Students practice simple addition through the use of creative dramatics. In this creative dramatics lesson, students work in groups to form human configurations that allow a certain number of points to be touching the floor. They work...

Learning about literature can be so much fun; it can also be made more accessible through projects and dramatic play. As they explore theme, character, and setting, the class gets creative and makes a dramatic recreation of a classic...

Launch your poetry unit in a very dramatic way. Divide your class into groups, and give each group a different poem. After discussing the poem, each group member selects a stanza to study. The group then develops a skit that represents...

It's the end of the sixteenth century in the middle of the Spanish Inquisition when a group of prisoners decides to dramatize the story of Don Quixote. A study guide provides a summary and other important information about the play Man...

Students make homemade puppet characters that have faces that tell it all. In this early childhood dramatic play lesson, students create stick puppet characters that encourage language and story development, creative-thinking and...

Students study imitation or pantomime. In this creative drama activity, students pick an object to imitate and state the reasons why that object should not be taken out of the room pretending to be that object.

Learners write a story about an animal using rhyme. In this literacy lesson plan, the teacher shares different versions of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" with the class and that becomes the basis for the creation of a picture and story for...

Students examine the process of cooking a meal. In this cooking background instructional activity, students explore cooking utensils, recipes, songs, and literature. They go through stations that encourage dramatic play and hands-on...

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 ...

Students explore literature dramatization. In this Shakespeare lesson plan, students discuss the characters from the play A Midsummer Night's Dream and construct costumes and a set.

Third graders practice creative writing by making a book.  In this book publishing lesson, 3rd graders investigate the steps needed to publish anything by researching the Internet.  Students collaborate on a list of 5 steps to...

Students observe and demonstrate pantomime and improvisation. They define and discuss improvisation and pantomime, then in small groups discuss and brainstorm ideas using a bag of props. Students then create and present a scene using...

Students listen carefully so they can say their "part" during a reading of a Cinderella story. In this listening and speaking lesson, students saying their "part" on cue during a reading of a familiar story. They actively listen to the...

There's no doubt that dramatic play and creative movement are both essential for a healthy early childhood education. Here is a lesson that promotes both. Youngsters think of activities and emotions. The words are written on pieces of...

Explore character, plot, and setting through dramatic puppet play. Second graders discuss basic story elements and then practice making a character with their sock puppets. After they've crafted a dynamic puppet, they pair up to create a...

For many people, Barack Obama's presidency was the next step in Martin Luther King, Jr's dream of America's future. Explore the dreams of Americans past and present, as well as the young Americans in your class, with a set of activities...

Introduce the topic of water conservation with a little drama. Dressed as snowflakes, hail stones, or rain drops class members dramatize the events in a narration of the water cycle. The series of lessons that follow focus on...

Help your class create collective poetry following a simple, engaging model from Teaching Tolerance (tolerance.org). Each young poet writes five things on an index card: sayings from others, favorite sound, favorite place, favorite...

Students conduct research and teach each other about the eruption of Mount St. Helens and identify the major components of the eruption, their characteristics and their effects. They simulate the eruption dramatically.

Students explore historical importance of fish as food source, examine works of Robert Harris, create their own fish, and compose accompanying poetry. Students then explore dramatic tradition of Chorus inspired by Greek theatre,...

"Friend, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears..." Those words begin one of the most persuasive speeches in literature. Explore the elements of persuasion in a series of lessons related to William Shakespeare's Julius...

Students read slave narratives and retell the stories to the class, identifying sensory details. In this slavery lesson, students discuss the importance of sensory details, then read the slave narratives looking for specific examples. ...

Students investigate pantomiming by going on a fictitious bear hunt.  In this performing arts lesson, students collaborate in groups to sing songs and perform pantomimes based on a hunting trip.  Students create their own dance...

Students think about a dramatic moment in their lives and imagine how to translate it into a work of art. They write their own personal experience as a story. They describe a visual image of their personal experience and/or story.