Introduce middle schoolers to playwriting and the elements of drama with a six-session storytelling unit that encourages kids to expand their acting and writing skills. The 12-page packet includes overviews of the lessons,...

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.

Students read and discuss the literary elements of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis. They explore the elements of dramatic performance and create a TV news program based on life in Narnia. They videotape their...

Introduce young thespians to all aspects of the theater. A syllabus for a one-semester drama course provides lessons that take learners from the history of drama to the many facets of play production.

Need a musical lesson for your drama or performing arts class? VH1 has put together a really neat lesson, in which learners use biographical information about Alicia Keys to write and perform a one-act musical related to her life. This...

Students view clips of Anna Deavere Smith's work. They interview people on video or audiotape to learn their lines, dialect, and syntax to assist them in theater. They create a play which emulates the people in which they interviewed.

Students identify and compare similar characters and situations in stories and dramas from and about various cultures, illustrate with classroom dramatizations, and discuss how theater reflects life.

Students describe and compare characters and situations in dramas from and about cultures and historical periods, illustrate in improvised or scripted scenes, and discuss how theater reflects a culture.

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...

Students explore the art of shadow puppetry. In this performing arts lesson plan, students study the functions of lighting in the puppet theater as they examine the transmission, absorption, and reflection of light. As a culminating...

Students demonstrate their knowledge of panthers by writing a play on the subject.  In this animal life lesson, students view a slide-show on school computers of a veterinary exam of a panther.  Students utilize this...

Pupils discuss what they would do if they saw a neighbor's house on fire and what information they would need to know to tell the 911 operator. They watch as the teacher models how to call 911 and observe that the numbers are called only...

Fourth graders research pioneers who had a strong influence on westward expansion. In this westward expansion lesson, 4th graders write an essay about four pioneers and an interview script about one. Students work in pairs to present...

This unit appeals to multiple intelligences, encourages interdisciplinary learning, reinforces self-confidence, and stimulates creativity, co-operation and critical thinking. Using songs with a strong narrative, students are asked to...

ArtsAlive provides a detailed look into world of professional theatre. Thematically organized content walks through all the processes involved in "transforming a play from the page to the stage," including playwriting, directing, acting,...

This encyclopedia article from Wikipedia gives some wonderful insight into Henrik Ibsen's (1828-1906 CE) controversial playwriting style. It discusses four of his plays and the controversy surrounding these. The article also gives some...

A Playwright writes a play that is performed by actors on a stage. Students will understand the components that make up a script including characters, background, setting, acts, and scenes. This animated interactive job exploration...