New York City Department of Education
Theater Units for Lower and Upper Elementary Levels
Introduce middle schoolers to playwriting and the elements of drama with a six-session storytelling unit that encourages kids to expand their acting and writing skills. The 12-page packet includes overviews of the lessons, assessment...
Curated OER
The Old Man and the Sea: Problematic Situations
Bring the drama of Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea to class with a fun role-playing activity. Given a list of survival items, readers decide which items would be the most necessary for an adventure like Santiago's, and rank...
Ashbrook Center at Ashland University
The Constitutional Convention
Imagine sitting down with representatives of your school to write a new student handbook. What arguments would ensue? How would compromises be made to finish the project? Scholars research the Constitutional Convention using a directory...
Curated OER
Reader's Theater
First graders imagine the house they live in. They think about the colors, materials, shape, size and location of their home. Students read and discuss the book "Houses." They perform this book as a Reader's Theater using a script.
Curated OER
Water Water Water - Costume Designing
Young scholars create costumes using recycled materials determined beforehand by the teacher in this High School Drama/Art lesson on costume designing. The example lesson is based around the title of "Water, Water, Water" but can be...
Curated OER
Measure for Measure: Anticipation Guide
Be bold and never fearful! Tempt your scholars with an Anticipation Guide for Measure for Measure. Before reading Shakespeare’s problem play, class members label a series of statements as either true or false in their opinion. (It’s okay...
Phantom of Opera
The Phantom of the Opera: Ideas for Research and Discussion
You could spend a full day discussing The Phantom of the Opera and not scratch the surface, but a set of lessons about the literary elements and themes of the musical production is a great start. Young thespians build upon the background...
Curated OER
Summarizing Key Information
Imagine the surprise when small groups present their Evidence Charts to the class and discover that each group has studied a different version of the Cinderella story. Irish, Ojibwa, Egyptian, Chinese, Korean, Persian, Mexican, and...
Polk Bros Foundation
History Dramatists
Bring the drama of history to life in your class and give your learners the opportunity to illustrate their understanding of a historical situation through the medium of a dialogue and/or play. Your young historians will consider a...
Curated OER
Create a World
Students combine imaginative powers with known map-making techniques to create a whole new world.
Curated OER
Macbeth
Students explore and analyze how to approach Shakespeare and create more meaning in a variety of contexts. In groups, they imagine three witches on the heath and trying to play it straight. They study various script extracts to evaluate.
NPR
Theatre Vocabulary
From actor to volume, the 90 terms on a theatre vocabulary list are must knows for any student of the dramatic arts.
National Arts Centre
Scavenger Hunt
Young theatre artists engage in a scavenger hunt to acquaint themselves with set design. The challenge is to search the site and match a separate maquette with each of the 24 clues.
Curated OER
When is a Block, not a Block?
Students use a stamped shape image to create a piece of imaginative art. In this stamped art lesson, students use a stamped shape as a starting point to create their own imaginative piece of art that incorporates the stamped shape.
Curated OER
Live From Antiquity!
Students gain an appreciation for Greek drama through study of a play by Sophocles. They explore the cultural and historical context of Greek drama and its role in Greek society. Students write a report after seeing the play performed live.
Curated OER
Sea-ing More Clearly
Students explore historical importance of fish as food source, examine works of Robert Harris, create their own fish, and compose accompanying poetry. Students then explore dramatic tradition of Chorus inspired by Greek theatre,...
Curated OER
A World Without A School
Young scholars devise a drama sketch of a futuristic learning environment before considering the advantages and disadvantages of a world without schools. Students role play their creations within the hall or classroom.
Curated OER
"No, You Can't Take Me!"
Students study imitation or pantomime. In this creative drama lesson, students pick an object to imitate and state the reasons why that object should not be taken out of the room pretending to be that object.
Curated OER
ENDOWING SUPPORT ELEMENTS
Students demonstrate how an actor might engage sensate reaction using 3 sets of stage props. They imagine and use as many sense reactions as they can to make the props become endowed with a reality. They use one table and chair to...
Curated OER
The Cinder-Eyed Cats - Storybook Theater
The students listen to the story "The Cinder-Eyed Cats." The students then chose individual parts to play in a theater like production. The students move like their character, be it a fish, an octopus, a lobster, a cat, etc. Water music...
Curated OER
I Can Lick 30 Tigers Today! And Other Stories
Students read a story by Dr. Seuss and create characters from the story. In this lesson about reading a story, students will read I Can Lick 30 Tigers Today! And Other Stories. Students make a tiger tail with a felt strip, attach it to...
Curated OER
Generosity
Students listen to music and imagine caring about others and wanting to show them your love. They hear the story, "Giving Isa," and answer a given set of questions. Students discuss their question answers with the class then they...
Curated OER
Being Grateful
Students consider feelings about the things we have. They look at their friends, their home, possessions, and things given to us and if we take them for granted, wish for something else, or are grateful for them. Students reflect on how...
Curated OER
Sequencing Stories
Learners explore dramatization. In this literacy fluency and drama lesson, students listen to the story Mop Top by Don Freeman and add related sounds at the appropriate times. Learners role play, pantomime, and add sounds to create a...