This is how I created the presentation with kids last year
(and many years & skits before that.) You can use this as rough
outline of what to expect and how to help the kids create a dynamic
presentation, keeping them in charge of major decisions, but meeting
deadlines and staying on task!
I
just want to share what I've done in the past with kids encase it might
be of help to you as the co-coach of FLL. This is just one way to go about this task, and there are many other ways; Probably as many as there are FLL coaches :)
It's important to keep the goal of the research in mind when helping the kids through this process- this is about kids feeling empowered to change and improve their world. It's about them identifying a problem and seeking out new and novel solutions to that problem. Get the help of experts and present it c-l-e-a-r-l-y to the judges who must evaluate the problem and the possible solution among the 12-20 groups they see that day at tournament. This part of FLL may not be as shiny or instantly as exciting as the robot game, but it has great value to them as budding scientists to learn to evaluate problems and create solutions.
Have fun,
Brandy
This
is how my team did it last year- we all brainstormed ideas for a topic,
& everyone came back with research and presented a 2-5 minute
presentation on their findings. We narrowed down the topic.
Brainstormed who the best experts would be to contact to ask
questions. Then brainstormed what questions we would ask them. Had
our secretary write down the questions. Assigned two of the older kids
to draft an email to send to the experts (This could have been done as a
group letter writing skill, but we were only looking for 10-15 minutes
bits as we covered all topics in each meeting). All kids went home and
came back with the emails or contacts of at least one expert to send the
letter to. The letter writers came back with the draft, which was
revised by the group and then were
given the contacts of important experts to send the letter to. My
team sent the letter to 15 geneticists around the world (topic last year
was Body Wars). Six wrote us back; 3, we corresponded with several
times in a back and forth question answer session. At least two of the
researchers told me they looked me up to see who I was and felt
comfortable answering the my questions since I seemed like "a real
person". So word to the wise, while the kids draft the letter, the
coach's name should also be signed at the bottom. During our gathering
of expert evaluation of the kid's solution to their problem, the kids
worked on their presentation.
I've
worked with lots of youth group drama projects before, and when the kids
are the ones writing the original play, we start like this: Once the
problem/plot is identified, each child comes to the table with his or
her idea for
the play- this is a ROUGH, general idea about the plot of the play-
like a sentence that describes the play. (ex. "A woman's child has a
disease, and she goes to the doctor's to see what options her child has
to prevent an early death." Grim, but it was body wars. or "A new coach
has a foreign soccer team and no one speaks the same language. They need
to invent a robot so they can all communicate.") Once all
the ideas are listed, we brainstormed and voted on the play's plot. ( I
have a three tier voting system-the first time you can vote on any play
plot that you like. Then we take the top three or four and everyone can
only vote once. Then we get down to the last two ideas, and we vote a
final time. ) The kids generally combine the last two
ideas, proving once again that many minds are used to make one great
idea- and it generally makes the kids feel better working on an idea
when they feel they all have
input.
Then we start a
"director's scene log", which is like a series of movements through the
play, but has no written dialogue. Again, each child writes out their
vision of the movement through the play. Everyone reads their director's
log out, and after voting to try one or two of the plays, or combining
their favorite parts of several logs, we add in any important props that
must be touched, moved or handled and then make a master Director's
log. There is no pre-written dialogue, the kids get to free form the
dialogue as they move through the play, feeling the skit out. The kids
will naturally say things, like, "oh that was really funny, say that
next time too." (tip: get someone to write this down.) Or "no, you can't
run around shouting here because then we can't hear the doctor speak."
As we got new information from our experts in, the
kids added or subtracted dialogue. This time, we ended up having to
write a script since free forming it seemed to loose a lot of important
information. The kids asked to write their scripts, but I have had teams
that never wrote a final script and were great. Each team wrote their
lines together, and then we practiced saying the lines loud enough to be
heard. We practiced the play a lot. Props should be gotten as early
as possible, and wardrobe should be finalized with at least enough time
to try the play out in full costume for 3 presentations.
I highly encourage you to film the presentations, before and after
final wardrobe. I don't do a lot of directing since if you set it up
well, they direct themselves. Let them see themselves, & they will
find all the areas you hoped they would improve upon. Quiet ppl
realize their issue, and 90% of the time will speak up if they get to
see themselves on the big screen and can't be heard. All the talking in
the world will not get them to be loud enough to be heard three rows
back, but one good "movie review" can do wonders. Ask questions about
areas you see need improvement, and get the parents of kids to watch a
play rehearsal and get the kids to ask questions of the audience- Did
you know what my job was? Did you understand what was happening? Did
you understand where/when the play took place? What was your favorite
part? Could you hear me/us? etc. Parents are really nice, but they will
usually point out to the kids where they need to clarify. Sometimes,
because I'm so close to the action and I know what's happening, even I
miss that part of their play that is incomprehensible to the new viewer
and seemed to make no sense what so ever. Siblings can be harsher,
though that isn't always terrible, but younger sibling don't always
know what's happening in the play even when the parents do, so kinda
limit how often little Susy gets to input on what part makes sense to
her.
Of course, the whole process of this is
to make the kids in control of their presentation, all for members to
have input so they feel heard, and to produce the highest quality
project that the group can reach. I've had groups where some kids just
weren't actors, weren't really interesting in acting and were, in fact,
upset that they would be asked to be in the presentation. Hopefully,
your number of this particular kind of student is less than 1/4. You can
not help this, but that doesn't mean they can't be on stage and
certainly does not take them out of helping make the presentation. My
answer so far has been "the human prop". While a human coat rack is an
unusual feature for a
hospital, it is funny in an odd way and allows all members a part in
the play that meets their skills. Also any signage that must be walked
across the stage is an excellent job for the quiet- doesn't-like-to-speak-to- new- ppl team member; Even if all they do is present a sign
that introduces the play and then flips it to end the play. In my team,
everyone must be on stage, but not everyone talks.
Good luck to your team,
Brandy
1 comments:
Thanks this was very helpful!
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