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Challenging concepts become exciting discoveries! Teachers may select any science unit or topic and if desired, a related text from the language arts curriculum. Collaboration with ... Read more

Challenging concepts become exciting discoveries!

Teachers may select any science unit or topic and if desired, a related text from the language arts curriculum. Collaboration with the teaching artist ensures the alignment of specific drama activities and the selected content to fully support student learning. (See Additional Notes for examples)

The residency typically consists of 5 sessions with the possibility of related teacher directed classwork in between. Each meeting incorporates a warm-up, a brief review, 1-2 drama activities, moments of self-reflection, a summary, and a preview.

Session 1 introduces students to drama and builds comfort and confidence by working simultaneously "Alone Together", developing focus and inspiring creativity.

Sessions 2 and 3 engage students in a sequence of drama experiences specifically designed to explore aspects of the topic. Based on guided reading of selected texts and images, students work individually, with partners, and in small groups to become the relevant structures, elements, forces, organisms, systems, or processes from the selected science unit.

Session 4 guides the entire class to brainstorm, improvise, and problem-solve ways of integrating movement, sound, poetry, and/or narration into a unique collaboration of their discoveries.

Session 5 empowers students and solidifies their learning by presenting to others, reflecting on their own work, and giving/receiving feedback.

In Acting Out How and Why, drama improvisations and movement exercises help young students combine facts and imagination to physically explore how and why things work. By being and doing, the invisible becomes visible and the misunderstood, understandable. Throughout the creative process each participant gains insights, makes connections, and builds comprehension and retention.

45-60 minute sessions with a culminating grade level Share The number of visits is flexible and are typically held once or twice a week to best integrate with selected Science unit ... Read more

45-60 minute sessions with a culminating grade level Share
The number of visits is flexible and are typically held once or twice a week to best integrate with selected Science unit
Schedule determined at the pre-planning meeting based on the needs of the school
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Open space in classroom or multi-purpose space large enough for entire class to participate on their feet simultaneously or spread out to work in small groupsA large space or auditorium re... Read more

Open space in classroom or multi-purpose space large enough for entire class to participate on their feet simultaneously or spread out to work in small groups
A large space or auditorium reserved for Session 4 and Session 5, if sharing with the whole grade level

I can use size and shape (realistic/abstract) to explore and demonstrate an element, structure or organism from a scientific topic such as Animals, Habitats or Space.I can use moveme... Read more

I can use size and shape (realistic/abstract) to explore and demonstrate an element, structure or organism from a scientific topic such as Animals, Habitats or Space.

I can use movement qualities (rate, weight, energy) to explore and demonstrate a scientific process or procedure, such as Forces, Changing Landscapes or the Water Cycle.

I can work with partners to use shapes and movement to create a group drama/theatre work to share with peers that shows stages of a cycle, interactions in an environment, steps in a process or how a system works.

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Examples: Students present original versions of fables that demonstrate weathering and erosionStudents physically create the land formations and vegetation of a particular habitat and expl... Read more

Examples:
Students present original versions of fables that demonstrate weathering and erosion
Students physically create the land formations and vegetation of a particular habitat and explore interactions with the unique animal life it supports.
Students become water molecules and determine how they move and change to represent phases of the water cycle and various sources of water on the earth.
Students use movement and poetry to demonstrate plant growth, pollination and seed distribution.

Choose your own topic or select from these samples:
Properties of Matter; The Solar System; The Koa Tree; Animals (particularly mammals and reptiles); The Five Senses; Life Cycle of Plants, Energy and Motion; Recycling; Sound and Light; Geology/Land Formations; Flight, Weather and Climate; Ecosystems, Natural Resources; Inventors and Inventions

Connect to literary or informational texts such as:
Water Cycle-One Well by Rochelle Strauss and All the Water in the World by George Ella Lyon and Katherine Tillotson
Solar System-Thirteen Moons on Turtle"s Back by Joseph Bruchac and Jonathan London (Native American poetry)
Mammals/reptiles/animal poems or stories such as Mossy by Jan Brett or Native American Legends
Habitats-Over in the Meadow and companion books on desert, forest, grasslands, arctic and ocean
Natural Resources and Ecology-A River Ran Wild by Lynne Cherry

Teachers may also consider the program supporting a Long-Term project such as using a residency on Habitats (specifically the Jungle) as a foundation for students participating in a production of "The Jungle Book".

*All ACTive Learning Through Drama programs have been developed and implemented by a professional theatre educator in collaboration with classroom teachers and arts specialists.