Notice, Describe & Ask: Physical Expression

This language protocol allows children to feel seen for who they are, while building their ability to speak for themselves.
Teacher with arms extended like wings leading students with bird headdress masks in a line to practice soaring. In the forground other students, some wearing coyote headdress masks, watch the bird group.
 
 

What is it and Why?

Notice, Describe & Ask encourages the agency and confidence of children by creating an environment where they can bring out what’s inside of them and feel seen.  It supports teachers in valuing the unique and varied expressions of children.

 
  • Students show variety in their physical expression during a warm up game.

    A variety of ways to express the same idea!

    Teachers notice choices that are common, surprising, subtle and dramatic, and describe with specificity, to allow all children to feel seen.
  • A composite image of students in different classroom showing different versions of anger

    Descriptive language

    Teachers model using rich, specific language to describe how kids are expressing ideas with their bodies and faces.
    Describing Tool: Body & Face
  • https://www.youtube.com/embed/FDTp0za_qNk
    Kids learn to use their own physical experiences and the knowledge of their peers as a resource.

    Teaching artists Erin Orr and Kirsten Kammermyer talk about how physicalizing and describing allows kids to learn from and teach each other about what they know, and how they experience the world.

 

Essentials & Tips

The goal is to use Notice, Describe and Ask to talk about the variety of expressions in your class in rich detail, allowing kids to feel seen, while building language and observation skills.  But how do you do it in a full classroom?

 
  • Teaching Artist introducing game and students creating various shapes with their bodies.
    How do I make every child feel seen, without describing every child individually?
    1. Start with a phrase like, “I see so many wonderful different choices!”
    2. Describe repeated choices: “I see many kids are smiling with teeth.”
    3. Describe a unique, dramatic choice: “Some kids are sticking their tongues out!”
    4. Describe unique subtle choices: “Some have a dimple in their cheek.”
  • Classroom Teacher Jean Antoldi and her first grade students use their bodies and faces to express the vocabulary word 'aggressive' in a variety of ways.
    How do I focus on what to describe, when I see a huge number of choices?

    Describing, when presented with a whole classroom full of different choices, can be overwhelming! Many of the classroom teachers who tested the bridges curriculum found it helpful to focus on just one aspect of the expression- for example, one part of the body or face, the stance, or the energy of the movement.

  • https://www.youtube.com/embed/w98LsdrK0Tg
    Facilitation tips

    Watch this video for tips about pacing, giving yourself support, and allowing for different modes of learning and participation.

    Describing Tool: Body & Face
 

Give yourself support!

Noticing & describing a variety of physical choices with specificity can be challenging when you are also trying to facilitate a movement game! Give yourself support and grace as you learn. Your students will learn alongside you!

 
  • https://www.youtube.com/embed/6l9ep8jVKXY
    Model being a learner! Teachers and children build descriptive language together.

    Watch this classroom teacher build her describing skills with help from a teaching artist mentor.  For teachers learning to do this without an artist mentor we suggest using the support of  the

    Describing Tool: Face & Body
 

Build Your Skills!

Before you facilitate physical expression activities, strengthen your noticing and describing skills!

 
  • https://www.youtube.com/embed/epoZC_JZyB4
    Notice the variety & make space for surprises!

    Notice a choice being made by multiple students. Then look further and notice contrasting choices. Notice big, dramatic choices as well as small, subtle ones.  Your students may make different choices than you expect! Notice and describe these surprising choices, and ask questions to find out more.

    Describing tool: Face & Body
 
  • Three students show the feeling scared, but with varied arm gestures while playing the Emotion Statue game.

    Who should I describe?

    Notice & describe three choices.
    1)A choice being repeated by multiple students.
    2) A dramatic choice.
    3) A subtle choice.
  • Two students make a similar choice in the emotion statue game. Shoulders up, hands clasped with small smiles.

    Describe repeated choices!

    Ex: I see many kids have small smiles, their hands clasped under their chin & shoulders lifted toward their ears.
    To find specific words use the
    Describing tool: Face & Body
  • Two students show a dramatic pose for the word excited, while others show a more subtle pose.

    Describe Dramatic Choices & Subtle Choices!

    I see someone with…
    …arms stretched, fingers spread & squinted eyes! (dramatic)
    …palms pressed & brows lifted! (subtle)
    Describing tool: Face & Body
  • Students embody and show the feeling of surprise while playing the Emotion Statue game.

    Scroll through the images. Notice & describe…

    1) a choice being repeated by multiple students
    2) a child making a dramatic choice
    3) a child making a subtle choice
    For support use the
    Describing tool: Face & Body
  • Students embody the word angry and show expressive interpretations of what feeling angry looks like.

    Scroll through the images. Notice & describe…

    1) a choice being repeated by multiple students
    2) a child making a dramatic choice
    3) a child making a subtle choice
    For support use the
    Describing tool: Face & Body
  • A student shows a dramatic example of what the feeling surprise could look like while playing the Emotion Statue game.

    Scroll through the images. Notice & describe…

    1) a choice being repeated by multiple students
    2) a child making a dramatic choice
    3) a child making a subtle choice
    For support use the
    Describing tool: Face & Body
  • Students practice embodying feelings during the Emotion Statue game

    Scroll through the images. Notice & describe…

    1) a choice being repeated by multiple students
    2) a child making a dramatic choice
    3) a child making a subtle choice
    For support use the
    Describing tool: Face & Body
  • Students' physical expression shows the variety of choices they make while embodying emotions.

    Scroll through the images. Notice & describe…

    1) a choice being repeated by multiple students
    2) a child making a dramatic choice
    3) a child making a subtle choice
    For support use the
    Describing tool: Face & Body
 

Learn More

The Notice, Describe & Ask Protocol can be applied to any lesson where students are making choices, creative and/ or academic. See examples below for inspiration and then apply it to your own teaching practice.

 
  • One girl whispering in another's ear about the contrasting puppet faces they're working on at their desks.
    Learn more about the Notice, Describe & Ask Protocol

    For more information about how this protocol builds language and a child’s confidence in their own artistic practice visit the main

    Notice, Describe & Ask page.
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