Summer 2002

Margo Gehring

Reading and Creative Writing Lesson:

ABSTRACT

This is an interdisciplinary, cooperative learning (JIGSAW) lesson for writing and performing a class play about a previously learned topic. It will take 6-8+ weeks to accomplish the entire lesson. It is great for the end of the year as a culminating experience involving many subjects that the students have been learning about during the entire year or in previous lessons.

PREREQUISITES

· Students will already be able to identify parts of the body of a story (i.e. Title, Author, Introduction, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, Resolve, Genre, Moral, Theme, Conflict, Characters, etc.)

· Students will already generalize this information across medium and genre (easy books, chapter books, listening - books on tape or teacher read, movies, etc). They should be able to identify parts of the story individually, in groups, or as a class.

* It is also suggested that either before or during this project the class take a field trip to watch a performance of a professionally produced play in order to have increased understanding/modeling of how the finished product should look.

GOAL

As a class and in heterogeneous cooperative learning groups the class will be able to write a class play on a topic in which they are already experts (to synthesize previously learned material in Science, History, Math, Women’s Studies, Art, etc.)
The class should be able to practice and perform their play for parents and school peers.
Students of different ability levels will learn together and learn how they can help each other. They will realize that students of all abilities have something to contribute to make the group/class better.
Students will build new friendships and a sense of interdependence among each other.

MATERIALS

Chalk or large drawing board.
Lots of blank paper and pencils
Props, scenery, and costumes to be decided upon and created by students
Lots of time for time for writing play and practicing.
A class full of creative children

PROCEDURES

Writing the Play:

· Teacher will direct class in structuring the play. The class as a whole will choose Genre, Moral, Theme, Characters, and will decide the basic elements of the Introduction, Conflict, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, Resolve, etc. for their play. In order for as many students as possible to have speaking parts in the play, many Characters including a Narrator should be used. The play will also be divided in to Acts as decided by the class as a whole. (1-3 lessons/days)

· In heterogeneous groups decided upon by the teacher, students will begin actually writing dialog for the different acts of the play (one group per act). The teacher will assist groups as needed, encouraging them to use as much factual information about the chosen topic as possible, as well as an age appropriate sense of humor to make the play interesting and enjoyable to watch. Teacher will also monitor group inter-relations, and will help children to work out their own conflicts in an appropriate manner. (1-3 lessons/days).

· Each group can “show off”/read their act to the class. The class can give positive and constructive feedback as to the group’s work. Revisions can be made if necessary. (1 lesson/day)

· Teacher should type up all of the acts in one form.

Practicing the Play:

· The class begins practicing reading the play while in their seats. The play should be practiced a few times each day, switching parts each time. This repetition is good especially for slower readers. It will help them learn the material and gain confidence to hear the story over and over, and to have a turn to read both large and small parts like everyone else. Faster reading/learning students can begin using voices for the characters, working on intonation, and start memorizing passages. Younger students will also enjoy coming up with appropriate sound effects. (2-4 weeks)

· Students list their first, second, and third choices for individual speaking parts, sound effects, or set jobs, and teacher should try to divide up parts as fair as possible. All students should already be experts in reading each part so that slower readers have just as much chance at getting a hard role as faster readers.

· Students begin practicing play in their assigned roles. Groups (Performing roles, Sound Effects, and Set, Costume. Make-up, and Prop experts) can begin meeting to plan what the play will look like. (2 weeks)

· The class as a whole decides on where and when the play will be performed and who will be invited.

Practice Performances, actual Performance, and Processing:

· The class performs the entire play in full costume and make-up with props, etc. for at least three other classes as practice before the big event. Each class is asked to give positive and constructive feedback either orally or written on a form. This will help the class become more confident, and give them a chance to hear from peers (instead of their teacher) what they need to work on before their real performance.

· The class performs the play for parents etc with a celebration following the performance. Parents are asked to bring refreshments and flowers for the whole class. The teacher gives each student a certificate of excellent performance. The play is video taped.

· The next day in class, the group discusses highs and lows of the event. Teacher praises students on their ability to work together and asks students about what they have learned about working in groups and as a class to accomplish something they are proud of.

· Two days after the play performance, students are allowed to watch the tape of themselves and have a popcorn party!

This lesson uses the following concepts, which make it a cooperative learning lesson:

POSITIVE INTERDEPENDACE

The class and individual groups depend on each other to work together and to create something that the class can be proud of.

INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Each student will be accountable for his actions, behavior, and contribution (both academically and socially) to the group and class project.

SOCIAL SKILLS

Students must use appropriate social skills to reduce conflict and to increase group creativity. Groups must be able to operate in a democratic manner.

FACE-TO-FACE INTERACTION

While working in groups students work in a face-to-face fashion. They must have successful two and more way interactions to successfully accomplish the class goal (interaction toward common goals).

HETEROGENOUS GROUPING

Play writing groups will be heterogeneous ability groups to increase positive interdependence among students. Performers, Set, Make-up, Prop, and Sound effect expert groups will be divided by interest but will also be heterogeneous ability-wise.

EVALUATION

Students will be evaluated on their personal (social and academic) contributions to the group.

Groups will be assessed on how well they work together to accomplish something that they are proud of.

The class will also be grade as a whole. The class will continually evaluate their own progress to the goal and their final performance (by video tape/ performance assessment)

PROCESSING

The students will have many times to process how they are working together and how they are coming along on the play. Giving time for the students to process what is happening and to make changes is much more valuable than the teacher enforced changes.

Other elements of cooperation in this lesson include:

TRUST

The students must be in an environment where they feel like they can trust each other. They must feel like they can take creative risks (such as suggesting unusual ideas that they aren’t sure if the group will go for), as well as feel comfortable enough to try things that they haven’t before (such as reading a hard passage in front of their class or group).

NORMS and EXPECTATIONS

The class and individual groups will set norms for each other’ s behavior and expectations for social and academic work.

FRIENDSHIP

One of the goals of this lesson is for students to make new friends with students they might not ordinarily would have been friends with. Given a positive and open environment, and because of the length and the amount of interdependance necessary for this lesson is reasonable to expect that students will make new friends.