1. All You Wanted to Know About
Choral Speaking
But Wasn’t Sure Who to
Ask Part 2
2. A few hours ago ….
What are four important questions you have to
answer before you start training students?
3. 1. What was the poet‟s intention?
Silly or serious?
4. 2. Are there any shifts in mood?
Words to indicate a shift ….
But
Suddenly
All of a sudden
5. 3. Which lines carry on in meaning?
Make students aware of lines that carry on
with …
6. 4. What EXACTLY happens at the
beginning and at the end?
The beginning is generally a narrative voice.
The ending generally slows right down to a
stop.
7. Also, a few hours ago …..
What three elements can (and must) be varied?
Pitch
Pace
Volume
9. from anyone lived in a pretty how town
by E. E. Cummings
Children guessed (but only a few
And down they forgot as up they grew
Autumn winter spring summer)
That no one loved him more by more.
11. from A Case of Murder
A dog would have been a different thing
Plump as a cushion with tucked-in paws
Better have left him with a fair-sized rat!
So he took Daddy’s stick and hit the cat.
12. PITCH con‟t
Then quick as a sudden crack in glass
Shot for the door that wasn’t quite shut
His eyes squeezed beads of salty prayer
14. from A Case of Murder
Then quick as a sudden crack in glass FAST!
FAST!
It hissed, black flash, to a hiding place FAST!
In the dust and dark beneath the couch,
And he followed that grin on his new-made face,
SLOW THIS ONE DOWN A NOTCH
18. VOLUME con‟t
The black fur squealed and he felt his skin
Prickle with sparks of dry delight.
19. Look at The Bookshop.
IN THE FIRST STANZA, where could you …
increase the pitch?
pause? //
decrease the volume? V
20. Look at The Bookshop
IN THE SECOND STANZA, where could you …
add a sound?
WHAT sound?
21. Look at The Bookshop.
IN THE LAST STANZA, where can students:
increase the pitch?
pause?
increase the volume?
22. GROUPING
TEACHER
front
1 2 3 4
back
RIGHT LEFT
23. from anyone lived in a pretty how town
by E. E. Cummings
Children guessed (but only a few
And down they forgot as up they grew
Autumn winter spring summer)
E
That no one loved him more by more. (sniffling)
1 2 3 4
25. When does the performance begin?
… when the students start walking up to the
stage!
26. Robotic movements are a no-no!
The movement should start just BEFORE the
students begin speaking, and should end
AFTER the students have spoken.
Students should slowly bring their bodies back
to the original position.
27. Moving Forward
Look at The Slithery Slitch.
The slithery Slitch, the slimy Slitch,
Where could
the richest of the monster rich students
move forward?
lives within a silver ditch
in fancy Monstertown.
28. from The Bookshop
We’ve big ones, small ones, funny, sad
Tales to make you cry …
Where could
but students
move forward?
DON‟T TOUCH THE BOOKS!
DON’T TOUCH THE BOOKS!
We’ve poems, stories, sagas
To make you catch your breath …
29. Create the Atmosphere!
A PARTY
- Balloons (on sticks!)
- Ribbon round the shoulders
- Party hats
32. A boy in the old days could wear …
Shorts
Suspenders
White shirt with collar
Long white socks
33. A boy today could wear …
A baseball cap (backwards!)
A loose t-shirt
Loose trousers
34. A classroom of boys could wear …
Ties
White shirts
Black trousers
35.
36. Witches and Cats!
A witch could wear …
A hat (that isn’t too tall)
A cloak (graduation gown works)
Horrid make-up
37.
38. A cat costume could include ….
A leopard printed shirt
Tight black trousers or tights
Ears on a head band
Simple make-up
39.
40. A poem with a cat and a witch!
There Was an Old Woman
There was an old woman who rode on a broom,
With a high gee ho, gee humble;
And she took her old cat behind for a groom,
With a bimble, bamble, bumble.
46. FIND A CODE.
E – everybody
1,2,3,4 - one of the four groups
- pitch increases
- pitch decreases
BOLD - increase volume
47. FIND A CODE. con‟t
Look at Cleaning the Floors by David McNeal
48.
49. A Bad Hair Day is OK!
Ask the students (they’ll know what goop to
use!) to gel their hair for the performance.
50.
51. Pay attention to alliteration.
If there is alliteration in the poem, students
should emphasize the words ever so slightly,
to show an awareness of alliteration.
55. RHYTHM con‟t
From Tarentella by Hillaire Belloc
And the hip! hop! hap!
Of the clap
Of the hands to the swirl and the twirl
Of the girl gone chancing,
Glancing,
Dancing
Backing and advancing,
Snapping of the clapper to the spin
Out and in --
56. RHYTHM con‟t
from The Slithery Slitch
Inside his slimy limousine
That slips about the slimy scene
He guzzles a glass of gasoline
And licks his slimy lips.
57. WATCH THE ENDING „t‟ CONSONANT.
Local Chinese students will tend to hang on to
the final ‘t’ sounds.
58. from The Bookshop
Toys and television
are both things of the past –
reading is the thing today,
reading pleasures last …
59. LEAVE A TABLEAU AT THE END.
How?
Some students crouched low
Some students left standing
Some students seated
Arms out to the left
Arms out to the right
Heads on tilt
Students shrugging
60.
61. NO MATTER WHAT, SUSTAIN THE
ENDING!
It‟s simple …..
1. When the last word is spoken, all
students stop moving.
2. One student counts to 3 (in his/her head!).
3. The student then comes out and bows.
4. The student leads the procession off the
stage.
62. ENDINGS OF THREE POEMS
from A Case of Murder
„And the huge black cat pads out of it.‟
From The Bookshop
‘DON‟T TOUCH THE BOOKS!‟
From We’re Having a Monster Party!
That there‟s ever monster been!
63. Find your shining star!
Find the student who doesn’t mind the attention
and put him/her …..
in the front row
in the middle
64. POSSIBLE PROBLEMS
Students ask, “Why do we have to do this?”
It’s FUN!!
They learn to pronounce English words.
They learn about poetry.
They learn to work together as a group.
They‟ll never forget the experience.
65. POSSIBLE PROBLEMS
You’re the only one truly interested in your
school!
66. POSSIBLE PROBLEM
You, as a teacher, have no experience doing
this.