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Revolutionary War Through Drama: Life in the Colonies Lesson

Revolutionary War Through Drama: Life in the Colonies Lesson

Immerse your students in colonial life by having them create dramas about day to day living in the pre-Revolutionary War colonies. This lesson is an excellent way to integrate Social Studies learning with drama by discussing the impacts of British control on daily life in the years leading up to the Revolutionary War. Designed for grades 4-8, this lesson also helps students hone their concentration, collaboration, and imitation skills by challenging them to create a silent mini drama.

NOTE: Revolutionary War Through Drama: Life in the Colonies  is part of our unique library of integrated lessons. These specialized lessons simultaneously teach concepts and skills related to drama and the other subject(s) targeted in the lesson. In addition, these lessons are designed to meet National Standards for Drama and for the integrated subject(s), so you can reach learning goals across multiple disciplines.


Civil War Drama Lesson

Civil War Drama Lesson

Drama is a great way to engage students with historical events by encouraging them to think deeply about point of view. In this lesson, designed for grades 4-8, students will practice concentration, collaboration, and transformation while using Body Objects to communicate different settings. This lesson encourages students to think about point of view and sectionalism, deepening their understanding of the events and forces that led to the Civil War.

NOTE: Civil War Drama is part of our unique library of integrated lessons. These specialized lessons simultaneously teach concepts and skills related to drama and the other subject(s) targeted in the lesson. In addition, these lessons are designed to meet National Standards for Drama and for the integrated subject(s), so you can reach learning goals across multiple disciplines.

How the World Was Formed on Turtle’s Back Lesson

How the World Was Formed on Turtle’s Back Lesson

“How the World Was Formed on Turtle’s Back” is an Onondaga creation story that features a team of vibrant animal characters who work together to save a young woman’s life and create the world as we know it. This lesson provides numerous opportunities for students to use their bodies and voices to create characters and practice transformation. You may also integrate Language Arts by discussing the importance of personification and character traits in the story.

An Absolutely Gorgeous Day Poem

An Absolutely Gorgeous Day Poem

Students will love this globe-trotting poem, packed with action and humor! The narrator wants to run away but can’t decide where to go: Tokyo or the Midwest? Timbuktu or the Florida Keys? In this exciting adventure for grades 2-6, students could practice transformation, narrator skills, body objects, and settings. Additionally, students could practice geography skills by locating places on the map. We have also included some recommended step-by-step delivery ideas to help you turn the poem into a full lesson.

An Absolutely Gorgeous Day Journal: Grades 2-3

An Absolutely Gorgeous Day Journal: Grades 4-6

To maximize student achievement, download this drama journal for students to use as reflection or formative assessment. For each poem, we have created a corresponding journal page for your students. A drama journal allows participants to reflect on their learning and artistic growth (metacognition). It also allows you, the teacher, to see how students are using the drama vocabulary, thinking about big ideas, and perceiving their own strengths and weaknesses.

 

Journey to Another Culture Lesson

Journey to Another Culture Lesson

Objective: Students analyze the relationships between actors, directors, and stories.

In this 6-day unit, students take a deep dive into studying one specific culture or place. After an introduction into the concept of culture, students research a chosen culture and plan a trip to visit it. Students then go on a drama adventure, first as individuals, and then in small groups. Along the way, students will have the chance to take on the roles of both an actor and a director. Due to its broad breadth of activities, this unit could pair well with lessons in visual art, social studies, or language arts. This is the final set of lessons in our recommended sequence in the Fifth Grade Curriculum.

Fifth Grade Drama Journal: Journey to Another Culture (Day One)

Fifth Grade Drama Journal: Journey to Another Culture (Day Two)

Fifth Grade Drama Journal: Journey to Another Culture (Day Three)

Fifth Grade Drama Journal: Journey to Another Culture (Day Four)

Fifth Grade Drama Journal: Journey to Another Culture (Day Five)

Fifth Grade Drama Journal: Journey to Another Culture (Day Six)

To maximize student achievement, download these drama journals for students to use as reflection or formative assessment. For each lesson in the curriculum, we have created a corresponding journal page for your students. A drama journal allows participants to reflect on their learning and artistic growth (metacognition). It also allows you, the teacher, to see how students are using the drama vocabulary, thinking about big ideas, and perceiving their own strengths and weaknesses. If you use the journal for assessment and would like more assessment tools, visit our Fifth Grade Curriculum. 

Yo! Yes? Lesson

Yo! Yes? Lesson

Yo! Yes? Lesson: Communicating Ideas

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Objective: students identify and communicate author’s message.

Looking at the book Yo! Yes? by Chris Raschka, students gather context clues about the story of two strangers who meet from different backgrounds. Students draw inferences from the illustrations and the text to determine what the author is trying to say at any given time in the story (part of the second grade objectives). Then, students mirror the characters on the page and speak the lines of dialogue as the story unfolds. You can observe their discovery using the Spotlight Technique and other viewing strategies. Students will uncover how the author provides clues and gain insight into how actors communicate these ideas. This lesson is part of our recommended sequence in the Second Grade Curriculum.

Second Grade Drama Journal: Yo! Yes?

To maximize student achievement, download this drama journal for students to use as reflection or formative assessment. For each lesson in the curriculum, we have created a corresponding journal page for your students. A drama journal allows participants to reflect on their learning and artistic growth (metacognition). It also allows you, the teacher, to see how students are using the drama vocabulary, thinking about big ideas, and perceiving their own strengths and weaknesses. If you use the journal for assessment and would like more assessment tools, visit our Second Grade Curriculum. 

Drama in Other Places Lesson

Drama in Other Places Lesson

Drama in Other Places Lesson

Lesson Worksheet for Teachers & Students

$6.00Add to cart

Objective: students identify elements of drama used in celebrations or events that are not formal plays.

Students choose an event where they might see elements of drama being used, even if it is not a formal play by actors on a stage. In small groups, students plan and present a staging of the selected event (part of the second grade objectives). We also created a worksheet to help guide the initial discussion and present ideas on the elements of drama. Download and print out the worksheet for each student group in the class. There is a “cue sheet” included for you as well. This lesson is part of our recommended sequence in the Second Grade Curriculum.

Second Grade Drama Journal: Drama in Other Places

To maximize student achievement, download this drama journal for students to use as reflection or formative assessment. For each lesson in the curriculum, we have created a corresponding journal page for your students. A drama journal allows participants to reflect on their learning and artistic growth (metacognition). It also allows you, the teacher, to see how students are using the drama vocabulary, thinking about big ideas, and perceiving their own strengths and weaknesses. If you use the journal for assessment and would like more assessment tools, visit our Second Grade Curriculum.