Presents a dialog among three English teachers concerning teaching performance poetry to ninth graders. (RS)

Teachers from a high school and university collaborated to analyze the obstacles students encountered while understanding the theatre play "Our Town". A description on the activities undertaken to help students approach and appreciate the play is presented.

Suggests that slowing down the pace of reading instruction may help to make students lifetime readers. (DD)

Joseph M. Shosh, an English teacher, has shown the way in which he made writing as a central part in a drama class to build critical literacy. He describes writing tasks like creating scenes from personal observations and using acting journals as well as writing projects that are necessarily involved with play production.

Describes a junior high language arts curriculum project in which students played the parts of famous authors. Notes stages of preparation, including reading, researching biographies, practicing speaking skills, and understanding authors' viewpoints. (JG)

Describes how a new English teacher invited students to negotiate with him their course of study. Discusses setting the stage for negotiated learning, establishing ownership and building ensemble, clarifying expectations and rehearsing together, planning ahead and assessing the performance, helping students take on additional roles, and allowing…

Describes a number of class activities and student projects that the authors have used to teach the language and literature of peace in seventh- and eighth-grade reading and language arts classes, via theme-based units, interdisciplinary projects, and original theatrical student productions that celebrate language and literacy through the arts.…

Describes a classroom program in which students adapted and then produced a play based on the adolescent novel "The Chocolate War." Notes group improvisation strategies for adapting internal monologue to dialogue. Argues the advantages of such a project over class discussion and book reports. (JG)

Elaborates on directing theater while teaching English. States that working in an unfamiliar field with different students, materials, and skills is difficult, and the opportunity to sacrifice time, energy, and personal life for low pay and a chance to flop are disadvantages. But the academic and personal rewards make the experience worthwhile.…

Describes the "Postcards from America" project carried out by a class of high school students, all recent immigrants to the United States with little or no prior English. Discusses two events (an exhibit of students' photographs and writing, and a multimedia performance of nine performance pieces portraying personal stories of the immigrant…

Describes a program to help secondary school students develop speech skills by exploring social issues through role-playing. Notes that this method motivates discouraged students, reduces communication anxiety, improves research skills, fosters appropriate verbal and nonverbal skills, and stimulates affective learning. (JG)

Provides an annotated bibliography of sources that will help teachers select materials and structure activities in oral interpretation, readers theatre, improvisation, and creative speaking for the English classroom. (MM)

Describes a teacher's experience teaching sixth grade drama in Britain, where drama is viewed as distinct from literature and stresses role playing. Outlines particular improvisation activities, scriptwriting projects, approaches to class discussion, and the use of dramatic activities to teach other subjects. (JG)