CURRICULUM MENU
CURRICULUM MENU
Purchase or download individual lessons below These year-long planning guides map a year of drama teaching. We ...
About this Curriculum Guide for Sixth Grade Students
Each of these lessons has been tested in the classroom and taught successfully for many years. These lessons are intended as an extension to the foundational Introductory Lessons which have the background and methodology needed to implement drama and a foundation to kick off your drama work. They also build off of our previous grade level sequences, helping your students advance from elementary into middle school drama. Like any academic area, Drama has a scope and sequence of learning (knowledge and skills). This body of lessons is developed to cover essential learning in the art form for eleven to twelve year old students.
The objectives in this Drama Curriculum can essentially be sorted into three categories:
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- Self-management (intrapersonal) objectives
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- Collaborative (interpersonal) objectives
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- Discipline based-art objectives
These three categories are interdependent, but much is gained from teaching them specifically and in a sequence that builds understanding and competence.
National Core Arts Standards
The curriculum objectives are aligned with the United States National Standards, and a chart is included in the objectives so that you can see that alignment. Many states and nations have other standards. You are encouraged to look at your state’s or nation’s drama standards and see what lessons you might omit or determine some you might need to create so that all standards are covered adequately.
Curriculum Lesson Sequence
The lessons referenced in the sequence are put in a recommended delivery order, but you may revise, rearrange, and adapt as you see fit. Tying it all together is a year-long planning guide ["Sixth Grade Lessons"] to map a school year of drama teaching based on the lessons in this guide. We've included planning guides for both students with prior drama experience and without prior drama experience, so you can select according to your students' experience level. If your students have lots of experience with drama, there are additional Sixth Grade lessons not listed in this sequence that are available on OneStopDRAMAShop.com. These extra lessons are great for providing supplementary learning, or an additional challenge for students with a drama background.
For classes without prior experience, begin with our foundational Introductory Lessons.
These Sixth Grade lessons, objectives and planning guides are all you will need to cover the necessary drama knowledge and skills for this grade level.
Exploratory or Essential Question
The main lesson is written with as much detail as possible for ease of implementation. Each lesson has a sample exploratory or essential question that drives the instruction. What is the difference? An exploratory question is something that has a definitive answer and will not take years of study to understand it or uncover all of the meanings. An essential question is connected to more enduring understandings and will, perhaps, take years to uncover and understand entirely. Essential questions are tied to even bigger ideas.
Student-Centered Approach
In my work and in these lessons, I am always moving students through a gradual release process, from me modeling or guiding the drama to them independently creating stories. I have tried to make this distinction in the lesson steps. When the teacher is in the lead, the lesson step begins with a verb (e.g., model, explain, lead, have students). When students are in the lead or working independently, the lesson step describes their work (e.g., students brainstorm, groups plan and practice.) I have also included journals with each of the lessons in this curriculum sequence, so students may continue to take charge of their own learning by reflecting on their progress.