Center for History Education
Civil War Weaponry and Medicine: A Disastrous Mismatch
Ironically, science was the reason why the Civil War was so deadly. Despite the use of medical practices now considered barbaric—such as conducting surgery with bare, dirty hands—developments in weaponry meant that more men died on and...
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King Midas Lesson Plan
Students perform Reader's Theater of the story of King Midas as they investigate how greed effects people. They look at a contemporary famous person who gave into greed what the effect was. They chose a creative activity from a list...
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Build A Tree
Students study the different parts of a tree and the significance of each part. In this build a tree lesson, students use role-playing theater to reinforce what they are learning. Students use their imagination to become tree parts with...
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A Readers' Theatre for Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain
Second graders read and perform a reader's theater version of the story, "Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain." They complete a graphic organizer of cause and effect of their part in the story, look up vocabulary words on a dictionary...
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Reader's Theater, Rehearsal
Students rehearse a play. In this Reader's Theater lesson, students practice reading a play, Master Man: A Tall Tale of Nigeria by Aaron Shepard. Students discuss fluency, intonation, and volume when presenting.
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"Mambo" from West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein
Students encounter and study "Mambo" from "West Side Story," by Leonard Bernstein. They practice utilizing musical elements (instrumentation, tempo, and dynamics) to create a certain mood for a scene with music. Each student interprets...
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A Lesson To Accompany "The First Bank of the United States: A Chapter in the History of Central Banking"
Here is an interesting topic. Learners examine the economics that led to the founding of the First Bank of America. They participate in a reader's theater experience depicting the debate between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson...
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Shadows & Light, Science & Puppetry
Lights, shadows, action, and inquiry await your artistic scientists. They explore the way light travels, absorbs, reflects, and transmits through shadow play. They create folktale-inspired shadow puppets, explore the science of light,...
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The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Class
Young scholars read the reader's theater play, 'The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash.' They practice reading for fluency and present the story through acting and oral reading. Some students read the script and others act it out. They...
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"Such Affection Move": Finding Staging Clues in A Midsummer Night's Dream
Students perform various scenes from the play, A Midsummer Night's Dream. They examine and discuss the text and stage directions, then perform their scenes in small groups for the class.
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Rumpelstiltskin, Private Eye
Learners prepare a classroom theater presentation of Rumpelstitskin in which the narrator is a private eye. They write the defense of one of the characters who conspired against the king and play a vocabulary game.
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Border Teatro
Students analyze elements unique to the Chicano art form of the teatro (theater) and examine history connected to the form, namely the farm workers' movement of the 1960's.
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Reader's Theatre for 1st Grade
First graders participate in reader's theatre. In this drama lesson, 1st graders choose a Scholastic play and use stick masks to perform the story. The students are videotaped and analyze their performance
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Sequencing Stories
Students explore dramatization. In this literacy fluency and drama lesson plan, students listen to the story Mop Top by Don Freeman and add related sounds at the appropriate times. Students role play, pantomime, and add sounds to create...
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Retelling the African Folktale Abiyoyo
Act out the African folktale Abiyoyo. Kindergartners listen to the tale and discuss the characters, dressing as their favorite characters in order to retell and perform Abiyoyo using props. They will gain an understanding of story...
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Olympic Athletes and Moments in Time
Students examine the history of the Olympics and their athletes. In this interviewing skills activity, students role play the parts of reporters and athletes as they conduct interviews based on research of the Olympic games and athletes.
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Mixed Media Messages: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Students examine the process of recycling by creating a mock television commercial about recycling. In this recycling lesson, students watch an animated demonstration about recycling and answer content questions. Students play an online...
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Whose Water is It?
Students study water quality and water quantity issues in their community. They will examine state water laws, learn about current issues relating to water use and water scarcity in their region and the state, investigate and role play...
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Dancing with Dionysus
Sixth graders research Ancient Greek culture by acting in a play for the festival of Dionysus. In this Greek culture instructional activity, 6th graders study an ancient Greek map and the Sarcophagus Dionysus from the Walters Art Museum...
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The Bard, the Globe, the Midsummer Night's Dream
Students complete a unit of lessons to learn about William Shakespeare and the Globe Theatre. In this William Shakespeare lesson, students complete 7 lessons of activities to study William Shakespeare, the Globe Theatre, and the play 'A...
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Explore the Constitution
Students examine the U.S. Constitution. In this American history activity, students explore the founders' vision of U.S. government as they participate in readers' theatre, role-playing scenarios, and constitutional analysis activities.
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Shakespeare in Parts
Pupils examine primary source manuscript fragments, discuss differences in performing a play without the entire script, and perform a scene from Twelfth Night with no preparation.
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Circle Sculpture
Middle schoolers discover the Theatre of the Oppressed. In this diversity lesson, students practice confronting injustice as they participate in "circle sculpture" to role play performance models that deal with social justice issues....
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The Forecast Factory
Students role play weather forecasting activities. They investigate weather forecasting processes such as equations, data analysis, announcing by role playing in a large lecture hall.