Using Props in the ESL and Language Classroom
Textiles Add Color and Motion for Visual Effect in Lessons
Visual props are an essential item in a drama or language classroom. Items such as pictures, cereal box cartoon characters, magazine cut-outs, crafts, toys, add focal points to the lessons to stir imagination.
An extremely effective prop is fabric. The magic of colors and large arrays of textured textiles are very exciting. Teachers can use props not only in drama and language lessons but also in other classes such as geography and history. Textiles can brighten up a presentation, and make the subject matter more real in a student’s mind.
Here are some ideas of how to use fabric for effect:
Drama Class Ideas
- The teacher drapes fabric over chairs to create rocks, mountains, caves, thrones, rivers and roads;
- Students can drape the material to create the scenery for a presentation;
- After having read a story, or play, the students re-enact the scene and dress up the characters;
- The students write a dialog based on fabrics they see and the characters they imagine dressed in them;
- Ask students to randomly pick up fabric and become a character of their choice (improvisation). Tell the other students to describe what they see;
- Costume any character from a story that was in a book just read in class, and tell about the character;
- Design a costume. Students practice descriptive writing based on the “dressed up person”.
Notice that many of the above activities can be the starting point for a presentation, review, oral or creative writing classes, and can also be used as part of a presentation in which students are tested through creative writing.
History, Geography or Social Studies Lessons
Students working on historical characters can be told to find a picture of rooms, clothes, etc. from a particular period and recreate them in fabric
Use fabric to create the clothes worn by different ethnic groups in countries being studied in the geography courses. Recreate a costume. Bring some pictures and get the students to try and copy the ideas.
Collectible Props for the Classroom
Teachers are encouraged to start a collection of all kinds of ties, bows, elastic, pieces of lace, and any sort and size of fabric that will bring out something in the imagination of the students. A trip to the local fabric store may surprise buyers looking for a bargain of scraps of a variety of materials.
Teachers do not have to sew. Accessories that hold things together from sticky tape, duct tape to safety pins, hairclips and elastic stretchy bands are available to hold the items together without a permanent mark.
Some important items to keep in a prop costume box:
- for headdresses (elastics, ties, bows, artificial flowers);
- for robes (safety pins, hair clips to hold fabric around the body);
- for making props (large pieces of fabric or old sheets that can be used to cover chairs to form beds, thrones, backdrops);
- for making figures (items that can be used to stuff up clothes and fabric in order to create a sleeping body, dog, silent character on the stage);
- for jewelry (chains, ropes, bits and pieces from your tool box, such as "o" rings, link-like pieces from a plumbing item, hardware store rings and connectors).
It is recommended that creative teachers start collecting bits and pieces of fabric and accessories for their lessons. Don’t be shy to use these items in lessons other than drama. Colors and props are memorable and fun, so adding them to classes will connect ideas and imagination with subjects that sometimes seem less tangible, difficult or boring.
What’s better than a memorable lesson?
Use Fabric for Props
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