Activities

1. Using books that have been made into movies as examples, identify reasons why movies do not follow the books exactly.
   
   
2. Using a short story and a reader’s theater of the same story, read each and identify what was done to change the story into a reader’s theater.

3. Using a T-Chart, compare and contrast what is seen and heard when reading a poem and when listening to a poem.
   
   
4. Use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the experience of reading a play to watching a live play.

5. Given a story and the same story performed as a play, read the story and watch the play.  Identify and explain the advantages to each.
   
   
6. Read a poem and watch a video of the same poem being performed by the poet.  Explain which one you preferred and explain why.

Answer Key/Rubric

1. Using books that have been made into movies as examples, student identifies why movies do not follow the books exactly.  Student correctly lists reasons why movies do not always follow the book contents exactly.  Some ideas may be:

• Movies have time constraints and could not contain all the details in a book.
• The director or actors in a movie might interpret the book’s meaning or message differently than the reader.
• A book must be rewritten into a screenplay to make a movie.  The screenwriter’s writing or interpretation of the book might change things.
• Images from the book are constructed in the reader’s mind.  The images used in the movie may be different because everyone’s mental pictures are different.

2. Using a short story and a reader’s theater of the same story, student reads each and identifies what was done to change the story into a reader’s theater.  Student correctly identifies changes made to the story to change it into a reader’s theater.  Student produces an adequate list of changes.  Student’s list may include:

• Character’s dialogue is changed into parts for the reader’s theater.
• Less imagery or description in the reader’s theater.
• Description or background information may be conveyed by a narrator in the reader’s theater.
• Description or background information may be moved to be at the beginning of a scene or act.
• Reader’s theater is broken into acts or scenes.

3. Using a T-Chart, student compares and contrasts what is seen and heard when reading a poem and when listening to a poem.  Student correctly lists what is seen and heard when reading a poem.  Student correctly list what is seen and heard when listening to a poem being read.  Student notes what elements are the same and what elements are different.  Student’s list is complete.  Student’s list may include:

4. Student uses a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the experience of reading a play to watching a live play.  Student accurately and adequately fills out Venn diagram.  Student notes differences between watching a play and reading it.  Some items a student may note are:
   Items unique to reading a play are:

• Reader can reread or review scenes of the play.
• Reader can read play within a set period of time or read the play over various time intervals.
• Reader must visualize within his mind what he is reading.
• Reader may have additional time to think over meaning of play because he can read and pause.
• Reader constructs the meaning of play.

Item unique to watching a play:

• Audience experiences the emotions of the audience around them.
• Audience experiences the emotions created by the actors.
• Audience and actors create energy that can felt by each other and can affect the live performance.
• Audience sees the scenery, actors and action and do not have to visualize the play.
• Audience can see facial expressions, body language and listen to the way things are being said or listen for various tones of voice.
• Audience sees how the author wants the play performed.
• Actors and director present an interpretation of the play.
• Characterization of individual characters will vary based on the actors cast in the roles.
• Unexpected changes may occur during a live performance of the play.
• Play is performed in a set period of time.

Items which are similar between reading a play and watching a play:

• Both tell a story or constructed meaning.
• Both contain scripted parts.
• Verbal expression is used when reading part or acting out part.

5. Given a story and the same story performed as a play, read the story and watch the play.  Identify and explain the advantages to each.  Student identifies and explains advantages in reading the story.  Some advantages to reading the story may be:

• More narrative in the story and less dialogue may be preferable.
• Reader can reread or review the story at his leisure.
• Reader can create his own visual interpretation within his mind as he reads.
• Reader has additional time to think over meaning of story before continuing on.
• Reader constructs the meaning of story without influence of actors or directors.

Some advantages to watching the story performed as a play may be:

• Audience can experience the emotions of the audience around them.
• Audience can experience the emotions created by the actors.
• Audience and actors create energy that can felt by each other and can make the performance more emotionally memorable.
• Audience sees the scenery, actors and action and do not have to visualize.
• Audience can see facial expressions, body language and listen to the way things are being said or listen for various tones of voice.
• Actors and director present an interpretation of the story.
• Play is performed in a set period of time and this may be preferable to some based on time-constraints.

6. Student reads a poem and watches a video of the same poem being performed by the poet.  Student explains which one he preferred and explains why.  Student closely reads poem and watches video of the poem being performed.  Student tells which he preferred and gives reasonable reasons why he preferred one over the other.  Student may list reasons such as the following:

• Reading the poem was preferable because I needed to reread the poem to understand it.
• Reading the poem was preferable because I read it at my own pace.  I needed to read it slower or faster.
• Reading the poem was preferable because I preferred the interpretation I constructed.
• Listening to the poet perform the poem was preferable because I could hear the poem aloud and that helped me understand the poem better.
• Listening to the poet perform the poem was preferable because he brought meaning to the poem through tone of voice, inflection or volume.  This helped me understand the poem better.
• Watching the poet perform the poem was preferable because I could see the poet’s facial expression and body language.  This helped me understand the poem.
• Watching the poet perform the poem was preferable because the poet was performing the poem with the interpretation he intended.
• Watching the poet perform the poem was preferable because the poet’s reading made me feel additional emotions, energy, excitement, etc.