Role-playing is an unscripted dramatic technique that encourages participants to improvise behaviors that illustrate expected actions of persons involved in defined situations. However, among various uses in developing professionals, the use of role-playing in teacher education is rather rare. To give all students the opportunity to participate in…

This is a ready-to-use simulation that has high school students portraying all of the key players that decide how water from the Colorado River will be allocated. Students act as judges, lobbyists, news analysts, and even protesters during a mock water conference. Water supply is promised beyond nature's delivery, so the problem is real and will…

Data from ten teacher candidates studying teaching methods were analyzed to determine perceptions toward digital simulation games in the area of social studies. This research can be used as a conceptual model of how current teacher candidates react to new methods of instruction and determine how education programs might change existing curricula…

To help maintain class interest in the important themes addressed in "Walden" and "The Duties of Civil Disobedience," a high school English teacher has presented a dramatic monologue as Henry David Thoreau to his students. After much library research, the teacher used some of the props characteristic of the author, such as a…

Suggests using letter writing, creative writing, a mythology newspaper, and mythology games as four enjoyable ways of teaching mythology. (JL)

This article describes one teacher's methods of role-playing for helping students in the foreign language classroom advance to higher level skills. Role-playing is a closed book, cooperative learning technique in which the student has an opportunity to use the language in a non-threatening, spontaneous response environment. Role-playing is an…

An English teacher at a rural high school discusses how she taught a literature class by having students stage a mock trial involving the characters Beowulf and Grendel. As a result, students gained knowledge not only about the literature but also about the legal system. Includes guidelines for using role-playing activities in the classroom. (LP)

This book presents simulation activities for significant events in U.S. history from 1787-1868. Intended for student involvement, the simulations require student research and practice in order to carry out the designated roles. The simulation and role play serve to involve the students actively in their learning, using both the affective and…

Describes an activity in which students gather information on a field trip to South Stradbroke Island in Australia and conduct a symposium on whether it would be suitable to build a resort on the island. Students role-play the viewpoints of various special interest groups that would be involved in the controversy. (Author/WRM)

The relative effectiveness of four instructional methods for increasing the interpersonal vocational skills of 122 mildly retarded high school students was investigated. Curriculum packages featured (1) verbal presentation of problematic social situations, (2) verbal presentation coupled with behavior rehearsal, (3) videotape vignettes of problem…

This paper contributes to the growing debate in Japan about how to teach Japanese students to speak English effectively. It is argued that there must be a shift from learning about the English language to using English to learn and communicate about topics that are interesting and relevant to students' lives in Japan. Role playing is an effective…

This booklet provides instructions for simulation and role play of historical events in U.S. history from 1925-1964. Included for student research and participation are: the Scopes trial in Tennessee involving supporters of the teaching of evolution in the schools and of creationism; the decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan ending World War…

The focal crises simulated in the game are set in a district integrated at the beginning of the Fall term. Each school had an enrollment that was approximately 52 percent white, 22 percent black, 22 percent Mexican American, and the remainder Oriental. During the early weeks of school, the integration plan worked smoothly. After a short time,…

Describes the use of role playing and skits for instruction in protein synthesis. (PR)

Describes how lectures, laboratories, and role playing can be used to introduce students to the importance of water quality of water used for plant growth. (PR)