ThinkTheatre: Grades 6-8

It’s All Ancient to Me

Grade 6 Social Studies

Length: 5 days, 50 minutes each

Social Studies Standards:

• Strand SS.6.W: World History

Theatre Standards:

• Big Idea TH.2.S: Skills, Techniques, and Processes
• Big Idea TH.2.F: Innovation, Technology, and the Future

Objective: The students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of each early civilization by performing scenarios through script and improv.

Description: Gulfshore Playhouse Education and ThinkTheatre staff will lead a week long workshop for a classroom composed of sixth grade students. This educational theatre workshop focuses directly on learning about different early civilizations, while incorporating best practices in drama-based pedagogy. By using scripts, pantomime, and various objects as props to describe each civilization, the sixth grade students will not only learn new information about these societies, they will also be able to speak clearly, connect physically, and experiment with fundamental theatre skills. In addition, this lesson will enhance the students’ abilities in public speaking, engagement, creativity, and improvisation.

Shakespeare’s Battle of the Bards

Grade 7 Language Arts

Time: 5 days, 50 minutes each

Language Arts Standards:

• Strand LAFS.7.W: Writing Standards
• Cluster 3 LAFS.7.W.3: Research to Build and Present Knowledge

Theatre Standard:

• TH.68.H.2.3: Analyze theatre history and dramatic literature in the context of societal and cultural history.

Objective: The students will be able to interpret and perform William Shakespeare’s written language by examining both traditional and modern day translations.

Description: Gulfshore Playhouse Education and ThinkTheatre staff will lead a 50-minute workshop for a classroom composed of seventh grade students. This educational theatre workshop focuses directly on language arts standards while incorporating best practices in drama-based pedagogy. Students will be introduced to basic concepts and information regarding William Shakespeare. Further, through utilizing theatre skills and drama-based pedagogy, students will interpret the traditional and modern day versions of the quotes by experimenting with and performing various dialects. Additionally, students will be able to identify various analytical strategies for examining a body of text. By the end of the workshop, students will have a better understanding of the works, meanings, and adaptations of Shakespeare.

Remember Your Roots

Grade 8 Social Studies

Time: 5 days, 50 minutes

Social Studies Standards:

• Strand SS.8.G: Geography
• Standard 5 SS.8.G.1: Understand how human actions can impact the environment.
• SS.8.G.5.Su.b: Recognize impacts of a selected human modification, such as deforestation, on the environment in the United States.

Objective: The students will be able to define and explore the meaning of various concepts like change and deforestation through relevant discussion and meaningful participation in content-specific theatre activities.

Description: Gulfshore Playhouse Education and ThinkTheatre staff will lead a 50-minute week long interdisciplinary workshop for a classroom composed of eighth grade students. This educational theatre workshop focuses directly on social studies standards while incorporating best practices in drama-based pedagogy. By exploring the concepts of change and deforestation, students will begin to recognize the importance of preserving Earth’s forests. Through utilizing theatre skills and drama-based pedagogy, students will work collaboratively through various theatrical activities. To culminate the week, the students will present the information they have accumulated over the week through various creative presentations.