Purpose:  A simple intro warm up to help everyone break out of their shell. While having tons of fun, we will practice our observation skills and ability to process context cues within a virtual environment.  

Learning Goals:

• Encourage students to never lose a sense of the original gesture in their exaggerations.
• Learn about character development, taking small traits and enhancing them to extremes.

Procedure:

1. All participants must have their cameras on. They should also be looking at everyone in the virtual classroom using the grid view. 

2.  The first player will begin by demonstrating a gesture. 

3.  The next player takes it over and makes it even bigger.

4.  This continues all the way around until the last person takes it to the EXTREME.

5.  After a couple times with just movement, the players can add a sound as well.

Purpose: Collectively engage in a focus activity to bring the group energy to a serene environment during high-energy days. It’s simple, peaceful, and allows everyone to focus on one common goal: Creating soundscapes with our bodies. 

Procedure:

The goal is to create the sound of a rainstorm using only our bodies.  This requires no speaking. First, listen to this clip for inspiration.

Activity 1:  Rub your hands together.  (This is the wind)

Activity 2:  Tap one finger on the palm of your hand.  (These are the first raindrops.)

Activity 3:  Tap all 4 fingers.  (Many more rain drops.)

Activity 4:  Full out clapping.  (It’s getting more intense!)

Activity 5:  Slap on the floor, or your thighs.  (Thunder enters!)

After a big crescendo, repeat all the activities in reverse order as the storm dies down, until you’re rubbing hands together.

Then quietly stop, and there should be absolutely silence.

Reflections:

Reflect on whether it accomplished the goal of sounding like a rainforest.  Then, answer the following questions based on your experience:

1. Are there any other activities we could add to make the sounds more realistic?  (Standing and stomping on your feet for thunder?)  
2. What other environmental sounds could be created using just our bodies?

Final Challenge:

As smaller breakout groups, you will have 10 minutes to create your own “soundscape”. Then, you will come back to share your soundscape with the rest of the class. Be creative!