Describes how use of panorama theater to teach middle school social studies can aid in teaching the academic skills of defining a problem, locating and collecting data, organizing and designing tasks, drawing inferences, creating and building interpretations, revising and editing, and interpreting data. Presents a classroom example of a panorama…

Reviews the origins of melodrama, essential components for instructional purposes, and key elements that help melodrama succeed. Suggests methods for implementation of content-focused melodramas in history classes and methods to evaluate student understanding of the content. (RS)

Discusses the use of melodrama as a method of historical research that provides students with an opportunity to study historical events and themes. Presents an activity based on the civil rights movement. Includes an example and handouts for creating a melodrama in class. (DK)

Discusses the use of a "crankie," a simple story device made from a cardboard box, in studying women's history in the high school classroom. Presents an example of a crankie story which focuses on Rosa Parks and the Montgomery (Alabama) bus boycott. Describes an evaluation process and assesses the activity's instructional value. (GEA)

Describes the procedures, preparation, and background material necessary for a class to produce an updated version of a living newspaper puppet play. These plays, originally produced by the Federal Theater Project, took a strong editorial position while examining and satirizing political issues. (MJP)

Reviews the worker's theater movement of the 1930s that attempted to unite actors and audience in devising solutions to societal problems. Maintains that re-enacting its dramatic forms is a thought-provoking way to introduce students to the issues of the time. Includes instructions for suggested activities. (MJP)

Popular culture genres of the mid-nineteenth century--the anti-slavery almanac, dime novel, panorama, and propaganda play--provide secondary school teachers with an historical medium to help students understand the conditions of slavery. Following an introduction to the uses of these genres in teaching, separate sections contain historical…

Activities focusing on three popular culture genres of the late nineteenth century--the muckraker magazine, the dime novel, and melodrama--help secondary students appreciate the ethnic diversity, social problems, and social themes of turn-of-the-century urban America. Material is divided into four sections. Following an introduction, the first…