“That is NOT a good idea!” is a subversive little tale by Mo Willems. In the story a hungry fox and a plump goose go for a walk. A dinner invitation is offered but things do not go as planned. It’s a fun tale and a good starting point for drama because it is morally ambiguous and full of suspense!
Our first graders began by focusing on the moment the fox and goose (or duck) first spied each other. The students imagined each character said “oh!” and experimented with tone of voice and expression. After that we made a list of the fox and duck’s potential thoughts and feelings during their encounter. This prepared the students for partner work in which they created tiny scenes to illustrate the moment the characters first meet. The students were then visited by the chief of police. He told them that the duck had gone missing! The students (now in role as the Pigeon Police) needed to find her, because she was wanted on suspicion of her involvement with the disappearance of Mr. Fox. Apparently, Mr. Fox had not been seen for days! The students enthusiastically made wanted posters and distributed them around the school. Where could the duck be hiding? Several students spent their recess break looking for her. Later on, the chief of police came back to the classroom, this time with a journal entry from Mr. Fox. The journal chronicled the fox’s morning on the fateful day he met the duck. As the students listened to the journal entry, they pantomimed his actions and expressed his feelings from spots around the room. In our next drama session, we’ll brainstorm questions to ask the duck. We need to be prepared in case she gets caught! You never know, perhaps she will be brought in for questioning… the Pigeon Police better be ready!
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AuthorJenny Norris, Drama Coach at the Integrated Arts Academy Archives
January 2018
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