Bamboozle Bites May 2009

Bamboozle Bites #16 – May 2009
First of all thank you to all of you who have already completed the short questionnaire.   For those that haven’t yet I would really appreciate it if you can take 30 seconds now to go to the link below and answer the 5 questions there – It will take a couple of minutes at most. 

Thank you in anticipation.  Simply click on the link below now.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=LM1d395Gjn64f6NJSOJHZQ_3d_3d
Shakespeare for students with learning difficulties.

There is still time for you to book a place on this course next week at Curve Theatre in Leicester.   Click on this link for more details.
Now on to this month’s Bite.
Each Bamboozle Bite has three sections – a multi-sensory activity, a drama idea and a behaviour management strategy. It may be that you are interested in only one of these in which case click on the summary of the one you want [below] and you will go straight to that section.

Multi-sensory activity

Fire flies
Click here for more.

Drama idea
Using a roll of corrugated card as an entrance
Click here for more.
Behaviour management strategy
 
This may not be relevant to you but …
Click here for more.
 

This month’s multi-sensory activity
Fire flies
This is a really simple idea that is quite magical.  It is best if you are able to achieve a blackout but can be effective without complete darkness.
You need pen torches and flexible rods such as withies [willow that basket makers use].  The pen torches are taped onto the ends of the rods which are then waved around in the darkness.  The flexible nature of the rods provide a bounce to the lights that give them the appearance of fireflies dancing in the darkness.  Magical!  This effect can be used on its own or in combination with gentle music while students are lying on the floor for a session of relaxation.
If you are using withies for the rods you may need to weave 2 or 3 together to make them strong enough to hold the weight of the torches.
 

This month’s drama idea

Using a roll of corrugated card as an entrance

It is part of the human condition to be intrigued by what we can’t see.  One of the first games of infancy is “Peep Po” and children from a very early age love to play hide & seek for this reason, and tell anyone that you are not going to show them what you have in your hand and I can pretty much guarantee that they will want to see what it is.  We can use this desire to see what is hidden to our advantage at the beginning of a drama session by making use of a roll of corrugated card to obscure what is in the room.

You will need two lengths of corrugated card which become the sides of a passage way that stands just inside the door to the classroom or hall.  The passage needs at least one bend in it so that those looking from the door cannot see to the end of the passage.  A degree of mystery is thus introduced which enhances the start of the session.

The card will stand up by itself by creating a snake like lay out.  This will not, of course, withstand a child who is bent on knocking things down.  In those circumstances support will be needed and in any case the card is light so will not do any damage if it is knocked over.   

We have bought rolls of card from http://www.packright.co.uk/  01268 768 768.

This month’s behaviour management strategy

This may not be relevant to you but …

When we say this many students think “Oh yeah! I’ll decide what’s relevant to me,” and they then pay close attention to what comes next – just to check whether it will indeed be relevant to them or not.  Which is, of course, just what we want them to do.   Some examples:

This may not be relevant to you but when class xyz  tried this they found that everything got much easier

This may not be relevant to you but 90% of students who have attempted it said that they found it much easier than they thought it would be.

This may not be relevant to you but some people get amazing results using this language pattern.
Just a reminder.  If you haven’t already I would really appreciate 2 minutes of your time to answer 5 multiple choice questions.    Simply click on the link below now.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=LM1d395Gjn64f6NJSOJHZQ_3d_3d

If you have been forwarded this from a friend then go to www.bamboozletheatre.co.uk and sign up to receive your own copy of the Bites each month.

Have a great month, warm regards

Christopher