Activity 1.2: aliens – the game

Introduction

This is a whole-class activity focused on careful listening and responding.

In the game, each student creates an individual, physical version of an alien. Any version or interpretation is valid as these are fictitious, imagined creatures. You may like to model some ideas for students who are not familiar or confident with drama.

The objective of the game is to stay in by not being caught by the alien. The game may take some time to set up and explain but most children understand it after a couple of practices. They really enjoy creating their own 'alien' and responding quickly when being 'attacked'.

Note: the term 'freeze' is well recognised in drama classes as a way to have students stop quickly and wait quietly in position. It is highly recommended for this activity. You may also find it relevant for other drama activities.

Duration

5 minutes or until the game naturally ends

Resources

Open space large enough for students to move comfortably and safely

• Activity stepsShow details

  Setting up the game

  1. Students spread out in the space and close their eyes.
  2. As preparation, have them imagine an alien from space. What might it look like? How might it move? Would it be robotic? Would it be slimy? Would it be like a monster? Would it be friendly? Would it be strange but beautiful?
  2. When students open their eyes, they can become that imagined alien and move around the room as they think their alien would.
  3. The following is a suggested script.
  4. What are different ways that an alien could move? Stamp? Slither? Skim? Slide? Like a robot?
  5. Freeze! Now choose one sound that your alien could make.
  6. Move around the room again and make the sound softly, then a little more loudly, then softly.
  7. Freeze! Now make the alien disappear and be yourself again.
  4. Have students stand still and close their eyes again.
  5. Choose an 'alien' to begin the game (ie tap a student on the shoulder).
  5. Explain that when the students open their eyes, there needs to be silence in the room except for any noise the 'alien' makes, and the voice of the person who needs to call out the name of someone else as part of the game.

  
  

  Playing the game

  1. The chosen alien (Student A) begins by walking slowly towards another student (Student B) with arms outstretched 'like an alien'. (Here, students can draw on the aliens they have already imagined.)
  2. Before the alien reaches them, Student B must call out the name of someone else in the class. If they do that before the alien taps them, then they are safe and remain standing in their spot.
  3. If Student B isn't quick enough, then they are out and must sit on the floor in a place where they can watch the rest of the game.
  4. If Student B is successful and calls out someone's name before the alien taps them, the current 'alien' stops where they are.
  5. The 'alien' then turns back into a person and remains part of the game.
  4. The person whose name was called out must become the new alien.
  5. The new alien then chooses someone else to walk towards in their own alien style.
  6. The person they are walking towards needs to quickly call out the name of another person so they don't get tapped ... and so on.
  7. Students can work on the element of surprise while staying in their alien character.
  5. The activity can be extended by having two aliens moving about at the same time.
  6. Have students record their alien, its physical characteristics, sound and way of moving by drawing or writing. They will be revisiting their alien character in Activity 3.1: alien invasion.