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  • 1.  10 SECONDS TO RESPOND...

    Posted 01-08-2016 07:42

    They have added MS Drama this year and I'm working with 7th and 8th graders for the first time.  They really enjoy the "TEN SECONDS TO MAKE" activity (a car, a clock, an elephant) but I'm quickly running out of new ideas for them.

    Does anyone has some ideas or even a list they could share?

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    Stephen Benjamin
    Director of Theatre Arts
    Garfield Heights OH
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  • 2.  RE: 10 SECONDS TO RESPOND...

    Posted 01-08-2016 07:58

    Ideas in what line? Improvisation activities? Ensemble building games? Tech/design problems? 

    Drama Games for Classrooms and Workshops by Jessica Swale is an excellent resource for quick fit drama games and exercises that build skills and ensemble. 

    Drama Teacher Academy is an excellent subscription service that has several courses that push games/activities toward a purpose, I'm thinking particularly of Todd Espeland's 'Serious Play' course. 

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    Phillip Goodchild
    Theatre Arts Instructor/Assistant Department Head of English
    Ruskin FL



  • 3.  RE: 10 SECONDS TO RESPOND...

    Posted 01-09-2016 14:04

    In this particular case, I was referring to the drama game: "10 Seconds to Make", in which students are broken into teams and have 10 seconds to make an object.  

    I'm sure it goes by other names but was wondering if people had some go-to objects they liked to use.

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    Stephen Benjamin
    Director of Theatre Arts
    Garfield Heights OH



  • 4.  RE: 10 SECONDS TO RESPOND...

    Posted 01-10-2016 18:01

    There are some improv apps available for free that might come in handy for this. I also do a warm up game called Knives and Forks, giving the pairs of students a three second countdown to become objects (like, you guessed it, a knife and a fork...) and then after they get comfortable with that, group them up and start going for intangible things like moods, emotions, etc.

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    Lori Constable
    Teacher; director of Drama
    Independent District 112
    Chanhassen MN



  • 5.  RE: 10 SECONDS TO RESPOND...

    Posted 01-10-2016 09:06

    Oh wow.  While it would be crazy to give you a list of things, I do have some ideas to make it harder for them easier for you....

    I would frame it like this:  Wow - you guys are way to good at this now to keep doing this the easy way.  Are you ready for a challenge?  Now you are going to have to use your time even more efficiently....

    Instead of giving them a specific object, give them a category where they have to also come up with the idea.  it will show them that they need to make decisions quickly and not stand around debating.  I am kind of pulling this from the Sean Layne 1 minute challenges.  

    So instead of saying you have 30 seconds to make an elephant, say you have 30 seconds to make something that begins with the letter S.  They will have to quickly think of something, decide, and execute.  You may even want to make that transition to this version by breaking up the chunks for them:  5 seconds to think, 5 seconds to share, 5 seconds to decide, then 15 seconds to make!  

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    Jennifer Simmons
    Lexington SC



  • 6.  RE: 10 SECONDS TO RESPOND...

    Posted 01-10-2016 14:42
    Try telling them to "make something" but no one is allowed to speak. Non verbal communication skills ratchet up big time, and it's fun.


    Ronald Wells
    Theater Teacher/Director
    Tech Director/Designer









  • 7.  RE: 10 SECONDS TO RESPOND...

    Posted 01-10-2016 16:35

    Not speaking while forming the object is always part of the game when we play, otherwise a few strong voices hijack the exercise and boss everyone else around.

    My list of "go-to" objects:

    A combo meal with hamburger, side of fries and a drink

    a half-zipped coat zipper

    a circle inside of a square

    a group of tourists on Mars

    a pair of mittens with a hole in one thumb

    an industrial refrigerator full of milk bottles

    an 18th century schooner.

    ...of course, the goal I'm often going for when we play is for the kids to make strong choices and try something without getting paralyzed by the need to "get it right." I often use this with a group that needs to experience "failing gloriously" and moving on. My group used to get furious that I won't extend the time or let them re-do their glorious failures, but now the older kids are used to it and they love throwing themselves wholeheartedly into impossible tasks and not worrying if it doesn't work. I start with easy ones and work up to the impossible ones. I follow this game with one that offers a high degree of success if the kids are feeling frustrated.

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    Meg O'Connor
    Alexandria VA