Imagining characters and stories
Students start the year by inventing characters and pretend situations. They use their own experiences to come up with story ideas and try out simple roles with classmates.
What does a student learn in
This is the year pretend play starts to look like real theatre. Students make up characters, act out short scenes, and use their voice and body to show how someone feels. They also watch classmates perform and talk about what they noticed. By spring, students can take on a character in a short scene and explain what their character wanted.
- Pretend play
- Acting out scenes
- Character voices
- Watching performances
- Sharing ideas
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 take their ideas and shape them into short scenes. They practice working with a partner, adding details like where the story happens and what the characters want.
- 3
Rehearsing and shaping the work
Students rehearse their scenes and make changes to improve them. They try different voices, movements, and choices, then pick the version that tells the story best.
- 4
Performing for an audience
Students share their scenes with classmates or families. They focus on speaking clearly, staying in character, and showing what the story means.
- 5
Watching and talking about plays
Students watch performances and stories from books, then talk about what they noticed. They share what they liked, what the story meant, and how it connects to their own lives.
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 connection 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 the world around them, noticing how it reflects real life, different cultures, or another time in history.
| 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 connection 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 the world around them, noticing how it reflects real life, different cultures, or another time in history. | TH:Cn11.1 |
Creating
Creating
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Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work
Students come up with characters, stories, and pretend situations to act out. They try new ideas and build on what sparks their imagination.
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Organize and develop artistic ideas and work
Students work together to decide who plays each character and what happens in the scene. They practice and adjust their ideas until the story makes sense to act out.
-
Refine and complete artistic work
Students look back at a short scene or character choice they made, decide what to change, and finish the work with those improvements in place.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work | Students come up with characters, stories, and pretend situations to act out. They try new ideas and build on what sparks their imagination. | TH:Cr1.1 |
| Organize and develop artistic ideas and work | Students work together to decide who plays each character and what happens in the scene. They practice and adjust their ideas until the story makes sense to act out. | TH:Cr2.1 |
| Refine and complete artistic work | Students look back at a short scene or character choice they made, decide what to change, and finish the work with those improvements in place. | TH:Cr3.1 |
Performing/Presenting/Producing
Performing/Presenting/Producing
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Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation
Students choose which character or scene to perform and explain why it fits the story. They practice making that choice clear to an audience.
-
Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation
Students practice a scene or short play more than once, making small fixes each time to get movements and words just right before performing for others.
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Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work
Students act out a short scene or story for an audience and make choices, like how loud to speak or how to move, that help the audience understand what is happening.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation | Students choose which character or scene to perform and explain why it fits the story. They practice making that choice clear to an audience. | TH:Pr4.1 |
| Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation | Students practice a scene or short play more than once, making small fixes each time to get movements and words just right before performing for others. | TH:Pr5.1 |
| Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work | Students act out a short scene or story for an audience and make choices, like how loud to speak or how to move, 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 performance or scene and talk about what they noticed, like how a character moved or spoke.
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Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work
Students look at a short play or performance and explain what they think it means or how it made them feel. They practice putting the story's mood into words.
-
Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work
Students look at a scene or performance and say what worked and why, using simple ideas like "the actor spoke loudly enough to hear" or "the story made sense."
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Perceive and analyze artistic work | Students look at a short performance or scene and talk about what they noticed, like how a character moved or spoke. | TH:Re7.1 |
| Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work | Students look at a short play or performance and explain what they think it means or how it made them feel. They practice putting the story's mood into words. | TH:Re8.1 |
| Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work | Students look at a scene or performance and say what worked and why, using simple ideas like "the actor spoke loudly enough to hear" or "the story made sense." | TH:Re9.1 |
Common Questions
What does theatre look like in first grade?
Students play pretend with purpose. They act out short scenes, take on characters from stories, use their voices and bodies to show feelings, and talk about what they saw when classmates performed. It looks a lot like dramatic play, but with more structure.
How can I support theatre at home if my child is not in a play?
Act out favorite picture books together. Ask students to show how a character feels using just their face, or to use a different voice for the wolf and the pig. Five minutes of this after a bedtime story counts.
Does my child need to memorize lines or perform on a stage?
No. At this age the work is about making characters, building short scenes, and sharing them with classmates. A stage, costumes, and memorized lines are not the point.
How should I sequence theatre across the year?
Start with imagination and movement games, then move into character work and short improvised scenes from familiar stories. Save scenes students plan, rehearse, and share with an audience for later in the year, once they can hold a character for more than a moment.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Staying in character, listening to a scene partner, and giving useful feedback instead of just saying it was good. Build short routines for each one and revisit them often. Most first graders need many low-stakes reps before these stick.
What does mastery look like by the end of the year?
By spring, students can invent a character with a voice and a way of moving, work with a partner on a short scene from a story or an idea of their own, and say something specific about what a classmate did well or could change.
My child is shy about performing. Is that a problem?
Not at all. Quiet students often do strong work in pairs, as story narrators, or as puppeteers. Practicing a scene at home with family before sharing it in class helps more than pushing for a big performance.
How do I connect theatre to stories from other cultures and times?
Pick folktales and picture books from a range of cultures and time periods, then let students act out a key moment. Ask what the characters wanted and why people might have told this story. Keep the discussion short and tied to the scene students just played.