Living Postcards: Look and Copy

Each group creates a living postcard of a place (a beach, a farm, a train station) with frozen bodies, and another group must copy it exactly after looking for 10 seconds. It builds expression through body pictures, observation and visual memory.

How to play

1. Form 6 groups of 4 (and one of 5) and pair the groups up (2 min). Each group gets a card with a place: beach, farm, train station, circus, snowy mountain, farmers market.
2. Create (4 min): each group secretly builds its postcard: everyone frozen in a picture that shows the place with clear characters and actions at different levels (standing, kneeling, lying down).
3. Send the postcard (3 min): Group A shows its postcard to Group B for 10 seconds and then breaks it up. Group B has 30 seconds to rebuild it, putting each person in the right pose and spot.
4. Group A checks and awards one point for each correct position (4 max) and one more if Group B guesses the place. Then switch roles.
5. Round two (6 min): pair up different groups and repeat with new places, but this time the postcard is shown for only 6 seconds.
6. Final gallery (5 min): all the postcards are set up at once around the blacktop and groups stroll past like tourists, viewing them quietly.

Rules

• Poses must be safe to hold for 30 seconds: no climbing on top of others.
• No talking while a postcard is being shown.
• The checking group scores honestly and explains what was missing.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: the student is part of the postcard from their position and the group builds the picture around them.
• Visual impairment: the student acts as director for the copying group, placing classmates based on a quiet description from a partner.
• Autism: provide a planning card (who, where, doing what) and let the student choose a fixed role in the postcard.

Learning goals

• Show a place through a group body picture.
• Observe and memorize poses and positions in space.
• Work as a group to copy a picture accurately.

Equipment for a class of 25

• cards: 12

Teacher tip

Push for different levels: postcards with everyone standing all look alike. If the blacktop is dirty, bring two mats per group for floor poses.

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