I do not know if you guys have heard of tableau, but it is all the rage lately. In all my college classes and talking to my cousin who is a teacher, tableau is the new favorite teaching tool that is fun and really gets students to engage in a different way with the information. My cousin uses tableau to review vocab words. I used tableau in my TE 348 Children's Literature class to describe/review the different eras of literature. Tableau is something that can be used with any subject, in many ways.
But wait.. what the heck is tableau? Well that is really important to know! And knowing what tableau is, is important to having an arts integrated lesson. Therefore, each time you teach about the art of tableau in addition to the subject matter, the lesson is considered arts integration (as well as discussed the artistic points of the tableaux), however if the students have already known and used tableau and you are calling upon this skill they have already acquired then it is considered arts enhanced. Either way is awesome because tableau is awesome...
Anyways back to what tableau is. Google gives this definition, "a group of models or motionless figures representing a scene from a story or from history; a tableau vivant." This website, http://dramaresource.com/strategies/tableaux has even more information regarding tableau (and TONS of other drama topics). The Drama Resource websites says, "In a tableau, participants make still images with their bodies to represent a scene. A tableau can be used to quickly establish a scene that involves a large number of characters." Therefore, taking all this into account, the art of tableau is all about still images portraying emotions or actions. The students will have to work hard to take their topics, topic, or actions and put them into tableaux. It is a fun way to engage students and again have them think critically about the subjects.
Now that we have a little tableaux background, I have come up with a cute way to use tableau in the math classroom!
But wait.. what the heck is tableau? Well that is really important to know! And knowing what tableau is, is important to having an arts integrated lesson. Therefore, each time you teach about the art of tableau in addition to the subject matter, the lesson is considered arts integration (as well as discussed the artistic points of the tableaux), however if the students have already known and used tableau and you are calling upon this skill they have already acquired then it is considered arts enhanced. Either way is awesome because tableau is awesome...
Anyways back to what tableau is. Google gives this definition, "a group of models or motionless figures representing a scene from a story or from history; a tableau vivant." This website, http://dramaresource.com/strategies/tableaux has even more information regarding tableau (and TONS of other drama topics). The Drama Resource websites says, "In a tableau, participants make still images with their bodies to represent a scene. A tableau can be used to quickly establish a scene that involves a large number of characters." Therefore, taking all this into account, the art of tableau is all about still images portraying emotions or actions. The students will have to work hard to take their topics, topic, or actions and put them into tableaux. It is a fun way to engage students and again have them think critically about the subjects.
Now that we have a little tableaux background, I have come up with a cute way to use tableau in the math classroom!
Tableau math symbols!
(K-2nd grade or older depending on symbols!)
This picture is of my roommate, Jamie, showing us some wonderful tableau examples! She's pretty but the best tableau-er I know! Thanks Jamie!
Obviously, tableau is fun at any age. Below is a lesson to incorporate these symbols or any math symbols with tableau.
Quick steps:
(Teach students about tableaux before starting this lesson, use resources above)
1.) Make yourself a stack of notecards with the symbols from math (this could also translate to Language arts lesson with punctuation) that your students are mastering, have mastered, or just need a little help remembering on each.
2.) Put the students into groups and give them a notecard of the symbol they must use a still image with their bodies to create. Give them about 5 minutes to do this! You will most definitely hear giggles during this process, and that's good! We are making math fun!
3) Have the students share the tableau they have created. The students sitting and watching the tableau will guess what symbol this is used for.
4) Discuss with the students. What made them understand that is was the symbol they guessed? What did the students do with their bodies to help you understand what symbol they were? Where they laying on the ground or standing up? Did this affect the viewing of the tableaus? (and other questions that help students recognize the art in the math symbols tableaux).
5) Take pictures of the tableaux and hang them around the classroom with some info about the symbol! This makes the students feel special, and they will be able to remember the fun time each time they use the new resource you made!
Obviously, tableau is fun at any age. Below is a lesson to incorporate these symbols or any math symbols with tableau.
Quick steps:
(Teach students about tableaux before starting this lesson, use resources above)
1.) Make yourself a stack of notecards with the symbols from math (this could also translate to Language arts lesson with punctuation) that your students are mastering, have mastered, or just need a little help remembering on each.
2.) Put the students into groups and give them a notecard of the symbol they must use a still image with their bodies to create. Give them about 5 minutes to do this! You will most definitely hear giggles during this process, and that's good! We are making math fun!
3) Have the students share the tableau they have created. The students sitting and watching the tableau will guess what symbol this is used for.
4) Discuss with the students. What made them understand that is was the symbol they guessed? What did the students do with their bodies to help you understand what symbol they were? Where they laying on the ground or standing up? Did this affect the viewing of the tableaus? (and other questions that help students recognize the art in the math symbols tableaux).
5) Take pictures of the tableaux and hang them around the classroom with some info about the symbol! This makes the students feel special, and they will be able to remember the fun time each time they use the new resource you made!