The Arts · Grade 3 · The Stage: Drama and Character · Term 2

Character Development

Combining voice, body, and imagination to create a believable character.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• TH:Cr1.1.3a

About This Topic

Setting the scene involves the 'world-building' aspects of drama. In Grade 3, students explore how external elements, props, costumes, and simple set pieces, transform a classroom into a theatrical space. The Ontario Curriculum encourages students to use these elements to enhance their characterizations and clarify the setting of their dramas. They learn that a 'prop' isn't just an object; it's a tool that can be used to show a character's status, occupation, or emotion.

Students also experiment with 'symbolic' staging. They learn that a single chair can be a throne, a car, or a mountain depending on how they interact with it. This develops abstract thinking and resourcefulness. By considering lighting (even just turning off classroom lights) and sound, they understand how to create atmosphere. This topic comes alive when students can physically model the patterns of a scene's environment using everyday objects.

Key Questions

1. Analyze how a character's actions reveal their personality.
2. Design a short monologue from the perspective of a character with a distinct personality.
3. Justify the choices made for a character's voice and movement based on their background.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze how a character's specific actions, such as a gesture or vocalization, reveal their underlying personality traits.
• Design a short monologue for a character, incorporating distinct vocal qualities and physical movements that reflect their personality.
• Justify the choices made for a character's voice (e.g., pitch, pace) and movement (e.g., posture, gait) based on their described background and personality.
• Create a character by combining voice, body language, and imagination to portray a specific personality type consistently.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of a peer's characterization by identifying how their voice and movement choices support their character's personality.

Before You Start

Exploring the Elements of Drama

Why: Students need a basic understanding of drama elements like role-playing and improvisation before focusing on detailed character development.

Non-Verbal Communication

Why: Understanding how body language and facial expressions convey meaning is foundational for developing character movement.

Key Vocabulary

Monologue	A long speech delivered by one actor, often expressing their thoughts aloud or to the audience. It helps show a character's personality.
Vocalization	The act of producing vocal sounds. In drama, this includes tone, pitch, volume, and pace of speech to show character.
Movement	How a character uses their body, including posture, gestures, and facial expressions. This communicates personality and emotion.
Personality Traits	Distinctive qualities or characteristics that make a person or character unique, such as being shy, brave, or curious.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

You need expensive sets and costumes to do 'real' drama.

What to Teach Instead

Students often get caught up in wanting 'perfect' props. Use the 'Prop Transformations' activity to show that the audience's imagination is the most powerful tool, and a simple stick can be a magic wand or a sword if the actor 'treats' it that way.

Common Misconception

The setting is just the background.

What to Teach Instead

Students often ignore their 'set' once the scene starts. Teach them to 'use the space', to sit on the 'throne,' to look out the 'window', to make the setting an active part of the story.

Active Learning Ideas

Inquiry Circle: Prop Transformations

Groups are given one mundane object (e.g., a hula hoop). They must brainstorm and perform three short 'micro-scenes' where the hoop is something different in each (e.g., a portal, a steering wheel, a giant donut).

25 min·Small Groups

Simulation Game: The Atmosphere Lab

Students are given a setting (e.g., a spooky cave). They must work together to 'set the scene' using only classroom furniture, a flashlight, and 'vocal sound effects.' Another group then 'enters' the scene and describes the mood they feel.

35 min·Small Groups

Think-Pair-Share: Costume Clues

Show images of characters in very simple costumes (e.g., just a scarf or a hat). Students discuss with a partner: 'Who is this person? Where are they? How does that one item tell us their story?' They then pick one item from a 'tickle trunk' and build a character around it.

20 min·Pairs

Real-World Connections

• Actors in film and theatre use voice and movement techniques daily to embody characters. For example, an actor playing a king might use a deep voice and a proud posture, while an actor playing a jester might use a higher pitch and quick, jerky movements.
• Voice actors in animated movies and video games create distinct characters solely through vocal performance. They adjust their tone, speed, and accent to make characters like superheroes or cartoon animals believable and engaging.
• Therapists sometimes use role-playing and character embodiment exercises to help clients explore different perspectives and emotions, understanding how physical and vocal expression connects to inner feelings.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

Present students with short video clips (or written descriptions) of characters from familiar stories. Ask them to write down two specific actions or vocalizations the character uses and explain what personality trait each choice reveals.

Exit Ticket

Give students a character profile (e.g., 'a nervous inventor,' 'a cheerful baker'). Ask them to write one sentence describing a specific vocal quality and one sentence describing a specific movement that would fit this character, explaining why they chose it.

Peer Assessment

Have students perform a short, improvised character sketch for a partner. The partner observes and then answers two questions: 'What was one thing the performer did with their voice that showed character?' and 'What was one thing the performer did with their body that showed character?'

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a prop and a costume?

A costume is something an actor wears (like a hat or a cape). A prop (short for 'property') is something an actor carries or uses (like a book, a wand, or a phone).

How can I manage 'prop chaos' in the classroom?

Limit students to one or two items per group. Establish a 'prop table' where everything must be returned immediately after use. Teach 'prop safety', objects should never be used to hit or distract others.

How can active learning help students understand stagecraft?

Active learning strategies like 'The Atmosphere Lab' turn students into designers. By physically manipulating their environment to create a 'mood,' they learn the impact of lighting and sound through direct experimentation. This hands-on approach makes the concept of 'atmosphere' tangible rather than just a vocabulary word.

How do I connect setting to French-Canadian culture?

Explore the setting of a traditional Québécois 'veillée' (evening gathering). Use props like a 'fleur-de-lis' flag or traditional music to set the scene, discussing how these symbols represent the unique identity and history of Francophone communities in Canada.