Telling storyies can be a great way to learn about and identify theme. The class uses props to tell a themed story, they use masks, puppet, and costurems.

Students write their own folktales based on "Cathal O'Cruachan and the Cowherd." In discussions they examine the animal symbolism in the story, as well as the characters, events, problems, and solution. With partners, they select...

Class members take center stage as groups perform scenes from Ian Doescher's William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope. Actors are encouraged to add stage directions to the script, as well as create costumes and props to...

How does reading a drama differ from reading a novel? Middle schoolers become playwrights and explore these differences. After viewing the A&E movie,"The Crossing," groups create stage directions, write dialogue, and design sets and...

Learn about mysteries with your readers. They will investigate plot, basic elements of mystery, famous characters, and become familiar with genre vocabulary. Bring in props and mystery books to begin and then have learners create story...

Students discover how setting, props, and character-action communicate information about the characters and the story. Access to videos and a video camera are important to make this lesson a success.

Young learners love to pretend and role-play. Here is a instructional activity that allows them to do both. They get to pretend they are going to open and operate a restaurant. They set up menus, gather restaurant props, and role-play...

Students investigate the concept of different words and how they are used in specific texts. They develop scripts based upon readings and then design props and costumes to act out the new text. Students read to one another using the...

Students choose a historical book set in the Civil War. They create a flow chart of the steps involved in producing a film. They select one scene and prepare props, costumes and setting for the scene.

Students act out and interpret the story for their peers. They study the simplest form of an organized reading to a more elaborate activity involving props, costumes, or a reinterpretation of the narrative into another art form.

Students explore and become aware of the similarities and differences of weddings in China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. They assess a variety of tools to assist them including their parents, books on weddings, costumes and props. Given a...

Readers' theater is a fun way to get kids reading with expression and improve their fluency! There is a full script here for The Three Bears with five characters to assign.

Third graders listen as their teacher reads them a book. In groups, they are given a story and time to practice a skit. After taking suggestions from their teacher, they perform their skit and receive feedback from the class. They can...

Seventh graders produce a newscast from an Ancient Roman city. In this journalism and history lesson plan, 7th graders work in groups to dramatize a historical event from the Roman Empire. students sequence the events, role-play, and...

Students listen to examples of Japanese folktales and identify universal themes. Students construct a 'kamishibai' - a traditional Japanese storytelling prop - and dramatize a folktale through puppetry.

Students explore the book, Mrs. Wishy Washy. They listen to the story, participate in a picture walk, identify the patterns of repeated words, role-play the motions, and retell the story using props.

Learners read any dramatic play. They identify the plot lines within the play and then isolate one of the plot lines. In groups, they analyze individual scenes and perform them, complete with props, costumes, etc. They discover how...

Students comprehend how Dicken's set piece on snobbery. They discuss how Lean uses costume, actors' non-verbal communcication and props to convey Victorian class customs, distinctions, and snobbery. Students are shown "The Jolly Bargee"...

Fourth graders participate in reading and listening to poetry. They are exposed to a variety of poems and examine and identify basic elements of poetry. They write their own poems and recite a poem with enthusiasm, expression, and props.

Students observe the prop of a door to demonstrate the sound of the phonemic sound of the letter "e". Then they drill and practice the sound with the teacher. The essential importance of the skill of phonemic awareness is stressed in the...

Students profile a mock television talk-show format to conduct mock interviews with famous people in history. Students read biographies of famous people in history. Students assemble questions for interviews.

Here is a fantastic, nine-page, multi-session lesson plan on the Zia Sun Symbol (found on the New Mexico state flag), and the seasons of the Earth. Everything you need to implement the lesson is here, and the many engaging activities are...

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...

Seventh graders study events leading to, during and resulting from the American Revolution. They review elements of a political cartoon. They create and dramatize a scene from a Revolutionary War novel.