Enhancing Literature Understanding Through Performance

Literature - "Performing Literature in the Classroom"

Count that Day Lost by George Eliot If you sit down at set of sun And count the acts that you have done, And, counting, find One self-denying deed, one word That eased the heart of him who heard, One glance most kind That fell like sunshine where it went -- Then you may count that day well spent. But if, through all the livelong day, You've cheered no heart, by yea or nay -- If, through it all You've nothing done that you can trace That brought the sunshine to one face-- No act most small That helped some soul and nothing cost -- Then count that day as worse than lost.

Often learners feel that literature is not accessible lacks meaning Performing literature can be a tool to help students Break through that barrier to begin to make meaning from the text

First steps... Let s look at the text First make sure we know the words The title

Performing is... . . . another way of saying playing Play is actually a way that as young children we all experienced the world, learned about it and how to live in it. So, play (performance) is a way to experience and learn about a text. It can be a theatrical performance or various ways of reading it orally.

There is a focus on: Voice Gesture Mannerism Changes in tone Tempo Intention Let s try some...

Why do this in a Literature course? Performance is not to necessarily turn you or your students into actors Performance is a way to become better readers, a way to better understand the text and to make that learning more interesting. Taken from the article: Teaching Dramatic Literature by Susan McCloskey an English instructor

There is no right way to perform any piece of literature The key is performing, reflecting on what was read/performed, what can be discovered about the text to reach a better understanding

What do learners say? https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/teaching-through-dramatic- interpretation