super heroes lesson plan

Superhero Drama: Captivating Classroom Techniques

June 12, 2024 By dhcbaldwin Leave a Comment

Superhero Drama: Captivating Classroom Techniques

If you are a new drama teacher for middle school, you may find that although the students are excited they have no idea what to expect. Additionally, they may be reluctant to participate or even disinterested (how could anyone be disinterested in theater?) because your class could be a pre-elective and everyone takes it. Or maybe the school counselor plopped them in your class so they get their arts credit completed. I can help you! This post concerns superhero drama: captivating classroom techniques.

This happened to me. Many years ago, when I discovered I had students that fit this aforementioned description, I completely reorganized my lesson plans. Instead of the traditional lesson you might teach beginners (intro. to theater, breathing exercises, monologues and duets) I taught with non-threatening and more group exercises. One thing that always worked with them was superheroes.

Superhero Drama: Captivating Classroom Techniques

Superheroes have always fascinated audiences, capturing the imagination of both young and old. Their tales of courage, conflict, and victory make them perfect tools for engaging students in the drama classroom. Simply put, super heroes are a safe subject with them. Using superhero themes can spark students’ creativity. In addition it can make learning more relatable, and deepen their understanding of dramatic arts. Here’s how you can leverage superheroes to create an engaging drama classroom experience.

The Magnetic Appeal of Superheroes

Superheroes embody themes like good versus evil, identity, and transformation and everyone understands those themes. Additionally, they are rich in dramatic potential. By incorporating these familiar and exciting characters into drama lessons, you can immediately capture students’ attention and make learning more engaging.

Super Hero Lesson Number One

Start by analyzing popular superheroes. Discuss their backstories, motivations, strengths, and weaknesses. This familiar territory makes character analysis more accessible and exciting for students. Plus, it helps them understand the nuances of character development.

The first lesson I teach them is Storytelling with Postcards Super Hero Themed. Students are placed in small groups. Their challenge is to select five postcard cards at random from a box or hat. The group creates a story about a super hero integrating the postcards images, words, or themes into the story. But, the story must be about you as the super hero. Talk about fun! Students enjoy telling the story together–see? No performing alone. For more information, check out the lesson here.

Lesson Plan Number Two: Costume Design and Stagecraft

Designing sets and costumes for superhero-themed performances can enhance the visual appeal of drama and teach students about stagecraft. This hands-on approach can make the learning experience more engaging and memorable. Encouraging students to create their own superheroes taps into their creativity. It allows them to apply their understanding of character development in a very relaxed manner. This activity not only engages students but also helps them develop their storytelling abilities. Plus, students can study costume design at the same time. Check out this resource here.

Lesson Number Three: Playwriting and the Monologue

Superhero stories are rich with conflict and moral dilemmas, perfect for exploring plot development and thematic elements in drama. Discussing these common superhero conflicts can make complex dramatic concepts more accessible and engaging. Another lesson which they enjoy is writing a monologue as themselves as the super hero. You might think this would be too difficult for your students, but if you give them a framework they will be successful. Check out this resource here.

Lesson Number Four: Encouraging Movement and Tableaux

Superhero scenarios are perfect for practicing movement and tableaux–two crucial components in drama. Tableaux is an easy concept for everyone to understand. There are many ways to demonstrate it through the use of super heroes–maybe a group shows the moment Super Man protects someone from a monster? Or Wonder Woman holds back the ocean so that a group of boaters aren’t drowned by it?

Students are familiar with super heroes jumps, falls, lunges and spins. By studying movement using the super hero theme, students yet again feel comfortable moving around the room as they learn various elements of movement. These scenarios often involve unexpected situations, requiring quick thinking and adaptability, which keeps students on their toes. Using those lessons to lead into studying tableau, makes for effortless studying of tableaux. Check out this lesson here.

Lesson Number Five: Improvisation

Superhero scenarios are perfect for practicing improvisation, a crucial skill in drama. These scenarios often involve unexpected situations and require quick thinking and adaptability, By doing so, this keeps students on their toes. My favorite way to teach improvisation to novices is through a few warm up exercises. This exercise is titled “My Three Headed Monster” but it would be just as fun if the monster became a three headed super hero. Pick it up here (page one) and here (page two) Again, I have found this is always a successful teaching experience because students sit together on the stage. Although they are speaking spontaneously they must work out answers together.

Reflective Learning

Make sure that after each activity you encourage students to reflect on their performances. Process is everything! Discussing what they learned and how they felt embodying their superheroes can deepen their understanding and appreciation of drama. Grab this bundle which can last over five days Super here.

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Super Hero Quotes as Writing Prompts: Lesson Number Six

Using quotes spoken by super heroes for writing prompts is useful in this situation, too. Here are a few I like:

“With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility.” Uncle Ben in Spider Man
“Heroes are made by the path they choose, not the powers they are graced with.” Iron Man
“You are much stronger than you think you are. Trust me.” Super Man
“You don’t need to be a super hero. You just need to be better than you were yesterday.”
“A true hero isn’t measured by the size of her strength, but by the strength of her heart.” Wonder Woman
“The woman who follows the crowd will grow no further than the crowd. The woman who walks alone is likely to find herself in places no one has ever been before.” Super Woman

Using superhero themes in the drama classroom can transform lessons into engaging, imaginative experiences. It is easy to connect dramatic principles to beloved characters. You can make learning more exciting and relatable for students. So, be courageous! Embrace your inner hero and lead your students on an epic journey through the world of drama, where creativity and engagement soar.

Have you ever taught using a super hero theme to teach concepts? I’d love to hear about it. Just email me at DhcBaldwin@gmail.com

Your Secret Teaching Allies-Super Heroes

January 14, 2019 By dhcbaldwin 6 Comments

Let’s talk about your secret teaching allies–super heroes. If you are a teacher, you may be using them in your lessons all ready.

If not, I’m going to give you some good reasons to implement them!

The obvious reason to use super heroes in our teaching is that our students relate to them, especially elementary and middle school kids.

I used super heroes as a focus in my drama lessons for many years. I don’t know if I did it out of desperation or imagination. However, once I perfected how to use them, I never stopped.

You understand I taught for nearly forty years, right?

Here’s some history about super heroes you may not know:

“During the late 1930’s to 1950’s, the Golden Age of Comic Books were created. Modern comic books were first published and rapidly increased in popularity among the masses. The superhero archetype was created and many well-known characters were introduced, including Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel, Captain America, and Wonder Woman. Most superheroes served as a figure who inspired hope.

This hero could save us all from dark and difficult times. Superhero stories promote the ideas of peace, safety and freedom. Some experts consider this message a necessary reassurance in difficult times. The message isn’t about a country succeeding, but recognition that there are others with similar hope for a peaceful future.”

Awesome!

Your Secret Teaching Allies–Super Heroes

Can a teacher teach creativity with creativity? Yes, of course.

While perusing the web looking for research defending this topic, I found this on creativityatwork.com:

“Creativity is a skill that can be developed and a process that can be managed. Creativity begins with a foundation of knowledge, learning a discipline, and mastering a way of thinking. We learn to be creative by experimenting, exploring, questioning assumptions, using imagination and synthesizing information.

Creativity is a Skill

I agree with Maya Angela, do you?

Generative research shows that everyone has creative abilities. The more training you have and the more diverse the training, the greater the potential for creative output. Research has shown that in creativity quantity equals quality. The longer the list of ideas, the higher the quality of the final solution. Quite often, the highest quality ideas appear at the end of the list.

Behavior is generative; like the surface of a fast flowing river, it is inherently and continuously novel… behavior flows and it never stops changing. Novel behavior is generated continuously, but it is labeled creative only when it has some special value to the community.”

As a drama teacher, I looked for novel ways to reach students which weren’t as obvious as handing them notes, looking at theater stuff (costumes, props, etc.) and having the students understand theater from only one perspective.

These teaching methods are not poor, but ordinary and quite frankly, tired. Over time, students can feel it or rather, they experience it in many classes and subjects and it becomes dull.

Because of this worry, I never wanted my class to be dull. Theater is NEVER dull and I think it’s my job to make sure my students know this. Theater is AWESOME.

Questions to Ask Myself

I had a few questions to ask myself–

Why can’t we study costume design through super hero costumes?
Why can’t we study tableau and movement through super hero in particular predicaments which lend themselves to demonstration through movement?
Why can’t we storytelling through stories created with postcards?

Well, we can. Infact, students appreciate the novelty of it!

Students and The Creative Process

According to ISTE.org, “The creative process involves a lot of trial and error. Productive struggle — a gentler term for failure — builds resilience, teaching students to push through difficulty to reach success. That’s fertile soil for emotional growth.

“Allowing students to experience the journey, regardless of the end result, is important,” says Terral, a presenter at ISTE Creative Constructor Lab.

Creativity gives students the freedom to explore and learn new things from each other, Imbriale adds. As they overcome challenges and bring their creative ideas to fruition, “students begin to see that they have limitless boundaries,” he says. “That, in turn, creates confidence. It helps with self-esteem and emotional development.”

Your Secret Teaching Allies–Super Heroes

Recently, I’ve mentioned my Teacherspayteachers store should be renamed to Creativity4U. It is my creative approach to teaching which sets me apart from others.

I have several lessons using super heroes as the focus. In the near future, I’ll be adding a few more to the bundle, so stay tuned.

I’d love for you to check them out: Dramamommaspeaks Store

One is Storytelling Using Super Heroes Postcard Stories

Another is Costume Design with Super Heroes

And Studying Tableau and Movement with Super Heroes

And one more: Super Hero Bundle

Usually, this lesson is done without a rubric. But here is one which could help you if you need it: Storytelling Rubric

Remember: You can teach students in a myriad of ways. Never think there is only one way to reach them or you must use the trendiest method. Check out this blog post if you are looking for something about set design: Critical Steps in Producing a Play or Musical: Set Design

YOU make the next trend!

Are you all ready teaching with super heroes? I’d love to know about your experiences.

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

Here’s a Lesson You’d Never Expect: Costume Design

November 23, 2018 By dhcbaldwin 1 Comment

Here’s a Lesson You’d Neve Expect: Costume Design

It’s one of my favorite subjects in theater. How can you beat it?

It’s fun, creative, allows for your imagination to flow freely and just plain fun.

Oh, did I say fun twice?

You know who else loves costume design? Kids.

I think sometimes as drama teachers we think of costume design from the standpoint of a play or musical solely.

But there are so many other ways we use costumes. Maybe like me, you haven’t thought of them either.

For instance:

Halloween costumes
Parade costumes
Ballet costumes
Super Hero
Circus Performers

and probably more I haven’t even thought of yet!

Why Should I Teach Costume Design?

Here are some reasons for you:

Costumes are one of the most popular components of theatre.
An actor need not speak. A costume can share something about the character. The time period, tone of the production, personality or job of the character can all be conveyed through a costume.
Costume design involves multi -step procedures. The student learns to site specific examples while attending to the precise details of a description.
Students determine the meaning of symbols, key terms and phrases as they are used in a specific context relevant to grade appropriate texts and topics.

You may not know there are several important steps a costume designer must go through before the costume hits the stage.

1.) Analysis: The first step is an analysis of the script, musical composition, choreography, etc. Costume parameters for the show are established and a rough costume plot is created. A costume plot outlines which character is in which scene, when the actors change, and what costumes are mentioned in the script.

2.) Design Collaboration: This is a time when all of the designers meet with the director. There must be a clear understanding of where the show is headed. The designers get on the same page with the director in terms of themes for the show and what message they want the audience to get from the show.

3.) Costume Research: Now, the costume designer gathers research. Costume designers usually begin with world of the play research where they find research to establish the world where the play takes place. This helps the designers establish the rules of the world and then in turn understand the characters better. The designer will then go into broad research about each character to try to establish their personalities though their costume.

4.) Preliminary Sketching and Color Layout: Costume designers begin by creating preliminary sketches. beginning with very quick rough sketches the designer can get a basic idea for how the show will look put together and if the rules of the world are being maintained. The Costume designer will then go into more detailed sketches and will figure out the specific costumes and colors for the character. Sketches help see the show as a whole without them having to spend too much time on them.

5.) Final Sketches: Once the Costume Designer and the Director agree on the costumes and the ideas are fully flushed out, the designer will create final sketches. These are called renderings and are usually painted with watercolors or acrylic paints. These final sketches show what the designer wants the character to look like and the colors of the costume.

Here’s a little history for you:

Costume design has a very long history. The ancient Greek playwright Aeschylus, who lived in the 5th century B.C., created specific costumes for actors to wear when performing his tragedies. In the Middle Ages & Renaissance, scenery and costumes became increasingly important elements of stage plays. Want a free costume design lesson? Click here.

They helped capture a mood, create an exciting colorful event, and entertained audiences. But there wasn’t one cohesive idea of what costume had to be. In Shakespeare’s time, people performed in contemporary dress. In his own company, Shakespeare’s performers provided their own costumes.

In the 16th century, some traveling theatrical troops performed a style of theater called commedia dell’arte. It had costumes that represented stock characters, such as the serving girl, the doctor, and the harlequin. Everyone in the audience understood what these characters stood for by looking at their costumes.

From the 1770s through the 1870s, a desire for greater accuracy in costume design began to take hold due to an increase in stage performances and traveling theatrical troupes, and because more people had become familiar with the costumes of cultures around the world.

Into the 19th century, costume design became an increasingly specialized art, and two main ideas filtered into it. One was historical accuracy, or capturing the sense of a time period.

The other was concept-driven, in which costumes captured a vision that might not have connections to a known historical time and place. Think about movies and television today, and you can probably name several productions that fall into either category.

Did you know the use of metaphor through costume design is super cool? I love this part!

The Metaphor is used to assist the designer in developing a specific tone, mood, style, or feel for the play.

Metaphor is “A figure of speech in which a word … that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate another, thus making an implicit comparison…“

For example: “All the world’s a stage,…” (William Shakespeare’s, As You Like It, Act II, scene 7). In less poetic terms — the world is a stage. (Note: A simile would add the word “like:” The world is like a stage.)

For example, after an analysis of Moliere’s The Giver, the designer may decide that Harpagon’s home, the primary set, is a gold coin. The metaphor — home is a gold coin — can suggest to the designer a color (gold), a shape (round), a texture (metallic)… How these elements are used depends on the designer’s creativity.

Think of the elements in Wizard of Oz—tornado, bicycle, ruby slippers, hour glass

How could you use these elements in the design of Dorothy’s house?

Here’s a Lesson You’d Never Expect

I have several costume design lessons you might be interested in.

Costume Design studies through:

Fairy Tale Characters

Circus Performers

Super Heroes

Halloween Characters

Nutcracker Ballet Characters

Holiday Parade Characters

Costume Design with Newspaper

Each is a two day student-centered study of the history of costume design, including giving students an opportunity to create their own designs and much more. If you are looking for a unit, this five day costume design unit works well with high school students.

Costume Design Unit for High School

I hope you’ll give them a look see.

I’d love to hear about your experiences with costumes. I have a few crazy ones, like the time I decided to dress as a stalk of celery…..but I’ll keep that story for another time.

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

Superhero Drama: Captivating Classroom Techniques

Superhero Drama: Captivating Classroom Techniques