The Arts · Year 1

Active learning ideas

The Actor's Toolbox: Body and Face

Active learning works for this topic because students need to feel and see emotions through movement before they can reliably perform them. Physical practice builds muscle memory for facial expressions and body shapes, making abstract ideas like 'confidence' or 'fear' concrete and repeatable.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9ADR2E01

• 15–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Role Play
• 20 min · Pairs

Pairs: Mirror Faces and Poses

Students pair up and face each other. One leads with slow facial expressions or body poses for emotions like happy or surprised; the partner mirrors exactly. Switch roles every minute, then discuss what the audience might think the character feels.

Explain what your face can tell the audience about what your character is thinking.

Facilitation Tip

During Mirror Faces and Poses, circulate and gently exaggerate your own expressions to model clarity for students who are hesitant.

What to look for

Ask students to stand up and show you how their body might move if they were feeling very excited. Then, ask them to show you how their body might move if they were feeling very tired. Observe for clear distinctions in posture and movement.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Role Play
• 30 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Emotion Walks

Teacher names an emotion; the class walks across the room using body and face to show it, such as slumped shoulders for sad or bouncy steps for happy. Freeze on signal, share observations in a circle. Repeat with pairs of contrasting emotions.

Compare how a character might walk if they are happy versus sad.

Facilitation Tip

For Emotion Walks, demonstrate each walk yourself first, exaggerating the differences between happy and sad so students see the contrast immediately.

What to look for

Give each student a card with a simple emotion written on it (e.g., happy, sad, surprised). Ask them to draw a face showing that emotion and write one word describing a body movement that matches it.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Role Play
• 40 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Character Journey

Groups of three to four draw cards with emotion sequences, like scared to confident. They create and practice poses and walks, then perform for the class. Class guesses the journey and gives one positive feedback.

Construct a series of facial expressions to show a character's journey through different emotions.

Facilitation Tip

When groups create Character Journeys, remind them to plan at least three distinct body or face changes to show emotional progression.

What to look for

Show students a picture of a character from a book or show. Ask: 'What do you think this character is thinking or feeling based on their face and body? How do you know?' Encourage them to point to specific features or postures.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 04

• Role Play
• 15 min · Individual

Individual: Face Freeze Frames

Students sit in a circle. Teacher says an emotion; each pulls a face and freezes. Go around sharing what the face shows about the character. Add body poses for variety.

Explain what your face can tell the audience about what your character is thinking.

Facilitation Tip

During Face Freeze Frames, give students 10 seconds to settle into a pose before moving to the next frame so the silence builds focus.

What to look for

Ask students to stand up and show you how their body might move if they were feeling very excited. Then, ask them to show you how their body might move if they were feeling very tired. Observe for clear distinctions in posture and movement.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach this topic by moving from isolated skills to connected sequences. Start with single emotions in Mirror Faces and Poses to build confidence, then combine them in short walks and journeys. Research shows that children learn non-verbal cues faster when they practice in low-pressure pairs before performing for the group. Avoid rushing corrections; give students time to observe and mimic peers before refining their own work.

Students will move purposefully to show clear, exaggerated emotions through their face and body. They will discuss how small changes in posture or expression shift meaning, and apply these skills in short sequences that tell a story without words.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Mirror Faces and Poses, watch for students who rely on verbal cues to explain emotions instead of letting their face and body show it first.

  Pause the activity and ask partners to describe only what they see in the face and body of their peer. Then ask the peer to adjust their pose based on the feedback before speaking.

• During Emotion Walks, watch for students who assume all sad characters move the same way.

  Have each student demonstrate their sad walk, then ask the class to name one unique detail in each walk. Discuss how character background or personality changes the movement.

• During Face Freeze Frames, watch for students who make subtle, realistic expressions that are hard to read from a distance.

  Remind students that stage acting needs big, clear shapes. Ask them to redo the freeze frame with two key features exaggerated, like arched eyebrows or a hunched back.

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Methods used in this brief

• Role Play