Creative Dramas: Picture the Possibilities

Step 10: Use creative drama

When a drama is complete, it may be read to students to familiarize them with ideas. Learners may be instructed to raise hands when they hear words that suggest ways to move. Then teachers can periodically call on a student to describe how a particular idea may be depicted through movement. Specific examples can be used to distinguish between verbs, adverbs and adjectives. Modeling too many examples, however, may inhibit students from generating their own. When a drama is read the second time, teachers may instruct movers to act out each idea, recognizing that many possibilities exist. Careful observation of student's responses can help teachers reflect about word pictures and their overall intent. With careful scrutiny a teacher can determine ways a drama might be modified for future use.