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Rooster’s Off to Save the World Lesson

Rooster's Off to Save the World Lesson

At first glance, math and drama skills may seem like an unlikely pairing. However, in this playful lesson for grades K-2, students can practice addition and subtraction while honing their movement and animal transformation skills. Based on the beloved book by Eric Carle, this integrated lesson helps students more deeply understand the concepts of addition and subtraction while encouraging their sense of imagination and play.

NOTE: Rooster's Off to Save the World 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.

Poetry Through Vocal Expression

Poetry Through Vocal Expression Lesson

How can we use our voices to express meaning and tell stories? This lesson delves into the wonders of poetry, and eases students from individual work to partner work to whole class performance. Designed for grades 3-12, this lesson is a fantastic way to help students practice concentration, collaboration and vocal skills.

Poetry Through Vocal Expression Rubric

 

 

Personification and Characters Lesson

Personification and Characters Lesson

How do actors bring object characters to life? Designed for students in fourth grade, this lesson helps students move from body object imitation into acting out full dramas with object characters. This challenging lesson helps students practice concentration, transformation and full use of their body and voice. It also provides a great opportunity to integrate Language Arts by identifying and discussing personification in a written text. 

Making the Thundercake Lesson

Making the Thundercake Lesson

A roll of thunder. A pitter pat of rain. A creaky old door. What connects all these things? They are sound effects that evoke a mysterious, scary mood! Based on the book Thundercake by Patricia Polacco, this lesson is designed to teach students in grades 3-5 how to create mood using sound effects and movement. This is a great way for students to practice vocal skills, emotions, and teamwork by introducing the concept of mood in a story or drama. You could also use this lesson to introduce students to lighting or sound design by discussing how designers create mood in theatrical productions. 

Donkey Tale 2: Adding Dialogue Lesson

Donkey Tale 2: Adding Dialogue Lesson

Challenge your students to take their story dramas to the next level by adding dialogue. Building off our first Donkey Tale Lesson, this extended lesson asks students to plan and practice their own versions of the story, this time adding a moment of dialogue that reveals something about their character. This lesson is a great way for students in grades 4-6 to learn about character, emotions, and collaboration, while integrating the Language Arts concepts of dialogue, conflict and cause and effect.

One Person Monologue Lesson

One Person Monologue Lesson

Give students the opportunity to write, act and direct, all in one lesson! Ideal for sixth through eighth graders with prior drama experience, this lesson guides students through creating, directing, and performing an original monologue in groups of three. Students can hone their collaboration skills, drama tools and practice giving constructive feedback to their peers.

Sixth Grade Journal: One Person Monologue 

To maximize student achievement, download this drama journal for students to use as reflection or formative assessment.  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.

Señor Coyote Acts as a Judge

Señor Coyote Acts as a Judge

What better way to teach action-reaction than a story packed with mischievous animal characters, including a clever coyote, a sneaky snake, and a righteous rabbit? In this lesson, students in grades 3-8 can practice collaboration, imitation, transformation, and action-reaction skills. By presenting their dramas, students can get hands-on experience with defining action-reaction and analyze its importance in creating a good story. You can also integrate Language Arts learning by having students connect action-reaction with cause and effect.

Sixth Grade Journal: Señor Coyote Acts as a Judge

To maximize student achievement, download this drama journal for students to use as reflection or formative assessment.  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.

Creating Mood

Creating Mood Lesson

Creating mood effectively is one of the most important lessons young actors can learn. In this lesson, students can practice using their imagination and concentration skills to create mood for a variety of different scenarios. This lesson gives students a chance to hone their ability to imagine their given circumstances, while using their voice, body, and mind to communicate what they are imagining.

Sixth Grade Drama Journal: Creating Mood

To maximize student achievement, download this drama journal for students to use as reflection or formative assessment.  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.

How the World Was Formed on Turtle’s Back

How the World Was Formed on Turtle's Back Lesson

“How the Earth 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.

Park Bench

Park Bench Lesson

Middle school can be a really hard time for students to feel connected to their bodies, but embodying physical choices is a key part of being an actor! We devised this lesson to give students in grades 6-8 a fun opportunity to practice using their bodies to portray emotions, reactions and create character. Given the prompt of being strangers on a park bench, students work together to create a three-person improvised drama.