Improvisation with Babler Elementary fifth grade students written by Laura and Thadd.
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Definition: funk n. 1. Music. a. An earthy quality appreciated in music such as jazz or soul. b. A type of popular music combining elements of jazz, blues, and soul and characterized by syncopated rhythm and a heavy, repetitive bass line. 2. Slang. An unsophisticated quality or atmosphere of a region or locality. (From The American Heritage Dictionary)
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Funk with a touch of circus music for what followes.
OPENING ACT
The show begins when Jim, the videographer, turns the camera on Sarah and Bill and Jeremy starts a slow drum about every 60 seconds in synchronization with a note from Brian, however, not to dominate in any way.
Sarah & Bill are center stage. Sarah wears shape shirt (all different shapes). Bill is wearing juggling curve shirt.
All others are on the sides, serious looks, give impression of a serious show. Others are wearing shape shirts and blue jeans.
Sarah - "Good morning students and teachers and welcome to the Three Ring Surface Circus presented by our group of St. Louis Community College Math Students."
Jeremy gives "ta-da" and changes to a slow drum about every 30 seconds in synchronization with a note from Brian, however, not to dominate in any way.
Corey holds up sign that that reads Three Ring Surface Circus presented by ..... He walks in front of everyone flashing the sign.
Sarah - "Today we will be showing you different shapes that we have been studying in our Calculus Three class and how they apply to everyday events. First we will look at the sphere."
Bill searches in big duffel bag for a poster board with a picture of a sphere. Before he finds the poster, he throws things such as balls, juggling pins, real egg(!?!), hacky sacks, dancing ribbons, and other things. Bill hands the sign to Corey to show Babler students.
Sarah goes on to describe a sphere and demonstrates how a sphere is sort of a three dimensional circle.
Sarah-"A sphere is a three dimensional surface but round like a circle, just like a beach ball."
Achyut will be wearing a shirt with a circle on it and will bring a beach ball to the front for a model of a sphere. He will also have a hula-hoop which he spins around as Sarah describes how a circle spun around it's axis is a sphere.
Jeremy moves to a slow drum about every 20 seconds in synchronization with a note from Brian, however, not to dominate in any way.
Sarah- "One way to see a sphere is to take a circle such as a hula-hoop and spin it around a line through its center which gives the illusion of a sphere."
In the meantime, Thadd and Nick will grab some of the balls or pins that Bill threw and start playing with them. Jeremy starts a slow drum about every 15 seconds in synchronization with a note from Brian, however, not to dominate in any way.
Sarah goes on to describe three more shapes, a parabola(parabaloid), torus(ring), and hyperboloid(Planetarium).
Bill continues to throw more and more balls and other things out of his bag. Corey keeps showing the signs of the shapes but seems to be distracted. After each person has presented their model, they join in on the juggling in the background.
Laura will bring a model of a parabola.
Sarah-"A parabola is similar to the letter "U." Another name for a parabola is an ARCH. The McDonald's sign is made of two arches joined together. A three dimensional parabola is a paraboloid. A paraboloid can also be made by spinning it around its center line."
Jeremy starts a slow drum about every 10 seconds in synchronization with a note from Brian, however, not to dominate in any way.
Saad will have an innertube and a hula-hoop to demonstrate the torus.
Sarah- "A torus is simply a circle rotated around a circle. Two examples of a torus are a donut and an inner tube."
pause, Jeremy starts a slow drum about every 5 seconds in synchronization with a note from Brian, however, not to dominate in any way.
Sarah- "Can you think of any more examples?" . . . SPINGO JUGGLE . . .
James and Ryan will bring out James' model and Nick's model of the planetarium.
Sarah- "An example of a hyperboloid is the planetarium at the Science Center. There are two ways to make a hyperboloid. One is to use circles stacked on top of each other."
pause, Jeremy starts a slow drum about every 2 seconds in synchronization with a note from Brian, however, not to dominate in any way.
Sarah- "You use larger circles on the ends and smaller circles in the middle." Brian's model for demo . . .
pause, Jeremy starts a slow drum about every .25 seconds in synchronization with a note from Brian, however, not to dominate in any way.
Sarah- "Another way is to take a hyperbola, turn it on a line midway between its branches!"
Brent's model demonstration where each wire is a different position of the rotating wire.
Meanwhile, the drum beat picks up tempo and more people start tossing balls and playing with dancing ribbons behind Sarah. During the last presentation, Sarah gets drowned out by the juggling and talking.
Jeremy now drums about every .01 to .005 seconds in synchronization with a note from Brian, however, start to dominate funk style. [I.E. characterized by syncopated rhythm and a heavy, repetitive bass line]
Bill joins in on the action in the background as Sarah gets enticed by background commotion during the last model, she fumbles with her papers and eventually drops them. She acts silly and plays with her papers as she picks them up.
After a minute of Meramec students playing, the jugglers walk over to the Babler students and teachers give each a ball and invite them to come march in a parade with Bill. Marching to music (maybe Entry of the Gladiators) All Meramec students give support to, foster and stimulate Babler students and teachers to join in with the march then as they march - - -
Meramec students go set up three THE RING SURFACE CIRCUS with 25 foot ropes made into large rings and each circus troop (from group one, two and three) places the props in their ring.
Babler students and teachers march around the room as each tosses one ball from hand to hand.
Bill will then lead the all students and teachers around the room as everyone juggles one ball from hand to hand. After a few laps, he will march them into their "RING" with the Meramec students taking eight students from Bill's line as they pass their RING. Sarah may talk about it saying:
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SECOND ACT
Sarah: "Okay, Babler students we are here to share our math experience! That's right, You just did the GRAND ENTRY march. Bill will take you to RING ONE, RING TWO or RING THREE to preform and experiment with our MATHEMATICAL TOYS. There are a few rules we have to play it safe.
Corey can show a list of the following
1. Have fun!
2. When it is time to switch groups, do it in an orderly way.
3. If you pay attention to the shape of the curves or surfaces, then you will have more fun.
4. Keep a lookout for each other's safety. Lob a toss rather than throwing.
5. And have fun!
At this point, Jeremy and Brian begin to play a rhythmic beat and the groups get their Babler students and spread out in their areas. Depending on the time allotted, the groups will rotate so that there is equal time in each group session. Estimated time: 15 minutes
RING ONE
People: Thadd, Nick, Son, James(with video camera recorder rolling to get the action)
Props: Juggling, eggs, basketballs, footballs, juggling pins, beach balls, spheres
Objective: {Make one or two note cards for 1 and 2 below.}
1. teach children basic concept of juggling emphasizing one or two tosses
2. teach them some new vocabulary words--using several techniques
a. sphere, ellipsoid, parabolic ellipsoid
b. soccer ball, egg, egg cut in half
3. Ideas to get started
Start juggling to grab their attention - lob or toss a ball to one or two Babler students and look for a return or mime a return to get attention.
4. use your imagination, they can learn from us about our interests in math!!
RING TWO
People: Ben, Corey, Bill, Ryan, Brent
Props: Jump ropes, dancing ribbons, human 3d coordinate system,tape measure,
Objectives: {Make one or two note cards for 1 below.}
1. Again teach the children new vocabulary
a. parabola, hyperboloid, wave function associated with music
2. have Babler students follow the rope as the rope forms a wave
3. jump rope-parabola-arch --give some facts about the arch
4. Show a straight line can form a curved surface-- science center
5. Use your imagination, they can learn from us about our interests in math!!
RING THREE
People: Saad, Achyute, Laura, Rusty
Props: Cool toys, gyro ring, skip it, yo-yo, hula hoop, slinky, tops
Objectives: {Make one or two note cards for examples, definitions, vocabulary . . . below.}
1. Explain torus with spiral gyro ring- inner tube
2. teach Babler students how to yo-yo and that a yo-yo is a hyperboloid with a string
3. slinky = rising spiral around cylinder is a helix
4. cylinder is another name for a tube- have examples
5. use tops to show a cone-- a cone is like an Indian (TP)
6. use your imagination, can learn from us about our interests in math!!
From the mid to near the end of the group activities, Brent will take four or five Babler students that excel in one or more of the show events out of the room. Nick, Jeremy & Brian, Thadd and Laura join Brent and the Babler students to improvise the last act. Pass around the model topographic map of Babler elementary school area for a focal point to the dramatic or musical work each team will portray before this Babler-Meramec audience.
QUESTION SESSION
Sarah-"Okay, how was that...fun?"
lean over with hand up to ear to hear them and say a little louder.
Sarah-"Did you have fun!!! all right. We know you learned something in the process.
We are going to play a game to find out. When you are asked a question, see if you have an answer."
Look astonished like "what - a test today?!?!"
Sarah-"Well all right, let the game begin."
Each Meramec student not working in the hall with Brent
will take a turn to ask Babler students a question - QUESTION # XX . . . Please have your question written on a 3 by 5 card - with answer too!
James spends half the time in the skit preparation area and half in Q&A session for some video tapping of each.
The students Brent picked are in the hallway with their partners getting a short skit together.
Babler elementary school area topographic map should play some role in the act.
Sarah: Well, our Third Act is about ready. We hope you are enjoying yourselves, we sure are.
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THIRD ACT
Brent leads Babler students and partners back into the room while Meramec students take the front row floor seats forming a semicircle stage area with one of the 25 foot ropes. (Not every skit group needs to return but Brent needs to que them in ahead of time needed.)
Sarah-"Okay, ladies and gentlemen now we have ...(Sarah interviews Babler student for name and skit description) ... and Nick the clown juggler with their ..."xxxxx"... SHOW.
Sarah hands the Babler elementary school area topographic map to:
Nick and XXXXX do their thing!
Sarah - "Great performance lets have a round (do a round hand motion round) of applause for XXXXX and Nick!"
Meramec students stand and show approval expressed especially by the clapping of hands (do a round hand motion round).
Sarah-"Okay, ladies and gentlemen now we have ...(Sarah interviews Babler student for name and skit description) ... and Laura the skipper and XXXX with their ..."xxxxx"... SHOW.
Sarah hands the Babler elementary school area model topographic map to:
Laura and XXXXX do their thing!
Sarah - "Great performance lets have a round (do a round hand motion round) of applause for XXXXX and Laura!"
Sarah-"Okay, ladies and gentlemen now we have ...(Sarah interviews Babler student for name and skit description) ... and Jeremy & Brian, the musicians and XXXX with their ..."xxxxx"... SHOW.
Sarah hands the Babler elementary school area model topographic map to:
Jeremy, Brian and XXXXX do their thing!
Sarah - "Great performance lets have a round (do a round hand motion round) of applause for Brian, XXXXX and Jeremy!"
Meramec students stand and show approval expressed especially by the clapping of hands (do a round hand motion round.)
Sarah-"Okay, ladies and gentlemen now we have ...(Sarah interviews Babler student for name and skit description) ... and Thadd and XXXX with their ..."xxxxx"... SHOW.
Thadd and XXXXX do their thing!
Sarah - "Great performance lets have a round (do a round hand motion round) of applause for XXXXX and Thadd!"
Meramec students stand and show approval expressed especially by the clapping of hands (do a round hand motion round.)
Sarah - "Great show for today. Thanks for letting us treat you to a look at our math interests!"
This time Meramec students stand then turn around and face the Babler students to show approval expressed especially by the clapping of hands (do a round hand motion round) as Sarah walks down the line giving the name of each Meramec student.
Sarah - "...Names..." then Sarah gets it too!
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