How to Incorporate Drama in the Classroom for Social Studies

Classroom drama does not need elaborate costuming such as this.

Incorporating drama into the social studies classroom is a way to bring history to life. It creates a change of pace and allows students to explore ideas and feelings associated with historical events. Drama is also valuable because it allows room for different forms of learning. There is physical movement, which caters to the kinesthetic learner. There is the spoken word, catering to the auditory learner, and the costumes and props, which cater to the visual learner. Drama in a social studies classroom turns the study of events that affect people's lives from a passive, teacher-centered experience to a vibrant, active exploration of these events, their causes and their results.

Things You'll Need

• Costumes (optional)
• Props

Instructions

1. Select an actionable topic of some significance, working from the unit that the students are studying.

2. Divide the class into groups. Assign each group a subtopic to research for a skit.

3. Have each group prepare a first draft of its skit.

4. Discuss each group's draft with the group. Point out ways to improve the work. Have the group rewrite the skit, incorporating suggestions and plugging gaps in the research to ensure a complete and understandable story.

5. Allow each group time to practice. Be on hand to encourage, offer suggestions and mediate.

6. Have each group present its skit to the class. Ask for feedback from the other students, making sure that it is directed at the material and not the persons.

7. After all groups have presented, conduct a class discussion on what insights the students have gained about the topic. You can even make a written assignment to allow each student to share his personal insights about the topic.

Tips & Warnings

• When writing the lesson plan for a drama unit, make sure that the written objectives fit in with the course's objectives.

• Explain the many positives to be gained from the exercise.

• Classroom management can be a challenge with an unstructured activity like this. Reaffirming the classroom rules that apply and setting up a few signals to control behavior can be helpful. For example, "Freeze" can mean: Everyone stop talking and hold your positions.

• Maintain regular classroom discipline. Unstructured activities like this can deteriorate rapidly into chaos.

References

• BNET: Teaching social studies through drama: Student meanings
• JSTOR: Integrating Drama into the Social Studies Class

Resources

• Creative Teaching Through Drama