Describes one teacher's methods for introducing to secondary English students the concepts of improvisation, experimentation, and innovation. Discusses numerous techniques for fostering such skills when working with William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream." (HB)

Presents a lesson plan for a second-grade class project. Suggests that the students will learn to identify the word "famous," complete a timeline for a famous person, learn facts about the person, and express individual thoughts and feelings. Explains the steps involved in the presentation of a living museum where students portray famous…

Provides insights into the benefits of using role playing in the context of cross-grade educational activities. Demonstrates these benefits by giving transcripts of interviews with fifth and sixth graders as well as second and third graders who participated in such activities. (HB)

Most children are unaware of the process of molting, the periodic shedding and replacement of part or all of a coat or an outer covering of an animal, but it is an animal characteristic they are sure to be interested in and should have the opportunity to observe. In this article, the author shares how she and her students observed various…

At the University of Akron's Community and Technical College, the major student project for "Principles of Advertising" is the development of ad campaigns for an assigned product. Two groups of students, playing the role of advertising agencies, compete with each other while the remaining students in the class act as the clients. Among the…

Much can be gained by providing preschool children opportunities to work on projects. Projects invite children's participation at various developmental levels; strengthen their capacity and disposition for involvement in work requiring sustained effort; and are ideal for mixed age, ability, or linguistic groups. Teachers have a central role to…

Suggests a new typology for evaluating simulation games based on the extent to which participants' roles correspond to specific real-world equivalents. Application of the typology associates different simulation formats with characteristic teaching goals, learning processes, and administrative pitfalls. (Author)

Develops technical writing skills by organizing the class as a "company." Class activities include forming the company, defining the product, and completing exercises and situations in internal and external business communication. (RL)

The problem of choosing among sentencing alternatives based on probation reports are confronted in a classroom simulation of a sentencing hearing. (Author/KM)

Seven situations are suggested for role playing exercises, with facial and physical movement emphasized as well as oral skill development. Possibilities for improvisation, props, variations, and linguistic objectives are outlined for each situation. (MSE)

Describes a unit in four steps that meets the challenge of teaching history in a meaningful way by incorporating role-playing with historical investigation. Hopes for each student to breathe life into a person from the past. Discusses the benefits of role-playing biographies. (SG)

Argues the value of literary reading passages as the basis for second language learning. These passages can serve as a springboard for the enthusiastic exchange of ideas in which learners focus on meaning rather than form, use the target language to argue or justify opinions, or, while playing the role of a character, to engage in conversation.…

Students of a foreign language can use cartoons to hone their listening and speaking skills, widen their vocabulary, and improve their knowledge of syntax, grammar, and semantics of a language. Activities using cartoons include: (1) gap filling: (2) caption insertion and strip sequencing; (3) caption invention and story writing; (4) comprehension…

Describes a role-playing activity to help students effectively extract information from an oral source, as in an interview. (MM)