Curated OER
Crime Drama Teaching Units
Investigate the nature of crime dramas on television. What exactly are they trying to portray? Questions and a comparison chart support learners as they watch shows from Canada, Great Britain, and the United States. An oral presentation...
Media Smarts
Scripting a Crime Drama
Develop novice script-writers. Small groups sift through a sample script, noting any script-writing conventions to share with the whole class. Using these conventions and plot structures, these groups compose a script for a 10-minute...
Curated OER
The Time Has Come: Poetry and Drama Use in the Geography Class
Students use drama and poetry in their Geography class. In groups, they role play an interviewer or the interviewee in various plays that were presented to them. In their role, they must locate and label where the countries mentioned...
Ken Taylor
The Stones: Guilty or Not Guilty?
Young drama pupils will perform a number of expressive speaking exercises as they consider the themes of responsibility, consequences, and justice in the very modern Australian play The Stones. With a lot of role playing and...
New York City Department of Education
Egypt
This six-week unit encompasses all subjects with a focus study on world history and the development of ancient civilizations. As gifted and talented students dive into the interesting yet challenging topic of Egypt, they think critically...
Curated OER
Stories of Life in Canada
Learners examine Canadian history through William Kurelek's artwork. In this art analysis instructional activity, students discuss the ideas expressed in the picture book A Prairie Boy's Winter and A Prairie Boy's Summer. Learners view...
Curated OER
Diversity in Media: Looking Critically at What We See
This learning experience fosters awareness of representations we see, and don't see, in the media. Learners list TV programs, games, and films they enjoy, identify characters' ethnic, religious, (dis)ability, and sexual orientation...
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Using Literary Elements to Compare Fiction Texts
Students explore language arts by reading and reflecting on literary examples. In this fiction writing lesson, students read several different cultural versions of the story "Cinderella" and discuss their interaction with the story and...
Curated OER
Explore Puss In Boots
Young scholars listen to a fairy tale "Puss in Boots". Using the text, they answer comprehension questions and discuss them as a class. They discover the story structure and identify the main characters. They also have a chance to share...
Curated OER
The Portrayal of the Witches
Eleventh graders discover the importance of the fortune teller in Shakespeare's Macbeth. After watching two interpretations of the play, they examine and compare the portrayal of the character. They create their own modern adaptation of...
Curated OER
So Foul and Fair a Play
Students watch various interpretations of Shakespeare's Macbeth in film. In groups, they examine the setting, characters, music and sequence. They compare and contrast the various films and discuss the differences. They write an essay on...
Curated OER
Being in the Noh: An Introduction to Japanese Noh Plays
High schoolers read a Japanese Noh play and discuss its structure and traditional characters. They choose a short myth and write a Noh play based on it.
Curated OER
Reading
Students are introduced to various types of folk tales. During a read-aloud, they predict what they believe is going to happen next and practice following the story line. To end the lesson, they answer comprehension questions and...
Curated OER
Lesson Plan 2: So What's a Novel, Anyway?
What makes a novel a novel? Class members select a favorite novel, record their impressions on a worksheet, and then come together in groups to discuss the elements common to narrative writing. Next, they identify the characters, the...
Curated OER
Lessons from the Holocaust
Students investigate the horrors of World War II by participating in a role-playing activity. In this holocaust instructional activity, students read handouts describing the atrocities committed against the Jews in Germany during the...
Curated OER
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl
In this unit, students examine the many different themes in Anne Frank's diary. They connect the themes to their own life and keep a journal to explore the triumphs and challenges in their own life.
Curated OER
In the Poet's Shoes: Performing Poetry and Building Meaning
Middle schoolers explore poetry by completing a webquest in which they hear poets reading their own work. Later, they examine the dramatic impact of reading poetry out loud. Finally, they practice reading poetry aloud and performing.
Curated OER
Stuff Gods Are Made Of
Students examine different myths of various cultures around the world. Using artwork, they discuss the artistic designs and develop hypothesize about their importance. They use the internet to research myths they are aware of and share...
Curated OER
A Comparison of the Play and Movie "Inherit the Wind"
Students read the play "Inherit the Wind" about the Scopes "Monkey" Trial. In groups, they choose their favorite scene and create a diorama dipicting the scene as they see it. They watch a recording of the play and compare it to their...
Curated OER
Interpretation of Shakespeare's "As You Like It"
Students are introduced to the background behind Shakespeare's "As You Like It". In groups, they compare and contrast the family issues in the play with those in their own family. They also write the traits of each character and answer...
Curated OER
Storymaking Through Pantomime
Learners explore performing arts by participating in a role-play activity. For this storytelling lesson, students utilize their physical expressions to particpate in a pantomime performance. Learners evaluate performances in their class...
Curated OER
Poetry Through the Eyes of An Actor
Students examine the ways poetry has been used by actors. After reading a poem, they discuss the characters and the differences in how the male and female students view them. In groups, they read a few of Shakespeare's sonnets and write...
Curated OER
Going on a Bear Hunt
Students investigate pantomiming by going on a fictitious bear hunt. In this performing arts lesson plan, students collaborate in groups to sing songs and perform pantomimes based on a hunting trip. Students create their own dance to...
Curated OER
Chicago On Stage
Pupils view a film about the genres and disciplines of performing arts. They examine the theatre community in Chicago and the origins of theatre companies. They answer questions and discuss them to end the lesson.