Part 1: What is Arts Integration exactly? And what is NOT Arts Integration? Curriculum Integration has been a buzzword for educators for the past few decades. But what does it actually mean? What does it entail from an individual educator’s perspective? And what are tangible benefits of teaching through an integrated curriculum? We can start … Read more
Working with Vocabulary and the Drama Tools: Words in Motion Lesson Writers and actors of all ages need to love words. This simple, quick, and fun circle drama activity brings words alive through the use of imagination and physical movement. With an emphasis on shape, level, gesture, and facial expression, actors communicate their ideas about … Read more
Valentine’s Day Lesson Help students work on story sequencing and imitation skills in this fun, Valentine’s Day-themed lesson! Suitable for students in grades 3-12, this lesson asks students to connect different activities to create a cohesive narrative, using setting, character, and transitions. You can integrate Language Arts by challenging students to write creative and clear … Read more
The Magic Closet Lesson Imagination and writing with descriptive detail are the focus of this magical adventure. Students enter a closet owned by someone they create in their imagination, but soon find the closet holds secrets even more astounding. Students work with a partner to act, describe, and then write about their journey into the … Read more
Questioning Characters in Fiction and Non-Fiction Lesson Get your actors of all ages interacting with text by becoming the characters, objects, or animals they are reading about. Actors work with a partner to create interviews and learn to ask important questions. Character building and questioning skills are the focus of this lesson. Questioning Characters in … Read more
Blackout: Creating Atmosphere Lesson Centered around the Caldecott Honor Book “Blackout” by John Rocco, this lesson provides rich opportunities for actors to practice using their voices and bodies to create atmosphere. Students in grades 4-6 may work together in pairs or small groups, practicing negotiation and collaboration skills as they imitate the activities of the … Read more
Adverbs in Motion Lesson Learning parts of speech does not need to be boring. In this Level I lesson, students explore action verbs, adverbs, and even direct objects as they also learn the relationship between audience and actor and how and why actors must improve their acting skills to communicate ideas.
Measuring student progress and achievement in drama requires a combination of written and performance-based assessment. On this page, there are a variety of tools to assess student learning and the effectiveness of instruction, customizable based on your assessment needs. These tools were designed to support the Sixth Grade Curriculum, and include both Performance Rubrics and … Read more
Baking a Cake Lesson What’s more fun than baking a cake? You can skip the mess and use this lesson instead! By acting out the steps it takes to bake a cake, students can practice creating complex physical settings with one another. Students may practice collaboration, imitation, creating body objects and problem solving. There is … Read more
American Pioneers Lesson Teaching all the complexities of westward expansion to students in grades 4-6 may seem overwhelming at first. However, in this lesson, students have the chance to apply what they have learned in social studies into creating a drama that explores the economic and geographic factors that affected Americans from 1800-1861, causing many … Read more