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Creative Dramatics Lessons That Kids Love

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Creative Dramatics Lessons That Kids Love

Dramamommaspeaks Blog Author Deborah Baldwin

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.

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

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:

Free Teaching Resources Blog Hop

Free Stuff!

 

Drama Lessons for Families Who are Home-Bound

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Drama Lessons for Families Who are Home-Bound

 

Tick, tock, tick, tock…….

Is it only Wednesday?

Have you worn out the Play-dough, grown frustrated by the board game, broke the new cool toy, gained five pounds by baking chocolate chip cookies and just can’t make one more blanket fort? 

The Joy and Intrigue of Broken Toys

Families:  Have you exhausted your ideas during this pandemic? 

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

Need a little help?

I am here to help you.

Drama Lessons for Families  Who are Home-Bound

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

Many years ago, we lived in Missouri.  I  remember when we’d have a couple of snow days in a row.   Deep snow and ice kept us home.

Of course we didn’t know how long we’d be, but the school district had a rough idea of when we’d return to the classroom.

pexels-photo-3626789

That was fine and it really was fun, but this?

Well, who knows how long this quarantine will last?

When our daughters were children, being very creative beings, they would orchestrate little programs for us.  They’d rehearse for hours, invite us to their concert or play and my husband and I would sit quietly while they gleefully performed for us.

We’d clap at the end as they bowed.  One time they put on their own rendition of Lion King.  Part of the end of the performance included walking around in a circle with a sign which read “Lion King” misspelled to “Loin King.”  We still call the show Loin King to this day…

It was such fun for all of us.  Honestly, I have many fond memories of those performances.  In fact, I remember them more than other times in their young lives.

Drama Lessons for Families  Who are Home-Bound

I say families that do drama together stay together.  (Last Saturday I said “families who Face Time together stay together” so you can see I toss this phrase around as needed.)

When I researched this subject, here was something I found very interesting about families in a research essay, childtrends.org:

Drama Lessons for Families Home-Bound

pexels-photo-1231365
Photo by Yulianto Poitier on Pexels.com

Time Use
Perspectives: Shared parent-child activities are important both because they are intrinsically satisfying and because they can help educate and socialize
children. For example, research has found that children whose homes emphasize learning opportunities and cognitively stimulating activities are more academically motivated than other children. In addition, a positive and enriching family environment can help prevent behavior problems in youth, including delinquent behavior.18 Moreover, sufficient quality time together may be a prerequisite for well-being in
family relationships.

Here are a few ideas for you of ways to provide quality time with your family.

Drama Lessons for Families Home-Bound

Here’s a new one! Drama Choice Boards–keep an eye out for more of these.

Drama Lesson Choice Board

Saturday, Sunday and Monday Unit and Play Distance Learning

SATURDAY, SUNDAY & MONDAY READERS THEATER COVER

This reader’s theater script is perfect for a family to use.  It has many roles and opportunities for younger children to be involved even if they can’t read yet.  Plus, there’s an original song.

Bow Wow Blues Unit and Play Distance Learning

RADIO THEATER IV BLUES COVER 285 dpi

The whole family can learn about radio theater with this gem.  Written in the style of old radio shows, Bow Wow Blues is a silly cops and robbers tale.

Plus, the family can learn about the radio theater of old and where it is most present today.

Set Design Rendering Lesson Distance Learning

SET DESIGN THE RENDERING EDITED

A precursor to my set design unit, this gives a family the chance to learn about set design and draw a rendering for any setting.

Maybe a set design of a child’s classroom? A castle?  The wild west?  The moon?

It Could Always Be Worse Reader’s Theater Distance Learning

The title of this reader’s theater is really all anyone needs.  Based on a Jewish folk tale, it is full of humorous moments and roles of animal sounds.

Part of the fun is the chaos that ensues every time the man does another thing that the rabbi suggests.

HINT:  THIS KIND OF PLAY IS RELAXING AND FUN FOR EVERYONE. 

Or how about some beginning playwriting?

Costume Design with Fairy Tale Characters

Costume Design Fairy Square Cover 400 dpi

Does the family enjoy fairy tales?  Here’s a lesson about costume design using fairy tale characters as the focus.

With costume design, a student considers the character from a different perspective or time period. (There is also one for super heroes and one for circus performers.)

It’s important our students learn about growth mindset by learning about successful people.  This series of theater artist biographies include

Idina Menzel, Hugh Jackman, Lin Manuel Miranda and many more.

Famous Theater Artist:  Idina Menzel 

I have several one pager assignments.  One for Idina Menzel and also Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Who am I?

Deborah Baldwin, Dramamommaspeaks

I am a retired drama educator having taught for thirty-eight years in both the public and private sectors. Whew! During this time, I created curriculum for studies in creative dramatics, creative movement, introduction to musical theatre, musical theatre, film making, technical theatre, introduction to Shakespeare, introduction to theatre as well speech and debate. I created seven youth theater companies that continue today in various parts of the midwest, oversaw productions for thirty-eight years, and developed a national playwriting contest for youth theater scripts. In addition, I am an award-winning director who has directed over 250 plays and musicals with children and adults alike. My sister was an elementary teacher for many years as were my aunts. In the late 1800s, my fraternal grandmother was known for her strength in teaching math in the wilds of Kansas. My maternal grandmother established the first kindergarten in Osaka, Japan in the 1890s. In short teaching is in my blood and comes to me joyfully and naturally.

Who’d a thought we’d be practicing social distancing and quarantined?  Not me that’s for sure.

I hope you’ll check out my lessons in my teacherspayteachers store, Dramamommaspeaks.  It’s free to join TpT and there are lots of free lessons to pick up for other interests, too.

In fact, here are a bunch for you: Free Teaching Resources Blog Hop

Take care.  Contact me if you need some advice or just to share how you used the lessons.  I’d love to hear from you.

Contact me at dhcbaldwin@gmail.com or DeborahBaldwin.net

Learning Through Reader’s Theater Scripts

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Learning Through Readers Theater Scripts

Today’s let us consider an old friend of mine–readers theater.  Learning through readers theater scripts is effortless.  I’m getting ahead of myself here.

Shocking News

Did you know that 40% of our students can not read fluently.  Forty per cent!  Yikes.

READING WITH GRANDAUGHTER WHEN SHE WAS 18 MOS.

When we were raising our daughters, I made it a point of reading to our daughters at least thirty minutes twice a day.  I know not everyone has that privilege. Now I offer to read to my grandchildren whenever I can.  This little imp in the photo is our granddaughter who loves to read.  It’s no wonder–look at her in the photo! You can see her delight in the story and pictures.

But back to our students reading issues.  If you are looking for a way to keep your students engaged and sort of in the drama class (or actually Reading or Language Arts class) mindset, here’s an idea:

Teach through a reader’s theater script!

Rehearsal Schedule for a Readers Theater Performance

Here is what I would do in this situation—

Day One:

  •  Select a reader’s theater which you know your students will enjoy
  • Announce to the students in the class you will be performing a readers theater play
  • Teach about readers theater and its many assets (script in hand, no memorization, everyone works together)
  • Inform parents and invite them to the performance.  (Day Six)

Day Two:

  • Hand out scripts to students
  • Read aloud the script.
  • Afterward instruct students to select three roles they are interested in performing and send you their choices. You’ll send them an email with the cast list.
  • Cast the roles

Day Three:

  • Announce to the class the cast list
  • Teach students how to hi-light their lines.
  • Read aloud script a second time

Day Four

  • Discuss any questions or moments you want to clarify with the students (Such as when it says “ad-lib.” what does that mean?)
  • Instruct the students to complete any assignment you may have given them to accompany the script and send to you

Days Five, Six and Seven

Day Five

  • Read the script aloud  again and coach the class focusing on vocal inflection, variety, tone and enunciation (Also, you may want to coach them on physicalizing of the character. How would an angry man look?  What about a frightened giant?)
  • If you want the students to have costume pieces, perhaps you could discuss ideas for costume pieces they may have at home? (Maybe the students could use some foil and tagboard and make a crown, for instance.  Or a student portraying a chicken could make a demi-mask to wear during the reading.)

Day Six

  • Performance Day! 
  • Either rehearse the script once more or the teacher gives any last-minute directions
  • Record the performance (It will be so fun for the students to see it afterward!)

Day Seven

  • Hold a post production discussion about the experience (Maybe a little party could be held with everyone bringing their own snack and drink to the class?)

Young Woman at her Study Room Smiling at Camera

Grab my FREE guide and ten page lesson to help you boost student engagement here:

Reader’s Theater is an excellent way to involve all readers, no matter their skill level.

In case, you are unfamiliar with Reader’s Theater here is a good definition from the Education World website, a wonderful retired Language Arts Teacher,

“In Reader’s Theater, students “perform” by reading scripts created from grade-level books or stories — generally without benefit of costumes and props. The goal is to enhance reading skill and confidence through practice with a purpose. Reader’s Theater gives students a real reason to read aloud.

“A great deal of fluency research reiterates the need for repeated reading,” reported Finney. “Without fluency, there is little comprehension; the value of Reader’s Theater is increased tenfold when used as a strategy for increasing understanding of what is being read.”

Reader’s Theater motivates reluctant readers and provides fluent readers with the opportunity to explore genre and characterization.”

Asian teenage boy with disability in wheelchair reading book in library Disability Stock Photo

Reluctant Learners and Readers Theater

Are reluctant students successful with readers theater? Yes, yes and one more yes!

Reader’s Theater motivates reluctant readers and provides them a safe environment.  They can actually “hide” behind a script.  As they focus on the script, they become unaware of reading aloud in front others.

If you are ready to try a readers theater unit, here are a few of mine.

 

The products come with:

  • a warm up
  • advice in directing reader’s theater
  • blocking plot for teacher’s staging needs
  • a lesson about the country or culture of which the folk tale hails (i.e. Italian language, Yiddish language, Grimms Brothers, Inuit dance, etc.)
  • script with roles for 15 to 30 students, depending upon the script
  • original song and sheet music (optional for performance)
  • sound bytes of music

Comprehensive? You bet!

Check out my store at:  Dramamommaspeaks Store

These scripts are field-tested and created by a veteran drama teacher and director of thirty-eight years.

Who am I?

Deborah Baldwin, Dramamommaspeaks

I am a retired drama educator having taught for thirty-eight years in both the public and private sectors. Whew! During this time, I created a curriculum for studies in creative dramatics, creative movement, introduction to musical theater, musical theater, film making, technical theater, introduction to Shakespeare, introduction to theater as well speech and debate. I created seven youth theater companies that continue today in various parts of the Midwest, oversaw productions for thirty-eight years and developed a national playwriting contest for youth theater scripts. In addition, I am an award-winning director who has directed over 250 plays and musicals with children and adults alike. My sister was an elementary teacher for many years as were my aunts. In the late 1800s, my fraternal grandmother was known for her strength in teaching math in the wilds of Kansas. My maternal grandmother established the first kindergarten in Osaka, Japan in the 1890s. In short teaching is in my blood and comes to me joyfully and naturally.

I hope you’ll consider teaching readers theater to your students through distance learning with the help of a company such as Zoom.  I’d love to hear how it goes for you, too!

If you’d like to read more about my lessons, look at:

Eight Benefits for Students When Reading Plays

The Reasons Reader’s Theater is Successful with Our Students

The Reasons Teaching Multiculturalism in the Classroom is Vitally Important

Contact me at dhcbaldwin@gmail.com or DeborahBaldwin.net

 

Play Reading and Analysis–An Important Skill for Our Students

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Play Reading and Analysis–an Important Skill for Our Students

Deborah Baldwin teaching

I am a drama teacher.  Consequently, I eat, sleep and breath theater even now that I’m newly retired.

I listen to the Sirius Broadway station all day which keeps me abreast to upcoming productions and tours.

Because of my love for theater, I spend a lot of time on Pinterest.com pinning anything that pertains to theater–plays, musicals, set design, costume design, stage properties do it yourself creations, stage makeup, videos, lighting plots, show posters, etc.

I have A LOT of boards…………….:)

I see theater teachers in Facebook groups looking for play titles to read with their students, especially middle school.  If you are looking for a good one to study,  try Tim Kelly’s dramatization of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.  Here is a study guide and set design unit for it:  Study Guide and Set Design Units Tom Sawyer

BUNDLE TOM SAWYER STUDY GUIDE AND SET DESIGN

Sorry, I digressed.

Strengthening Literacy through Play Reading

Back to literacy.

I looked for research concerning the reasons our students should read a play script and of course, ran on to balanced literacy.

“When students have a voice in the reading process, they’re learning to contribute to their own knowledge.  Because they can select the books (in my case, plays) they wish to read, they have greater control over what they want to learn. Students are much more likely to view reading as a priority when they have some ownership in the reading process.

However, this doesn’t mean students can make their independent reading choices willy-nilly.  There does have to be some structure involved. First of all, the independent reading selection must be at their reading level.  No “easy” books during independent reading. “At their reading level” means students should be able to read their selections with 95%-100% accuracy.”

I agree with everything mentioned above.

Reading a play can be an amazing, satisfying experience.  Once my students become accustom to reading a script aloud (which takes about one class period), they are invested.

woman reading book

Here are some of the reasons for our students to read a play:

  1.  The dialogue is terrific.  You can’t help but be engaged.  The playwright hones his script to be the most compelling experience he can create.  He certainly doesn’t want an audience member leaving the production.  When an audience members leaves, it’s not the same as turning off the television–EVERYONE sees the bored person leave.  Yikes! Also, if you are teaching students how to write dialogue, reading a script will help them immensely.
  2. There is no narration or superfluous information.  There might be someone who narrates, but again, the narration is short, concise and entices the audience.
  3. For many moments in the plot, stage directions are included.  If the play reader becomes lost, it is easy to find one’s place in the script merely by reading the directions.  The stage directions help a reader to visualize the action. They were either added to the script by the playwright or placed there in honor of the first company who produced it.
  4. Characters are well developed.  A well crafted play can be read without looking at each character’s printed name within the play.  A reader should be able to read down the middle of the script and know who is speaking and why.
  5. Each scene and act follows the traditional plot structure–a beginning (the conflict is unveiled), rising action and some sort of resolution.  Generally, an act is ended like a cliff hanger in a movie or book.  Or, it makes a thought provoking statement which enhances the theme and encourages the audience member to return after intermission.
  6. Generally, the plot concerns a short amount of time in the main character’s life.  If the script becomes too epic, the audience is lost and again they’ll quit listening.
  7. Everything that is published in the script is vitally important to its success on the stage. That means anything mentioned or used has been carefully chosen.
  8. I can’t think of a script I haven’t enjoyed reading.  Sure, I’d rather see the script in a live production but reading the script works for me almost as well.

Strengthening Literacy through Play Reading

So how do you find the scripts your students will enjoy?  I surveyed a group of drama teachers from all over the world and they helped me come up with a list of plays they think students should read.

For High School

  • Harvey
  • Arsenic and Old Lace
  • Still Life With Iris
  • To Kill a Mockingbird
  • Oslo
  • Inherit the Wind
  • Diary of Anne Frank
  • The Giver
  • The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man in the Moon Marigolds
  • Anne of Green Gables
  • Fences
  • Vanities
  • Yellow Boat
  • The Giver
  • Dark Road
  • Children’s Hour
  • Our Town
  • The Crucible
  • Raisin in the Sun
  • Antigone
  • The Doll’s House
  • Glass Menagerie
  • Dancing at Lughnasa
  • Death of a Salesman
  • Doubt
  • Proof
  • Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
  • The Heidi Chronicles
  • Last Night at Ballyhoo
  • The Miracle Worker

Strengthening Literacy through Play Reading

Most of these scripts can be purchased through one of the various script publishers.  If you don’t know where to start, try searching the nae of the script, such as “The Giver, the play version.”

If that gets you nowhere, you can try findaplay.com  This site used to be my favorite, but I’ve noticed not every script is listed there anymore.

Your students may find on-line versions to read, especially of the classics (our Town, The Crucible, Raisin in the Sun, The Doll’s House, etc.)  or check out your school or public library.

Sometimes you’ll find them in anthologies, especially if they were Tony Award Winners.  I believe this list includes only Tony Award winners.

I have a unit (two actually) which can help you teach about play analysis.  It is:  Play Reading and Analysis (PDF) 

and Play Reading and Analysis Google Classroom

Packed with questions and a rubric it contains:

  • Letter to Teacher
  • Project Assignment–What is Expected in the Assignment
  • Play Analysis Questions–as a Producer, Director and Designer
  • Play Titles–Vetted and Compiled from Drama Teachers Around the World
  • Rubric (FULLY EDITABLE)
  • Exit Slip prompts for 5 days–Questions are Provided for Each Day
  • Source Page

I hope you’ll check it out and use it.  It’s very different.

 

Or, if you’d like to get a heck of a deal, look into this bundle:  Drama Units and Lessons for High School Students

Until next time.

Deborah Baldwin, author

Contact me at dhcbaldwin@gmail.com or DeborahBaldwin.net

Creative Dramatics Lessons from an Award Winning Drama Teacher

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Creative Dramatics Lessons from an Award Winning Drama Teacher

Deborah Baldwin, Dramamommaspeaks

Hello!

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.  At 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: DeborahBaldwin.net

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.

first rehearsal

If you are looking for creative dramatics lessons and plays for your students, I can help you.  These lessons are for grades third to fifth. So many of these lessons can be used in a reading or language arts classroom, too.  They jibe together easily.

Here are a few:

Given Circumstance Monologue Creative Writing Lesson

Got some creative writers?  This lesson fits in nicely with a creative writing unit and/or to study playwriting just a little.

OjiSan C. Dramatics Cover

This is fun to perform for younger children.  There are two versions of this product–one for younger students and one for older.

Ojisan and the Grateful Statues

COSTUME DESIGN WITH HALLOWEEN GRADE 3-5 SQUARE COVER 3

Oh my gosh!  Costume design is a wonderful way to celebrate Halloween.  Students love this because they can be very creative and learn at the same time.

Costume Design with Halloween Theme

COSTUME DESIGN WITH NUTCRACKER CHARACTERS SQUARE COVER.jpg

Do you ever show clips from The Nutcracker Ballet?  This lesson includes video clips, a lesson on costume design and gives the students an opportunity to design as well.

Costume Design with Nutcracker Ballet Characters

COSTUME DESIGN WITH HOLIDAY PARADE CHARACTERS .jpg

Costume Design with Parade Characters

TABLEAU HOLIDAY THEME COVER

Tableau Exercises–Holiday Theme

ST. PATRICKS THEME COVER

Stage Properties–St. Patrick’s Day Theme

Drama Lesson:  St. Patrick’s Day Play Writing Monologue 

BUDDY AND THE EVERGREEN TREES READERS THEATER COVER.jpg

Buddy and the Evergreen Trees Reader’s Theater

Here’s my newest:  Chanting Lesson for Grades 3 to 5

Creative Dramatics Lessons from an Award Winning Drama Teacher

I hope you’ll check out my drama education products.  There are nearly 160 of them ready and waiting for you.  

Or maybe you were hoping for something free?  Check out this:  Free Teaching Resources Blog Hop

If you don’t find what you need, contact me.  Chances are I’d be interested in creating what you are needing.  That’s always fun!

Contact me at dhcbaldwin@gmail.com or DeborahBaldwin.net

 

 

Three Interactive Ways to Teach The Play Tom Sawyer To Your Students

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Three Interactive Ways to Teach The Play Tom Sawyer To Your Students

Today’s post is Three Interactive Ways to Teach Tom Sawyer To Your Students.  Several years ago, (for thirteen years) I taught sixth graders an introduction to theater class in a middle school. All the sixth graders–almost 500 of them each year. If you’d like to know more about that experience, check out this blog post: How to Make Your Drama Class More Successful

Mark Twain's Purpose for Writing The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

As any drama teacher worth her weight would tell you, it’s important for students to read fiction about kids around their age.  Now, I’m like anyone.  I like pop culture, but I happen to think our students need to still read classics.

In addition, I also like to include interactive instruction if at all possible.  Interactive instruction is when students learn through social interaction. Interactive instruction is just about everything we do in a theater class!

Meet Tim Kelly, Playwright

Three Interactive Ways to Teach The Play Tom Sawyer To Your Students

Thirty-one years ago, I co-developed a play writing contest for youth theater plays.  One of the winners was a prolific playwright, Tim Kelly.

When Tim entered the competition, I was aghast!  I only knew his plays as hokey.  They were silly, kind of awkward parodies of other plays, books, or television shows.

Shortly afterward, Tim discovered writing for middle school students and finally found his home, at least in my opinion.

We produced his play, It’s a Howl! and it was such fun.  I know, I said I didn’t like to do superficial stuff but It’s a Howl! is really clever–sort of Frankenstein meets the Werewolf.

Over several years, Tim and I would talk about other plays he wanted to enter in the contest.  He mentioned his Tom Sawyer script to me as well.

Three Interactive Ways to Teach The Play Tom Sawyer To Your Students

Three Interactive Ways to Teach The Play Tom Sawyer To Your Students

I don’t know why, but he never entered it in the competition.  But I read it and loved it!

Check out a synopsis of it here:   Dramatic Publishing Company

Back to the middle school with the gazillion students…Since seventy-five new students entered my drama classroom every twenty-five days, I had to come up with a variety of lessons for them.

Enter The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Tom Sawyer fit two purposes for me.  One–it was a classic and abbreviated which was perfect especially for the classroom.  Two–it was a story about students around the ages of my students.  Three–it was a wonderful jumping off point for additional lessons about theater (set, costume, props, etc.)

 

Three Interactive Ways to Teach The Play Tom Sawyer To Your Students

Recently, I created two units using Tom Sawyer as my inspiration. Here is the production description:

Mark Twain’s classic novel, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is an excellent story for our middle grade students to study. Here is study guide for a play version of the book. Questions for a read-aloud are included as well as questions to study the play from a theatrical perspective. Playwright, Tim Kelly was a prolific playwright and this script is a perfect example of his body of work. His plays are especially suited for middle grade students.

This product includes:

  • A Letter to the Teacher
  • Short Bio. on Mark Twain
  • Information about the novel, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
  • Procedure
  • Warm Up
  • Teacher’s Script–What I say and How I say it!
  • Discussion Questions from a Theatrical Perspective
  • Discussion Questions for a Class Read-Aloud
  • Theater Vocabulary Words–34 In Total
  • Theater Words Definitions
  • Source Page

Three Interactive Ways to Teach The Play Tom Sawyer To Your Students

Study Set Design 

The second unit concerns set design.

This set design unit (48 page, 10 days) focuses on a play version of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Tim Kelley. This is great interaction! Students learn about the history of set design, famous set designers, develop a critical eye about what makes up an award winning set design, create a ground plan for a room in a school of their choosing and draw a rendering. In addition, the students must work with ratios and measuring. The first two assignments are completed individually, but then the fun begins! The students are paired up to create a model working together towards the goal. There is even room for parents to celebrate the end of the unit with your students.

Note: If a teacher chooses to use this particular set design unit, I would suggest purchasing a class set of Tom Sawyer by Tim Kelley at: https://www.dramaticpublishing.com/tom-sawyer-tr5000.

Included in the unit:

  • An overview of the unit for the teacher
  • Rationale for teaching set design
  • History of set design
  • Set designer’s responsibilities
  • Teacher’s Script–what I say and how I say it!
  • Extensive warm up
  • Procedures for each day (8 to 10) including exit prompts
  • Lecture notes including links
  • Information about the message color conveys
  • Rendering examples
  • Stage curtain sheets for rendering–one vertical, one horizontal
  • Step by step directions for model building including photo examples
  • Cheat sheet for various set pieces
  • Assignment sheet for each step of the design process
  • Grade sheet EDITABLE in a separate file
  • Source Page

Now I have a costume design unit to go with these two as well.  Talk about comprehensive!

Of course, there’s a bundle of the three together.  Check those out at:  Bundle Tom Sawyer Study Guide and Set Design Unit 

Three Interactive Ways to Teach The Play Tom Sawyer To Your Students

Honestly, I don’t know if The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is taught in the classroom anymore.  I could understand the reasons not to teach it.  However, Mr. Kelly’s script is well adapted and deletes any words which might be difficult for our students to accept in this day and age.

Three Interactive Ways to Teach The Play Tom Sawyer To Your Students

I hope you’ll consider ordering a perusal copy of the script. Perhaps you’ll use these two products in your drama classroom or at least study it in the language arts classroom.  It fits the “balanced reading” benchmark, too!

Mr. Twain wrote the book for all of us.   Of course, I think Mark Twain says it the best, “Although my book is intended mainly for the entertainment of boys and girls, part of my plan has been to pleasantly remind adults of what they once were themselves, and what they felt and thought.”

What young adult novels have you studied in play form?  I’d love to hear about them.  Contact me at dhcbaldwin@gmail.com or DeborahBaldwin.net

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