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Tableau — Frozen Pictures

Fourth-grade actors learn the tableau — a frozen picture made with their bodies that shows a moment from a story, with no moving or talking. Clear poses, faces, and levels tell the whole story. They order the steps, then build tableaux of a tale.

Grade 4Tableau (Frozen Pictures)45 minutes1 class periodArtistic ProcessExplicit teaching4 StandardsNCAS
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Make a tableau.
  • ✓Use clear poses & faces.
  • ✓Add levels.
  • ✓Freeze and hold.
Essential Question

How can you show a whole story moment with a frozen picture?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Put in Order · Interactive

Order the Tableau Steps

Project this and have students put the steps for making a tableau in order.

🗿 Put the tableau steps in orderTry it
Tap the first step to build a tableau!
The Lesson · Explicit teaching

45 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Warm-Up — Freeze!

5 min

Can your body tell a story while standing perfectly still?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Strike a frozen pose.
  • Ask the question.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Pose.
  • Wonder.
  • Get ready.
2

Explore — Tableau

11 min

Students explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Order the Tableau Steps.
  • Order the steps.
  • Note clear faces & levels.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Order.
  • Say.
  • Note it.
3

Rehearse — Build It

14 min

Students rehearse.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Pick a story moment.
  • Pose your group.
  • Add high and low levels.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Pick.
  • Pose.
  • Levels.
4

Perform — Perform

10 min

Students perform.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show your tableau.
  • Hold perfectly still.
  • Make faces clear.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Show.
  • Freeze.
  • Faces.
5

Reflect — Reflect

5 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • What is a tableau?
  • Why add levels?
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Say it.
  • Say it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the National Core Arts Standards (Theatre).

NCAS
TH:Pr4.1.4

Use body and space to make a tableau.

NCAS
TH:Cr1.1.4

Imagine and stage a story moment.

NCAS
TH:Pr5.1.4

Apply focus and stillness in performance.

NCAS
TH:Re7.1.4

Describe what a tableau shows.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Story-moment picture cards.
  • Frame: "my body shows ___."
  • Pose together.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Pose one clear shape.
  • Use a simple moment.
  • Model the pose.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Make a 3-tableau story.
  • Add a thought-bubble line.
  • Bring a tableau to life.
Materials

What to gather

  • 🗿Space to pose
  • 📖A short story
  • 💻Order the Tableau Steps
  • 📄Story-moment cards
  • 📓Notebooks
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

tableaua frozen picture made with bodiesposea held body positionlevelhigh, medium, or lowfreezeto hold perfectly stillfocuswhere you look and attentionexpressionthe feeling on your facemomenta single point in a storystage picturewhat the audience sees
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What is a tableau?
A frozen picture made with your bodies to show a moment.
QUESTION 2
Why use different levels?
They make the picture clear and interesting.
QUESTION 3
What do you do with your body in a tableau?
Freeze and hold perfectly still.

Reflect: tableau.

Have students build a short series of tableaux for a story. A printable story-moment sheet is in the Arts library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 TableauFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 TableauQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ TableauPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: expression, focus, freeze, level, moment, pose, stage picture, tableau
  1. where you look and attention
  2. what the audience sees
  3. a single point in a story
  4. the feeling on your face
  5. high, medium, or low
  6. to hold perfectly still
  7. a held body position
  8. a frozen picture made with bodies

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is a tableau?
  2. Why use different levels?
  3. What do you do with your body in a tableau?
Answer key — Part A: 1) focus · 2) stage picture · 3) moment · 4) expression · 5) level · 6) freeze · 7) pose · 8) tableau
Part B: 1) A frozen picture made with your bodies to show a moment. 2) They make the picture clear and interesting. 3) Freeze and hold perfectly still.