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Take a Bow

Kindergartners learn what to do at the end of a show — taking a bow to say thank you to the audience, and clapping for others when they perform.

KindergartenPerformance25 minutes1 class periodArtistic ProcessExplicit teaching4 StandardsNCAS
Start the Lesson
Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Take a bow.
  • ✓Say thank you.
  • ✓Clap for others.
  • ✓Finish a show.
Essential Question

When your show is all done, you take a bow to say thank you! How do you finish a show, and what do you do when others perform?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Explore · Interactive

Take a Bow Check

Project each item and have children answer about taking a bow and clapping.

🙇 Understand taking a bowTry it
Answer each question about taking a bow.
The Lesson · Artistic Process (Warm-Up · Explore · Rehearse · Perform · Reflect)

25 minutes, five moves

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

1

Warm-Up — The Big Finish

3 min

When your show is done, you take a bow — how?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show a bow.
  • Ask what it means.
  • Warm up.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Watch.
  • Guess.
  • Warm up.
2

Explore — Take a Bow

7 min

Children explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send children to Take a Bow Check.
  • Note the bow.
  • Note clapping.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Answer.
  • Note it.
  • Name.
3

Rehearse — Rehearse

7 min

Children rehearse.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Practice a bow.
  • Say thank you.
  • Practice clapping.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Bow!
  • Thanks!
  • Clap!
4

Perform — Perform

5 min

Children perform.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Do a little show.
  • Take a bow.
  • Clap for others.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Show it.
  • Bow!
  • Clap!
5

Reflect — Reflect

3 min

Children respond.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show a bow.
  • Say what it means.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Show 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:Pr6.1.K

Finish a performance with a bow.

NCAS
TH:Pr5.1.K

Perform for an audience.

NCAS
TH:Re8.1.K

Respond to performers.

NCAS
TH:Re7.1.K

Notice performance endings.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Bow picture cards.
  • Sentence frame: “I bow to say ___.”
  • Practice bowing.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with “take a bow.”
  • Practice one bow.
  • Clap together.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Take a fancy bow.
  • Give a curtain call.
  • Cheer for a friend.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🎭A pretend stage
  • 💻Take a Bow Check
  • 👏Hands to clap
  • 🖍️Crayons
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

bowto bend forward to say thanksshowa performanceaudiencethe people watchingthank youwords to show thanksclapto show you liked itperformto do a showfinishto endproudglad about your show
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 do you do when your show is over?
Take a bow.
QUESTION 2
What does a bow say?
Thank you to the audience.
QUESTION 3
What do you do when someone else performs?
Clap to show you liked it.

Reflect: take a bow.

Have children do a little show at home and take a bow at the end. A printable bow 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.

🃏 Take a BowFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

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

📝 Take a BowQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

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.

🖨️ Take a BowPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: audience, bow, clap, finish, perform, proud, show, thank you
  1. to show you liked it
  2. the people watching
  3. glad about your show
  4. to bend forward to say thanks
  5. to do a show
  6. words to show thanks
  7. a performance
  8. to end

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What do you do when your show is over?
  2. What does a bow say?
  3. What do you do when someone else performs?
Answer key — Part A: 1) clap · 2) audience · 3) proud · 4) bow · 5) perform · 6) thank you · 7) show · 8) finish
Part B: 1) Take a bow. 2) Thank you to the audience. 3) Clap to show you liked it.