Activity 2.2: experiential stage

Introduction

In this activity, students build a prop boat for a journey to Antarctica. They then create freeze frames of their journey, and a soundscape.

Resources

• Outlines of boats on the floor, made up of masking tape or rope
• Construction materials to finish building the boats. For example:
  • Cardboard
  • Cardboard boxes
  • Fabric
  • Net
  • Masking tape
• Badges or sticky labels
• White sheets for each boat, to signify snow
• Musical instruments to provide the sound of a blizzard (optional)

• Improvisation set upShow details
  1. Make outlines in the shapes of boats on the floor using masking tape or lengths of rope, or have the students make the outlines depending on the year level.
  2. Place students in groups of four or five and tell them to move to one of the outlines of the boat, as they are all a part of an Antarctic sea team. Each boat is heading on a journey to explore Antarctica.
  3. Give groups materials to finish building the boats for the trip. For example, cardboard, coloured materials, pieces of net, cardboard boxes broken up.
  4. Give the groups time to set up and decorate their boat, and name it. Allow time to look at each boat when completed and observe the different parts each group has added.

  Later, students may want to draw their boats in their journals.

• Role allocationShow details

  Allocation of roles is probably best done out of the boats.

  1. Have each group decide who is on the boat. Hand out role cards to support their choices.
     • What different types of people work on the boat?
     • What experts will you need? For example, a scientist, a sea captain, a chef, a deepsea diver, a photographer, an artist to draw the animals you find, a person to map the ocean.
  2. Have each student wear their role on a badge or sticky label.
  3. Ask each group the key question:
     • Why are you doing this journey?
     • What are you hoping to learn or discover, prove, find or gather information about?

  Each group has to decide their answer together.

• Freeze frames Show details
  1. Now that the groups have clear roles and a purpose for their journey, have them create some freeze frames.
     • Before they set sail waving goodbye to family and friends
     • Out in the rough sea
     • Looking for land as they approach Antarctica
  2. Each group presents their freeze frames to the class.

  
  

  Tap and talk

  1. As students present their freeze frames, they are tapped to talk about what they are doing. When one person is tapped the others in the group must remain frozen. The person tapped speaks in role as they explain aspects of the trip.
  2. Use this device to extend on role creation and check the purpose of the trip. Questions could include:
     • Why are you on this boat?
     • How are you feeling about the trip?

  After this activity students may want to draw one of their freeze frames in their journals.

  Soundscapes

  1. Have the students leave the boats and return to the circle.
  2. Explain that one of the problems for explorers at sea is a blizzard hitting. Blizzards pick up snow and blow it fiercely. They can create blinding conditions and can be very windy. Icy rain turns into sleet that pounds the surfaces.
     Except for one student from each group who stays with teacher, the students return to their boats.
  3. Place a white sheet in each boat and suggest the students use it to make a blanket of snow over them during the soundscape they are about to hear. Students in boats close their eyes while you and the other students create a blizzard, with howling wind, and shrieking sleet and rain. Students can make sound effects, with voices, musical instruments and clapping as appropriate. You lead and model the sounds to build the blizzard.
  4. You may want to repeat this several times so all students can both make the soundscape and feel the effects of it. Discuss with the students what it felt like. Have they ever been in a bad storm?

  
  

  Introducing a problem

  All groups are in their boats.

  1. As narrator, explain:

     
     'It is a normal day and they have been sailing for about three days. They are about to eat dinner and some of the crew have been preparing it.'

     Have the students establish the scene and improvise. Allow around five minutes for students to enjoy 'the play' on the boat.

  2. As narrator, introduce a problem:

     
     'The captain and the first mate start to notice a gathering of storms in the distance. They start to prepare the boat as the storm which is rapidly turning into a blizzard gets closer and closer. All the crew now are looking at the blizzard and starting to steady the boat.'

     Explain that the sound of the blizzard will start soon and they all need to survive the storm. During the blizzard, the boat will be hit hard and be saturated by rain; it will be rocked and tossed.
     Use some of the instruments to create the blizzard effect. Use sounds to structure the blizzard and gradually fade it out.

  3. As narrator, explain:

     
     'The boat has been damaged and the crew start to notice water coming in. Everyone prepares to help.'

     Allow the students to improvise the situation, maybe add some sound effects.
     What are they planning to do to save the situation?

  Cut the drama

  1. Discuss and debrief with the students. Find out what each group was planning to do.
  2. Ask students to record in their workbook a description of the blizzard or a drawing.

  
  

  Group meeting

  As narrator, explain:

  'Each of the boats sustained serious damage and did sink. But the crews survived and are all back in town recovered and healthy. They have all been invited to speak to a group of young scientists about going to Antarctica. They are to tell how they survived a blizzard at sea.'

  This is essentially a questioning activity. For example, the captain might be asked how they managed to survive the cold after escaping the sinking boat.