Curated OER
Screen Play
High schoolers examine the New York Times review of the film adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and explore the elements of scriptwriting. They read the article about the film adaptation screenplay and examine a...
Curated OER
Write Your Own Screen Play
Students critique the transition of "Holes" from a novel to screenplay and consider how the details in a book are brought to life in a movie. They then choose a scene in a book and transform it into an original script after brainstorming...
Curated OER
Scene Writing: Literacy and Playwriting
Drama is ever-present in our daily lives and eloquently depicted on stage. Middle schoolers practice writing scenes based on different prompts and frameworks, and then perform those creative scenes for their classmates. The...
Curated OER
Fun Plays on Famous First Ladies
Students inquire about the lives of the First Ladies in our country. In this First Ladies lesson, students build knowledge about the contributions of First Ladies and how their childhood made them the person they are. Students do a play...
Curated OER
Pioneer America: Legendary Westerners - Can One Person Really Make a Difference?
Fourth graders research famous Americans from the Westward Movement and complete an interview. In this Westward Movement instructional activity, 4th graders work in pairs to research someone who was important during this time period....
Curated OER
Introduction to the Script Department
Students study drama and plays. They study the job of a playwright and discuss plot and conflict in a play script. Together, as a class, they access an online resource site to find information about playwrights and then decide upon and...
Student Achievement Partners
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm - "The Fisherman and his Wife"
Help young readers learn to read and interpret complex text independently. Teach young children to ask interpretive questions and use the text itself to answer them. Use art, word play and drama to provide a deeper understanding of...
Odyssey of the Mind
Odyssey of the Mind Curriculum Activity: Mathematicus Dramaticus
The best part about this resource is that you've got four wonderful activities to choose from. Each of the projects can work together or on its own to help learners understand the history of math and how it can be seen every day. In...
Curated OER
Holes
Students read and analyze the story elements of the novel "Holes" by Louis Sachar. They play a "Holes" matching game, complete a timeline of story events, complete a Cause-and-Effect graphic organizer, conduct research on Louis Sachar's...
Curated OER
SHAKESPEARE IN TODAY'S WORLD
Students, after an introduction to Shakespeare's "Othello," compare/contrast the themes in the play to today's society. In addition, they write their own script for the play of "Othello" based on predictions of what they think will...
Curated OER
Exploring A Streetcar Named Desire
High schoolers investigate the dramatic elements of a Streetcar Named Desire. In this drama instructional activity, students explore the theme of the Tennessee Williams play as they read the play and watch performances of some of the...
Curated OER
Flight of the Imagination
Students study the success of video games by reading an online article. They work in groups to design settings, storylines, characters and technical features for their own fantasy video games. Finally, they write scripts for previews of...
Curated OER
The Science of Shadow Puppets
Students explore the art of shadow puppetry. In this performing arts lesson, students study the functions of lighting in the puppet theater as they examine the transmission, absorption, and reflection of light. As a culminating activity,...
Curated OER
Chivalry and Courtly Love
Eleventh graders examine chivalry and courtly love. In this Arthurian legend lesson, 11th graders explore the legend and how chivalry, honor, and courtly love have been internalized into today's culture. Students author and perform plays...
Curated OER
Poetry
Fifth graders read several poems by famous poets and identify what about their style makes them unique. They then analyze and compare poetic style, use of forms and themes. Next, 5th graders investigate and collect different examples of...
Curated OER
Ecology
Students personify ecology vocabulary and write a one-act play using their knowledge of ecology as the basis for characters, conflict, setting and plot.
Curated OER
In Search of Caesar's Ghost
High schoolers collaborate in small groups to choose a scene that they write in place of a scene in Shakespeare's play "Julius Caesar". In this dramatic expression activity, their scripts include roles, lines and stage directions....
Curated OER
Telephone Game
Students practice their listening comprehension by playing the "telephone" game. In this foreign language lesson, students listen to a story read by a teacher in their target language and try to remember the details by writing 5...
Curated OER
Women of Substance ~ Broadcasting Their Stories
Students research the Boston Women's Memorial. Showing their fifth grade buddies around the memorial, they examine the lives of Abigail Adams, Phillis Wheatley and Lucy Stone. They create scripts for a public service announcement while...
Curated OER
Project-Based Learning: Improbable History
Students explore conflict. In this contemporary history lesson plan, students participate in 4 weekly activities that require them to research current conflicts and create time-travel cartoons that illustrate how the conflcits...
Curated OER
The Trial of Iago: "To you...remains the censure of this hellish villain"
Students analyze text and utilize outside resources to determine Iago's fate, which is not addressed by Shakespeare in Othello; students present their findings in an organized trial scenario.
Curated OER
Mills of New Hampshire
Students locate mill sites on a New Hampshire map. They describe who worked in the mills and their working conditions. They examine the environmental impact of the mills and work together to find out more information about mills.