe students during the independent practice activity and provide feedback on their use of mime elements and their understanding of the different parts of a mime act.