"A SUPER Day with a SUPER Play"
Warming Up Your SUPER Self- A Super Check In Warming Up Your Body- Superhero Cycle Read the Script- Host Your Own Play Reading Further Discovery - Make One of the Characters a Superhero! |
You can also download a printable PDF of these exercises!
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It’s time to have a SUPER day! Today you will explore how people - both real and imagined - each have special talents and skills that are their superpowers. Then, you’ll read a play by a group of winning elementary school playwrights to see if you can discover what their hidden superpowers are, too.
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Warming Up Your SUPER Self:
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WHY DO WE WARM UP?
It’s good to remember that we have a lot of talents and skills which are our superpowers! These superpowers can help us get through the day, even if it’s a tough day. This SUPER check in will also help to spark your imagination as you think about what kind of superhero you want to be.
It’s good to remember that we have a lot of talents and skills which are our superpowers! These superpowers can help us get through the day, even if it’s a tough day. This SUPER check in will also help to spark your imagination as you think about what kind of superhero you want to be.
DIRECTIONS:
Print out our SUPER Check In Template, or write your answers and draw your super symbol on a blank piece of paper. Use these three prompts to discover your super self:
Amazing work! Will you share your super symbol with us? You can do that by sharing a photo of your symbol and tagging @PYPlaywrights on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.
Print out our SUPER Check In Template, or write your answers and draw your super symbol on a blank piece of paper. Use these three prompts to discover your super self:
- What three talents or skills do you have? Consider them your superpowers, and finish the following sentence by filling them in the blanks. Three superpowers I have are ________, ________, and ________.
- What’s a problem or challenge you have today? Consider it your nemesis (which means your rival or archenemy), and finish the following sentence by filling in the blanks. My nemesis today is ________, but I’m going to win by ________.
- Using your superpowers and how you’re going to defeat your nemesis as inspiration, create a super symbol for yourself! The colors and shapes of your super symbol will help people understand what kind of superhero you are and what amazing things you can do.
Amazing work! Will you share your super symbol with us? You can do that by sharing a photo of your symbol and tagging @PYPlaywrights on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.
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Warming Up Your Body:
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WHY DO WE WARM UP?
When we want to be creative, it’s always good to warm up our body first! Sometimes our bodies have tension in them because of other things we did during our day. Physical warm-ups help us loosen our muscles, take bigger breaths, and focus our imagination.
When we want to be creative, it’s always good to warm up our body first! Sometimes our bodies have tension in them because of other things we did during our day. Physical warm-ups help us loosen our muscles, take bigger breaths, and focus our imagination.
DIRECTIONS:
Now that we know what kind of superhero we are, it’s time to warm up our bodies with some SUPER poses. Stand somewhere where you have lots of room. One at a time, say the following lines of superhero dialogue and make a matching pose for each phrase. You can use the photos below as an example, or you can create super poses of your own!
Now that we know what kind of superhero we are, it’s time to warm up our bodies with some SUPER poses. Stand somewhere where you have lots of room. One at a time, say the following lines of superhero dialogue and make a matching pose for each phrase. You can use the photos below as an example, or you can create super poses of your own!
Pose #1 - “What do I hear?”
Pose #2 - “I’ll save you!”
Pose #3 - “Up, up, and away!”
Pose #4 - “You’ll never win!
Pose #5 - “Victory at last!”
Special thanks to our SUPER models pictured to the right: B.J. Tindal (Teaching Artist) and Emma (11th Grade Playwright)
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Now that you have your super poses, repeat the lines of dialogue and each of your poses one more time. As you do, see if you can make your poses 50% more super than before. Move on to the next activity once everyone is feeling super and ready to take on the world!
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Read The Script:
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Now that you’re warmed up and an expert in identifying superpowers, download The Secret Law and read it together. As you read, listen closely for details that this group of 4th grade playwrights shared about each of the characters. These details will help you discover the talents and skills that make up each character’s superpower!
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Further Discovery:
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Pick a character from The Secret Law. Print out our SUPER Check In Template, or write your answers and draw your super symbol on a blank piece of paper. Use the three prompts below to identify that character’s superpowers, what nemesis they were trying to defeat, and to imagine their super symbol!
Amazing detective work! Will you share your character’s super symbol with us?
You can do that by sharing a photo of your symbol and tagging @PYPlaywrights on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook
- What three skills or talents did you notice about this character? Consider them the character’s superpowers, and finish the following sentence by filling in the blanks. Three superpowers this character has are ________, ________, and ________.
- What’s a problem or challenge the character faced? Consider it their nemesis, and finish the following sentence by filling in the blanks. The character's nemesis was ________, but they won by ________.
- Using the character’s superpowers and how they defeated their nemesis as inspiration, create a super symbol for the character! The colors and shapes of the character’s super symbol will help people understand what kind of superhero they are and what amazing things they did in the play. Remember, not all heroes wear capes!
Amazing detective work! Will you share your character’s super symbol with us?
You can do that by sharing a photo of your symbol and tagging @PYPlaywrights on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook
The Secret Law
by 4th Graders Jamie Taub, Simone Ellison-Metcalfe, Ingrid Kary, and Iris Dobeck
In 2037, a trio of award-winning detectives are about to crack the case of why Flint, Michigan is still without drinkable water. The plot thickens when their right to work -- like every woman in the country -- is taken away, threatened by robots. Undaunted, these heroic women pursue the conspiracy all the way to the White House. You'll never believe what they uncover!
by 4th Graders Jamie Taub, Simone Ellison-Metcalfe, Ingrid Kary, and Iris Dobeck
In 2037, a trio of award-winning detectives are about to crack the case of why Flint, Michigan is still without drinkable water. The plot thickens when their right to work -- like every woman in the country -- is taken away, threatened by robots. Undaunted, these heroic women pursue the conspiracy all the way to the White House. You'll never believe what they uncover!

the_secret_law_taub_ellison-metcalfe_kary_dobeck.pdf | |
File Size: | 285 kb |
File Type: |
B.J. Tindal is a playwright, dramaturg, and teaching artist who grew up in Philadelphia. A graduate of J.R Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School, they authored several plays with Philadelphia Young Playwrights during their time there and served on Young Playwrights' Youth Council!
Emma Trecost is an 11th grader who grew up in Philadelphia, but recently moved to Colorado. Thanks, Emma -- we're so happy to stay connected through PYP at Home!