Imagining characters and stories
Students warm up to theatre by pretending to be different people, animals, and characters from familiar stories. They use their bodies and voices to bring simple ideas to life.
What does a student learn in
This is the year pretend play turns into real little plays students share with an audience. Students dream up characters, act out short stories, and try out simple voices and movements to bring a scene to life. They also watch each other perform and talk about what they liked and why. By spring, students can play a character in a short skit and say what a story was about after watching it.
- Pretend play
- Acting out stories
- Characters
- Stage movement
- Watching performances
- Talking about plays
Year at a glance
How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.
- 1
- 2
Building scenes together
Students start working with classmates to plan short scenes. They decide who plays which part, what happens first, and how the story ends.
- 3
Practicing and polishing
Students rehearse their scenes and try out small changes to make them clearer or funnier. They learn that acting gets better with practice.
- 4
Sharing work with an audience
Students present short performances to classmates and talk about what each scene was about. They also watch others perform and share what they noticed and liked.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 1.
Connecting
Connecting
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Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art
Students connect something from their own life to a character or story in a play. That personal link shapes the choices they make when acting or creating a scene.
-
Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural
Students connect a play or story to real life by talking about when and where it takes place and who the people in it might be. That bigger picture helps them understand why characters act the way they do.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art | Students connect something from their own life to a character or story in a play. That personal link shapes the choices they make when acting or creating a scene. | TH:Cn10.1 |
| Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural | Students connect a play or story to real life by talking about when and where it takes place and who the people in it might be. That bigger picture helps them understand why characters act the way they do. | TH:Cn11.1 |
Creating
Creating
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Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work
Students invent characters and make-believe situations for a short scene or story. They practice coming up with the ideas themselves, not just following a script someone else wrote.
-
Organize and develop artistic ideas and work
Students take a simple character or story idea and decide how to act it out, choosing what to say, how to move, and what happens next.
-
Refine and complete artistic work
Students revisit a short scene or character choice and make small changes to improve it before sharing it with others.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work | Students invent characters and make-believe situations for a short scene or story. They practice coming up with the ideas themselves, not just following a script someone else wrote. | TH:Cr1.1 |
| Organize and develop artistic ideas and work | Students take a simple character or story idea and decide how to act it out, choosing what to say, how to move, and what happens next. | TH:Cr2.1 |
| Refine and complete artistic work | Students revisit a short scene or character choice and make small changes to improve it before sharing it with others. | TH:Cr3.1 |
Performing/Presenting/Producing
Performing/Presenting/Producing
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Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation
Students choose a character or short scene to perform and start figuring out how to bring it to life in front of others.
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Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation
Students practice how to move, speak, and use their voice on stage so a performance gets clearer and more confident each time they rehearse it.
-
Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work
Students act out a scene or story and make choices, like how to move or speak, that help the audience understand what is happening.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation | Students choose a character or short scene to perform and start figuring out how to bring it to life in front of others. | TH:Pr4.1 |
| Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation | Students practice how to move, speak, and use their voice on stage so a performance gets clearer and more confident each time they rehearse it. | TH:Pr5.1 |
| Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work | Students act out a scene or story and make choices, like how to move or speak, that help the audience understand what is happening. | TH:Pr6.1 |
Responding
Responding
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Perceive and analyze artistic work
Students look at a short play or performance and describe what they notice, such as how the actors moved or what feelings the story showed.
-
Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work
Students explain what a character in a play is feeling and why, using what they see and hear in the performance.
-
Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work
Students look at a short performance or scene and say what they liked, what was hard to follow, and why. They use simple reasons, not just "it was good."
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Perceive and analyze artistic work | Students look at a short play or performance and describe what they notice, such as how the actors moved or what feelings the story showed. | TH:Re7.1 |
| Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work | Students explain what a character in a play is feeling and why, using what they see and hear in the performance. | TH:Re8.1 |
| Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work | Students look at a short performance or scene and say what they liked, what was hard to follow, and why. They use simple reasons, not just "it was good." | TH:Re9.1 |
Common Questions
What does theatre look like for first graders?
Most of the year is spent acting out stories, pretending to be characters, and making up short scenes with classmates. Students use their voices, faces, and bodies to show feelings. There is very little reading from a script and a lot of playing and imagining.
How can I support my child's drama work at home?
Read a story together and then act out a favorite part, with each person playing a character. Ask students to show how the character feels using their voice and face. Five minutes of pretend play after a story is plenty.
My child is shy about performing. Is that a problem?
No. At this age, students are not expected to perform alone or memorize lines. Small group play, puppet voices, and acting out scenes with a partner all count. Comfort grows with practice over the year.
How should I sequence theatre skills across the year?
Start with imagination and pretend play, then move into building characters through voice and movement. Around midyear, bring in short group scenes based on familiar stories. End the year with simple sharing where students present a scene and talk about what worked.
What does mastery look like by the end of the year?
Students can make up a short scene with a partner, play a clear character with voice and body, and stay in the scene from beginning to end. They can also say one thing they liked about a classmate's scene and one idea for making it stronger.
How do I connect theatre to stories students already know?
Pick picture books and folktales from the reading block and turn key moments into short scenes. Students bring background knowledge, so planning time goes into staging and character choices instead of plot. This also gives reading and theatre a shared vocabulary.
How can I help my child talk about a play or show we watched?
After a show, ask what the characters wanted and how they felt at the end. Then ask what part stuck with them and why. Two or three short questions build the same thinking that happens in class.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Staying in character for a full short scene and giving kind, specific feedback to a classmate are the two that take the longest. Plan to revisit both every few weeks rather than teaching them once. Short, repeated practice works better than long lessons.