This Month's Teaching Method:
Mime / Pantomime
Facial expressions, body movement, posture, gestures, but no words, are used to dramatically communicate a story, truth, Bible verse, feeling, or life application. Though a professional performer may distinguish between a mime and a pantomime, in the classroom the distinction is not as significant.
In Choosing Teaching Methods consider your group factors:
Click on a factor or scroll down.
Group size
A mime can be used with any size group depending on how you plan to use it.
To Top
Resources needed
No material is required to do a mime other than a person's body. You may want to have a script typed up for students. You may wish to use a few simple props.
To Top
Objective targeted
Mimes can often affect attitudes but depending on their use, they may also provide information and hence affect knowledge.
To Top
Use modeled
Miming actually goes back to the ancient Greeks and Romans. You may have seen the mime with a white face on the streets of large cities collecting money for his/her performance. The prophets in the Old Testament like Ezekiel and Jeremiah communicated through drama though perhaps not usually what we would call mimes.
To Top
Proximity of others
Since a mime is a silent form of communication, the mime itself should not affect neighboring classes. If you add narration or do it to a song and add discussion at the end, the noise still should not be too much for nearby classes.
To Top
Finances needed
This method should incur no cost unless you need to make copies of a script or purchase props. Props, however, should be minimal and can often be borrowed.
To Top
Age level
A very simple mime can be used with preschoolers if an adult narrates. This method is especially useful with grade school students. Youth would benefit by some use of mimes as well as adults on occasion.
To Top
Categorization
If students are performing the mime, this method is expressional. If they are watching a mime, it is impressional.
To Top
Time required
A mime can take less than five minutes if you are simply acting out a word, verse, or truth. Miming an entire story may take longer. Development of character and plots is what tends to turn a mime into a pantomime. If students are developing their own mime and then presenting it, allow up to 30-45 minutes. Adding discussion could possibly take the entire session.
To Top
Openness of group
Some students may find it difficult to express emotion. Students who learn best through movement (kinesthetic learners) should greatly enjoy this method.
To Top
Room size
Most classrooms can be used for a mime by merely moving chairs back to clear a spot to be used as a stage. A large stage is not necessary for this method.
To Top
Scroll down for Skill Development:
How To Use this Teaching Method.
Skills needed
Understand the versatility of using a mime, or pantomime, in the classroom.
- You can use it for a variety of purposes or places in the lesson.
- as an attention-getting device
- to portray the feelings of a Bible character
- to sequence the events of a Bible story
- to give opportunity for students to react to the content of the lesson
- to act out the meaning of a song
- to act out the meaning of a Bible verse, word, or principle
- to demonstrate how to apply the truth to life
- You can vary the way you do a mime.
- in complete silence
- as a narrator tells the story
- with a narrator filling in the gaps
- with part of the story narrated and the rest mimed
- with musical accompaniment that communicates the mood
- with half of the class reading the script and the other half miming what they hear
Understand some of the key ingredients of using a mime, or pantomime, in the classroom.
- Significance:
Make sure you choose a mime that fits the purpose of the lesson. The idea of using mime in the classroom is to teach, not merely to entertain or perform. Also keep in mind that not all subjects are good for miming. Do not use a mime simply because your students enjoy it.
Make sure your students know how it fits the purpose of the lesson.
- Prepare the students prior to the mime by suggesting what they should be looking for as they watch or what they should be trying to communicate as they perform a mime.
- Clarify and increase their understanding with discussion following the mime as to the purpose and application of it. Did they get the message, feelings, or symbolism being communicated through the mime? Realize that in using a mime, students may arrive at different interpretations from you or one another. Go with the flow, building on their observations and perceptions. Avoid the "one right answer" approach.
If your class' mime is significant to the study of another class or congregational meeting, you may plan to share the mime with others.
- Silence:
Though narration or music may accompany a mime, remember that the mime himself does not communicate with words but rather actions and expressions. Keep this distinction or you will be crossing over into a skit, play, or role play methodology. Silence requires the students to pay closer attention to the action itself and the emotion going into it.
Since students must rely on what they see to understand, emphasize the need for those doing the mime to watch that they don't put their backs to the class. If students are doing the mime, you may wish to devise a quiet signal (i.e. a whisper, click, or something else not too obtrusive) to correct positioning.
- Simplicity:
Keep the action simple. The phrase "less is more" applies to a mime. If it gets too involved, students may become confused. Use the least complex movement or appearance you can to communicate the action or emotion.
Keep the props simple. The person doing the mime is the focal point, not the stage or props.
- Sensibility:
The words "mime" and "mimic" are connected. The intent behind a mime should be to simulate reality as close as is possible. In mirroring reality, movements, gestures, and expressions need to fit within what would be sensible for that activity. Avoid exaggerated movement. Give the illusion that you are actually touching or moving an object even though the object isn't there. Give the illusion that you are climbing a staircase or wall, even though the staircase or wall are not there.
- Spontaneity:
You want the student or person playing the mime to get into what they are doing. Remember, a mime is distinct in its learning value from a skit, play, or role play. This, however, is not to preclude practice. Prepare, but do not over-practice. Too much rehearsing will stifle creativity and spontaneity in the presentation. Use the script as a spring board, allowing those doing the mime to personalize their expressions. Reading through the script in advance and practicing once before presenting it to the class should usually be sufficient to give the needed direction.
Of more benefit than repeated rehearsals of the script would be preparing oneself to be able to communicate a variety of expressions and movements.
- Practice a variety of postures.
- Practice different ways of walking.
- Practice facial expressions conveying different emotions and reactions.
- Practice movement of different parts of the body to help you reflect different messages. Obviously the arms and legs can be used to express physical activity. The torso, by the way it is postured, will express different emotions (i.e. slouching to communicate sadness or depression). The head can be used to communicate thought (i.e. a tilted head may communicate curiosity).
To Top
Interested in a Print Version?
(Last updated 3/01/10)
|
Sharpening Your Bible
Teaching Methods
Disc or Download
Add more variety and
skill to your teaching!
This resource includes
helps and resources
for 57 different Bible
teaching methods.
|
|
© 1999-2010 Ministry Tools Resource Center; All rights reserved worldwide. - http://MinTools.com
(Please Note: Material may not be copied onto another web site, except for short quotes.)
Twitter
Facebook
friendfeed
iGive