This article introduces a pedagogical intervention that includes a set of creative activities designed to improve the oral and written production of students in the English classroom, especially those who have shown a lack of interest or attention. It was observed that participants initially seemed careless about studying the language. Eventually…

This performance guide is designed for teachers to use with students before and after a performance of the one-act musical based on Lucy Maud Montgomery's novel, "Anne of Green Gables," with music by Richard DeRosa and book and lyrics by Greg Gunning. The guide is designed to help teachers foster students' appreciation of theatre, dance,…

Describes the class activities that lead to the making of a play and contains the script for a play entitled "The last of the Scotts," written and acted by students with the teacher serving as the producer. (RB)

Intended for teachers who have no particular experience or training in teaching theater, but who have a love of theater and enjoy a good play, this book discusses making theater with children. It explores improvisation, reading and acting with scripts, adapting plays for young actors, and writing plays. The examples presented in the text are…

How to make and use shadow puppets in class activities. (RL)

Presents a lesson that might be useful early on teaching a play writing class. Considers how audiences care about things that a character cares about. Explains that in a story the higher the stakes are for the character, the more an audience will invest in the story. Presents a seven question quiz with answers including a discussion of each…

Intended for classroom teachers, parents, theater people, and the general public, this book is an account of teaching a fifth grade class to write, direct, and perform their own plays as staged readings, videotapes, radio plays, and full stage productions. It can be read as a story or it can be used as a step-by-step guide for teachers. Each…

This performance guide is designed for teachers to use with students before and after a performance of Judy Blume's "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing," adapted for the stage by Bruce Mason. The guide, called a "Cuesheet," contains seven activity sheets for use in class, addressing: (1) The Story (offering a brief introduction to…

Describes a unit that allows students to recognize diversity, understand why diverse perspectives are held, and harness this diversity to improve society. Describes how students use and refine their literacy skills as they first research and report on Jamaica, and then use a Jamaican-created model to build a play that addresses a serious problem…

Offers suggestions for writing and performing original plays with secondary students. Argues that classroom plays increase student motivation, improve reading skills, and build character. (SR)

With the current education climate so focused on accountability, teachers need to ensure that their teaching practices are supported by today's content-specific standards. To meet this need, "A Comprehensive Guide to Readers Theatre" shows not only how to implement Readers Theatre in the classroom but also how to use it to meet current literacy…

This performance guide is designed for teachers to use with students before and after a performance of "Little Women," adapted for the stage by Paulette Laufer and based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott. The guide, called a "Cuesheet," contains seven activity sheets for use in class, addressing: (1) From Novel to Stage Play…

Describes a classroom collaborative activity in which students are asked to write one-act plays based on three characters, two of whom know each other, and a third who affects the other two. Presents details of carrying out the assignment, and evaluates student response. (HB)

This performance guide is designed for teachers to use with students before and after a performance of "Ramona Quimby," adapted by Len Jenkin from the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary. The guide, called a "Cuesheet," contains seven activity sheets for use in class, addressing: (1) The Characters (introducing the characters in the…

This performance guide is designed for teachers to use with students before and after a performance of "The Snow Queen," adapted from the story by Hans Christian Andersen by Sandra Deer. The guide, called a "Cuesheet," contains seven sheets for use in class, addressing: (1) What Happens in "The Snow Queen?" (offering…