Radio Theatre

Scary Radio Plays for High School Students to Perform

January 18, 2024 By dhcbaldwin Leave a Comment

Adapting spooky radio plays for high school students to perform is a skill in which I excel. I’ve adapted short stories, folk tales and even original works for over thirty-eight years. In that time, I found that high school love to scare themselves and others. However, before we do so, let’s talk about royalties. There are no royalties to pay if you use my scripts. I’d appreciate either a resource review or mention in your program if you produce this for the public.

Did you know I have the secret to boosting student engagement? My new book, “We’re Live! Radio Theater #101” explains my journey to implementing this unique tool in the classroom. Check it out here or pick up a FREE sample here.

Now let’s get to the scoop-

Frankenstein’s Mystery

Frankenstein’s Mystery is an electrifying radio play that resurrects Mary Shelley‘s timeless tale in a mesmerizing audio experience, combining classic storytelling with the dynamic world of radio theater. This production offers a comprehensive package that not only delivers a riveting performance but also provides valuable resources for directors, actors, and educators. If you decide to perform for the public, there are no royalties to pay.

The Story:

Frankenstein’s Mystery begins where the original story leaves off. Victor Frankenstein brings to life his monster much to the surprise of his beautiful fiancé, Elizabeth, and a party of scientists and esteemed professors. Everyone is impressed and this makes Frankenstein proud. However, there is one fatal flaw in the monster which Frankenstein hadn’t considered–the monster is lonely and will do anything to get a friend.

The Product

A Note to the Director: Immerse yourself in the director’s guide, providing insights into the creative vision, thematic exploration, and directorial tips to bring the production to life.

Mary Shelley – A Short Bio: Gain a deeper understanding of Shelley, the prolific author whose works have inspired this radio play. Explore the background that shaped her literary contributions.

Adapted Specifically for the Classroom: Having taught and directed for over thirty-eight years, I know a teacher’s challenges when needing a script for a large number.

Sound Effects List and Suggestions: Access a curated list of live sound effects crucial for creating an immersive audio experience. Receive expert suggestions on how to effectively integrate these sounds to enhance the drama. Many a reluctant students has enjoy participating by using the live sound effects. Need a lesson about sound effects? Check it out here.

More Handouts in the Radio Play Resource

Music Suggestions with Links: Elevate the auditory experience with carefully selected music suggestions accompanied by links. Explore the synergy between soundscapes and storytelling.

How to Stage a Radio Play with Floor Plan: Navigate the logistics of radio theater production with a detailed floor plan guide. Maximize the potential of your space while adhering to the unique requirements of staging a radio play.

Radio Theater Terms: Familiarize yourself with essential radio theater terminology, including terms like “up and under.” Enhance your understanding of the technical aspects that contribute to a seamless production.

20-Page Radio Play Script: Immerse yourself in a captivating script, meticulously crafted by an award-winning author. The script includes sound and music cues, providing a comprehensive framework for a compelling performance.

Corny Commercials: Inject humor and authenticity into the play with three corny commercials. Alternatively, customize the commercials by incorporating your students’ own creations, adding a personalized touch to the production.

“Frankenstein’s Mystery” is not just a radio play; it’s a complete theatrical package designed to empower directors, engage actors, and captivate audiences through the artistry of radio theater. Dive into a world where the lines between imagination and reality blur, and the power of sound reigns supreme.

The Monkey’s Paw

How about a radio drama script adapted from W.W. Jacob’s class, gothic story, The Monkey’s Paw?

This twenty-five script has 23 +roles (including crew) and was adapted especially for the classroom. Strengthen your students’ listening, speaking, and reading skills all at once. It’s a one stop shop!

“The Monkey’s Paw” is a horror short story by English author W. W. Jacobs, first published in the collection The Lady of the Barge in 1902. In the story, three wishes are granted to the owner of The Monkey’s Paw, but the wishes come with an enormous price for interfering with fate.

Like the Frankenstein resource, this resources everything you’d need to be successful. Would it be nice to ease your burden knowing you’ve got a lesson which works every time?

The Cast of Amontillado

Adapted from Edgar Allen Poe’s classic, gothic story, The Cask of Amontillado, this script has 15 + roles (plus crew) and was written especially for the upper middle school classroom!

The Cask of Amontillado is a story of revenge, deceit, and murder, as Montresor tricks a drunk Fortunato by trapping him inside an ancient catacomb. Poe’s story uses irony in the writing elements of his characters and setting.

I like to include information in my resources which students may not be aware. This resource includes information about the catacombs. If you’d like to learn more about how to use radio theater effectively, check out: Ten Facts About Radio Theater That Will Blow Your Mind

Why do we like to frighten ourselves?

According to an article in Forbes.com, “You get an adrenaline rush. Experiencing fear triggers the body’s fight, flight or freeze response, leading to the release of adrenaline. This can be exhilarating and pleasurable for many people, as it can make them feel more alert and alive.”

“The gene associated with the reward neurons in the amygdala is involved in dopamine signaling — and dopamine is the neurotransmitter responsible for pleasure. It is not just dopamine and oxytocin that contribute to the post-scare high. People also experience a rush of endorphins following a scare.” Thanks to Medicalnewstoday.com for this bit of wisdom.

Looking for something FREE from Dramamommaspeaks? Pick up this handy free checklist of live sound effects websites.

Still not convinced?

Read what others think:

This is such a wonderfully funny script! My students absolutely loved acting out this play as a class! Fun, engaging, and very well written!

— Madison M.

Rated 5 out of 5

Thank you for these fun activities. My students are really going to enjoy acting out this Radio Play. You are my one-stop shop for all things drama!

— Jodie N.

Rated 5 out of 5

This was a super resource (Radio Theater Unit) that provided an engaging drama activity. I appreciated that all links were included! Different and engaging!

— Stacey W.

Rated 5 out of 5

I adapted this Bow Wow Blues Unit for the last 2 weeks of class so we mostly worked with the sound effects, but they really liked it. It was especially helpful for my EL students because they can participate without anxiety. I plan to use the full unit next semester. Great resource!

— Mary Angela H.

Rated 5 out of 5

Lastly, I challenge you to surprise your students with a radio theater unit! I think you’ll be surprised by their engagement and enjoyment in using their imaginations.

What radio theater plays have you produced? How did it work for you? I’d love to hear from you. Just email DhcBaldwin@gmail.com

Unlocking the Secrets of Elementary Theater Class: A Comprehensive Guide

June 14, 2023 By dhcbaldwin Leave a Comment

Unlocking the Secrets of Elementary Theater Class: A Comprehensive Guide

At this time of year, many newly employed teachers are perusing the internet for lessons for their classes. Today I’m going to discuss unlocking the secrets of elementary theater class: a comprehensive guide.

A little history about me–My first job was as an English teacher in a junior high school. Bear in mind that I was certified to teach English, but had never taught it or even experienced teaching it as a student teacher. My student teaching was in theater which in the 1970s was almost unheard of in the mid-west.

Anyway, I remember they gave me this HUGE book with all of the benchmarks or objectives I was to reach. It was so full of jargon, I had to sit and translate it into layman’s English. Finally, I got the hang of it.

My Teaching Journey

When I began teaching middle school theater in the mid 90s (yikes), no one seemed to be clear on what they wanted me to cover. I came into the position with twenty years of teaching and directing experience outside the classroom, so I knew what to do in those circumstances. Continuing in this position for thirteen years, we then moved to Estes Park, CO which was a dream we never thought would occur. We loved it!

While in Colorado for six years, I taught a creative dramatics class to second through fifth grade students in a home school enrichment program called Apex Home School Enrichment. The classes were fifty-five minutes in length, once a week. I saw around 175 students a week over three days. Because I came to the position with so much teaching experience, it was very easy for me to create a curriculum , because I knew what worked and what didn’t. I hope I can pass along some of this experience to you now.

Unlocking the Secrets of Elementary Theater Class: A Comprehensive Guide

To be frank, there are good and not-so-good parts of being the only theater teacher in a school. The good is that you can make your own decisions as to the content you teach without having to go through a department chair for their approval. The greatest challenge I believe is that because you are alone in teaching the subject, you don’t have anyone to bounce ideas off of who truly understands what you are teaching.

I know what that’s like. Having taught for over thirty-eight years, I’ve felt alone many times in my career. Plus, when you are just starting out its easy to become overwhelmed by all the necessary details. You probably say to yourself, do I have to create all these lessons all by myself. The answer is no.

Where can I find creative dramatics lessons?

You can join some fancy membership website and spend a lot of money buying lessons you may ever need. Maybe you purchase the membership at the beginning of the year because it sounded like a really good deal. And maybe it is. Perhaps you discover after assessing your students for a week or so that this website doesn’t offer what you need. You feel stuck because you paid your money and well, the lessons will suffice.

There is nothing worse than the nagging feeling that you are not doing something especially useful for your students. I’ve been there and I understand. I bet deep in your soul you know these are not the lessons your students need and really, you need to work ala carte! You want to pick and choose what you cover with your students, planning a month or two at a time. Check out my latest article in One Classroom Over magazine.

Many times when teaching elementary students, in my opinion, there is too much emphasis placed on the wrong aspects of theater. The secret to unlocking curriculum is go right to ala carte!

Here are some things you do not need to cover:

Scene study
Monologues
Writing a play
A comprehensive study of the history of theater
Memorizing large quantities of lines
Performing in a play longer than fifteen minutes
Performing in a musical longer than 30 minutes
Stock characters–Greek and Roman theater helped flesh out stock characters as a concept, but many of the ones we have now would not originate until much, much later.

When I taught these creative dramatics lessons in this particular order I began with the easiest concepts and progressed to the most challenging. This was a pass/fail course. I gave a daily participation grade as well.

Here are some concepts they do need to study:

Tableau (1 day)–Tableau is a staple of theater and a non-threatening concept which beginning theater students can learn. Students learn how to make stage pictures (which is one of the basic of directing as well), however they don’t have to say anything. You can find my tableau lessons here:
. Chanting (1 day)–Chanting, (in my TPT store) or a repeated word or phrase used to illicit an effect is the second component I teach novices. Got some questions about teaching middle school? You can also find it in my Made by Teachers store at: Chanting
Movement (2 days)–Just like tableau, students enjoy creative movement because there is no speaking. Plus, it does a great job of giving students some physical exercise which they sorely need.
Storytelling–(3 days) To learn to tell a story with all of its parts (beginning, middle and end, etc.) is an important skill. You can also find it in my Payhip store at: Storytelling Unit
Parts of the stage–(1 day) Students have a difficult time understanding these labels unless they are learned right along with performing. So, keep that in mind.
Improvisation (2 days)–Some advice for you: never begin your year by throwing students into improvisation. It’s terribly difficult for the novice actor or those who are reluctant about the class. Build up their trust for at least a month. Take it in baby steps. Try this drama circle for Halloween!
Mask making (2 days)–Students enjoy creating masks and using them in movement pieces or to create a character. My advice? Use animal masks which are premade or they can create their own.
Costume Design (2 days)–Who doesn’t like costume design? Depending upon the time of year, I like to teach about costume design with a thematic approach. In this case, it’s Halloween characters or teach with fairy tale characters.
Components of a Stage (1 day) –It’s best to teach these positions as students study set design so they can apply the information you give them.
Set Design (2 days)– Teaching how to draw a rendering of a set is super useful and fun!
Stage Properties (4 days)–Creating and making a stage prop is a magnet for student engagement. Maybe you can make a prop which is used in the class play, such as snowflakes for a play, Ojisan and the Grateful Statues which is set in winter.
Performance (1 week) You can choose to direct your students in a short one act class play, readers theater or a radio theater play-I liked to switch it up every now and then using something different. Word of caution–don’t have one class performing a play while the others are studying radio theater. You will make yourself crazy.
Audience etiquette (weekly)–You can teach how to be a good audience member every day if you like. Reminding students of what a quiet, attentive audience looks like goes a long way with them.
Warm up Exercises–You can never go wrong with a good warm-up exercise. Here is one which always works–Firecracker Freeze Tag

If you’d like you can purchase a bundle of them at a discounted cost right here: Theater Arts Lessons for Grades 3 to 5

Unlocking the Secrets of Elementary Theater Class: A Comprehensive Guide

In 2018, I opened my store on Teacherspayteachers.com. My plan was to recoup the pension I lost by staying home with our daughters when they were very young. I understood that I would lose half of my pension at the time of my retirement, but to this day I have no regrets. This was a real privilege and I’m aware that many educators don’t have the luxury to do the same. To this day, I know our daughters almost as well as they do themselves because I was with them when they were young. I treasure that. The aforementioned words in blue are links to my resources which you are welcome to use in your classroom.

If you need defenses for your lessons, check out National Core Arts Standards: A Conceptual Framework for Arts Learning

Do you have any questions? One feature of my business is that I am available for any teacher who needs a bit of advice or direction for their theater class, no matter the grade level. You can find me at DhcBaldwin@gmail.com

What No One Tells You About Creating An On-Line Course

December 2, 2022 By dhcbaldwin Leave a Comment

What No One Tells You About Creating An On-Line Course

Today I want to talk about what no one tells you about creating an on-line course. I can’t believe I am finally to a place where I can blog about this subject. I’m not kidding when I say I’ve been creating an on-line course for nearly a year.

In September of 2021, an idea to create an on-line course crept into my mind and I couldn’t shake it. I happened to put it out there that I’d like to create a course which would complement a particular category of units in my Teacherspayteachers store. Building an on-line course seemed the next step in my business and I still think this was a good idea.

I’m fortunate in that I’m a student in a wonderful company called SBZ Enterprises. They taught me how to amplify my presence in social media through their course focused on Instagram. If you don’t know much about the Instagram and how to market on it, I’d suggest you take this course. You can find it at: SBZ Enterprises

What No One Tells You About Creating An On-Line Course

Ironically, at the time I was considering this on-line course idea, SBZ was offering an affiliation with Digital Course Academy owned by Amy Porterfield. Would I be interested in taking the course with them? I excitedly agreed to do so, but really I had no idea what in the world I got myself into.

Persevering as I often do when I learn outside of my comfort zone, I enrolled with Morgan Sutton, CEO of SBZ as my mentor through the training. Morgan has been invaluable help in many ways and I will always be grateful for her support and confidence in me.

What is Digital Course Academy?

DCA is an on line course which teaches you how to create a webinar for an on-line course you are selling. At the same time I began creating my course, I studied DCA’s trainings. Talk about information overload! I mean, I’m not going to quit just because I’m in deeper than I meant to be. I finished the DCA course in December and decided that although I understood the concepts of webinar development, I needed to concentrate on my own on-line course before I could create a webinar for it.

Some people create the course as they develop their email list. In DCA you are encouraged to develop your course through the help of your email followers, gaining their insights and suggestions as you create it.

What No One Tells You About Creating An On-Line Course

My ideal client is a teacher who teaches theater or a core subject who wants to sharpen their teaching skills. I all ready knew teachers don’t have time to give me feedback, especially over several months as we fleshed out the course. Nonetheless, I was advised to survey my email list and make the first three modules of my course, so I did so.

I had seven beta testers for the course back in August. Not one of them completed the three module course. Not one. That disturbed me to say the least because personally I finish commitments even if I don’t want to. Morgan assured me it happens a lot in a situation like this. Cray cray is all I can say.

I was naïve

I planned to unveil my course ready by January of 2022. Oh my gosh, that was a ridiculous goal I could never accomplish. However, I didn’t know that at the time. In March I decided I’d hold my first webinars for the course. As the days and weeks wore on, I realized I needed another month to make ready everything. Again, I was so clueless.

It took me eight more months. Course creation can be a time suck, so if you are considering creating a course you need lots.of.time.

During those months, I built up my email list, put out more lead magnets for said email list, built sales pages for the webinar, created ten modules with guides for each and tried to hold three webinars. I followed the launch sequence for the webinar, too.

Everything appeared ready to go. What a flop!

Looking for a few free lessons from me? Or maybe a radio theater checklist? Check out this Free Stuff!

What No One Tells You About Creating An On-Line Course

You know how sometimes in your life, something stops you in your tracks and you can’t move on? These webinars were a failure because of reasons some of which I can’t control. My advice? Only use Zoom to hold your webinars and no one else. The company I selected for the first webinars completely messed up the dates and times of my webinars so the thirty people who signed up thought the webinars were cancelled. And you know, once your customer is confused they are leery to attend another webinar or buy your product.

Course Creation Takes More Time Than You Think

Licking my wounds for a couple of months I sat on the course. I wasn’t disillusioned but disappointed. I hoped that my webinars would attract teachers and I wouldn’t have to spend any more time on the course creation. I was so wrong. At that point, I cared more about people attending than any money I could make. In fact, I’m still of this belief. Money comes if it’s supposed to–that much I know.

In September I finished creating the course--all ten modules and ten guides. We (my dear husband and I) completed the recordings in early November, tweaking everything as time progressed. In the meantime, several hundred teachers joined my email list and I think I’m getting the right audience for the course.

Course Creation is Expensive

When you consider creating a course, there are expenses that no one tells you about for reasons unknown to me. Some of the expenses I never considered before beginning my course creation because I had no idea of all the details of doing this. In hindsight I guess I should have researched the idea more fully before I began.

I use these platforms

course creation (Canva)
platform to hold course (Samcart)
payment page (Samcart)
payment processing platform (Stripe)
sales page (Ontraport)
emails (Ontraport)
recording equipment (I was lucky here, as we owned good recording equipment from a previous project.)

Webinar Building is Expensive Too

Building a webinar has its expenses, too. Honestly, I didn’t know if Digital Course Academy is expensive, but there are extra (though optional) expenses involved if you use it. (Such as a course about email list building, for example.) These courses really do help you. Once the dust settles on this experience, I plan to re-enroll in some of Amy’s courses so I can pick up more tips. She’s really a gold mine of help!

Another expense–you need a platform for on-line meetings such as webinars and meetings with your students. I use Zoom because it’s the most respected and reliable.

Getting the word out about your course is a must–social media helps with that. You need to publicize both the webinar and the course. In my case, I use every available free platform–Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest. Linkedin.

If you have a blog and website as I do some of their costs play into this. So, I must count WordPress and Wix for my blog and website and being seen on Linktree,etc.

What’s the Course?

My course is titled, “We’re Live! Radio Theater 101”–a step by step blueprint using a unique teaching tool to engage students when you’ve tried everything else. Interested? Email me at DhcBaldwin@gmail.com

This week I announced the course is open and available for purchase. To be honest, I hate this part because I can’t control the outcome. I could wax philosophical and discuss how I don’t think we actually control anything, but you get the idea.

What No One Tells You About Creating An On-Line Course

One of the most difficult challenges is making a paradigm shift in teachers who think they can’t possibly use this in their classroom. They worry that they are expected to be a theater teacher and director, but I can assuage their worries. My guess is that I will probably spend a lot of time for the next month convincing teachers.

As of this writing, the webinars are planned for January when the teachers’ brains are rested and more apt to be open to new ideas. I know one thing for certain–it’s the cheapest it is every going to be. Once I begin the webinars, the course will cost more than it does at present.

I hope this helps you. It’s been good for me to write down my thoughts about it–that’s for sure. Have you created an on- line course? How did it go for you? Would you do it again? Feel free to email me at DhcBaldwin@gmail.com

Ten Facts About Radio Theater That Will Blow Your Mind

October 6, 2021 By dhcbaldwin 1 Comment

Ten Facts About Radio Theater That Will Blow Your Mind

Radio Theater is near and dear to my heart. Having been involved in it for most of my life, I understand it well. I’ve performed in radio theater, directed many productions and even adapted and written several of my own. I have ten facts about radio theater that will blow your mind.

It’s such a wonderful combination which incorporating one’s skills in reading, speaking, cooperative learning, listening and using one’s imagination. In my opinion, it’s one of the best ways to reach students and engage them.

Here are some interesting facts about radio theater scripts. They did mine and I’ve been teaching radio theater for at least twenty-five years. While searching for information to share in this post, I found these fascinating facts through wikipedia.com.

Ten Facts about Radio Theater

Number One–This first fact really surprised me, because honestly I’d never heard it before researching this topic. The Roman playwright Seneca was claimed as a forerunner of radio drama because his plays were performed by readers as sound plays, not by actors as stage plays; but in this respect Seneca had no significant successors until 20th-century technology made possible the widespread dissemination of sound plays.

Number Two–Again, I thought radio theater did not originate until the early 1900s. However, radio theater has been around for many years. Its roots began back to the 1880s. In 1881 French engineer Clement Ader had filed a patent for ‘improvements of Telephone Equipment in Theatres'”

Number Three–Did you know entire musicals with original casts aired on the radio? It began in February of 1922 airing from the WJZ’s Newark studios.

Want some more help in the classroom? Check out my FREE Guide and lesson Here

First True Radio Drama

Number Four–What is considered the first true radio drama? The credit goes to Wyllis Cooper’s Lights Out radio show which ran from 1934-47. An American writer and producer, Arch Oboler suggested Lights Out was the first true radio drama to make use of the unique qualities of radio. If you’d like to here it, listen here: https://youtu.be/J39pzN1eBm0

Though the series is often remembered solely for its gruesome stories and sound effects, Cooper’s scripts for Lights Out were later recognized as well written and offered innovations seldom heard in early radio dramas, including multiple first-person narrators, stream of consciousness monologues and scripts that contrasted a character’s internal monologue and his spoken words.

Number Five–Probably one of the most famous radio drama broadcasts in the United States is Orson Welles’ The War of the Worlds (a 1938 version of H. G. Wells’ novel), which convinced large numbers of listeners that an actual invasion from Mars was taking place. (Thinking of using radio theater as a student engagement tool? Look no further. Check out: The Canterville Ghost and Radio Theater Unit.

Radio Drama Flops

Number Six–There were several flops, however. Producers of radio drama soon became aware that adapting stage plays for radio did not always work, and that there was a need for plays specifically written for radio, which recognized its potential as a distinct and different medium from the theatre.

A page of my original radio theater script, Bow Wow Blues.

Number Seven–Nonetheless, several famous works were created for radio, including Dylan Thomas’s Under Milk Wood (1954), Samuel Beckett’s All That Fall (1957), Harold Pinter’s A Slight Ache (1959), and Robert Bolt’s A Man for All Seasons (1954).

Number Eight–On certain occasions television series have been revived as radio series. For example, a long-running but no longer popular television series can be continued as a radio series because the reduced production costs make it cost-effective with a much smaller audience.

Looking for a list of live sound effects and how to make them? Pick up this FREE Checklist!

When an organization owns both television and radio channels, such as the BBC, the fact that no royalties have to be paid makes this even more attractive. Radio revivals can also use actors reprising their television roles even after decades as they still sound roughly the same. A good example is the Dr. Who show.

Number Nine–The lack of visuals also enable fantastical settings and effects to be used in radio plays where the cost would be prohibitive for movies or television. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy was first produced as radio drama, and was not adapted for television until much later, when its popularity would ensure an appropriate return for the high cost of the futuristic setting.

And Lastly…

Number Ten--You may think radio theater went the wayside once television became popular. I’m glad to report radio theater is alive and well on the internet! I ran on to a wonderful radio show, Wooden Overcoats (Season 1, Episode 1). You simply must listen. Wooden Overcoats

Bonus Fact–Check out Podcast Festivals which are another home to radio dramas. Here’s a calendar for 2021-2022 Podcast Conferences

DramaMommaSpeaks Store Radio Theater Products

In case you are not familiar with my store, I create drama education units and lessons. Some of my most popular lessons are radio theater! I offer units in radio theater for grades third to twelve.

This BIG bundle includes a TEN DAY unit, nearly 30 pages in length, which is suitable for middle and high school drama classes and includes:

a lesson on the history of radio theater
information about Foley engineers
three links to video clips of Foleys
student created sound effect project
five links to radio play performances (some vintage and some recent)
a lesson in writing and producing radio commercials
links to four commercials and two acting exercises focused on sound effects
procedure plan to follow throughout the unit
teacher’s questions–what I say and how I say it!
a sound effects quiz
a student group example of a radio commercial
trivia about radio theater stars
a page demonstrating how to direct a radio play
a floor plan for blocking and an explanation of the floor plan
a page advising what certain stage directions mean which are specific to radio plays
a page with synopses of three radio play adaptations

The radio play products include:

note for the teacher/director
brief biographies on the author of the books or stories– H.G. Welles, William Clark Russell, Edgar Allen Poe and Oscar Wilde
radio play, including sound and music cues
The Frozen Pirate contains an original song reminiscent of a sea shanty of the time period & sound byte

These plays are royalty free! Perform them for the school, a parent open house or the end of the semester. You can spend one day studying radio theater or several days. Either way, they are ready to go–just copy and start in on the fun!

My most popular radio theater unit is my play, Bow Wow Blues.

Check out my post where I give my thoughts about studying different cultures through drama integration: 370 Million Indigenous People Want You to Know About Their Cultures

Which of the ten facts shocked you the most? I’d love to know. Contact me at DhcBaldwin@gmail.com or DeborahBaldwin.net and share your thoughts with me.

Until next time.

My Theatre Vocabulary List for the Classroom

June 23, 2021 By dhcbaldwin 4 Comments

My Theatre Vocabulary List for the Classroom

Let’s talk about my theatre vocabulary list for the classroom. I apologize. It never occurred to me that teachers needed a list of vocabulary for their theatre classes.

Theatre is such a major part of my life, I’d forgotten not everyone comes into teaching theatre classes as knowledgeable as I was. However, as I think about it, I remember what it’s like getting started teaching a theatre class.

It’s tough to get started. Although there are colleagues who will advise you, sometimes you need someone sort of “at your finger tips” to help you. That’s me!

Why teach vocabulary words?

This seems this would have an obvious answer. But just as in every other subject students teach, theater students need to know the words and phrases you will use in your classroom. We can’t expect out students to be good communicators if we don’t help them, yes?

There are many processes students can use to learn these words. If you pick up my Word Wall product, I’ve included several different ways to learn the vocabulary words.

Teach by osmosis! What’s that, you say? Learning by proxy, or being exposed to someone, can naturally achieve an unconscious assimilation of ideas, vocabulary, knowledge and even technical skills. It’s called osmosis.

A teacher could share a vocabulary word each day. Start the day with the word and even demonstrate it. Honestly, you will be surprised how quickly the students will learn them using osmosis. Just by seeing, demonstrating themselves and writing them, they’ll learn many of these words as if by magic.

++++++++ I am sorry there aren’t more words and their definitions listed here. I think students were coming here and filling out their vocabulary and definition sheet list and not finding the words and their definitions on their own.

Tsk, tsk. So, I edited the list to give you a basic idea..

Actor to Choreography:

Actor A male person who performs a role in a play, work of theatre, or movie

Actress A female person who performers in a role in a play, work of theatre, or movie.

Apron The section of the stage floor which projects towards or into the auditorium. In proscenium theatres, it’s the part of the stage in front of the house tabs, or in front of the proscenium arch, above the orchestra pit

My Theatre Vocabulary List for the Classroom (Example)

Cast A set of actors in a play

Catharsis A moment of high tragedy at the emotional climax of a play is followed by an emotional cleansing for the characters and the audience

Chanting A word or phrase repeated for an effect

Character A person in a novel, play, or movie

Are you considering becoming a teacher? Check out this blog post Why is it Important to Create a Lesson Plan?

If you are a student, sorry. You are going to have to look up these words yourself to attain the rest of the defintions.

Looking for a lesson for tomorrow? Pick up this one about Lin Manuel Miranda.

My Theatre Vocabulary List for the Classroom

I was looking around the internet and found this great blog post about the reasons it is important to know how to spell.

Everything is provided for you. Check it out at: Word Wall

The Reasons It’s Important to Learn to Spell

It develops reading skills: Knowing how to spell correctly helps children become better readers. If they don’t know how to spell a word, they’re more likely to guess at its meaning, rather than understand its true meaning. Additionally, being able to accurately spell words helps to build fluency and allow kids to read faster.
It enhances writing skills: Knowing how to spell words correctly helps children become better writers as well. When they’re able to accurately spell words, they can express their thoughts and feelings more clearly, resulting in stronger writing overall.
It builds confidence: Being able to accurately spell words is a great confidence booster for primary school kids. Knowing that they can spell words correctly helps them become more confident readers and writers.
It improves vocabulary: Learning how to spell words correctly helps children learn the meanings of unfamiliar words and increase their vocabulary. This can be very beneficial for them in the future as they continue their education.
It helps with concentration: Spelling correctly requires focus and concentration, both of which are important skills for primary school children to learn. By mastering spelling, kids will be able to transfer these skills to other areas of their studies as well.
Ultimately, spelling is an essential skill for primary school children to learn. Not only does it help them become better readers and writers, but it also boosts their confidence, expands their vocabulary, and helps them develop concentration skills. Therefore, it’s important that primary school kids take the time to practice their spelling regularly.

Instead of copying all of these words and making printables for your students, there are 64 in this product! Check out this WORD WALL:

First African American to Win National Spelling Bee

Have you heard of Zaila Avant-garde? The multitalented teenage phenomenon Zaila Avant-garde, became an overnight sensation with her Scripps National Spelling Bee win at the age of fourteen, when she became the first African American contestant to win. Zaila Avant-garde, now sixteen, will add “author” to her already-impressive list of accolades that includes: 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee champion, 2021 Sports Kid of the Year by Sports Illustrated Kids; and two-time Guinness World Record holder for feats related to her basketball prowess.

Her books, IT’S NOT BRAGGING IF IT’S TRUE: HOW TO BE AWESOME AT LIFE, a non-fiction middle-grade and a picture book, WORDS OF WONDER FROM Z TO A, a children’s picture book, will be published on June 27, 2023, by Doubleday Books for Young Readers and edited by VP, Editor-in-Chief Frances Gilbert.

Pick up my Drama Word Wall. Everything is provided for you. Check it out at: Word Wall or you can pick up posters (some are FREE) for your classroom, too! Growth Mindset Posters and Vocabulary

I hope this helps you. Please feel free to contact me at DhcBaldwin@gmail.com or DeborahBaldwin.net

Want some more help in the classroom? Check out my FREE Guide and ten page lesson Here

Creative Dramatics Lessons That Kids Love

July 22, 2020 By dhcbaldwin 1 Comment

Creative Dramatics Lessons That Kids Love

Hello!

Today, I wanted to blog about Creative Dramatics Lessons That Kids Love. You may not know me or be familiar with my work. I’m Deborah Baldwin (but my friends call me Deb.) I am a recently retired award-winning drama teacher of thirty-eight years. In that time, I directed over 250 plays and musicals with students and adults as well. I taught every grade level, but the bulk of my time was spent with secondary students.

Here is my resume if you’d like to see it:

If you’d like a free guide And lesson plan from me, click here LESSON PLAN

Creative Dramatics Lessons That Kids Love

My Teaching Style

Drama is a hands-on class. To this end, I’m always on my feet, modeling for my students while teaching them a host of concepts. It is not unusual to hear my classroom in chortles of laughter because humor is an outstanding way to gain a student’s attention. I empower students at an early age. Although I am always mindful of my learning objectives, I think it’s vital for students to experiment within the confines of my instruction.

I encourage students to be independent and creative thinkers. Many less confident or reluctant students benefit from my teaching methods as together we hit the challenges they encounter. I am creative, intense, driven and brave–these are qualities I nurture in all my students and generally receive outstanding results.

If you need some warm ups for your class, whether a core or drama class check out Theatre Games Guide

Strengthening Reading Comprehension Skills

When I was researching this blog post, I found a wonderful site, http://www.understood.org. They discussed the reasons for reading aloud (aka drama class!):

1. Decoding

Decoding is a vital step in the reading process. Kids use this skill to sound out words they’ve heard before but haven’t seen written out. The ability to do that is the foundation for other reading skills.

Decoding relies on an early language skill called phonemic awareness. (This skill is part of an even broader skill called phonological awareness.) Phonemic awareness lets kids hear individual sounds in words (known as phonemes). It also allows them to “play” with sounds at the word and syllable level.

2. Fluency

To read fluently, kids need to instantly recognize words, including ones they can’t sound out. Fluency speeds up the rate at which they can read and understand text. It’s also important when kids encounter irregular words, like of and the, which can’t be sounded out.

Sounding out or decoding every word can take a lot of effort. Word recognition is the ability to recognize whole words instantly by sight, without sounding them out.

3. Vocabulary

To understand what you’re reading, you need to understand most of the words in the text. Having a strong vocabulary is a key component of reading comprehension. Students can learn vocabulary through instruction. But they typically learn the meaning of words through everyday experience and also by reading.

What can help: The more words kids are exposed to, the richer their vocabulary becomes. You can help build your child’s vocabulary by having frequent conversations on a variety of topics. Try to include new words and ideas. Telling jokes and playing word games is a fun way to build this skill.

Creative Dramatics Lessons for Elementary Grades by an Award Winning Drama Teacher

4. Sentence Construction and Cohesion

Understanding how sentences are built might seem like a writing skill. So might connecting ideas within and between sentences, which is called cohesion. But these skills are important for reading comprehension as well.

Knowing how ideas link up at the sentence level helps kids get meaning from passages and entire texts. It also leads to something called coherence, or the ability to connect ideas to other ideas in an overall piece of writing.

What can help: Explicit instruction can teach kids the basics of sentence construction. For example, teachers can work with students on connecting two or more thoughts, through both writing and reading.

Making Connections: Using What They Know to Understand

5. Reasoning and Background Knowledge

Most readers relate what they’ve read to what they know. So it’s important for kids to have background or prior knowledge about the world when they read. They also need to be able to “read between the lines” and pull out meaning even when it’s not literally spelled out.

What can help: Your child can build knowledge through reading, conversations, movies and TV shows, and art. Life experience and hands-on activities also build knowledge.

6. Working Memory and Attention

These two skills are both part of a group of abilities known as executive function. They’re different but closely related.

When kids read, attention allows them to take in information from the text. Working memory allows them to hold on to that information and use it to gain meaning and build knowledge from what they’re reading.

What can help: There are many ways you can help improve your child’s working memory. Skill builders don’t have to feel like work, either. There are a number of games and everyday activities that can build working memory without kids even knowing it.

Creative Dramatics from an Awarding Winning Drama Teacher

Maybe you are researching Back to School lessons. Or you are looking for drama units, lessons and plays for your elementary students. Or you want to save yourself time?

I can help you.

Here is my opinion about expectations of our elementary students. My Pet Peeve

Here are a few of my lessons for elementary students:

It Could Always Be Worse Readers Theater

Each lesson comes with a teacher’s letter, procedure, a warm-up, materials list, teacher’s script and assignments.

Recently, I created fifteen minute radio theater plays for grades 3 to 5. These are royalty free, too!

Recently, I created fifteen minute radio theater plays for grades 3 to 5. These are royalty free, too!

I hope you’ll check out my creative dramatics lessons. My thirty-eight years of teaching drama education serve me well in creating these lessons and/or adapting some which I all ready used in the classroom.

Have you taught creative dramatics with your students? I’d love to hear about it. Contact me at DhcBaldwin@gmail.com or DeborahBaldwin.net

Looking for a freebie or two? Go to:

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First African American to Win National Spelling Bee

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Creative Dramatics Lessons That Kids Love

Creative Dramatics Lessons That Kids Love

Strengthening Reading Comprehension Skills

1. Decoding

2. Fluency

3. Vocabulary

4. Sentence Construction and Cohesion

Making Connections: Using What They Know to Understand

5. Reasoning and Background Knowledge

6. Working Memory and Attention

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