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 … Read more

Motivation II Activity

Motivation II Activity Building on the Motivation I activity, participants expand their imagination skills beyond the chair.  Participants work in pairs to decide on motivations for simple physical actions.  We provide ideas for these actions or you can invent your own to match the objectives of the class. This activity is the second activity in a Motivation series that successively … Read more

The Caveman Lesson

The Caveman Lesson Objective: students practice concentration while working with other actors using positive non-distracting behaviors. Building on the previous Mirror lesson, students continue working with partners and practicing audience behaviors (part of the kindergarten objectives).  Students gain experience in practicing a drama as the traditional Mirror exercise morphs into a story called The Caveman … Read more

Mirror Lesson

Mirror Lesson Objective: students practice concentration and observation while working with other actors using positive non-distracting behaviors. Students have fun following the movements of a partner in this very traditional exercise called “The Mirror” [basic instruction included as part of the lesson]. This lesson can be repeated many times and you will see the concentration … Read more

Ghost Who Couldn’t Scare Lesson

Ghost Who Couldn't Scare Lesson

Ghost Who Couldn’t Scare Lesson: Audience Behaviors Objective: students analyze how audiences or viewers make drama better. This story about a ghost who wants to learn to scare people focuses on friendship and the unpleasantness of being a bully.   Students discuss audience behaviors that support live presentations and how respectfully responding to the work of … Read more

The Circus Lesson: Introducing the Three P’s

The Circus Lesson: Introducing the Three P’s

The Circus Lesson: Introducing the Three P’s Overview: students demonstrate the skills necessary to create a good drama. Objectives:  students identify the importance of planning and practicing; discuss good audience behaviors; demonstrate use of the drama tools (mind, body, voice). Students create a variety of circus acts.  At first it doesn’t go so well because … Read more

Body Objects – a FREE drama lesson

free drama lesson

Body Objects Lesson: Creating Settings with Details Overview: students collaborate with a partner using negotiation strategies and applying concentration, imagination, imitation, and transformation skills. Objectives: students collaborate with a partner using negotiation strategies; apply concentration, imagination, imitation, and transformation skills; identify story elements. Students transform their bodies into objects and then into settings with a … Read more

Book, Stick, Chair, Person Lesson: The Three Drama Words

Book, Stick, Chair, Person: The Three Drama Words  Overview: the students will learn what transformation, imitation, and imagination have to do with drama. Objectives:  students name the four fine arts; evaluate self and praise others; define the 5 key vocabulary words (concentration, imitation, imagination, transformation, collaboration); speak and listen in character. Is there a book in … Read more

Introducing the Five Senses Lesson

Introducing the Five Senses Lesson Overview: the students will learn why actors need to know and use all 5 senses. Objectives:  students name the four fine arts; demonstrate the five senses; evaluate self  and praise others. The five senses are key to acting, visualizing literature, and understanding the world.  Often they are only addressed in … Read more

The Dreamer

The Dreamer story This original story was adapted by Karen Erickson from the The Tales of the Arabian nights.  The adaptation highlights words that can be used to create body objects and is possible for students to work individually or in groups.   It can also be used in the Body Objects Lesson if you are just getting … Read more