Drama+in+Education

When I had the teaching practicum in two secondary schools in Toronto, I found that drama was used as an effective teaching method, especially in teaching English. For example, teachers usually would use some improvisational activities to help build up students' confidence in speaking English. I am convinced that drama should be used in my future teaching. Therefore, I would like to know if anyone of you has used drama in your teaching, the types of drama activities you have used and how they assist your teaching effective. I think your experience or suggestions would inspire me and further trigger off my ideas to incoporate drama in teaching English.

I agree, drama is an invaluable tool in education. I am biased, of course, as drama is my other teachable subject. But there are many ways of bringing text to life, whether reading a story in parts (as we did in the dramatic reading of //The Three Little Javelinas// ), interactive improvisation activities (such as the scarf exercise from class, which was “not a scarf, but a ...”), or actually staging a play, in part or as a whole, as it is being studied in the class. These alternative ways of working with text deepen the experience and draw students in, giving them a way to engage with the material and create lasting connections.

When young, children are very familiar with drama as a way to experience life from another point of view. Exercises of make-believe are common and spontaneous games in which many children engage, where participants take on roles and experiment with life as another person. I would argue that the most important lesson throughout drama for children is the power of empathy. Empathy, in turn, is fundamental to the moral development of any young mind. As such, the more it can be integrated into other subjects, the more the concept of empathy is validated in the learner. Furthermore, as the basic concepts of drama are familiar to students from a very young age, they will generally engage with the material quicker, and enjoy it more.

Drama itself, meanwhile, combines well with almost any lesson or subject. In fact, this is a great way to use time more effectively when teaching multiple subjects. As Kathy Lundy, our drama teachable instructor here at York, says, in elementary school especially there is a need to combine lessons just to fit everything in. In addition, the use of drama can add depth to another subject, where the students experience information on a more personal, meaningful level. For example, in our drama teachable class we developed history units through drama, where each lesson employed a drama activity to engage the students in a central idea behind the historical lesson. A unit on the loyalist migration to British North America focused on the idea of movement, getting students thinking about what would make them leave behind a home to make a new life somewhere unfamiliar, full of strangers, in another country. Students draw connections to modern experiences of moving, both personal (from Canadian immigration to starting at a new school) and second hand, though short stories, poems and non-fictional accounts.

English is especially compatible with the study of drama, as many texts and other media are studied in both subjects. It is very important for us as teachers to help students draw parallels between these interrelated disciplines, as well as parallels between the disciplines and the students' own lives. Bringing drama into the study of English allows for these connections to take on personal and unique dimensions, where the student is literally the centre of the lesson. --Reid

I am also a big advocate for drama across the curriculum. Alright, you guessed it, I'm a drama teacher too. Still, I think there is a place for dramatic arts in most classes, but particularly English.

Also in Kathy Lundy's class, we were given an assignment to design some lessons based on teaching a novel to a Junior classroom through dramatic arts. At first, I thought that this was going to be very difficult, but after some work in class, and some searching of resources, I came up with what I think are interesting lessons. Though designed for a Junior classroom, I think the exercises translate well to an Intermediate or Senior class as well. The one featured below was designed to introduce the novel //Holes// by Louis Sachar. Hopefully you will find it useful. I think getting students actively engaged, moving, thinking, and talking as people from the texts is a great way of getting them interested and involved.

**Novel Ideas Through Drama: “Holes”- Lesson One** This Lesson is designed for delivery on the day you assign the novel. It is meant to kick start interest in the novel, and encourage students to start reading. It would be wise to deliver the lesson just before you distribute the texts and assign the reading schedule. The novel will then be returned to in a few weeks time when the unit proper begins. “These are the facts: The Walker boat smashed into Sam’s boat. Sam was shot and killed in the water. Katherine Barlow was rescued against her wishes. When they returned to the shore, she saw Mary Lou’s body lying on the ground. The donkey had been shot in the head. That all happened ten years ago. Since then, not one drop of rain has fallen on Green Lake. You make the decision: Whom did God punish?” || In order to heighten the intrigue and mystery in the room, class could begin by playing a song thematically related to the text, and mysterious in nature such as; Don’t Give Up by Peter Gabriel. (featured in “Holes” the movie.)
 * __LESSON ONE:__ **
 * **EXPECTATIONS** || ** STRATEGIES** || **TEACHER NOTES** ||
 * Students are expected to listen attentively. The nature of the paragraph should facilitate this easily. They should also be aware that they will be expected to respond to the text, to further ensure a careful listening. || On Page 115 of the novel there is an intriguing paragraph which recaps the outcome of Sam, the onion salesman and his lover Katherine Barlow.

The Teacher should read the story aloud, and not be afraid to imbue it with a certain amount of dramatic flair.

This section is specifically selected to cause intrigue, but refrain from spoiling any major plot points. In your lesson, be wary of the same. || (Grade 9, __The Arts__, 1999) || ** __What do we know for sure?:__ ** Next, students will be put into groups of 5 or 6, and given a large sheet of chart paper and some markers. Working together they will be asked, “Given what we just read as a class, what do we know for sure?” They will then be required to list every single fact they can pull from the paragraph and list them on the chart paper. Share with the class. || The teacher should come prepared with printed copies of the paragraph to assist students who may not be able to listen and immediately retain facts and information. || Once every group has exhausted the possible questions, ask them to determine their most important one and share it with the class. Finally, as a class, determine a list of people who could possibly answer these questions, or provide valuable information. || The teacher could provide examples of possible questions: What is the relationship between Sam and Katherine? Who is Mary Lou? Who did this? Were there any witnesses? etc.
 * demonstrate effective communication skills such as listening.
 * __What do we want to know?:__ ** Next, groups will be told to flip over their chart paper and create a new list. This list is a complete list of questions we want answered. Every possible question should be included.
 * __What do we want to know?:__ ** Next, groups will be told to flip over their chart paper and create a new list. This list is a complete list of questions we want answered. Every possible question should be included.

The list of possible people should be exhaustive as well, as it will become relevant. (Examples: Town Sheriff, Sam’s/Katherine’s mother/father/family, first person on the murder scene, paramedics, witness, partial witness, friends, townspeople, neighbours, editor of the “Green Lake Times” etc...) ||

grade 9, __The Arts,__ 1999 demonstrate acting technique by engaging in a variety of roles. grade 9, __The Arts,__ 1999 identify and employ different kinds of questions to develop and deepen roles within a drama grade 9, __The Arts,__ 1999 demonstrate an understanding of how to adapt of modify roles based on the input of other role players and the evolving drama grade 9, __the Arts,__ 1999 || ** __Role Playing__ ****// - //** Next, five student volunteers will be asked to wait out in the hall for a moment. The rest of the class forms a circle with 5 chairs in the middle, facing outwards. The outside circle is told that they are all citizens from the hometown of the murdered people. They will soon be introduced to 5 individuals who are somehow tied to the incident, and are free to question them in any way they wish.
 * **EXPECTATIONS** || **STRATEGIES** || **TEACHER HINTS** ||
 * perform in the classroom

The group in the hall will be asked to take on a role, from the list created by the class. They will then enter the classroom circle one at a time, sit down and field questions from the citizens. They must improvise everything.

The teacher then steps into role as the role playing facilitator. Their job is to introduce the interviewees to the ‘townspeople’ and facilitate questioning and answering. || Teachers should be careful when selecting students to go out in the hall and take on the bulk of the role playing. They should be students who are fully engaged that day, and whom you think will be good at ‘shooting from the hip.’ Try carefully not to choose a student who could try and sabotage the exercise.

Ensure that the students in the hall know they are to make up the answers, as they cannot possibly know the answers for real. Remind them to listen to each other, and be sure they do not contradict each other.

Again, a lot can be achieved by utilizing dramatic flair. The teacher should try and remain in role the entire time, and not be afraid to press the interviewees. The atmosphere is largely created and controlled by the teacher in role. || Posted By: Luke Gilgan Tuesday, January 5th, 2010