How to Teach the History of the Circus

Teaching about the circus using fiction and nonfiction teaches children about a very important part of the American culture. The circus was a show that entertained families. The children can design a circus act with their own animals, performers and equipment. They can research a U.S. circus and create a poster to promote the circus. This is a creative way to learn about design, writing, research, and the history of the circus.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• "If I Ran the Circus" by Dr. Seuss
• Paper
• Pencils
• Color pencils
• Crayons
• Markers
• Rulers
• 23-by-31 inch poster boards
• Scissors
• Glue

1. Read the book "If I Ran the Circus" by Dr. Seuss aloud to the class. You can have the students read parts of the book aloud in front of the class. Discuss with the children the different circus acts and elements that make up a circus. Go over some of the circus vocabulary and meaning, such as acrobats, animals, balancing, Big Top, box office, clown, elephants, jugglers, ringmaster, tent and trapeze performers.

2. Hand out paper and pencils to the students. Tell them to make up an unusual circus act with animals and performers. They should describe in detail what the animals look like and what the performers do. Do they wear colorful clothing and use certain equipment? Why will this circus act bring customers to the circus? They can write a few paragraphs about the act, then draw what it would look like if they want to.

3. Use the CircusWeb site listed under Resources to find several different U.S. circuses. Choose one of the circuses listed and go to the site. Pass out paper and pencils and tell students to read about the circus and take notes. They will be designing a poster for the circus that they choose from the list.

4. Take detailed notes about the circus for the poster design. The poster should include the history, description of some the circus acts performed, ticket prices and the location of the circus. It should include a phone number to order tickets. The poster should have a slogan or headline as to why someone would want to attend this particular circus. It should contain a few paragraphs about the circus and be designed or illustrated in an attractive manner.

5. Hand out the poster boards to all the children and let them design their poster. Use pencils, rulers, markers and crayons. Each poster should have at least two paragraphs about the circus. The information can be typed in Microsoft Word then printed on paper. Then the copy can be cut and pasted onto the poster where it fits best. After the children have finished with the posters, let each one show their poster and discuss the specific circus poster they made.

Resources

• CircusWeb

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