American Pioneers Lesson

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

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. … Read more

Bon Voyage Poem

Bon Voyage Poem Have you ever gotten so fed up with your family that you just wanted to mail them away? In this hilarious poem, perfect for grades 2-6, the narrator mails family members to far off places—fromNebraska to Alaska, from the zoo to Peru! Students can practice body objects and transformation skills. Additionally, there … Read more

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, … Read more

“Westward Ho!” Lesson (Part 3)

“Westward Ho!” Lesson (Part 3): Taking Risks Objective: students will explore the contrasts of life in the past to modern times. This lesson (3rd of 3) continues the previous lesson with a focus on risks. The students will discuss and then enact the risks the pioneers took while traveling on an arduous journey westward. They … Read more

“Westward Ho!” Lesson (Part 2)

“Westward Ho!” Lesson (Part 2): Dealing with Conflicts Objective: students will explore the contrasts of life in the past to modern times. This Life Drama (2nd of 3) continues the previous lesson with a focus on conflict. The pioneers (students) traveling on an arduous journey westward encounter challenges. As a family group, they must cooperatively … Read more

“Westward Ho!” Lesson (Part 1)

“Westward Ho!” Lesson (Part 1): A Life Drama Objective: students will explore the contrasts of life in the past to modern times. This Life Drama begins a series of three lessons with a common theme. The students create a fictional group of pioneers preparing for an arduous journey westward. Students work through an improvisational process … Read more

Rabbit, Elephant, Whale Lesson

rabbit_whale_elephant

Rabbit, Elephant, Whale Lesson: Observation & Personification Objective: students will learn how actors use the drama tools to create a character. Students have fun personifying animal characters to create a story of their own design. The students then use the actor’s tools (mind, body, voice) to create a drama using observation (part of the fourth … Read more

B.J.’s Journey Lesson

Body Objects Transformation Lesson

B.J.’s Journey Lesson: Body Objects Transformation Objective: students collaborate with a partner using negotiation strategies and applying concentration, imagination, imitation, and transformation skills. Students transform their bodies into objects and then into settings with a team of other actors for the story B.J.’s Journey. Students work alone, with a partner, and then with a team … Read more

Mindless Woman Lesson

Mindless Woman Lesson

Mindless Woman Lesson:  Communicating with the Body Objective: students demonstrate how the drama tools are used to create a story. Based on an old Chinese folk tale, this lesson has groups working to create settings for a very humorous story (part of the first grade objectives). This is a full class drama and you are the … Read more