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 … Read more

Plot Boosters

Plot Boosters Use this list of plot boosters to develop original stories for your drama work! These ideas can support the plot by moving the story along, giving the reader/viewer new information, showing character changes, foreshadowing, providing irony, creating cause and effect, and supporting the message and/or theme of the story. 

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 … Read more

Piasa Bird Lesson (Part 2)

Piasa Bird Lesson (Part 2): Adding Narration Objective: students will explore using narration to enhance a drama. This builds on Part 1 of the Piasa Bird Lesson as students add narration to their interpretations for the bird. Students will use different narration styles (see our guide for more details) in groups of up to four participants as … Read more

Piasa Bird Lesson (Part 1)

piasa bird lesson

Piasa Bird Lesson (Part 1): Exploring Visual Elements Objective: students will explore how to use visual elements to enhance a drama. Students will explore adding visual elements to a drama through the Native American legend of the Piasa bird. They will identify the visual elements of shape, line, form, and texture in a work of art … Read more

The First Woodpecker Lesson (Part 2)

The First Woodpecker Lesson (Part 2): Transformation  Objective: Students compare characters and situations in drama to situations and people in real life. Students combine the primary drama tools to create character and setting. Students demonstrate transformation in a drama. Transformation is key to the message of the story and understanding of societal values of the … Read more

The First Woodpecker Lesson (Part 1)

The First Woodpecker Lesson (Part 1): A Life Drama  Objective: Students compare characters and situations in drama to situations and people in real life. Students combine the primary drama tools to create character and setting. Mythic stories appeal to all ages. This story of “The First Woodpecker,” based on Native American myth, is a powerful lesson … Read more

The Vision Quest

The Vision Quest story Brave Shadow heads on a vision quest to find is courage.  Little does he know it is in his heart.  This story is perfect in the body objects lesson and introduces students to life as a young Native American on the North American continent.

The First Woodpecker

The First Woodpecker story  This story can be done in partners or groups of various sizes.  Larger groups should be comfortable with body objects and/ or using a narrator.  Use a warm-up discussing ways a fantasy character might cast a spell.  Or, you can use a warm-up focusing on physically transforming from one character to … Read more

The Sacred Scarab Root

The Sacred Scarab Root story This original story was written specifically for use in drama focusing on the concepts of Balance, Imagination, Cultural/Multicultural, Narrator/Storytelling, Repetition, Story Elements: Character, Conflict, Plot, Setting, Theme/Idea, and Transformation: Human Characters. It can also be used in the Body Objects Lesson if you are just getting started with drama.  A little background … Read more