Recite a Poem Out Dramatically

What can I use instead of a mirror, timer, or a costume piece if I don't have them at home?

Use a smartphone front camera or a shiny window for the 'Stand in front of the mirror' step, use your phone's clock or a kitchen clock for the 'Use the timer' step, and substitute the 'small prop or costume piece' with a hat, scarf, or a homemade paper badge.

I'm forgetting lines or sounding monotone — what should I try to fix that?

Go back to 'Read the poem silently three times' and 'Mark the important words and punctuation with a pencil', then use the timer while practicing the three out-loud runs and rehearse in the mirror to work on where to breathe, pause, and change pitch and loudness.

How can I adapt the activity for different ages or skill levels?

For younger kids pick a very short, rhyming poem and limit practice to marking key words with a pencil and one gesture, while older kids can choose longer poems, experiment with more vocal highs/lows in the 'Pick how loud and how high or low your voice' step, and record on camera.

How can we make the performance more creative or shareable after the run-through?

Enhance the 'Put on your small prop or costume piece' step by making a simple backdrop, add quiet background music while recording the 'full run-through' on camera, edit the best take, and then 'Share your finished creation on DIY.org'.