History on the Stage: Children Make Plays from Historical NovelsFrom the Blurb: Making plays in school is a teaching technique that is as much fun for students as any extracurricular activity, but is a genuine part of the academic curriculum-and many teachers and students will say, the best part. The authors have used the technique primarily to teach American history; it would work as well with any social-studies subject. Students not only become interested in the subject matter-they live it, are completely absorbed by it, work with it and make it their own. Improvisation to develop a script has become a traditional exercise in drama classes. Historical novels are also traditional as background reading in history and English classes. But, perhaps because of the compartmentalization of most secondary-school curricula, combining historical novels with dramatic projects is a new thing. It takes a little care and planning. It is always rewarding, but not always as easy as following an established lesson plan. So here the authors answer the questions other teachers would ask, from "Why do it all?" to "How do you get the students to settle down once the performance is over?" In between is solid advice on every phase: choosing and reading the book, getting the students to derive the script from the book and from their improvisations, costuming and making stage sets, casting and directing, rehearsing and performing. The authors have done it themselves, and they know what problems will occur and how to solve them. And they have illustrated their book with photographs taken during the course of an actual project-photographs that show education happening. |
Contents
PREFACE BY JEAN MURRAY | 11 |
THE TEACHER CHOOSES THE BOOK TO BE DRAMATIZED | 17 |
READING THE BOOK ALOUD IN CLASS | 25 |
Copyright | |
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Common terms and phrases
actors adult Andy Hawks backstage better breakfast meeting cast character child choose classroom clothes colonial color costumes Cotton Blossom creative Daniel Webster Debbie Declaration of Independence dialogue dramatic Edna Ferber Elisabeth Irwin Elly Esther Forbes excitement experience feeling FIANCÉ gangplank GAYLORD give happened Henry Wadsworth Longfellow HEROINE high school Hughes Mearns improvisation interest involved Johnny Tremain Julie junior high keep kids kind learning Lights dim lines little girl look Maggie Hawks MAGNOLIA Maxwell Anderson miscegenation Mississippi River PARTHY performance period pilot house play POLICEMAN production Ravenal rehearsal remember river scenery Schultzy script SHERIFF Show Boat show-boat audience sitting skirt slaves social studies stage stage lights Steve story talk teacher tell theater theme things tonight underground railroad understand VILLAIN What's whole WINDY writing Young Jefferson