Hawaiʻi State Department of Education
Creating Narrative
Plot, setting, characters, and conflict are common to both drama and narrative stories. Kids create narrated tableaus that show their understanding of the plot, setting, and conflict of a story they've recently read. The lesson plan...
Busy Teacher
The Phantom of the Opera
It's no masquerade! If Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera is part of your curriculum, check out this three-page packet loaded with suggestions for before, during, and after reading activities.
Curated OER
Giving from the Heart: Art from the Heart
Students perform a play to benefit others. In this service learning lesson, students are introduced to theatrical play as they perform an adaptation of "The Quiltmaker's Gift" and discuss the concept of philanthropy.
Curated OER
Water Water Water - Costume Designing
Students create costumes using recycled materials determined beforehand by the teacher in this High School Drama/Art lesson on costume designing. The example lesson is based around the title of "Water, Water, Water" but can be adapted...
Curated OER
Maracas
Students create Maracas out of various supplies while learning about percussion instruments in this Art and Music instructional activity for the elementary and middle level classroom. Detailed directions for two different methods are...
Curated OER
Leprechaun Dust
Learners make "leprechaun dust" in this short art lesson using Jello instant pistachio pudding, small jars, milk, and spoons. Ideal for celebrating St. Patrick's Day with early-elementary students. Can be combined with the reading of a...
Curated OER
Movie Music
Students discover film making by participating in a music performance. In this performance arts instructional activity, students perform music and physical acting to convey an already written script for their peers. Students...
Curated OER
Going on a Bear Hunt
Students investigate pantomiming by going on a fictitious bear hunt. In this performing arts lesson, students collaborate in groups to sing songs and perform pantomimes based on a hunting trip. Students create their own dance...
John F. Kennedy Center
Folktale Theatre
Introduce your middle schoolers to a performance and movement activity that uses their favorite stories from fairytales and folklore. They practice basic acting skills, create dialogues with a partner, and then as guided practice,...
Curated OER
Kumeyaay Indians
Useful for literary analysis, citing textual evidence, or summary skills, this lesson about the Kumeyaay Indians would be a good addition to your language arts class. Middle schoolers read novels and summarize the literature in their own...
Roald Dahl
The Twits - Muggle-Wump Has an Idea
If a bar of chocolate was on the floor, would you try to pick it up? What if it was covered with glue? The eighth lesson in an 11-part unit designed to accompany The Twits by Roald Dahl has scholars imagine crazy scenarios. The...
Curated OER
The Body Talks
Young historians examine the gestures of human subjects represented in Mannerist, Baroque and Renaissance paintings. After they play charades and attempt to match dialogue with body language, learners create a drawing that...
Curated OER
Study Guide for the 2009 Richard Gray Visual Arts Lecturer: Jules Feiffer
Students analyze the cartoons of Jules Feiffer and the art genre to then create their own comic book-style spread. In this cartoon art lesson, students read about the work of Feiffer and identify the techniques of the art. Students...
Curated OER
Fall Cubism Collage
Fall is an amazing season and leaves are fantastic subjects for artists to examine. Young artists use leaves to create fall collages using the rubbing technique.
Curated OER
Rhythmic Expression
Students discover movement and expression to music/sound through a series of teacher-led exercises and role plays. This lesson is ideal for the middle school drama class with possibilities for adaptation to any level of drama or general...
Curated OER
"No, You Can't Take Me!"
Students study imitation or pantomime. For this creative drama lesson, students pick an object to imitate and state the reasons why that object should not be taken out of the room pretending to be that object.
Curated OER
The Monkey Dance: Exploring Balinese Culture
Young scholars explore Balinese culture. In this Balinese integrated fine arts activity, students listen to a podcast of "The Monkey Dance," taking notes about important features of the dance. Young scholars participate in a jigsaw...
Curated OER
Scene Writing
Eighth graders create an original scene or short one-act play within specified guidelines. Assessment is based upon the performance of student-created scenes during class time. Rubrics for assessment and connection to state standards...
Curated OER
The Haunted Lift
Students read a poem and discuss how the poem could be made into a piece of drama.
Curated OER
Telling Stories Through Creative Drama
Young scholars examine fairy tales. As an introductory activity, students play the statue game. In groups, they write statements that tell the plot of the story. Using props, and without voices, young scholars retell the story by...
Curated OER
Graphs of the Heart
Students study Greek literature. For this Greek tragedies lesson, students explore the dance-dramas of Martha Graham. Students study the choreography that brings ancient Greek literature to life.
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...
Education Closet
West Side Shifts
Combine math, language arts, music, and dance with an activity focused on "America" from West Side Story. After listening to the song, learners compare the film to Romeo and Juliet, analyze the song's meter, design choreography, plan...
Curated OER
In the Poet's Shoes: Performing Poetry and Building Meaning
Young scholars 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.