Post-Show Classroom Activity
Invite students to dispense advice to the characters in Out Here in the style of an advice column.
As always, please note that some steps of the activity may be condensed, eliminated, or extended based on the needs of your classroom.
DEAR AUDIENCE…
Activity Preparation
- Supplies:
- Audience Advice handout (1 per student)
- Set-Up:
- If your students do not have familiarity with advice columns, consider pulling up a few examples for them to briefly review.
This activity will take approximately 20 minutes.
Learning Sequence
- Ask students to share what they know about advice columns — whether they have ever read one, what kinds of advice people seek, and the format of the letters. As needed, share that advice columns originated as early as the 17th century in a London newspaper. Typically, they include letters written anonymously, often signed with a quippy name (like “Lost in Ft. Lauderdale” or “Desperate New Dad”). The columnist’s reply might be gentle, firm, affirming, based on personal experiences, or a stern reality check for the letter writer. (~3 minutes)
- Distribute the Audience Advice handout. Read the instructions at the top of the page: “Imagine that you are an advice columnist, and that one of the characters from Out Here has written to you for advice. Pick any character, and imagine that they’ve asked for advice before, at a specific point during, or immediately following the show.
- Write your response to this character, making sure to include a greeting, a brief summary of their issue, and your advice. Be sure to explain why your advice will help them navigate their situation or make the next right step. Don’t forget to sign your letter!” (~2 minutes)
- As desired, walk through an example with one of the characters in Out Here. Invite students to share what issue or problem that character is facing, and what they might do to address it at a specific point in, before, or after the show. (Ideally students will not then use this same character in their own writing, so keep this in mind when selecting a character to model with. You may wish to pick a secondary character). (~5 minutes)
- Prompt students to write their advice columns. As time allows and as desired, invite them to share their work with a partner, or invite a few students to share their advice with the whole class. Alternatively, have students discuss which advice they have offered is the best. (~15 minutes)
- This activity aligns with the following standards:
- Illinois Arts Learning Standards
- Anchor Standard 7: Perceive and analyze artistic work.
- Anchor Standard 8: Construct meaningful interpretations of artistic work.
- Common Core State Standards
- CCSS.ELA.RL.3 Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
- CCSS.ELA.W10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
- Illinois Arts Learning Standards