National First Ladies' Library
Language Arts: The Rise of the Operetta
Students develop an appreciation for the musical theater form, the operetta. In addition, they present parodies of songs from The Mikado. Working in small groups and accessing provided Websites, they compose their parodies. Once...
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Immigration Illumination Project Curriculum Materials
Gain an understanding of the complex topic of immigration with a collection of resources. Class members engage in a series of activities designed to give them insight into the factors that influence immigration policies and the effects...
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A Way with Words or Say What?
Students explore the language of Shakespeare. In this literature lesson, students examine words invented by Shakespeare as they interpret their meanings in drawings. Students pantomime the meanings and then write a short story...
Learning to Give
Teaching Playwriting in Schools
The world is a stage, and so is your classroom! Hone the skills of the next generation of Tony® award winners with a set of exercises, reference pages, writing prompts, and excerpts from famous plays.
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Opera
In this Opera instructional activity, students explore the history of opera and identify examples of a recitative. After reading a short conversation between two people, students create their own recitative. They write their own...
Orlando Shakes
West Side Story: Study Guide
Hey, enough frabbajabba about that stool pigeon, Daddy-O! Using the West Side Story study guide, scholars explore the language of the play and read about its historical associations and themes. Pupils also engage in a Spectrum of...
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Developing Characterizations by Creating Stereotypes
Students examine past and present cultures through theater. They interpret how theater reflects society. Students engage in the process that constitutes creation and performance in the theater. Students explore the forces that shape...
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Essay Writing: Components of an Essay
The multi-paragraph essay is the subject of a presentation designed for high schoolers. Color codes are used to highlight for viewers the different elements found in each paragraph. Unlike some presentations, the same essay is used...
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Just Pass It
Pupils investigate a minimalist dance using two props, a chair and a pillow. They demonstrate transferring a prop from one person to the next in a task-like manner. Then they work as a group to transfer a prop with restrictive guidelines.
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Ideal Performance
Students analyze the art of theatrical costumes and modern art designs. In this art analysis lesson, students compare two different designs for theatrical costumes by artists Oskar Schlemmer and El Lissitzky. Students complete image...
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Theatre Lesson Plan, Performing a Story
Second graders read the story, The Bundle of Sticks, and discuss the story elements within the story; setting, plot, conflict resolution. For this readers theater lesson, 2nd graders reenact the story in small...
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Kazan, Miller, and the McCarthy Era
Students read The Crucible in order to investigate the McCarthy era and the Hollywood Blacklist. Students watch video clips of the McCarthy witch hunts and investigate the time period through online research. Students recreate sections...
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Exploring the Dark Heart of an Obsessive Mind
Students complete a unit of activities for "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe in part to analyze short stories, playwriting, and video production. In this Edgar Allan Poe lesson, students complete a 37 page packet of...
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The Science of Shadow Puppets
Students explore the art of shadow puppetry. In this performing arts activity, students study the functions of lighting in the puppet theater as they examine the transmission, absorption, and reflection of light. As a culminating...
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Noh Theater
Students compare Noh drama to western drama and trace the influence of Japanese theater on modern western drama. In this Noh drama lesson, students read the play Black Tomb (Kurozuko) defining the elements and conventions of Noh...
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ISLA for Theater, TV and Film
Students examine the use of the Information System for Los Angeles to research a period of theater, TV or film. They research either a wardrobe period or a set/scene design and present their findings to the class.
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ISLA for Theater, TV and Film
Students are introduced to the ISLA website, given instruction and practice time to develop search skills. They complete an assignment utilizing ISLA records, presenting their assignment to the class.
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Dramatic Outlines
Students write about main characters. For 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.
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Theatre Vocabulary ad Elements
Fifth graders examine basic theatre vocabulary and use it to discuss a play. In this theater lesson, 5th graders identify the elements of a play. Students perform their play and use theatre vocabulary to explain their...
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Thanksgiving At Plymouth
First graders engage in a holiday celebration of Thanksgiving. They read a play "Thanksgiving At Plymouth" to give the lesson context. The teacher could incorporate costumes and props for a holiday production. After the play they can...
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A Step Back in Time
Fifth graders study the Civil War, discuss the life and policy decisions of Abraham Lincoln and the concepts/issues that developed to create North vs. South. This lesson is meant to be used before visiting Ford's Theatre.
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Shakespear Scavenger Hunt
Students use the internet to study basic biographical facts about Shakespeare in the form of an internet scavenger hunt. This activity is a great introduction to a Shakespearean unit of study.
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Creating Transitions
Fourth graders analyze the use of transitions in text. In this transitions lesson, 4th graders determine how and why a transition is used at a specific time in a piece of writing. They show transitions by using movements before...
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Circle Sculpture
Students discover the Theatre of the Oppressed. In this diversity lesson plan, students practice confronting injustice as they participate in "circle sculpture" to role play performance models that deal with social justice issues....