Middle school and junior high school language arts students can receive a basic background in the elements of theatrical production and an appreciation of the theatre arts by producing and performing one act plays. A six- or seven-week unit can progress from the basics of pantomime, reading and vocabulary, and characterization with make-up,…

This collection of classroom ideas for the elementary school teacher contains learning activities, teaching methods, and suggestions on a wide variety of topics. The 22 teacher-submitted articles include ideas on writing, art, getting acquainted, vocabulary, self-esteem, open house, Halloween, mathematics, drama, hobbies, Valentine's Day, oral…

The fine arts as defined by the Ministry of Education (British Columbia) include music, art, and drama with the curriculum focusing on two concepts: creation and appreciation. One of the aims of School District #68 (Nanaimo) is to provide students with the opportunity to gain exposure to, and experience in, fine arts. The Fine Arts Evaluation…

This paper advocates the use in the college reading classroom of Readers' Theater (a medium in which two or more oral readers, without memorization, special costumes, lighting, props, or sound effects, through creative oral reading cause an audience to explore drama, prose, and poetry). Sections in the paper discuss: the definition of readers'…

A discussion of the use of drama activities in Second Language instruction looks at the rationale for using such techniques in the language classroom, describes a progression of drama activities used for an intensive course in intermediate English as a Second Language, and examines other considerations in the use of drama in language teaching.…

Superhero play among preschool children appears to be quite different from socio-dramatic play. While exhibiting characteristics of socio-dramatic play, superhero play does not facilitate the development of social or verbal skills. Observations of television programs indicated that superhero play provides little opportunity for verbal reasoning,…

In response to Texas State Board of Education Rules for Curriculum, which stipulate that instruction shall be provided in the essential elements of art, music, and theatre in prekindergarten through grade six, this guide offers suggestions to assist schools with initial implementation of the theatre arts curriculum. The first section of the guide,…

The purpose of this study was to test the reliability and validity of an instrument designed to measure the dramatic and sociodramatic play activity of young children. A total of 31 children were selected from early education programs on the basis of sex and socioeconomic status. The spontaneous classroom dramatic play behavior of each child was…

This paper discusses the cognitive effect of a highly successful 1985 British television program, "Edge of Darkness," which was viewed by millions and received critical plaudits and the accolade of the industry itself. The program is shown to represent a significant television event for formal and cognitive reasons that can usefully be…

Intended to contribute to the theory of drama education, this book contains a series of essays relating the human drama to education. Following an introduction, the nine essays discuss the following topics: (1) developmental drama, (2) drama and motivation, (3) drama and the transfer of learning, (4) drama and instruction, (5) drama and creativity…

Providing for individual differences in ability, interest, and cultural values among students, this guide contains activities, goals, objectives, and resources for teaching speech and drama to middle and junior high school students. The first section offers advice on the organization of speech and drama activities within the school curriculum,…

The six authors of this monograph draw from their experience in elementary education in proposing practical techniques for using literature to teach a variety of literacy skills to children. The following topics are developed individually: reading for learning about the nature of language, picture books for reading vocabulary, the trade book as an…

Creative dramatics is an art form which enables children under the guidance of an imaginative and responsive adult, to reinforce academic subjects, establish a positive self-image and develop the processes of concentration, analysis, evaluation, inference, and creativity. Designed to assist elementary teachers and administrators, this book does…

To engage students' interest and help them appreciate black drama, teachers may have their classes discuss and dramatize three plays that deal with adolescence and the stifling mother: James Baldwin's "The Amen Corner," Louis Peterson's "Take a Giant Step," and J.E. Franklin's "Black Girl." This paper shows how the…

This document presents curriculum ideas and procedures developed by the Child Development Research Group at the University of Washington for a model preschool program designed for intellectually advanced children 2 to 5 years old. The program was designed to offer teacher- and child-structured learning situations that provided instruction in…