DRAMA TO TEACH/LEARN

TELL ME AND I FORGET. TEACH ME AND I REMEMBER. INVOLVE

ME AND I LEARN. Chinese Proverb (Xunzi)

WHAT IS IT?

Drama is thought in action with

the purpose of creating meaning.
Similarly, drama-based instruction
is using kinesthetic activities to
help students remember concepts
and make connections with their
learning.

Students represent one of the branches of government with their bodies.

HOW DOES IT WORK? WHO BENEFITS?

Using drama as an educational tool can All Students:

lead to development of broader Increased Comprehension (through doing rather
understanding of concepts. Through than memorizing)
drama-based activities, such as role play Increased memory
or improvisation, students take an active Supports self-esteem
role in the lesson. Not only do they Develops empathy and new perspectives
assume responsibility of their character, Develops verbal and nonverbal communication
they learn to solve their characters Cooperation (group work)
problems based on their own real-world Problem solving
experience. This builds off of Lev
Vygotskys , Jerome Bruners , and Jean Students on the Autism Spectrum:
Piagets research on dramatic play and Safe environment to gain social/emotional skills
the role it plays in child development. Imagination skills

Students with Specific Learning Disabilities:

Learning through acting/watching rather than
listening to a lecture or reading a textbook
Develop non-verbal communication

Students with Emotional Disturbance:

Develop cooperation skills
Supports self-esteem
Develop empathy and new perspectives
 IMPLEMENTATION

STEPS TO IMPLEMENT

1) Determine the knowledge/content to be studied

2) Determine what skills are to be practiced through the knowledge (i.e. problem solving, public
speaking, new perspectives, cooperation)
3) Consider the needs of your class (i.e. learning disabilities, skill level, self-esteem)
4) What will help the students take control of their learning through the assigned activity?
5) Strategically group students (dont group all of the timid students together, consider skill level
and learning disabilities and make sure those students arent all grouped together)

DIRTY LAUNDRY MOLECULE ACTIVITY

(Develops: Character development, Creative (Develops: the three states of matter,
writing) characteristics of each state)

Create an ice cube with masking tape on

Pretend you found a basket of t-shirts on the floor, surrounded by a masking tape
the way to school. cup
Tell your students they need to come up Have students stand in the ice cube,
with a composite character to whom the t- slowing moving around but staying close
shirts may belong. together.
Hold up each t-shirt one by one and have As the water becomes a liquid, instruct the
the students brainstorm phrases or images students to expand to the cup, moving a
that stood out to them. little but faster and a little more spread out.
Once completed, students will create a Then have the water evaporate into a gas,
dialogue and image of their character and while the students separate and run around
present it to the class. the room.

REFERENCES
Andy Kempe, C. T. (2012). The use of drama to teach social skills in a special school setting for students with autism. British Journal of Learning Support, pp.
97-102.

sa Helga Ragnarsdttir, R. (2012, April). Creative Learning Through Drama. Drama Research: International Journal of Drama in Education, pp. 2-19.

Maples, J. (2007, July 1). English Class at the Improv . Clearing House, pp. 273-277.

Maria Varelas, C. C.-R.-S. (2009, July). Drama Activities as Ideational Resources for Primary-Grade Children in Urban Science Classrooms . Journal of
Research in Science Teaching, pp. 302-325.

zbek, G. (2014, January). Drama in Education: Key Conceptual Features . Journal of Contemporary Educational Studies, pp. 46-61.