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Habitats, Needs of Living Things, and Body Details Lesson

Habitats, Needs of Living Things, and Body Details Lesson

How can we keep students fully engaged through complex subject matter? Ask them to engage their bodies as well as their minds! This exciting lesson integrates Drama with Language Arts and Science by asking students to create habitats and settings using only their bodies. It also includes a full story about a mischievous young bear to give students an opportunity to act it out and apply their knowledge. Ideal for grades 1-3, this lesson helps students work on concentration, transformation, and collaboration skills in drama.

NOTE: Habitats, Needs of Living Things, and Body Details 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.

Donkey Tale 1: Movement & Imitative Action Lesson

Donkey Tale 1: Movement & Imitative Action lesson

There’s no better way to get students moving and imitating than with stories, particularly stories about animals. This lively tale about a thirsty traveler and a stubborn donkey provides a great opportunity for students to practice collaboration and negotiation skills through partner work. Designed for grades 4-5, this lesson challenges students to apply their imitation and transformation skills to embodying a specific character through movement.

Miss Marilou Poem

Miss Marilou Poem

Miss Marilou is a real menace at the zoo! This clever poem tells the story of a nefarious young women who plays pranks on all the animals at the zoo. With lots of colorful animal characters, this poem provides great opportunities for students in grades 1-5 to practice animal transformation, imitation and collaboration skills. We have also included some step-by step delivery instructions to help you turn this poem into a full lesson.

Miss Marilou Journal: Grades 1-5

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.

Maximillian in Trouble Poem 

Maximillian in Trouble Poem 

Sometimes the most loveable children get in the most trouble... especially the ones with four legs and a tail! Students in grades 2-5 will have a blast imitating this mischievous dog, who wreaks havoc when his mom leaves him alone in the house. This poem provides a great opportunity for students to practice imitation, transformation, and body object skills. We have also included some step-by-step delivery instructions to help you turn this poem into a full lesson.

Maximillian in Trouble Journal: Grades 2-5

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.

It Was A Silly Afternoon Poem

It Was A Silly Afternoon Poem

A raccoon dressed to the nines? An armadillo in a pillow hat? A whooping crane with a cane?—What could possibly be going on? This poem is a great way for students in grades 2-6 to practice their transformation skills. In addition, you may integrate Language Arts learning by discussing the use of personification in the poem. We have also included some recommended step-by-step delivery ideas to help you turn the poem into a full lesson. 

It Was A Silly Afternoon Journal: Grades 2-4

It Was A Silly Afternoon Journal: Grades 5-6

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.

A Shark’s Tale Poem

A Shark's Tale Poem

Have you ever met a shark so charming and sincere? Great for grades 3-7, this suspenseful poem tells the tale of a cunning shark who tricks an unsuspecting swimmer. Students will have opportunities to practice emotions, transformation, narrator skills, and conflict/resolution. We have also included some recommended step-by-step delivery ideas to help you turn the poem into a full lesson.

A Shark's Tale Journal (Grades 3-5)

A Shark's Tale Journal (Grades 6-7)

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.

The Story of Rabbit, Elephant, and Whale

The Story of Rabbit, Elephant, and Whale 

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In this story, the rabbit outsmarts the elephant and the whale, both of which use their physical size against the rabbit.  Students like to act out the different parts in this story as they learn that sometimes being wise can counter physical size.  This story is also designed into a full lesson for the 4th grade to teach students how actors use the drama tools (body, mind, voice) to create a character.

The Apple Lesson

The Apple Lesson

The Apple Lesson: Learning to be an Audience

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Objective: students compare the impact supportive and unsupportive audience behaviors have on a drama.

Students are unaware of the impact their audience behaviors have on classmates who are performing. This lesson focuses on the audience's role in a drama. It is based around the original story The Apple by Karen Erickson (download it to complete the lesson materials). The students have the opportunity to play their drama to a quiet audience and to a rude audience, and they will discuss how the different audiences affected the scene (part of the second grade objectives). This lesson is part of our recommended sequence in the Second Grade Curriculum.

Second Grade Drama Journal: The Apple

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. 

Animal Treasure Lesson

Animal Treasure Lesson

Animal Treasure Lesson: Emotions

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Objective: students imitate simple emotions through physical movement, facial expression, and posture.

Students practice imitating emotions using their bodies while playing animal characters (part of the 2nd grade objectives). First read the included story "Animal Treasure or Everybody Gets Tricked" to students and then let them choose emotions to communicate. We suggest beginning with the warm-up activity Pass the Face with the students before starting this lesson. This lesson is part of our recommended sequence in the Second Grade Curriculum.

Second Grade Drama Journal: Animal Treasure

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. 

Turtle who Lived by the Pond Lesson

Turtle who Lived by the Pond Lesson

Turtle who Lived by the Pond Lesson:  Fantasy and Reality

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Objective: students use transformation and delineate reality from fantasy in a drama.

Which part is fantasy and which is reality in the story of the turtle who wants to be something he is not? Turtle learns a very important lesson along the way in this story, “The Turtle Who Lived by the Pond.” From plot twist to plot twist, students plan and play a series of transformations into objects and animals. Download the story to complete the materials for the lesson. Review our techniques for viewing and sharing student work before you have the students present their stories to others. This lesson is part of our recommended sequence in the Second Grade Curriculum.

Second Grade Drama Journal: The Turtle Who Lived by the Pond

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.