Students write about main characters. In this dramatic writing lesson, students brainstorm character ideas. Students create actions and give the character a voice. Students act out the scene in groups and create a final draft.

Students review the style techniques related to the American Method Acting and practice using them in groups. Using various scenes from films, they try to recreate the scene using props. In groups, they discover the proper way to get...

Action! Delve into character development in the play Fences by August Wilson, setting the stage for learners to analyze character nuances. Thespians choose a scene from the script, responding with a written account of the...

Students read a story and retell it to the class by role-playing one of the characters. In groups, they use the correct facial expressions along with body language and voice to convince the others in their group that they are actually...

Have fun with history and turn your kids into news reporters of the past. Each group will research, script, and deliver a news report on a historic event they are studying in class. They'll identify the main characters of the historical...

Students discover the postal service through a letter writing activity.  In this U.S. Government lesson plan, students read the book Mr. Lincoln's Whiskers, and discover the life history of President Abraham Lincoln.  Students...

Young scholars examine the concept of encouragement. In this encouragement and character lesson, students participate in an active read aloud of Mary Grace's, Amazing Grace. They draw a picture in their journal of a time that they needed...

High schoolers become acquainted with historical people of Greece through research and role playing. They develop interview and research strategies which get to an historical person's achievements and personality.

Students read and discuss the short story, "The McWilliamses and the Burglar Alarm," by Mark Twain. They assume the role of the main characters in the story and write a humorous letter of complaint using a business letter format. They...

Students identify that Spartan civilization was founded upon a militaristic point of view that allowed no tolerance for contrary views or physical limitations. They take turns listing positive and negative qualities of the main...

Fourth graders examine the Metis culture.  In this Metis living lesson, 4th graders read Things I did Last Summer by Martin Shulman and discuss the life of the main character, Bonnie.  Students recreate their favorite scenes of...

Students explore storytelling by using video editing software. In this movie making lesson plan, students identify the uses of PowerPoint and create a story using a digital camera which takes stills or video. Students combine this...

Time for a story! Learners of all ages enjoy listening to stories, so read them some common fables and have them work cooperatively to create a fable.  Differentiate for varying ability levels by providing sentence frames, graphic...

Students work in co-op groups to create a Reader's Theater production of the story. Students create a flow map that sequences the major events in the story. Students research the island of Martinique and create a travel brochure...

Students reinforce sequencing skills by retelling stories. After being assigned roles in the production, they create dialog, props, and costumes for retelling the story "Leo the Longhorn." Working in cooperative groups, students may also...

Students read the novel, Across Five Aprils and investigate the theme of the individual vs, community loyalties. They keep a daily journal, role-play situations, hold a mock debate, and write a research paper on "coming of age."

Analyzing the sequence of actions in dramatic stories leads to deeper comprehension of story structure. The class identifies the main actions in each section of a story and develops frozen tableau's for the identified actions of the...

Students imagine that they are casting directors for a student story-turned-movie, and assess considerations for making the book's characters as accurate, interesting, and fun as they are in the original piece.

Students choose a short story or book and a student takes on the role of one of the characters in the story. They complete an interview worksheet and then students question each other further about the character they are playing.

Students investigate the lifestyle of Gandhi by creating a Venn Diagram.  In this biographical lesson, students compare the philosophies of Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi while discussing their teaching methods.  Students...

Students investigate different cultures' versions of the Cinderella tale in comparison to the Rossini opera synopsis. They experience dramatizing a Cinderella tale and study about the group and individual process required for theatrical...

Sixth graders prepare questions for an Oprah Winfrey talk show featuring the characters from Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, the amazing novel by Mildred D. Taylor. Selected students role-play the characters and answer questions Oprah...

Learners investigate what happens when someone is arrested. They engage in a mock trial role play about a burglary. They engage in the process of the Criminal Justice System from arrest to sentencing.

Students are introduced to a simple review of citizenship and sacrifice though the lives of Washington and Lee. The instructional activity is portrayed as a play and fosters personal application opf the concepts revealed.