Intended for teachers who have no particular experience or training in teaching theater, but who have a love of theater and enjoy a good play, this book discusses making theater with children. It explores improvisation, reading and acting with scripts, adapting plays for young actors, and writing plays. The examples presented in the text are…

Describes the "Power Game," which has only one rule: the object is to win, and the game is over when one player speaks or touches the other. Explains the structure and progression of the game in rounds. States that the game provides a launching point for a discussion of power, winning and losing, and listening clearly. (PA)

Describes a case study which collected journals from, interviewed, and observed 23 children as they participated in a 6-week creative drama workshop using the Rutgers Imagination Method. Finds improvement in specific areas of learning, including vocabulary, imagery abilities, and dramatic behavior. (SR)

This 30 to 40 minute drama for elementary school students takes place in and around the Pennsylvania State House, Philadelphia, on September 17, 1787, the day the Constitutional Convention ended. The drama focuses on five major points: (1) the Colonial Confederation's situation at that time, which necessitated calling for such a convention; (2)…

A classroom research project in Alaska explored what role dramatic play and story reenactments have as a teaching/learning method for young childrens' development. A review of the literature identified several common elements that helped teachers elicit successful dramatic story reenactments: choosing a familiar book or story; encouraging…

Discusses creative dramatics as an experiential and interactive play process comprised of three phases: (1) pantomiming action; (2) improvising words; and (3) building plot and characters. Contains teacher information on guiding and encouraging playmaking, creating a developmentally appropriate dramatics program, and the expected benefits of…

This 30 to 40 minute drama for secondary school students takes place in the Pennsylvania State House, Philadelphia, on September 17, 1787, the day the Constitutional Convention ended. James Madison serves as the drama's spokesman. The drama focuses on five major points: (1) the Colonial Confederation's situation at that time, which necessitated…

Dialogical drama with puppets is a specific method of revealing basic cultural values for preschool children. For this study, an interactive performance of a puppet show for young children was videotaped, along with a later performance of the same show by the children. The study compared the techniques used by the adult performers and the children…

Details four developmentally appropriate dramatic play experiences for integration into the classroom curriculum to extend dramatic play into a classroom play experience. Provides guidance in turning dramatic play into a project, launching the play process, readying the performance, problem solving, playing the play, and enjoying the outcome.…

In an experiment designed to involve reluctant learners in a creative learning experience, a class of youngsters assumed the role of a Sahara Desert tribe and talked about their perplexity in finding a chair washed up on the beach. Using this incident as the focal point for a project, the teacher divided the children into small groups to compose…