New ReviewLike an iceberg, the biggest part of a theatrical production is unseen. Like an iceberg, 90 percent of what goes on is behind the curtain, behind the lights. To find out what goes on behind the scenes, class members investigate the roles...

New ReviewThe second lesson in a five-lesson theatre arts unit focuses on developing a grade level appropriate understanding of dramatic text elements, of theater history, and of the purposes of theater performance.

Theater comes alive for actors of all ages through the activities packed in a dynamic dramatic arts resource. Lessons for early elementary learners focus on creative play and improvisation. Middle school lessons focus on vocal and...

Introduce young thespians to all aspects of the theater. A syllabus for a one-semester drama course provides lessons that take learners from the history of drama to the many facets of play production.

A great actor has the ability to make or break a play. A series of lesson plans related to William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar looks closely at the choices actors make during a production of the play to help provide insight into the...

Emergencies happen. Be prepared. Have a script all set for an understudy in the form of an step-by-step lesson plan for the substitute for your drama classes. As part of a playwriting unit, class members reflect on the role playwrights...

You needn't beware using Shakespeare's Julius Caesar in your classroom. You, too, can be valiant and let loose your young actor's creativity, guided by the suggestions in a curriculum guide so filled with a delightful mix of elements...

How do actors so inhabit a role that viewers see that character and not the actor? Class members engage in a series of activities that ask them to observe the ways people move and speak and to consider how these external factors can be...

Class members take center stage as groups perform scenes from Ian Doescher's William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope. Actors are encouraged to add stage directions to the script, as well as create costumes and props to...

Plays are meant to be performed! After reading the entire play, invite your learners to choose a scene from Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead that relates to earlier class discussion about characters, motifs, and themes to interpret...

Introduce middle schoolers to playwriting and the elements of drama with a six-session storytelling unit that encourages kids to expand their acting and writing skills. The 12-page packet includes overviews of the lessons, assessment...

Introduce young actors to the key elements of performance with this handout that defines key staging terms and activities.

Circle games, energetic games, calming games, exit games. Whether used as ice breakers, warm ups, or exit strategies, or used in drama classes or content areas, the 28 games detailed in this packet deserve a spot in your curriculum library.

Here's an eight-page packet that describes 70 different improv activities to use as warm ups for drama classes. 

Improv for EFL/ESL? Indeed! The six improvisation exercises detailed in this resource are intended to provide fluency practice and boost the confidence of all levels of language learners but can be used in drama classes as well.

When a hiker gets trapped under a one-and-a-half ton piece of sandstone, he is shockingly able to throw off the slab. Because we normally use only one-third of our muscle fibers at a time, the potential for more is available in...

Learning about literature can be so much fun; it can also be made more accessible through projects and dramatic play. As they explore theme, character, and setting, the class gets creative and makes a dramatic recreation of a classic...

It's the classic scene: Tom Sawyer is whitewashing a fence. Expose your learners to Mark Twain's humor while reinforcing reading comprehension. Eighth graders are encouraged to read and reread, achieving as much exposure to the text as...

There's no doubt that dramatic play and creative movement are both essential for a healthy early childhood education. Here is a lesson that promotes both. Youngsters think of activities and emotions. The words are written on pieces of...

Young scholars engage in a lesson that is about the meaning of a verb or adverb. They perform sketches with the subject matter of the words. The goal is for the actors to show the meaning of the verb or adverb with an action.

Second graders use acting to help them in a prewriting activity to develop a story. In this prewriting lesson plan, 2nd graders form a character map and brainstorm ideas for their story.

Young scholars engage in a lesson that is about searching the attributes of characterization. They practice some of the basic moves involved in acting out a certain character while focusing upon basic skits like "the freeze". The...

Read and act out folktales, fairy tales, or myths from various Asian American cultures with your class. Each group reads a story aloud and then works together to create a short play or skit about the story. Suggestions for stories are...

Shakespeare too confusing? Rewrite it! Small groups each take on one act of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, repurposing it into more modern language. They summarize the act as a group and then act out the basic play using created...