ERIC Number: EJ1001161
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Jul
Pages: 7
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0013-8274
EISSN: N/A
Exploring Character through Narrative, Drama, and Argument
McCann, Thomas M.; D'Angelo, Rebecca; Hillocks, Marjorie; Galas, Nancy; Ryan, Laura
English Journal, v101 n6 p37-43 Jul 2012
Writing, reading, and dramatic performance have long been powerful means for representing and contending with thorny problems, and the authors see much promise in engaging students in authoring the dramas and solutions that represent their fears and their hopes for resolutions. In this article, the authors share a series of writing activities and their related discussions that invite students to understand the motivations that might prompt bullying behaviors on the playground and in the world at large. The students' writing and their observations during discussions reveal that their sense of fair play and the need for safe conduct in their daily lives allows them to author constructive ways to mediate problems and to find reasonable ways to make amends. The activities cross the boundaries of grade levels and can be appropriate for upper grades of elementary school through high school, as students learn to rely on writing and drama to represent their fears and project their hopes for resolution and safety. The authors conclude that by writing narratives, performing constructed dramas, and composing arguments, all through collaborative efforts, the students project their concerns and construct solutions. Their story, drama, and arguments connect to the literature they read and assist them in contending with the real problems that invade their lives.
Descriptors: Personal Narratives, Writing (Composition), Writing Skills, Writing Processes, Bullying, Controversial Issues (Course Content), Functional Behavioral Assessment, Interpersonal Competence, Drama, Rhetorical Invention, Creative Writing, Collaborative Writing
National Council of Teachers of English. 1111 West Kenyon Road, Urbana, IL 61801-1096. Tel: 877-369-6283; Tel: 217-328-3870; Web site: http://www.ncte.org/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A